How To Lay Plywood On A Roof

If you have chosen to use a rigid roofing metal wood shakes or shingles tile etc you can use 1 x 4 slats instead.

How to lay plywood on a roof.

The most common scenario is a home that has rafters set approximately 16 inches apart. During a hurricane the strength of the sheathing on the roof can greatly impact the homes ability to weather the storm. Once the roof rafters are perfectly aligned it is now time to prepare for the plywood sheeting. This video shows how some roofs fail under heavy winds in uplift situations.

Align the long edge of the sheathing with the ends of the. Preparing your plywood sheets using a string line mark a line to guide the first row at the eaves. On top of this underlayment goes a slip which protects the material from tearing as the metal roof expands and contracts with changing weather. Install baffles providing a minimum of 1 inch of clear space between framing and or under roof decking at eaves to ensure that ceiling or roof insulation does not block ventilation paths.

Like most other things there is no one right answer for the plywood thickness of your roof. The answer depends mostly on how far apart the rafters are and the roof loads which vary based on the pitch of your roof. It is assumed here that you will be applying plywood particle board or wafer board sheathing. For vaulted or cathedral roof construction provide a free ventilation path from eaves to ridge between all rafters.

Run a string line over the roof trusses and then either plane the high parts or add packing to create that perfectly straight line. The connection between the roof sheathing and the structure is a vulnerable point that is known to fail during a hurricane. Keep these tips in mind when roofing in hurricane areas.