This may be the year I get to sort out some issues with the plastic roof.
Includes cleaning, but also some flashings and cable runs.

The roof is supported by 5"2s at 42" centres.

Threads in the past have suggested that crawling boards could be the way
to go.

Scaffold boards are an obvious option, but they are quite heavy to move
around.

Can anyone suggest a strong but much lighter material which could be
suitable?

Putting this up here for suggestions before I go away and research.
Which usually results in too much information and distractions and little
progress.

TIA

Dave R

--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

David <wibble@btinternet.com> wrote:
> This may be the year I get to sort out some issues with the plastic roof.
> Includes cleaning, but also some flashings and cable runs.
>
> The roof is supported by 5"2s at 42" centres.
>
> Threads in the past have suggested that crawling boards could be the way
> to go.
>
> Scaffold boards are an obvious option, but they are quite heavy to move
> around.
>
> Can anyone suggest a strong but much lighter material which could be
> suitable?
>
> Putting this up here for suggestions before I go away and research.
> Which usually results in too much information and distractions and little
> progress.
>
> TIA
>
>
>
> Dave R
>
>

OSB would be my choice for cheap and light but 42” is quite a span and
likely bowing would put pressure on the plastic roof. I would look at
edging the crawler boards with some edge battening and just check the board
can support your weight without bowing.

On Fri, 05 Apr 2024 13:35:32 +0000, Tricky Dicky wrote:

> David <wibble@btinternet.com> wrote:
>> This may be the year I get to sort out some issues with the plastic
>> roof.
>> Includes cleaning, but also some flashings and cable runs.
>>
>> The roof is supported by 5"2s at 42" centres.
>>
>> Threads in the past have suggested that crawling boards could be the
>> way to go.
>>
>> Scaffold boards are an obvious option, but they are quite heavy to move
>> around.
>>
>> Can anyone suggest a strong but much lighter material which could be
>> suitable?
>>
>> Putting this up here for suggestions before I go away and research.
>> Which usually results in too much information and distractions and
>> little progress.
>>
>> TIA
>>
>>
>>
>> Dave R
>>
>>
>>
> OSB would be my choice for cheap and light but 42” is quite a span and
> likely bowing would put pressure on the plastic roof. I would look at
> edging the crawler boards with some edge battening and just check the
> board can support your weight without bowing.

Ta.

I have some OSB in stock, and am due some 2x2 and batten for other
projects.

I was thinking of something light and strong like GRP but searches so far
haven't turned up much.

I would need a minimum of 2 boards so I could stand on one and move the
other so as to access the full length of roof.
Which implies (rope?) handles as well.

Cheers

Dave R

--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

On 05/04/2024 14:12, David wrote:
> This may be the year I get to sort out some issues with the plastic roof.
> Includes cleaning, but also some flashings and cable runs.
>
> The roof is supported by 5"2s at 42" centres.
>
> Threads in the past have suggested that crawling boards could be the way
> to go.
>
> Scaffold boards are an obvious option, but they are quite heavy to move
> around.

You can get them in aluminium.

>
> Can anyone suggest a strong but much lighter material which could be
> suitable?
>
> Putting this up here for suggestions before I go away and research.
> Which usually results in too much information and distractions and little
> progress.
>
> TIA
>
>
>
> Dave R
>
>

--
Colin Bignell

On 05/04/2024 14:12, David wrote:
> This may be the year I get to sort out some issues with the plastic roof.
> Includes cleaning, but also some flashings and cable runs.
>
> The roof is supported by 5"2s at 42" centres.
>
> Threads in the past have suggested that crawling boards could be the way
> to go.
>
> Scaffold boards are an obvious option, but they are quite heavy to move
> around.
>
> Can anyone suggest a strong but much lighter material which could be
> suitable?
>
> Putting this up here for suggestions before I go away and research.
> Which usually results in too much information and distractions and little
> progress.
>

On a fairly flatish roof I have used a lightweight ali ladder with some
old pillows/cushions/foam tied to the underside.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

David <wibble@btinternet.com> wrote:
> I was thinking of something light and strong like GRP but searches so far
> haven't turned up much.

Not tried it but PIR insulation foam (Celotex etc) say 50-100mm is
lightweight but quite rigid. It'll take a dent if you put a lot of pressure
on a sharp point, but is quite sturdy if you distribute weight across a
large area. If you're worried about pressure, maybe a sheet of hardboard or
thin plywood glued to the surface to spread the load.

It's not the cheapest, although you might be able to find pieces out of a
skip or something from someone doing renovations.

Theo

On 05/04/2024 14:43, David wrote:
> I have some OSB in stock, and am due some 2x2 and batten for other
> projects.

Your reinforcing battens, would need to be on the upper face, fixed with
screws from the under side of the OSB, to avoid the point loads. A sheet
of something like polystyrene, glued to the underside, might help even
more with load spreading.

On 05/04/2024 14:43, David wrote:
> have some OSB in stock, and am due some 2x2 and batten for other
> projects.
>
> I was thinking of something light and strong like GRP but searches so far
> haven't turned up much.
>
> I would need a minimum of 2 boards so I could stand on one and move the
> other so as to access the full length of roof.
> Which implies (rope?) handles as well.

You would be surprised at how strong expanded insulation foam is. I'd
get a pack of that. In practice the surface is sufficiently soft to give
way under excessive local pressure, so spreading the load pretty well
over the boards

--
Gun Control: The law that ensures that only criminals have guns.

In message <uur1q7$1vq13$3@dont-email.me>, The Natural Philosopher
<tnp@invalid.invalid> writes
>On 05/04/2024 14:43, David wrote:
>> have some OSB in stock, and am due some 2x2 and batten for other
>> projects.
>> I was thinking of something light and strong like GRP but searches
>>so far
>> haven't turned up much.
>> I would need a minimum of 2 boards so I could stand on one and move
>>the
>> other so as to access the full length of roof.
>> Which implies (rope?) handles as well.
>
>You would be surprised at how strong expanded insulation foam is. I'd
>get a pack of that. In practice the surface is sufficiently soft to
>give way under excessive local pressure, so spreading the load pretty
>well over the boards

I've used an Aluminium ladder with pads of any foam insulation to hand
for access on brittle corrugated asbestos roofing. The scaffold board
later laid along the rungs for comfort.
No experience of lightweight plastic roofing.
>

--
Tim Lamb

On 5 Apr 2024 13:12:07 GMT, David <wibble@btinternet.com> wrote:

>This may be the year I get to sort out some issues with the plastic roof.
>Includes cleaning, but also some flashings and cable runs.
>
>The roof is supported by 5"2s at 42" centres.
>
>Threads in the past have suggested that crawling boards could be the way
>to go.
>
>Scaffold boards are an obvious option, but they are quite heavy to move
>around.
>
>Can anyone suggest a strong but much lighter material which could be
>suitable?
>
>Putting this up here for suggestions before I go away and research.
>Which usually results in too much information and distractions and little
>progress.
>
>TIA
>
>
>
>Dave R

I use old floorboards laid across 32" spaced glazing bars when
crawling around on the glass roof of my lean-to conservatory to clean
out gutters etc. Not particularly wide, so you have to be a bit
careful where you put your feet, and they may bow a bit over 42", but
they're what I use.

--
Chris