Ice shack roofing

[killitandgrillit]

I'm building my first ice shack. it's coming along pretty good....anyway, to the question at hand...we put a 1" pitch on the roof..what kind of roofing material would be best? What does everyone else with a flat roof use?

[woodyjdh]

Around here (Minnesnowda) anyways, most everyone is using a 1 piece seamless aluminum roof.  I have also seen corrugated steel siding used at the roof as well.  This includes many homeade houses as well as the manufactured ones.  Myself, I plan on using the 1 piece seamless aluminum, it is a bit more expensive but shouldn't ever leak!

[Bob_D]

1" pitch? Is that 1" per foot or 1" total? Anyway...IMO...metal roofing is the way to go. It will probably outlast the rest of your shanty.

[grumpymoe]

built my shanty 2 years ago....used 7/16 chipboard...sealed the seams with roofing patch, and 2 good coatings with an oil based enamel...its standing up amazingly well so far....grump

[killitandgrillit]

We are going to have to re-think the roof. We get lots of snow. Granted I will be out there every day to shovel it off, but we need a steeper pitch. Maybe we'll just jack one side up a foot. How do you attach the one peice aluminum roofing to the shack without putting holes in it (making it leak)?

[Bob_D]

Dunno...maybe duct tape?

I use the regular ribbed steel and have not had a problem. I used the roofing screws with the rubber washers on them and of course attached them through the top of the ribs.

There are some pics of my shanty on my site. http://www.fishingvermont.net/Articles/Shanty_101.htm Click on the thumb nails for a larger picture. I'm making another modification to it this year. I'll be adding some wider skids to aid in moving it on dirt. The 2x6 's bite in too much on soft ground.

[killitandgrillit]

Nice shack bro! How much did the Luan run you? Question...dont the skis sink in and get stuck when the ice re-freezes?

[Bob_D]

Thanks. I put the shanty on 4x4s so they don't get stuck in the ice. If it gets  too close, I just add more 2x4s to raise it up. Don't forget to anchor the shanty to the ice. I have mine anchored from the inside so people don't cut it loose.

Luan....I don't remember. I want to say it was $6-$7 a sheet, but can't be sure.

Here is a pic of it on it's blocks....

[killitandgrillit]

What do you use for anchors

[killitandgrillit]

Thanks. I put the shanty on 4x4s so they don't get stuck in the ice. If it gets  too close, I just add more 2x4s to raise it up. Don't forget to anchor the shanty to the ice. I have mine anchored from the inside so people don't cut it loose.

Luan....I don't remember. I want to say it was $6-$7 a sheet, but can't be sure.

Hey, with it up on blocks like that and no snow piled around, dont you get alot of wind coming in the hole?

[Bob_D]

I don't worry about the lack os snow for long. That 1st pic was when I anchored the shanty in December. There is usually plenty of snow around to pile around it. When the wind blows on the lake it puts drifts around the shanty that you can dig into for banking purposes.

The other option is to cut the bottom out of 5 gallon buckets and put them through the holes in the bottom of the shanty.

Here is a pic of what things usually look like...

[killitandgrillit]

Looks alot like northern Michigan in winter! (ok, you have a little less snow)...

[killitandgrillit]

What about ventilation? I dont see any sort of air vents in your shack...i smoke cigars (so do the dudes I fish with)..I'm thinking about trying to vent in some fresh air...do you ever have a problem with condensation

[Bob_D]

The 4 side windows open. I made the ends ones fixed because I figured 4 that opened was enough. I don't have a condensation problem. The windows do frost over, but that's hard to avoid without double glazed windows.

[killitandgrillit]

I can tell you put alot of thought into your shack. Wish I woulda asked about it before I started building! Oh well, the next shack will work out better for the experience..

[Bob_D]

I can tell you put alot of thought into your shack. Wish I woulda asked about it before I started building! Oh well, the next shack will work out better for the experience..

Not quite enough thought. I'm still tweaking my design. I plan on building a smaller one next summer to put on a different lake. No matter how much you plan, it's never quite right. Kind of like building a house.

[woodyjdh]

As far as mounting the 1 piece Aluminum roof...I am not sure how they do it (pros or home made).  I saw on one that they used sheet metal screws with the rubber washer on it.  Maybe they even silicone the hole before running the screw in?!  If I find out...I'll let you know.

[billditrite]

i might add not to overtighten the screws as you dont want to tear the rubber washer.

[TJG]

built my shanty 2 years ago....used 7/16 chipboard...sealed the seams with roofing patch, and 2 good coatings with an oil based enamel...its standing up amazingly well so far....grump

Of course, you do what you think needs to be done, but as Grump said, up here in the wild north (Canada) we just nail on some plywood and silicon the joints. A few coats of paint every second year and it lasts a long time. I have tried to keep my shantys as light as I can, so no roofing at all. Also that metal makes a noise in the wind. The shanty also has to breath, dont forget. Two reasons: Condensation will build up on the ceiling inside and warp and # two, fresh air is a good thing with one, let alone two guys in there for 12 hours!!!

[billditrite]

i have always just used celotex insulation board (4x8 sheets) stapled a blue tarp over them.it is lightweight ,the tarp is waterproof and snow slides of of it really easy!