How You Can Keep Moisture Out of Your Shed With the Right Roof

If you look down the street of your neighborhood, most likely 8 out of 10 houses will have a shingled roof. They’re the most popular option, but you’ve probably heard that a metal roof is longer lasting and requires less maintenance.

This can be true, but when you’re searching for a portable building, that description will not stand up to most of the metal roofs you’re seeing at your local shed lot.

Your goal with a backyard shed or portable building turned into an office/workshop, is to keep everything dry, safe and secure. That’s why it’s vital to know the difference in roofing options before you purchase.

A Metal Roof Is Not Always the Lower Maintenance Option

You may have done research when building or buying your home that said a metal roof is less maintenance. But, what many people do not realize is that not all metal roof options offer this same benefit.

You may find more metal roofed sheds than shingled, but that doesn’t mean metal is better. In fact, you might discover that the metal roofing materials chosen are inferior, though faster to install, than a Cook shingled shed. In the shed industry you’ll see a lot of exposed fastener metal roofs vs. raised seam metal roofs. An exposed fastener metal roof means your shed:

Will need more maintenance and should be inspected at least every other year
May form condensation on the underside of the roof in certain temperature conditions.
Could be susceptible to corrosion from salty air in coastal regions.

Keep in mind that an average-sized shed’s roof will have dozens, if not hundreds, of screws drilled through the surface of the metal panels. These screws have rubber washers or grommets, but these tend to dry out and crack when exposed to the elements. On top of that, the screws do not allow for the metal’s expansion and contraction which results in the fastener holes slowly wallowing out over time. This can lead to water penetrating these growing holes and significantly compromising the integrity of the roofing system.

Also, when delivering the sheds, many shed companies won’t tarp and strap down the shed. Why? Because this can sometimes damage the metal roof. At Cook, we mainly use shingles for our sheds and our delivery drivers always tarp and strap the sheds down before hauling.

When Is a Metal Roof the Right Choice?

We can, and do provide metal roofs on our buildings upon customer request. But, this is usually only necessary if you prefer a metal roofing system or your HOA requires it. If your home has a metal roof, then your HOA may require a similar roofing material on all outbuildings.

If we do put a metal roof on one of our sheds, we’re choosing a higher grade material than our competitors. Our Metal Roofing Systems are constructed with 29-gauge steel and include 2 X 4 gusseted trusses for increased support against excess weight.

What kind of roofing system will you normally find on a Cook shed?

The smart roof design of a Cook shed includes our architectural shingles and OSB decking, manufactured from waterproof adhesives and protected by an aluminum drip edge.

7/16″ oriented strand board (OSB) is used for roof decking because it is manufactured with heat resistant glues that prevent delamination and warping.
2×4 trusses are placed 24″ on center and gusseted to add strength to the roof system to keep it from sagging from the weight of snow and ice.
An aluminum drip edge prevents water damage to roof decking from siphoning off water along the edge of the shingles.
The vented roof helps ventilate your portable building and protects your belongings from excessive heat.

These features ensure that anything stored inside your Cook shed stays safe and dry.

We are very open with how we build our portable buildings. You can see all of the features of a Cook shed here or watch how our sheds are built below:

It’s not just a building, we know your imagination may turn our designs into a home office, a local food pantry, a workshop, a she shed and so much more! Let’s get started building your blank canvas.