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Foxylad

House Bee
Joined
May 21, 2010
Messages
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Location
Norfolk
Hive Type
Commercial
I am thinking of increasing my hives by another 10 next year. I already build my own floors and crownboards. Buy the BB in the sales.
My current hive roofs are wood with fibreglass cover. Purchased years ago from a commercial bee farmer. I did look into building my own, but cost and my time especially the price of materials. Probably to much.
I am looking for a deep roof but as I’m buying 10, cost is a factor.
Really keen on the abelo poly roof but at nearly £30 there a bit out of my price range. Anyone purchased roofs recently at a decent price?
 
Thornes have a sale on atm and have seconds 4” roofs @£19
 
I was looking for some “beehivebits” and noted they had folded galve sheet for for£8 .

a wood frame and some kingspan would be relatively cheep to knock up.
However I am lazey and I like the old style abelo deep roof it’s interchangeable with national wood boxes and you can put patties/ fondant under it . I added an extra sheet of 25mm kingspan into mine because I had some. it has withstood a reasonable omount of abuse without any damage so I have just bought another…. Probebly should have waited for their sale. In November . Postage is £6 .
Phone them they might do a deal on ten if you point out others sale prices.
 
Make your own I do for about £7 each its a simple enough job and mine have 2" of selotex permanently fitted.
 
Make your own I do for about £7 each its a simple enough job and mine have 2" of selotex permanently fitted.

I could build my own, I just built one out of 12mm ply. I was planning on covering to top with correx. I questioned how long they would last. By the time I’ve made 10, factored in my time and materials there cheap enough at £20 in poly.

Two suppliers at the minute

https://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk/sale/british-national-hive-roof-2
https://www.swienty.com/pi/Cover-Natl-Smith_4002064_164625.aspx
the modern beekeeping hive is £16.85

the swienty is £19.84

Anyome had experience running these with wood BB and super?
 
I could build my own, I just built one out of 12mm ply. I was planning on covering to top with correx. I questioned how long they would last. By the time I’ve made 10, factored in my time and materials there cheap enough at £20 in poly.

Two suppliers at the minute

https://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk/sale/british-national-hive-roof-2
https://www.swienty.com/pi/Cover-Natl-Smith_4002064_164625.aspx
the modern beekeeping hive is £16.85

the swienty is £19.84

Anyome had experience running these with wood BB and super?
The Paradise honey styrene roof doesn’t fit well on a standard national BB it leaves a gap all around, the corners touch the box before the side, such a shame.
 
Another thought if you arent in any rush you could wait to the next sale Abelo does where they typically give 10% or 15% off. It would close the gap a little more and I think they are worth the premium.
 
Make your own I do for about £7 each its a simple enough job and mine have 2" of selotex permanently fitted.
I make my own from cedar and Beehivebits galvanised metal sheet roof but I couldn't get down to £7. What do you use to waterproof yours?
 
DIY from Celotex.walls 25/50mm, roof 50mm
Fibreglass resin on top - is cheap, easy to make light and strong.

I also matt down the sides also 50mm or so, as it also gives the top edges protection. I radius the edges a bit as well to allow me to use straps without damaging the PIR.
 
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DIY from Celotex.walls 25/50mm, roof 50mm
Fibreglass resin on top - is cheap, easy to make light and strong.

would love to know jow you make your roofs. When I looked into fibreglass I was told that the amount of resin I would need. Along with the glass would but the cost way above buying one.
 
Fibre glassing a roof may not be the cheap option, but it means a roof is 100% leak proof if done correctly. The matting is only for waterproofing and adding a bit of protection so one can use 150gm matting, add a polyester top coat and it is a bit more expensive.

If you had several roofs to make then the cost is cheaper then a one off.
Estimate is about £6 or £7 a roof if bought in large enough quantity and the job cna be a bit messy.

One has to work out the cost per unit and weigh up if the benefits out way other options. I look at the lighter weight, the added strength fibreglass adds and the 25 year life span of the top coat with the 100% waterproofing.
 
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I glue my roofs together with PU18 rubber sealant and find it better then PU expanding glue or foam.

The less heavy duty the matting the less resin is needed to fully wet out.
300gsm needs 700gms/mls to fully wet out per sq/m used.
If you can get 150gsm matt then one would need 350/400 gms/mls per sq/m.

Most of mine are 450gm matting as that is what I have left over when covering my shed roofs and house concrete gutters.
 
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I could build my own, I just built one out of 12mm ply. I was planning on covering to top with correx. I questioned how long they would last. By the time I’ve made 10, factored in my time and materials there cheap enough at £20 in poly.

Two suppliers at the minute

https://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk/sale/british-national-hive-roof-2
https://www.swienty.com/pi/Cover-Natl-Smith_4002064_164625.aspx
the modern beekeeping hive is £16.85

the swienty is £19.84

Anyome had experience running these with wood BB and super?
I’ve got swienty roofs they really are very shallow with the addition of a wooden crown board, in fact it only just about covers. It’s not really caused any issues but it’s borderline.
 
I’ve got swienty roofs they really are very shallow with the addition of a wooden crown board, in fact it only just about covers. It’s not really caused any issues but it’s borderline.
I agree the swienty roofs are really quite shallow, " borderline " is good description.
 
DIY from Celotex.walls 25/50mm, roof 50mm
Fibreglass resin on top - is cheap, easy to make light and strong.


I don't use mat at all.

I just mix up approx 150mls of resin, masking tape round the roof sides about 3cms below the roof height and then paint resin onto the roofs and the first 3cms of the sides. If you mix the resin/setting agent properly it will set to sticky in 5 minutes so overflow down sides is limited to masking tape which is removed whilst resin is sticky.
A 50mm thick roof is strong enough on its own: the resin is to prevent bird attack .
Mat in my view is an expensive extravagance.

But even celotex with gashes in the roof will still be watertight if not completely pierced through.
Most of my roofs are six years old. Shabby but still work.

Here is a selection of "designs" all in poly and all still in use
 

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I trade honey with a printers for aluminium sheet. Celotex is from skip surfing leaving osb, 6mm ply and roof battons
 
I've been using Swienty roofs for more years now than I care to remember and never had a wet CB. The depth of them is the same as the first roofs I had from a German maker, the first one actually, and nor did they present functional problems. All my hives have a brick on them which acts as a hold down and an info method.

PH
 

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