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I would welcome inspiration on mending my aviary roof ....

Bunny Buddy

Wise Old Thumper
I built the aviary (very crude structure) about 15 years ago, my DIY skills have improved massively in that time.

When I put the plastic sheets on the roof I had to join them (one metre wide), I did this by having a strip of wood underneath and a strip of wood on top and putting screws through both layers... of course 15 years later the top piece has completely rotted away and the two pieces of plastic need securing. I did think I had screwed it from underneath and was set about to repair it but not as easy as I thought ...


I am about to extend the aviary sidewise (started this with the original structure but never completed), so now I will be joining another piece of the plastic but will just use screws and something like washers to protect the plastic from splitting.

My dilemma - I need to remove the screws from the original and I don't know how the hell I got up there to put them in but it ain't happening again - my balancing precariously days are over... any ideas on how to secure the plastic sheets without risking life and limb?!!

(I am wondering if I did it first time round by rolling the plastic sheet, fixing it at the join and then working my way back until I had secured it at the edges, that's my plan for the new sheet but not sure the existing one will be flexible, especially at this time of year so other options on the original join would be good).

Thanks in anticipation :wave:

 
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I got a couple of teenagers to do my shed roofing, under my instruction. Their balance and co-ordination is so much better than mine.

I used corrugated bitumen sheeting and their proper fixings with plastic caps, but swapped the nails for screws so they could be removed more easily.

It depends on how high the roof is. Garden benches may be useful to stand on, but I would get some proper ladders (2 sets so you can hop between them rather than keep moving 1 set) or a mobile platform so you can reach safely. A claw hammer will pull out stuck screws if a drill won't, although it may damage the wood as well. Maybe WD40 them first so they free up a bit. Having an extra pair of hands also helps, even if only to pass tools etc up & down, so you don't have to keep going up and down ladders.
 
It is 7 foot high at the back and a little over 6 ft at the front. I would need and have ladders but reaching beyond about halfway is the difficult bit. I really could do with getting it done within the week but, if I understand correctly, I could only have a member of my support bubble in my garden? (Unless a DIY task is excluded.

The DW40 tip I shall try.

My plan was so easy when I thought I was removing the screws from underneath.
 
DIY is work :thumb: Ask whomever you think appropriate. As long as you distance, mask up etc., then there's no reason this important task (animal welfare) can't be done now :) Although the weather's supposed to be blimmin' awful this weekend :S
 
I'd go with what Keletkezes says. It's work, for animal welfare (both allowed), you can't do it because of Health & Safety (yours), it's outside (so safer)...there's no guarantee the rules will ease off this year, so if it needs doing, do what you feel OK with and get people in to sort it.
 
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