Getting ready for winter weather.

It has become time to prepare the shed and the plot for autumn and the coming winter. For the shed, this means checking and replacing any roof felt that may be damaged. I have suffered some tearing during the spring and summer due to high winds, so it's time to get the tools out.

The old felt has to first be carefully removed. The edge rails that tuck the felt over the edge of the roof boards first have to be removed. Next, the longer rails that tuck under the length of the front and back eaves.

The damage means that all the old felt has to come off so the tacks that hold the felt have to be removed but can be reused if done carefully.

The roof boards are heavy chipboard as can be seen here. The boards themselves will absorb any moisture and swell before becoming crumbly and falling apart so it is wise to ensure the felt covers all the edges as well as the flat surfaces.Roofing felt can come in a number of colours due to the different minerals used. I stick with the standard green but I have no idea if the colours make any difference to performance.

The Felt is rolled out on a flattish surface then I use a complete piece of the old felt as a template for size, but using a tape measure would be safer. I just didn't have one with me.

The width of the felt meant I could cut two pieces which would overlap at the apex of the roof by about eight inches. The apex is where the two board edges meet so a double layer gives extra protection for the most vulnerable area.

Once the first piece is in places,lapping over the joint of the boards, it is tacked in place to avoid movement when fitting the second or outer piece. Once the second piece is laid on, overlapping the edge of the first at the top,I can finish tacking across the top edge and around the edges before tucking the sides in and fitting the retaining rails.

Once all the edges have been tucked in,tacked down and the rails have been fitted back in place ,the job is done and hopefully the rain will stay on the soil and not in my shed.

One tip is to be sure that apart from the edge that covers the apex, all other tacks should be on the very edges of the roof to avoid giving moisture a way under the felt.