national roofs leaking

[cstroud]

I seem to have had a particular problem this year of roofs leaking (not moisture rising and being trapped, but somehow it has got in to a couple of roofs. I'm not sure if the national flat roof as supplied by many manufacturers is prone to this.

One of the roofs that leaked I assembled myself (I thought I had done a decent job), and another was an older roof I acquired (neither had any visible hole or crack). I also made a couple of roofs this winter with some pine (the wooden corners were rebated and I put a dab of silicone inside the corners of the metal top where the metal is folded over. (the Dave Cushman design), and I think this will help. Those roofs that are leaking I have sealed the edges inside with clear silicone!

I suppose tilting hives may help them to shed water quicker?
Maybe roofs would be better with eaves, with the amount of rain we seem to get?

It is worth checking for these problems in winter, as the colony would surely suffer. any one else experienced similar problems?

Chris

 

[ian]

Hi Chis


If you need to have a look go ahead, no harm will come to a colony if you simply lift the lid. When I first started treating bees with Oxalic you had to convince half the people that you would not kill the bees going into them in Winter

And if there is actually a problem far better to put it right than leave them to it.


Regards Ian

 

[oliver90owner]

Never had one leak yet, for no reason.

With some of mine it would make little difference. There is a sheet of expanded polystyrene over the crownboards and water would have to run around, and under, it to get in the hives. The rest have a super on top filled with a tight fitting block of polystyrene, so they could conceivably be at risk but, as I say, never had a problem yet.

Regards, RAB

 

[VEG]

None of mine leak.

 

[Black Comb]

Is there a hole in the metal?

 

[victor meldrew]

Different manufacturers of roofs use different methods of ventilation control, the most favoured ones being a 25mil hole drilled in each elevation, covered with wire mesh . The folded metal roof skin is usually cut clear of these holes , which in normal circumstances sheds the rain with ease, however heavy squally weather results in driven rain penetrating and pooling on the inner cover. The introduction of the omf renders these vents unnecessary ?

John Wilkinson

 

[tonybloke]

Different manufacturers of roofs use different methods of ventilation control, the most favoured ones being a 25mil hole drilled in each elevation, covered with wire mesh . The folded metal roof skin is usually cut clear of these holes , which in normal circumstances sheds the rain with ease, however heavy squally weather results in driven rain penetrating and pooling on the inner cover. The introduction of the omf renders these vents unnecessary ?

John Wilkinson

well John, thornes roofs are nothing like your description?
http://www.thorne.co.uk/pdf/nationalroof.pdf

 

[Robert Brenchley]

One of mine has started leaking this winter. I've had the hives about ten years, and I've never seen it before, so I'm puzzled. Once the weather warms up, I'll investigate further as long-term damp will destroy the board it's made of.

 

[Hombre]

Close enough for me to recognise the features on the Thorne roof through the medium of John's descriptoin. The number of vents being both relative and academic

 

[tonybloke]

One of mine has started leaking this winter. I've had the hives about ten years, and I've never seen it before, so I'm puzzled. Once the weather warms up, I'll investigate further as long-term damp will destroy the board it's made of.

Welcome to the forum, Robert!!

 

[VEG]

Of the seven hives I have had from thornes none have the round hole as spoken of in johns post.

My mistake John didnt say thornes. !!!

 

[Poly Hive]

Whisper it but John's might be a bittie older than some and so a different design?

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

Where did John mention Thornes roofs?

He said.............Different manufacturers of roofs use different methods of ventilation control.

 

[VEG]

Post edited

 

[tonybloke]

but john did say 'the most favoured ones' and neither thornes nor national bee supplies are like he describes?

 

[victor meldrew]

but john did say 'the most favoured ones' and neither thornes nor national bee supplies are like he describes?

Now now ,nit picking or what? .Both Thornes and Exeter bee supplies used to use the pattern I described . WBC certainly did ,fitted with an escape cone !!.
Methinks you lot are bored and can't wait for Spring so can play with bees instead of words . Kissinger come back, all is forgiven .

John Wilkinson

 

[tonybloke]

Now now ,nit picking or what? .Both Thornes and Exeter bee supplies used to use the pattern I described . WBC certainly did ,fitted with an escape cone !!.
Methinks you lot are bored and can't wait for Spring so can play with bees instead of words . Kissinger come back, all is forgiven .

John Wilkinson

sorry john, tis the weather!!
cheers for a good 2010

 

[Black Comb]

Cabin fever - can't get out because of the weather.

 

[Tom Bick]

What may be happening is capillary action, when the water reaches the point when the roof covering say tin finishes on the side of the roof it can be sucked back up the small gap 1mm will do this and under the tin and onto whatever is covering the roof befor the tin, if this covering is compromised with gaps or holes the water can drip through.

 

[victor meldrew]

Probably correct.
Rising damp defies gravity ,apparently down to the lecktrickery thing mentioned on another thread

John Wilkinson