Wet gable roofs

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I had always struggled abit with the idea of making too well sealed because of the air circulation need.

who says it's needed?
Ah, let me guess Wedmore another 'engineer' and a great writer of fiction who didn't really have a clue about beehives and the ventilation thereof

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks will do this (but guess roofs have to be bone dry first). I had always struggled abit with the idea of making too well sealed because of the air circulation need.

I have big colonies in poly hives on solid floors with under floor entrances.
Never had a problem with ventilation. The bees know how to do it.

 

[user 20297]

Thanks will do this (but guess roofs have to be bone dry first). I had always struggled abit with the idea of making too well sealed because of the air circulation need.
I appreciate one pic looks like mildew, but other roofs are so heavy with water it’s worrying.
Think I’ll stick to flat roofs going forward!
Thanks

During the recent cold weather I noticed that the heat inside my sealed, fully insulated, solid-floor hives was either venting itself or being directed by the bees. The snow at the entrance was thawed; this was several days before the weather warmed up. There's no need to worry that they won't be able to breathe or will get too warm.

 

[Anduril]

I hate gable roofs no place to stack anything, the 1 I do have the top batten fell off and at the very peak there’s an 8mm gap between metal sheets. I’d suspect water is getting under batten.

Whenever I come across the gabled roof, I tell the owner to fashion a V shaped base to rest the upturned roof on, it then makes it easier to stack on top of the roof.

 

[elainemary]

Hi I have increasingly bought gable roofs this year, and am massively disappointed to now find out how wet they are on the underside. Please is this a regular recognised problem?
I have new WBC roofs and National gable roofs, all have been carefully built with plenty of glue included. Granted they have been either ‘rock bottom’ or sale variety from a particular supplier, but in my view this makes them not fit for purpose? I assume the problem is that the sides of the galvanised metal is not long enough to extend past the wood of the upper panels of the roof so the wood wicks water in? I’ll try and attach a pic taken today of a damp underside of new wbc roof this year. Please has anyone solved this/any advice?
I do also have some Caddon Nat gable roofs new this year, made the same way, they are not damp. I need to visit the Caddon hive apiety again to check if the metal sides are longer on that brand maybe. Thank you for any insights!
(Not a very helpful pic. Yes lots of glue was put under the top central ridge piece of this roof when building it). Thanks

I have found the same problem with my WBCs with galvanised roofs. Don’t have a problem with my old painted thick pine ones.

Have tried various things such as applying flashing across the wooden strip at the gable and using silicone across any joints. See pic. Has made no difference. All my crownboards have thick kingspan on top and the bees stay dry. There’s never a problem in summer or after a deluge of summer rain.

I concluded it is moist air inside the cavity between the lifts and the cold metal roof, condensing. I have a couple of spare roofs so the only thing that works for me, is to rotate the wet roof for a dry one and repeat.

 

[Garry R]

OK the problem is either leaking roof or condensation. Easy check is to cover the roof temporarily with a plastic sheet allowing overhangs (secure with a few bricks). If it dries out it's a leaky roof

 

[Planetgood]

Thanks all!

 

[Blunt Spike]

Have you thought about increasing ventilation using matchsticks?

 

[Brewer24]

I hate gable roofs no place to stack anything, the 1 I do have the top batten fell off and at the very peak there’s an 8mm gap between metal sheets. I’d suspect water is getting under batten.

Yep. I make my own and have found the two roofs that are gable design are a pain in the rectum when carrying out inspections. Flat roofs in future!

 

[Garry R]

Anyone got any comments about this as an insulating material in a wood sandwich . It would not be accessible to the bees

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermopane...rfloor+insulation&qid=1671733930&sr=8-27&th=1

 

[user 20297]

Anyone got any comments about this as an insulating material in a wood sandwich . It would not be accessible to the bees

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermopane...rfloor+insulation&qid=1671733930&sr=8-27&th=1

It's a nice, lightweight, rigid, water-impermeable board. I've used it for lining a shower cubicle before tiling. We ordered it from B&Q.
It will have hardly any insulating properties.

 

[Garry R]

It's a nice, lightweight, rigid, water-impermeable board. I've used it for lining a shower cubicle before tiling. We ordered it from B&Q.
It will have hardly any insulating properties.

It says insulating and it would be a 10mm filling in a wood sandwich with a waterproof barrier - hence I guess the tiling application

 

[Newbeeneil]

Anyone got any comments about this as an insulating material in a wood sandwich . It would not be accessible to the bees

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermopane...rfloor+insulation&qid=1671733930&sr=8-27&th=1

I recently used underfloor heating boards (with channels for the pipes) for filling the recesses in the ends of my nationals. They are the same material but have 20mm thick dense PU foam board.

 

[blackcloud]

You can get 10 mm kingspan which would have better thermal quality than these tiling boards which will have been compromised for structural strength.

 

[user 20297]

It says insulating and it would be a 10mm filling in a wood sandwich with a waterproof barrier - hence I guess the tiling application

It has a slightly worse U-value than PIR but adjusted for thickness, 50mm PIR has about six times the R-value or resistivity to heat loss (insulation value).
The tile backer board has a better R-value than say 25mm timber, but not massively so. I would possibly lose the external timber layer and replace it a thicker layer of PIR or extruded polystyrene.