I am building a new detached garage, and the forecast this weekend is just warm enough that I plan to get my trusses and roof sheathing up.
My sheathing is 5/8" plywood (not OSB). It's a single car garage, 12' by 20'.
However, the weather won't be above 40F / 4C until the spring, so I won't be able to shingle for some time.
How should I protect the bare roof sheathing to best survive the winter?
I am in Wisconsin, USA, so expecting lots of wind, snow, and frigid cold.
These are the options I am thinking of – are there better alternatives?
- Install tar paper underlayment and ice dam only
- Install underlayment / ice dam and spread a tarp or plastic over the whole thing
- Tarp over the bare sheathing
Best Answer
If anything just a tarp over the sheathing. The snow and wind will ruin the tarpaper. I have had A outbuilding sit through the winter after getting started and having to have knee replacement surgery, in fact it sat for well over 6 months with nothing covering it and was fine once roofed, I did allow a week of warm dry weather prior to roofing to allow the wood to dry out that was 2 years ago and it is fine. I would have preferred to have a tarp but the way things happened there was no chance to get back up there but is fine today.