How well do you want to safeguard the contents in your shed? Especially with all the harsh weather lately, having a shed roof set to your conditions is very important. We'll be focusing on aspects on waterproofing and materials that you can use with an importance on your budget and the selection of shed plans.

1 - Have a think about what type of shed roof you want and what you want it to look like. How will it be affected by seasonal weather or the climate your living in. Do you want it to match your home? All questions that can help with decisions with the design and shed roof plans you want to go with.
An example of useful thinking is seeing sheds in snowy climates. We can see steeper roofs to avoid snow piling up and sometimes using metal roofs can have an advantage, where the snow tends to slide off the roof more easily.

2 - What type of materials are you looking for? There are quite a few materials to choose from and I'll cover the most common ones seen in shed roof plans.

The first one is mineral felt and its one of the cheapest materials you can use. It is usually a standard with the general garden shed and is known for its weakness and low durability. Mineral roof felt can be fragile but it will prevent water leakage, unless any unseen damage has occurred. By then the material can be affected, allowing water in and the shed contents exposed.

As you go up in quality you can start looking at roof shingles or tiles. They have quite a few to choose from. Ranging from wooden shingles or clay tiles for a craftsman style roof and cedar shakes to beautiful spanish tiles.

Tiles like terra cotta are very attractive but are also heavy and not as easy to put in as shingles. They do give you a strong and very durable solution that can be maintenance-free for a number of years.
Asphalt shingles are another option which are great for being low cost and strong at the same time. They just don't win the beauty award.

3 - What is your budget for the shed roof? Here we look at the materials you've chosen to go with. If you have gone with mineral felt than your costs can be low, but it can be a short lived solution with running repairs.

Sheet metal is another cheap alternative but again like mineral felt, water leakage is something you should keep an eye on over seasons.
Tiles and Shingles are more expensive but are naturally a longer protection alternative for you shed roof.

There is a rating system and some shingles can have a 10 year rating. Keep looking and you find ones with a 30 plus year rating! This affects your pocket as the expenses go up when purchasing shingles with a longer life rating but it can pay itself during that course. The quality is more improved as well so it does pay if you can afford it.

4 - What about weatherproofing?
The angle or pitch of your shed roof plays a big part in selecting the material you want and the protection your after.
Flat roofs have an angle 10 degrees or lower and are a low cost material solution. The main ones a sheet metal and mineral felt. Be careful as we mentioned earlier, they can be affected with low strength and water leakage. If you go for this option stay at 5 degrees or higher for a better drainage effect.

Low pitch roofs range of pitch lies between 10 and 20 degrees. You can use shingles or tiles but be careful with their weight issues.

We can now look at pitched roofs that angle up from 20 to higher than 35 degrees. Interlocking concrete tiles are common here but their weight and load can affect structures that don't give enough support. Clay tiles are also used and their pitch angle is 35 degrees or above. They are definitely the strongest options and many say the prettiest as well.

5 - Where can I find Quality Shed Plans?
You can find shed plans in many magazines, monthly publications and books at your local home and garden centers. Have a read through them but generally they are not a set of building plans with blueprints to go by. They can often lack depth with instructions and illustrations and serve better as inspirational tips and guides. Its probably best not to use them if you want your shed roof done correctly.

Looking online can be a better alternative and it usually is. You can view shed plans online, search on where to buy them and download them. Many sites have a few to look through or some have 100's if not 1000's of plans to cater for every aspect of the building project. Its definitely better than a 1 page tips guide.

The same rule applies thou, look for good supported material with all information you need. Accurate blueprints, diagrams. illustrations, step by step instructions, roofing systems, flooring foundation, tools and materials listed and so on. This will help get the shed roof you want thats well protected and weatherproofed correctly.