Have you recently purchased a garden shed? Perhaps you’ve owned one for two or three years and are looking for ways to maintain its quality. Luckily, Beesley & Fildes have the answer.

Today, we’ll give you step-by-step instructions on how to felt a shed roof. With our list of essential materials, you’ll be able to make your shed last longer, look better and stay waterproof.

If your shed sits under shelter, its felt may be in good condition after two or three years. However, replacing the felt on your shed roof will be necessary sooner in an exposed garden. Even elements like the wind, snow and sun can begin to take their toll.

Lengthen your shed’s lifespan with Beesley & Fildes’ guide for how to felt a shed roof.

Essential Equipment:

Before you begin, there are a few things you need. Most, if not all, of the equipment on our list, you can purchase from builder's merchants like Beesley & Fildes.

We stock a range of roofing felts designed to provide durability and protection from rain. In the UK, this is particularly important! You can also use our roofing felts on summer houses and playhouses to keep your structure from collapsing.

While it is true that most sheds don’t need re-felting until the two or three-year mark, you can add extra felt to your new shed if it needs further protection.

High-Quality Roofing Felts
Safety Goggles
Measuring Tape
Brush and Felt Adhesive
Claw Hammer
Craft Knife
Galvanised Steel Clout Nails
Wood Nails (optional)
Secure Stepladder

Now that you have the necessary tools let’s get started!

How to felt a shed roof:

1. Prepare Equipment!

Set up your tools nearby so you can felt your shed roof without a hitch. We recommend choosing a day when the temperature is above 5 degrees Celsius. A lack of wind will ensure that your step ladder remains steady, and a lack of rain will prevent your equipment from getting wet. Check the weather and settle on a perfect day.

Around 30 minutes before you begin, you should lay your shed roofing out on the ground: this will ensure it is flat before you measure it across your roof.

Your grass or turf will be unsuitable, so roll your roofing onto your drive or a stretch of nearby pavement.

2. Remove Fascia Boards and Existing Felt

The fascia boards sit at the lower part of the roof and secure the roofing in place. To begin, remove these boards: this will give you access to the previous roofing.

Once you have placed the fascia boards elsewhere, use your claw hammer to remove the old felt.

You will need to remove the old nails as this secures the roofing. Then, you must strip the old felt from the roof and take care to ensure there are no old nails or debris that remain. If you cannot remove it with your claw hammer, nail it down as flat as you can!

3. Measure Shed

Take your tape measure and record the length and width of your roof. Typically, you will need to cut three pieces of felt: one for both sides and one that will overlap the side panels by around 30-35 centimetres. This third piece will also run across your shed’s top ridge.

The two pieces of roofing that cover the side panels will require an overlap of 5 centimetres for the eaves, with 7.5 centimetres for the gable ends.

4. Cut Felt to Size and Apply to Roof

After cutting your roofing to the appropriate sizes, apply the three pieces in 10-centimetre intervals across the roof’s length. Ensure before nailing the felt that you stretch it as tight as possible.

Begin hammering your galvanised steel clout nails below the apex and at the bottom of the roof at 30-centimetre intervals. Once you’ve secured the two side pieces, it’s time to grab your brush and felt adhesive!

Apply the top section of the roofing to your shed’s ridge using the adhesive and secure it at the lower edge with nails placed at 5-centimetre intervals.

5. Remove Overhanging Felt and Secure to Sides

You should have allowed 5 and 7.5-centimetre overlaps for the pieces placed on the side of the roof. You will then need to fold these overlapping pieces and nail them to the sides of your roof.

Take your craft knife and cut the overhanging felt so that it folds under the apex of the roof. Nail it at 10-centimetre intervals and grab the fascia boards you removed earlier. Re-attach these over the folded felt using wood nails and continue tidying up your felt by trimming any excess material.