Anyone got experience of insulated roof panels?

[alex robinson]

I posted on here about rebuilding a shed asking about roofing options and someone suggested structural insulated panels. They look great. I was wondering what experience people had with them and where was best to buy from?

In particular what is the maximum span that is safe? The specifications say no more than 2.5m. Is that a hard and fast rule, or would people be happy increasing that for a shed / workshop? I have a 3m span and life would be a lot easier if I didn't need purlins!

Thanks.

 

[Cobbs]

I have them on my workshop and office, very, very pleased with them. I'd stick with a purlin in the middle of the span if I were you - if the shed doesn't have one already, it would be easy enough to hang one from joist hangers, as long as the purlin itself isn't stupidly long. If the worst were to happen and the roof got damaged for some reason, I'm not sure your insurance would cover you if you'd not met or surpassed the manufacturer's recommendations...

 

[Woody Alan]

5 metre span at 120 thickness 4 metre span at 80 mm thickness. There is demo on one web site with a deflectometer, which is where I got the info. I was going to do 5 metre flat roof but have switched to pitched as I didn't thinking could physically manage the larger sheets

 

[alex robinson]

5 metre span at 120 thickness 4 metre span at 80 mm thickness

Wow - that is reassuring! Where did you get yours from?

I have them on my workshop and office, very, very pleased with them. I'd stick with a purlin in the middle of the span if I were you - if the shed doesn't have one already, it would be easy enough to hang one from joist hangers, as long as the purlin itself isn't stupidly long. If the worst were to happen and the roof got damaged for some reason, I'm not sure your insurance would cover you if you'd not met or surpassed the manufacturer's recommendations...

I am rebuilding from existing foundations so it is a bit of an odd set up. I have an area 6.7 x 6m and I was trying to avoid a traditional roof with full rafters etc. I am resigned to 1 post in the middle to support a big ridge beam. Panels to then rest on that and the wall 3m away. So long as the slope is low I figure it is just like 2 garden rooms back to back and there are plenty of those out there with SIP roofs. Feels like it ought to work, but hearing from anyone on here that has done something equivalent would make me a lot happier!

 

[Woody Alan]

I am on the cusp of ordering mine from Insulated Wall Panels | The Insulated Panel Store who gave me the info quoted and who have the video

 

[alex robinson]

I am on the cusp of ordering mine from Insulated Wall Panels | The Insulated Panel Store who gave me the info quoted and who have the video

Interesting. I have just tried their roof calculator and it seems to be giving nonsense. Giving the per m2 price for each panel as opposed to the total cost. Did you get a proper quote or did you use this?

Also, are you using a standard panel length, or getting them custom sized? They seem more expensive than Colour Clad Profiles - Cladding Supplier & Manufacturer but if they will sell you just what is needed, then that makes a big difference.

 

[Woody Alan]

I will be ordering custom size which price wise over standard length is not a great deal different

 

[Ollie78]

I enquired about the metal sandwich insulated roof panels and they said it must be supported every 600mm.

Ollie

 

[Dabop]

This is an Aussie mob that makes insulated roof panels, they can do up to 9m with some of their panels, my mothers is 6m and mine wil be 7m when I get to the veranda, I would think that somebody there would be making something similar...

https://thetrademan.com.au/verandahs-patios/flat

 

[Jameshow]

There is guy whose day job is cladding and panels hopes he's along shortly.

 

[Stuart Moffat]

Take a look at rollaclad box panels made in or near Cardiff. I used them on a 20m x 5M Workshop. It’s an apex roof so each sheet cut by them to my length (3.something metres long they are used on industrial warehouses with very much longer lengths. Their specifications and documentation re installation were very comprehensiv albeit 3 years ago, so shoul tell you what you want to know. It is been brilliant in practice. No heating in winter required if the extractor is run!

 

[Joshjosh]

I have used the 120mm ones on my workshop. They span the 5ms fine with no roof timbers, just go wall plate to wall plate

 

[Bristol_Rob]

Matt from Badger Workshop has just done a video on insulated panels and fitted them on his new shed:

 

[alex robinson]

I have used the 120mm ones on my workshop. They span the 5ms fine with no roof timbers, just go wall plate to wall plate

Hoping to get away with 80, but good to know the thicker ones are more than capable of spanning the gap.

