I’ve spent a fair amount of time money and effort building our cabin in the garden during the COVID 19 lockdown and having reached the point of having to hang up the roof. I had to make a design decision.
Do I go with the Tradition Australian Tin Roof (I’m partial to time tested traditional concepts) or I can go with Structural Insulated Roof Panels, which come with some advantages like it can span wide spaces it has insulation built into the design, and which is extraordinarily strong and can easily support someone walking on the roof.
Here is my Cabin Building a Small Cabin 2020
After a good look around I discovered a business owned by Tony Zheng in Lawnton (near Brisbane, Queensland) and was able to buy 4 sheets of 4.8m x 1000mm x 50mm panels for $904 (as at June 2020). So that’s 48 sq/m of good quality roof for $904
No trusses, rafters or battens are necessary, you only need the two ends, and I believe the can span 4.4m between the two ends. (as far as I know).
Structured Insulated Roofing Panes – 50mm thick.
If you look carefully at the edge panels you can see how they will interlock with one another, and in so doing become waterproof, exactly like traditional roofing.
Laying the new roof on the cabin was the exciting part for me, I’d finally reached the part of the process which made it feel like a dwelling of one sort or another.
Lesson, remove the plastic film from the underside of the cabin as soon as the sheets are in place and before you fasten the sheets down. I would even consider removing the protective file before lifting it on to the roof, because its mainly for protection during transport.
