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I've been looking at Ondura roofing, carried at Lowe's. It's made of fiber mesh impregnated with asphalt, two coats of paint, and sealed with melamine resin. It's corrugated, but this and its flexibility allows you to correct for an out-of-square roof (I snagged an installation manual). I thought I'd skirt the house with it first, and get an idea of how it handles, before thinking of the roof. Any thoughts or experiences out there?

I've seen it, and it doesn't look durable enough to use as a skirting material. It looks promising though to use on the roof.

The skirting plan calls for it to be protected by raised beds and curbs once all of the under-house work is done, so nothing bigger than a hand fork or trowel will get close. It looks much easier to handle than Hardipanel, my second choice.

I have Hardipanel skirting and I love it. The initial installation wasn't difficult with two people. We just used some blocks of wood to support it off the ground while I secured it and the other person made sure it was level with the previous panel. It's VERY durable too. When you cut it, either make sure you're upwind from the dust, or use a leaf blower like we did and blow it away.

I've worked with Hardipanel before too, also for skirting. I had a pair of the shears then, and didn't like the damage they left on the cut edge.

Most of the time I won't have a second person, so I thought I'd do the skirting alone and save the family "work visits" for ripping out and replacing flooring. I try to keep my projects at a manageable size. I've even put casters on most of my furniture (lol!). Unless I hear negative things about the stuff, Ondura's going on the roof too. Installs like corrugated metal and only 18 lb,/panel. Lifetime defect warranty. Available in white and other colors. The only thing I haven't checked yet is price... can't have it all.

Johanna Bruns wrote:I've worked with Hardipanel before too, also for skirting. I had a pair of the shears then, and didn't like the damage they left on the cut edge.

Most of the time I won't have a second person, so I thought I'd do the skirting alone and save the family "work visits" for ripping out and replacing flooring. I try to keep my projects at a manageable size. I've even put casters on most of my furniture (lol!). Unless I hear negative things about the stuff, Ondura's going on the roof too. Installs like corrugated metal and only 18 lb,/panel. Lifetime defect warranty. Available in white and other colors. The only thing I haven't checked yet is price... can't have it all.

Ive looked at Ondura panels at my local Lowes, and i like it. I believe the price was $29 per panel . My only concern is , will it support the weight of a Man walking on it especially in the winter when its more brittle. I see some Pizza Huts have it on their roofs, so, Im sure theyve researched it well. It does look very good on the roof ; id like to find a local installation so i can see how its stood up over the years. Let us know how it worked out for you.

I'm still a fan of steel skirting. See the articals section for "A better skirting idea" by Mark. Greg

I went to Lowe's today and looked at the Ondura panels. It was $19 for a 79" long panel. It did not seem rigid enough to me to use for roofing. I wouldn't trust it. The neoprene nails need some pressure on them to seal holes. But I also feel that many nails or even screws will loosen up no matter what, regardless of the type of corrugated panel. That is why I like the hidden fastener type panels.

As skirting, the panels should probably have framing behind it.

Then if you google Ondura, Roofing, Forum, you will get a wealth of first hand experiences and opinions, 90% being unfavorable. This is from pros and diy's alike. Many replies state that they would not use this material over living spaces, just sheds and such.


JMO
JD

JD,
Thanks for suggesting the Google search. I usually do that, and slipped up; I probably didn't want to read the bad news.

I guess I'll pass on the Ondura. They want a minimum 3 in 12 slope, and tho I intended to do a mild peak, I don't think I'll get there. BTW, after looking at pictures that came with some of the stories I think the ones with damage were less than 3 in 12-- one person even said that he thought the damage (tree branch fall) was probably due to the roof being nearly flat.

Thanks for yoiur input,
Johanna

You're welcome and good luck finding the right material for your roof. In my 20's, I was a pole barn builder, basically steel buildings with wood framing. We used those neoprene washer ribbed nails. Even with heavy gauge steel, it was easy to bang a little too hard with that last blow of the hammer. This would cause little splits/tears in the metal beyond the neoprene washer. I always wondered how many little splits didn't stick out past the washers. Also, it seemed that all of these roofs would have a few nails back out over the years. We had to go back on warranty repairs and caulk them up.

I have installed hidden fastener and near hidden fastener roof panels. I am convinced that this is the best way to go. I think face nailing or screwing metal roofing is just asking for problems. In over 20 years now, I have not seen a leak from a hidden fastener. (Well DUH!!! No fasteners!) I have seen sealants dry out and failing and chronic problems due to ponding situations, a truss problem.

JD