Prospect of a quick and simple roof is incredibly tempting!

 

[alex robinson]

Take a look at rollaclad box panels made in or near Cardiff. I used them on a 20m x 5M Workshop. It’s an apex roof so each sheet cut by them to my length (3.something metres long they are used on industrial warehouses with very much longer lengths. Their specifications and documentation re installation were very comprehensiv albeit 3 years ago, so shoul tell you what you want to know. It is been brilliant in practice. No heating in winter required if the extractor is run!

Cannot see prices on their website, but will call them tomorrow. Getting custom lengths sounds good otherwise I will end up wasting a lot.

Wondering now, is there any downside? Are they making all other roofing obsolete for sheds / workshops ?

 

[alex robinson]

This is an Aussie mob that makes insulated roof panels, they can do up to 9m with some of their panels, my mothers is 6m and mine wil be 7m when I get to the veranda, I would think that somebody there would be making something similar...
View attachment 167047

https://thetrademan.com.au/verandahs-patios/flat

9m in a single span is scary...

 

[Dabop]

9m in a single span is scary...

Dunno why- my big shed here (from a different mob) is 9m x 21m total- the main shed part is 15m x 9m with a 5m x 9m 'leanto' added on to one side, and has not a single post internally except in the walls...- and its rated to cyclonic conditions... (rated to Region D Category 2 cyclonic conditions- rated at withstanding a wind load velocity of 88 m/s or 316kph)
It doesn't have the insulated roof panels, just conventional roof sheets, (I actually looked at replacing the roof during the construction with them, but as it was a 'kit' shed, I ended up not bothering- it already had rolls of insulation supplied with it)
Only the two 'ends' have posts in the walls in the main shed- otherwise it is a totally 'empty' area 9m x 15m- no posts at all

It's not even the biggest in their range by far, but it was the size I needed to fit the truck and trailer into lol
The tilt-tray fits in nicely- you can still walk around it with ease...

 

[ChipsandSplinters]

I live on the top of the Pennines and have a 9x5 workshop. We had 70mph winds when Storm Aaron came through and the panels didn’t budge. Temperature dropped to -10C regularly for three weeks last December and I continued to work with an occasional fan heater and a hat! We get a lot of rain - no leaks. I wouldn’t go back to anything else.

I would put the purlins in because you never know what you want to hang off the roof - air filter/chain hoist/lighting?
Good luck.

 

[alex robinson]

I live on the top of the Pennines and have a 9x5 workshop. We had 70mph winds when Storm Aaron came through and the panels didn’t budge. Temperature dropped to -10C regularly for three weeks last December and I continued to work with an occasional fan heater and a hat! We get a lot of rain - no leaks. I wouldn’t go back to anything else.

I would put the purlins in because you never know what you want to hang off the roof - air filter/chain hoist/lighting?
Good luck.

Very reassuring. Does your roof have rafters though? I am hoping to avoid them and just have a ridge beam and run the panels between that and the walls. I can see purlins would make sense with a conventional roof, but building all the rest seems excessive just for fitting lighting to.

 

[alex robinson]

Dunno why- my big shed here (from a different mob) is 9m x 21m total- the main shed part is 15m x 9m with a 5m x 9m 'leanto' added on to one side, and has not a single post internally except in the walls...- and its rated to cyclonic conditions... (rated to Region D Category 2 cyclonic conditions- rated at withstanding a wind load velocity of 88 m/s or 316kph)
It doesn't have the insulated roof panels, just conventional roof sheets, (I actually looked at replacing the roof during the construction with them, but as it was a 'kit' shed, I ended up not bothering- it already had rolls of insulation supplied with it)
Only the two 'ends' have posts in the walls in the main shed- otherwise it is a totally 'empty' area 9m x 15m- no posts at all
View attachment 167060
It's not even the biggest in their range by far, but it was the size I needed to fit the truck and trailer into lol
The tilt-tray fits in nicely- you can still walk around it with ease...

That is very impressive, but it has a fair bit of support. I was astonished at the 9m span without any supporting framework.