Top cover ?

[My-smokepole]

I know that metal is the true and teated way to go but has any one tryed rubber roofing matail? Besides the fact that it is black. just looking for feed back thanks
David/toledo

[Fuzzy]

I just had my house roof re-done. On a difficult flat section the roofers used a polyurethane material that appears to have glass fibre embedded. The called it "IB". It is white on the top and black on the bottom. It is guaranteed for the life of the house.
You might be able to find remnants from local roofers.

Fuzzy

[bnatural]

Until this year, I used black roofing felt on my telescoping covers. I was buying them from BeeWorks and Dave does not provide metal covers. He recommended the tar paper, so I used it. A double layer lasts about five years before the top layer wears and tears. I had a local guy cut me some metal covers that I put on over the paper this spring. All my new hives have covers that come with metal tops.

Whatever you use, be sure it can stand up to being turned upside down on the ground over and over and having full boxes stacked on top of it (you do use it for a stand, right?). Branches, twigs, stones, etc. can do some damage to softer materials.

Bill

[Cedar Hill]

Don't know if they are still available. Aluminum printing plates (thin sheets of aluminum) used to print small town newspapers make excellent metal coverings for beehive covers.

[iwombat]

I also restore wooden boats. I already have the materials at hand, so I cover my tops with fiberglass & epoxy resin. Only takes a few minutes to do, and those covers should be around longer than me. No sharp edges either.

[BeeOld]

I use 24" Alum flashing you can get from Lowes. Easy to put on and holds up well.

[peletier]

I used mobile home roof coating on the last batch of hives I built. It is thick, elastic, cheap, and made for roofs. Some types contain fibers for extra strength. What I used is white.

[Roland]

I doubt if you can beat the cost per year of a good galvanized roof. We reused about 50 this winter, placing them on new woodenware. A lot of them where from 1937-1938. One was from 1917. The newspapers placed between the wood and steel was in good shape and quite readable.

Roland

[AR Beekeeper]

Treated plywood makes a good top for a telescoping cover and is a lot faster to put together than metal.

[standman]

Glad someone asked. My local Lowes store had some roll "plastic" flashing on clearance the other day (half price), and I considered it. It was white. Gonna go back and check on it.

[Michael Bush]

>has any one tryed rubber roofing matail?

Yes. It works great and you can pick scraps up from job sites for free.

[My-smokepole]

Ya this was some that was left on a job. That I was on and just couldn't see it stay in the dumpster. I was just wonder if anyone had used it for some time.
David/toledo

[Michael Bush]

Two of my son's used to do a lot of rubber roofing and I used scraps for covers on lids since 2001. They held up very well.