10-16-2009, 08:32 AM
This same topic was discussed over on the MR Forum a few days ago. While tarpaper has been used for finished roofs, what you're thinking of is more likely something known as roll roofing. This product is similar in appearance to regular asphalt shingles, with a backing of tar-impregnated felt topped with granite granules. It's generally used on low-slope roofs and is available in several colours, mostly black, red, green, and sometimes blue. I believe that it comes in 3' wide rolls.
Another material sometimes used for finished roofing is roofing felt, which is similar to roll roofing but without the granules. Both tarpaper and roofing felt are intended as underlays for shingles, whether they be regular asphalt ones, or cedar, or slate, and generally do not stand-up well when exposed directly to the weather.
To represent roll roofing on a foreground model, very fine sandpaper (800 grit or finer in HO) could be applied using contact cement, although your colour choices would be fairly limited. Wet/dry sandpaper would work best, as it's fairly thin and the weathered black appearance would be suitable unpainted, allowing the slight "sparkle" of the granules to catch the eye under certain lighting conditions.
I've simulated roll roofing using .005" sheet styrene:
[album]1232[/album]
[album]1468[/album]
Or with paint on plain styrene roofs:
[album]672[/album]
[album]527[/album]
[album]530[/album]
[album]1471[/album]
Wayne
Another material sometimes used for finished roofing is roofing felt, which is similar to roll roofing but without the granules. Both tarpaper and roofing felt are intended as underlays for shingles, whether they be regular asphalt ones, or cedar, or slate, and generally do not stand-up well when exposed directly to the weather.
To represent roll roofing on a foreground model, very fine sandpaper (800 grit or finer in HO) could be applied using contact cement, although your colour choices would be fairly limited. Wet/dry sandpaper would work best, as it's fairly thin and the weathered black appearance would be suitable unpainted, allowing the slight "sparkle" of the granules to catch the eye under certain lighting conditions.
I've simulated roll roofing using .005" sheet styrene:
[album]1232[/album]
[album]1468[/album]
Or with paint on plain styrene roofs:
[album]672[/album]
[album]527[/album]
[album]530[/album]
[album]1471[/album]
Wayne