Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => Do-It-Yourself Plans and Prints => Topic started by: Yankee11 on November 17, 2014, 11:43:38 pm
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Do you use aluminum flashing or galvanized for your top covers. I have been using the 20 inch galvanized from HD or Lowes but is only 20 inches.
I am looking at going with aluminum and getting 24 inch wide. I could then turn my tops the other direction and get more tops out of a 50 foot roll and also get more metal down the sides of the cover. Aluminum would also be easier to work with.
What thickness aluminum should I get?
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I've gone to galvanized due to cost of aluminum. That, and the metal is heavier so less likely to blow off.The galvanized stuff today looks a lot different than the older mottled stuff.
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Yea Perry, that's what I have been using also. What I see though is the aluminum is cheaper, but I guess that's because it's probably a lot thinner?
How do you cut your corners and attach the galvanized?
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I just straight cut the corners, I didn't bother with overlap or folds. I just load up the corners real well with a good caulking compound and then sit the metal right over top.
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I also use the galvanized.. is it galvanized? Yes it does look very different than how it used to look. shiny and bright now instead of the mottled grey..
I snip the corner and fold the edges over. I trim the corners of the folded over piece so I am not catching/cutting myself on them.. On the top piece fold over I use a 3/4 inch roofing/shingle nail in each corner, then use heavy 1/2 inch staples the rest of the way around.
btw.. I use the metal bending tool Perry showed in one of his posts, AND, I only put metal on the hives that I sell. My painted tele covers last to within a season of when the covers with metal on them last. Replacing them at less than three dollars each without the metal top is too easy to struggle with the metal for my own hives.
I use the cheapest paint I can get that still covers well. The fence and barn paint at $12.00 a gallon is not worth buying unless you want to put four to five coats of paint on.. Two to three coats of a better paint at 20 dollars a gallon is actually saving you money. No metal to buy either, so the cost of the paint becomes worthwhile. You dont typically PRY on your tele covers, so the only scratches and dings are from when you take them off, and flip them over onto the hard ground or rocks to set the boxes on as you inspect.
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I am beginning to think that we are over-engineering hive roofs.
Obtaining, cutting, bending and fitting the metal cover seems a lot of hassle for the benefits.
Thank you Lazy for your interesting post.
Early last season, I needed some roofs for bait hives. I cobbled together some basic roofs from reclaimed weathered T&G boards. The pic below shows one in use. These worked and kept the inside of the hive dry. I intend using them again next season. I am happy with the low cost and ease of build.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs30.postimg.cc%2F4bdor0d9p%2FDSC00185.jpg&hash=54ab9433648880c040d19c443dec86b0436a4dcc) (http://postimg.cc/image/4bdor0d9p/)
Ignore the holes in the white board ---- re-used material.
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So Glad You Brought This Up! Hubs and I were talking about getting the 15 lb tar paper on the hives just as soon as I get the feeding rims on early next week. I mentioned that the top of the lids might need a cover. Not sure we want to do metal at this point. Was thinking of using the 15 lb tar paper to cover and fold over each corner and staple for this winter... It's water proof...
What say you :)