How to Roof With Homemade Ferrocement Panels

You can construct a roof in a variety of different ways, including the placement of cement panels called ferrocement. Ferrocement application relies on cement added to a layered wire mesh, forming a rectangular cement panel. You can add tiles or brick as a decorative exterior for the panels, giving you a roof that's waterproof and secure to the outdoor elements. Ferrocement panels can be built directly on a structure or prefabricated at another place, shipped to the construction site and placed by a crane onto the roof.

Metal support channels
Conical head screws
Screw gun
Spacers
1/4-inch three-dimensional wire mesh
Washers
Bucket
Cement
Sand
Water
Handheld power mixer
Trowel
Grout
Roofing tiles

Instructions

- 1
  Place metal support channels on the roof, connecting them to the joists in a horizontal manner. Attach the channels using conical head screws and a screw gun. Space the channels so the width of the ferrocement panels will be 12 inches.
- 2
  Put disc-shaped spacers onto the front of the channels every 18 inches. Affix wire mesh to the channels with washers and metal screws.
- 3
  Mix cement and sand in a bucket according to manufacturer's instructions. Pour water into the bucket and stir with a power mixer until achieving a consistency that can be troweled.
- 4
  Trowel cement into channel and over mesh until it is about 1/4-inch thick to serve as the ferrocement panel. Allow the panel to cure.
- 5
  Lather grout onto the ferrocement panels with your trowel. Place grout on the back of roofing tiles. Lay the tiles onto the ferrocement panels. Allow the tiles to set.

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