Why shingles are the superior roofing choice for your Tuin garden building

Roofing felt is often used for garden buildings and is the roofing material you’ll often see on traditional garden sheds. It’s often seen as a quick and cost-effective solution but, at Tuin, we provide shingles as the standard roofing material for our garden buildings to provide you with the highest quality roofing option and protect your garden building for years to come.

In this blog, we’ll explain why shingles are a superior choice when it comes to roofing options.

The disadvantages of roofing felt

Roofing felt is commonly used as a roofing solution for wooden garden buildings but it’s not the most durable option. Here are some of the disadvantages of using roofing felt:

• Short lifespan: Roofing felt has a short lifespan and will deteriorate within 5-10 years, or even faster in the UK’s wet and windy climate. Exposure to UV rays can and moisture can cause the felt to crack or tear, leading to water damage both inside and outside your garden building.

• Prone to wear and tear: Roofing felt can be easily damaged by storms, fallen branches, or even by walking on it when maintaining your garden building. Once punctured or torn, the felt will allow water to seep through, causing damage to the roof structure underneath.

• Unattractive: Roofing felt can look flat and unattractive. Over time, it can also discolour and lose its clean appearance.

Why shingles are a better roofing solution

(Shingles displayed on our Southampton Log Cabin)

Shingles offer a high-quality finish for your garden building and offer a number of benefits over traditional roofing felt. Here’s just a few of the reasons we’ve made shingles our standard roofing option across all of our garden buildings:

1. Super durability

Shingles are designed to provide a durable and long-lasting roofing solution for a range of garden buildings. With a lifespan of up to 15 years (depending on the climate and conditions), shingles last for much longer than roofing felt which will need to be replaced every few years. Shingles are far more resilient against the elements, including UV exposure, heavy rainfall, snow and even high winds.

2. Weather resistance

Shingles are designed to create a waterproof seal that’s superior to roofing felt. Roofing felt often has seams in which water can seep through, but shingles are designed to prevent water ingress, even in the heaviest rainstorms. This reduces the risk of leaks and internal water damage, ensuring your garden building stays dry and protected for years to come.

Protecting wooden buildings from the elements is essential for their longevity. If water is allowed to leak into the building, it can cause the wood to warp or rot or mould to set in which will cause long-term damage to the building.

3. Low maintenance

Unlike traditional roofing felt which can require regular maintenance and replacement, shingles provide a low maintenance solution. Once installed, they require minimal maintenance and provide a long-lasting roofing option for your garden building. You will need to regularly inspect the shingles to ensure they’re still intact and watertight, but this is the only maintenance required. Roofing felt requires replacement every few years so can become costly to replace.

4. Range of options

Shingles provide a much more attractive, traditional tile-like appearance, offering superior aesthetics compared to roofing felt. They are available in a range of colours and styles allowing you to match the roofing with the style of your home and garden décor. Not only will shingles make your garden building more visually appealing, but the roof will also complement the rest of your outdoor space.

Ensure your garden building is protected

(Our Red Hexagonal Shingles have been used by a customer for the Markku Corner Summerhouse)

By providing shingles as standard, Tuin offers a premium roofing solution that ensure your garden building stays in the best condition for years to come. The long-term benefits include durability, waterproof protection, aesthetic appeal and low maintenance, make it a great choice if you’re looking to protect your garden building from the elements.

If you’re thinking about adding a garden building such as a log cabin, summerhouse or gazebo to your garden, we highly recommend shingles for the best protection and peace of mind.

Browse our full range of products and find your dream garden building today. You can also take a look at our full range of roofing options here.