Solar Shed Roof with roof insulation

[HBush]

I have a riddle for you?
I want to renovate a brick shed with an open section and an old asbestos roof. In it I will house the mains meter and the inverter for the wind turbine plus an electric car charging point but its main use will be for storing small machinery such as lawn mowers, chain saws etc., so it needs to be lockable, bird free and with with a non-drip roof. It would be nice to add solar panels on the roof as it faces almost south. The position is perfect from the solar point of view. A roller shutter door should fix the pigeon problem, and make the shed lockable.

The roofing material is a different matter!
Non condensation, plasti-coated steel box profile was my first thought, for which I got a quote. It transpires that this needs good ventilation to prevent the NON CON from getting soggy (it absorbs moisture). Not so good from the bird proofing point of view I thought.
But worse than that, the product seems to need annual pressure washing to clean off dust which might impede its ability to absorb water!!!
Water and electrical equipment don't mix, so pressure washing annually is out of the question. It is too high to reach the roof with the water jet anyway

Fibre cement then, I thought. But solar contractors say it is problematical. Being brittle, it is dangerous to walk on, and liable to crack. Not impossible, but not a good choice for solar sheds.

I might be able to use a normal box profile metal roofing sheet with spray on foam insulation applied after fitting.
Has anyone had a recent quote for that spray-on insulation?

 

[200tdi]

Trisomet insulated composite panel sheeting?

Budget permitting

Steadmans do the same thing if nearer Carlisle

 

[HBush]

Thanks 200tdl for the new lead.

 

[Badshot]

I've panels on fibre cement.
They just put a frame above the roof to attach them to.
No problem so far
Difficult bit will be roof repairs in needed.

 

[HBush]

Roof repairs right enough. I am bit nervous about panel maintenance too. I have spoken to 3 installers who would be happier with steel, so I think if I go with fibre cement it will be without the panels. It looks like I will need to consider my pockets realistically.

 

[Highland Mule]

The non-con will only adsorb moisture if there is some there - with a machinery shed there will be minimal damp being created and probably no real condensation problem in the first place.

Get a bit of vent through the shed with fine mesh in some parts and steel will be grand.

 

[HBush]

Ergh... Phoned Steadmans. Steadmans insulated steel cladding with 60mm insulation is about £15/sq. m more than non con. The other problem with non con is that they ask you to pressure wash it annually. I can see that happening NOT, especially with the electricals sharing the space.

 

[Exfarmer]

Firstly whoever told you to pressure wash an insulated roof has a screw loose somewhere!
I would definitely go for steel insulated panels, you can safely walk on them as long as they are dry.
If you do not have insulation it will always rain under them in some situations.
You can of course buy plain steel and then put insulation such as celotex under but it needs an air gap. Celotex seconds are available for this type of use and pretty cheap.

 

[HBush]

Hello Exfarmer - Non con is not insulated, it is a felt-like layer of polyester stuck onto the steel which soaks up condensation. Then, later on in the day, the soggy layer should dry out - hence the importance of ventilation. The material has to be clean to work properly as a sponge. Stating it needs pressure washed annually looks like one of those "get out" clauses which explain why the product may not work after a few years.
Anyway, in the case of my proposed shed, pressure washing is a no-no.
To stop the drips its between fibre cement panels and insulated panels now. The 60mm insulated ones stop condensation on the inside surface too I have been told.