How to ….Apply Bitumen Roof Shingles to a Log Cabin or Garden Building

Introduction

Here is our handy guide to help you construct your waterproof roof for a Logspan log cabin or any other garden building using bitumen roofing shingles.

These have the benefit of being hard wearing, being simple to apply and not breaking the bank.

The shingles should be applied once you have all the roof boards fixed down and the roof edge reinforcement and roof side boards attached to the eaves sides.

DO NOT attach the fascias, felt fillets or diamonds until after you have shingled the roof.

• Do one side of the roof at a time.
• Start at the front of the cabin
• Start at the eaves edge
• Shingles and ridge should be fixed down using felt tacks/clout nails in a suitable length. Nail each shingle in the following positions.

• Hexagonal shingles will have a self-adhesive strip on the back which you need to remove the film from before laying. You still need to nail the shingles down.
• Ridge roll has a film on the back but this should not be removed.
• Keep any excess you cut off because you might be able to re-use it later

You can run a translucent waterproof silicone under the shingles at the front, rear, eaves and apex of the log cabin for added protection but it is not compulsory.

Starter Strip

You will need to create a starter strip along the eaves edge of the roof.

Square shingles

Take a length of shingle, cut one of the squares off using a Stanley knife. Lay the shingle on the roof (front eaves edge). It should fit flush to the front of the log cabin roof but overlap the eaves edge by approx 1cm. Fix down.

Next, take a full length of shingle and lay it next to the previous one. Continue doing this until you reach the rear of the cabin. Cut off any excess shingle overhanging the rear with a Stanley knife.

Hex shingles

You will need to make rectangular lengths to work with so using a Stanley knife and ruler cut the hex bottoms off the shingle lengths to leave a rectangle.

Once you have rectangles to work with complete the starter strip the same as for square shingles above.

1st Row 

Starting at the front of the cabin again, take a full length of shingle and lay it directly on top of the starter strip. Fix down and continue to the rear of the cabin. Cut off any excess.

2nd Row

 Square shingles

Take a full length of shingle and position it above the 1st row so that the centre of a 2nd row square fits up to the end of a 1st-row square. You should have covered the nails but do not overlap the shingles too much or you will run out.

You will have some shingle excess overhanging the front of the log cabin, cut this off with a Stanley knife.

Hex shingles

Take a full length of shingle and position it above the 1st row. The 2nd row hex bottom should fit above the top of a 1st row hex top. This will create a full hex. You will be able to see some of the black at the top of the shingles in the 1st row. You should not be able to see any of the nails.

You will have some shingle excess overhanging the front of the log cabin, cut this off with a Stanley knife.

Continue to do the rest of the row in the same way.

Do as many rows as are necessary to reach the apex of the roof.

Do the same on the other side of the roof

Ridge

Using shingles

Cut full lengths of shingle into thirds. Start at the front. Bend a third over the apex and nail down on both sides. Overlap the next third on the back end of the 1st one and fix down. Continue until you reach the back. Do not overlap the thirds too much or you will run out.

Using ridge roll

Starting at the front bend the roll over the apex and nail down on both sides. Run the roll to the rear of the log cabin, nail down at the back and then cut off any excess. Go back and nail down the roll along both sides at regular intervals.

For more information please see our website: Logspan