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roofing tips
Rank: Member Joined: 9/12/2008 Posts: 20
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Please anyone who has advice on whether bluegum wood is good for roofing.
This has come because cypress wood is very expensive. Is bluegum prone to being eaten by termites?
Anyone who has roofed, please advice on the best way to use it to roof. Does it bend?
What precautions do I need to take care of?
Thank you.
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Rank: Member Joined: 4/25/2008 Posts: 192 Location: Nairobi
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Blue Gum is Termite resistant and good for roofing. However, it is prone to warping and bending if not dry. Additionally, thinner pieces will split at the edges so you need to be careful when buying. Itari muting'oe ihuragwo ngi ni Ngai
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Rank: Member Joined: 7/21/2010 Posts: 249 Location: nairobi
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very true, Bluegum is a good bet for roofing...if u get a mature tree ( 20yrs or more) the better ..desire to succeed is always fighting with fear of failure..
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 11/20/2009 Posts: 1,402
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i bought a number of blue gums from a farmer in olkarou. Iam yet to cut them down. What do i do to ensure they dont bend on drying. Am not sure of their age.
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Rank: Member Joined: 4/25/2008 Posts: 192 Location: Nairobi
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@ Muheani: 1. Ensure that they dry under a shade. 2. During the drying period stack them and put some weight over them e.g using the logs. Itari muting'oe ihuragwo ngi ni Ngai
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Rank: Elder Joined: 2/7/2007 Posts: 11,935 Location: Nairobi
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@am66, BG has many disadvantages when used to roof. 1.Weightier than cypress hence very heavy roofs. 2.Warps. 3.Twists. 4.Splits. 5.Difficulties when driving nails through. 6.Sags Since you are not going to roof your house every election year,disregard the price of cypress and go for it.I also believe you want an even and beautiful roof. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 4/4/2007 Posts: 1,162
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I have roofed with blue gum. It is ok. You don't get perfectly straight trusses but with a good fundi the covered roof is as good as any. Plus it is very resistant to termites/insect (i did not treat mine). Also due to its strength compared to cypress, you can use smaller timber members*
*of course consult an engineer in regard to sizing.
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Rank: Member Joined: 5/8/2008 Posts: 288
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am6612 wrote:Please anyone who has advice on whether bluegum wood is good for roofing.
This has come because cypress wood is very expensive. Is bluegum prone to being eaten by termites?
Anyone who has roofed, please advice on the best way to use it to roof. Does it bend?
What precautions do I need to take care of?
Thank you. I cleared roofing early this week including putting timbers for ceiling. I used Bluegum and the outcome is okay according to me. When buying, make sure you buy red blue gum timbers and not the white ones. They are better. Termites is not an isssue
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Rank: Member Joined: 1/28/2009 Posts: 353 Location: Cloud
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Njung'e wrote:@am66,
BG has many disadvantages when used to roof.
1.Weightier than cypress hence very heavy roofs.
2.Warps.
3.Twists.
4.Splits.
5.Difficulties when driving nails through.
6.Sags
Since you are not going to roof your house every election year,disregard the price of cypress and go for it.I also believe you want an even and beautiful roof.
To deal with warping,twisting,driving nails thro' fundis recommend you do the trusses before the Bgum is dry. To avoid splits they "tie" tha trusses with iron hoops. Due to the weight, u can downgrade the cross members by an inch or so. Sagging happens if the Cross members are poorly done. For me B.Gum any time. "For i am the master and the captain of my fate"
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Rank: Member Joined: 3/17/2008 Posts: 567 Location: Nairobi
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Did my roofing some months ago with blue gum.
My fundi had discouraged me as there was more work for him.
True you will need more nails and more fundi time. As @kwanini has said straightness depends on the cross members and all other supports.
Just 2 tips from me.
1. buy long blue gum pieces i.e 15ft and above only. Short ones are a headache to keep joining.
2. For the wood where the tiles will be nailed on, dont use blue gum. The nails will damage the tiles as possibility of nails bending is very high. If this happens leaks will be constant in yr house.
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Rank: Member Joined: 1/22/2007 Posts: 336
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Pablo wrote:Did my roofing some months ago with blue gum.
My fundi had discouraged me as there was more work for him.
True you will need more nails and more fundi time. As @kwanini has said straightness depends on the cross members and all other supports.
Just 2 tips from me.
1. buy long blue gum pieces i.e 15ft and above only. Short ones are a headache to keep joining.
