The Roof System On An Outdoor Classroom

Schools want the outdoor classrooms they buy to last them a long time obviously and this is one of the main tenets of assessing value for money when evaluating between suppliers. One of the main issues to look at however from a school’s perspective is obviously the quality of build and the materials used etc but from our experience, the main area to scrutinise is the construction of the roof as this is where any future issues will lie.

We at the Hideout House Company use a premium grade IKO armour glass felt shingle tile. These are lightweight, glass fibre based bitumen strip slates which are made for durability and will last for 50 years. They are available in a choice of colours although our standard is green but you can also have grey, terracotta red and black. We can also use cedar shingle tiles but these tend to be more expensive.

Below this (although you cannot see it post installation), we cover the whole of the roof in a waterproof membrane which stops any ingress of water causing timber rot and damage and roof leaks.

And then we use a log lap, tanalised to Grade 4 cathedral style ceiling which not only is designed to last because of the quality and treatment of timber but it also has a nice aesthetic.

We don’t use marine ply as a roof underdraw as this simply does not last as long and is prone eventually to suffering from rot and decay.

And we don’t use a single skin ship lap roof because over time, the picture below probably says more than we can in this instance!

 

We have a guide document which we can send to you which tells you how to assess the overall quality of outdoor classrooms when deciding upon suppliers.

For more information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com