Solitary chicken - need advice

[Luvachicken]

After saving really hard and convincing OH that my girls needed a new roof, we finally got them some fibreglass roof panels although hubby keeps telling me they are GRP.

I really hope they can stand up to the acorns that ruined my original corrugated plastic by peppering it all over with holes.

I'm hoping my girls will be well and truly protected when the acorns return in the autumn.

I can't wait

[Beantree]

GRP stands for Glass Reinforced Polyester. The glass fibres are bonded together using polyester thermoset resin. So you are both right. GRP is the technical name. Everyone else calls it fibreglass, or fiberglass in America.

 

Acorns are small fry. I had a car built of it which passed the 30mph barrier test. So it was slammed into a concrete block and the test dummy occupants survived. I had the unfortunate experience to do that in real life…..twice!

[Luvachicken]

Thanks for the explanation Beantree.

It seems like maybe the acorns have met their match at last.

It is reassuring to know that it was nice and strong for the crash test dummies but I'm sorry you found out for yourself.

I hope you weren't hurt.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Beantree, your knowledge and experience never fails to impress me .

 

Are you the original Fount of all Knowledge ?

[Beantree]

I wasn't hurt Luvachicken.

 

This happens to be a specialist area of mine Ain't "Ooops, word censored!"ody Here. The only plastics processing technique I have no practical experience of is 'rotational moulding', although I have seen it demonstrated. That's how the Eglus are made I believe.

 

GRP will very slowly degrade in sunlight. Over very many years in fact, like everything does. The Polyester becomes brittle and cracks. The only way to protect it is with a surface coating of paint, which I certainly wouldn't bother doing.

[Luvachicken]

With the amount of sunshine we get I'm hoping it will degrade very slowly Beantree.

When we bought the original roof it got brittle very soon after. The man in B&Q told us it wasn't able to get used to sun quick enough - last summer actually being a proper summer - and that's why it broke.

Not much use if it can't even survive a year

[Beantree]

Oh dear. What are the B&Q people being trained by (I said what not who deliberately). Talking complete rubbish. What's happening now is recycled plastic is being added to the new. The problem is 10% added to a virgin melt can degrade the properties by 50%. So the reality is recycled plastic is really only good for park benches. Your new roofing will be fine Luvachicken because thermosets can't be messed with.