2. For the wood where the tiles will be nailed on, dont use blue gum. The nails will damage the tiles as possibility of nails bending is very high. If this happens leaks will be constant in yr house. You are spot on bro,i did my roofing and blundering sometime late November using the same.When you decide to use the blue gum, take the fundi to choose the right quality and the end product will not disappoint. Advice is like snow.The softer it lands the harder is sticks.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 2/7/2007 Posts: 11,935 Location: Nairobi
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Kwanini wrote:
To deal with warping,twisting,driving nails thro' fundis recommend you do the trusses before the Bgum is dry. To avoid splits they "tie" tha trusses with iron hoops. Due to the weight, u can downgrade the cross members by an inch or so. Sagging happens if the Cross members are poorly done. For me B.Gum any time.
Just because it is cheaper??.Before i go that way,consider this.If you roof your house with not so well seasoned timber,you pay the price in terms of shrinkage.....Just how did i leave that out??......In a risk/benefit Vs cost analysis,cypress takes it any day and the only other wood which comes close despite being a hardwood is Lusiola (Markhamia lutea.Popular in Western and Nyanza and also referred to as Omwobo in Ekegusii.Quite common in Siaya,Gem and Karachuonyo)....If you ever get this for your ceiling,floor and half walls....woow!Fantastic stuff! Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 9/7/2010 Posts: 2,148 Location: elderville
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Njung'e wrote:Kwanini wrote:
To deal with warping,twisting,driving nails thro' fundis recommend you do the trusses before the Bgum is dry. To avoid splits they "tie" tha trusses with iron hoops. Due to the weight, u can downgrade the cross members by an inch or so. Sagging happens if the Cross members are poorly done. For me B.Gum any time.
Just because it is cheaper??.Before i go that way,consider this.If you roof your house with not so well seasoned timber,you pay the price in terms of shrinkage.....Just how did i leave that out??......In a risk/benefit Vs cost analysis,cypress takes it any day and the only other wood which comes close despite being a hardwood is Lusiola (Markhamia lutea.Popular in Western and Nyanza and also referred to as Omwobo in Ekegusii.Quite common in Siaya,Gem and Karachuonyo)....If you ever get this for your ceiling,floor and half walls....woow!Fantastic stuff! Kuna kitu hujui kweli? He who can express in words the ardour of his love, has but little love to express. - Petrach, Son. (That men by various ways arrive at the same end. - Montaigne, The Essays of.)
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Rank: Elder Joined: 2/7/2007 Posts: 11,935 Location: Nairobi
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 Mimi hapana Elder badia kama wewe Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 9/7/2010 Posts: 2,148 Location: elderville
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Rank: Member Joined: 11/9/2007 Posts: 420 Location: Nairobi
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Pablo wrote:Did my roofing some months ago with blue gum.
My fundi had discouraged me as there was more work for him.
True you will need more nails and more fundi time. As @kwanini has said straightness depends on the cross members and all other supports.
Just 2 tips from me.
1. buy long blue gum pieces i.e 15ft and above only. Short ones are a headache to keep joining.
2. For the wood where the tiles will be nailed on, dont use blue gum. The nails will damage the tiles as possibility of nails bending is very high. If this happens leaks will be constant in yr house. did mine with Blue Gum too. and hahaha I had a hard time with my fundi as he was not for BG ati sijui its too hard....mara inavunza misumari... but tulifaulu and am Happy with the result...3yrs down na sijaona hio wraping & twisting....
Opinion is free, truth is sacred.
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Rank: Member Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 412 Location: nairobi
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did mine 6 years ago and the roof has a finish like anyother. Dont regret at all. i got the timber from blue gum that was grown on hardy/rocky soil. If the b.gum is grown in swampy area it will split and bend. The only time you should be looking down on others is when you are helping them up.
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 11/2/2006 Posts: 1,206 Location: Nairobi
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I had to get a new bed after I bought one made from Blue Gum!It started bending and wrapping and making noises.That was just a bed.....roof je? Formally employed people often live their employers' dream & forget about their own.
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Rank: Member Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 412 Location: nairobi
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the diff is span or lentgh and supports that go with it. in my village almost all roofing is done in bluegum and i have done a descent house using it. As s'one has pointed, it can sag and twist and is hard to drive nails if "too" dry. Incidentally b.gum has several varieties and depending on which variety your timber comes from, you may experience few or many of issues associated with it. The only time you should be looking down on others is when you are helping them up.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 6/17/2008 Posts: 23,365 Location: Nairobi
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Guka, Somewhere we call it 'siala'......you are spor on!!! ..."Wewe ni mtu mdogo sana....na mwenye amekuandika pia ni mtu mdogo sana!".
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