| You will need:
Coconut Fiber (Coir). 1 bundle will do up to 1 square foot (E&T)
Clear Silicone caulk (hardware store) or Aleene's Thick White Tacky #AL84 (E&T)
Caulking gun (hardware store) or plastic spreader (E&T)
Sturdy Scissors (don’t use mother’s best)
Twigs (I like cherry but any will do - up to 3/16" diameter)
Nails (1" or 1.25" , #18 or #20 wire nails/brads)
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Install tube of caulking into caulking gun. Cut off tip so it is about
1/4" diameter hole. Squeeze handle of gun to make caulk come out.
Move the nozzle over a small section of the roof to spread a layer about
1/16" to 1/8" thick. This doesn’t have to be neat, as you can
see in the photo on the left. Photo on right show the caulk being applied
to the second area of the roof, after the first area is covered. I did
this one much neater. Note that this doesn’t really make an even coverage,
but rather there are ridges and valleys.
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Take a small hunk of the fiber from the bundle, about the diameter of
a thumb, and using the scissors, cut it in half, so you have two hunks,
each about 4" long.
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Take one of these hunks, and set it into the silicone caulk, just above
the bottom edge of the roof. Most of the hunk will be overhanging the
eve of the roof.
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Slowly slide the hunk of fiber up the roof, leaving the bottom fibers
stuck in the silicone. As you slide it up the bottom fibers will continue
to become stuck in the caulk, making the hunk in your hand thinner and
thinner. You should be able to slide it up about 1 1/2" (if you slide
it less, it will be thicker, if you slide it further, it will be thinner
- you can experiment a little to see what you like).
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Notice the beginning and end of this hunk of fiber when it is applied
and slid up the roof.
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The second row is applied in a like manner, starting at the top of the
first row. NOTE: As you apply the hunks of fiber, don’t try to line up
the top edge of the fibers. A staggered, random application will look
much better when done. In the left lower photo, I included red lines to
illustrate the randomness of the application.
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When the roof is covered you can use a scissors to trim
any wild fibers that don’t seem to want to go in the right direction.
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To cover the ridge, use full lenth fiber. Apply 3 beads of caulk, one
at the peak, and one on each side, about 2" down from the peak. Take
a hunk of the fiber, and fold it in your hands, creasing it in the middle
to make a bent hunk as shown above.
Apply this bent hunk over the peak, spreading it slightly sideways to
make this ridge row even. Sometime, you will want to trim the overhang
of the eve, to give an even line, and a nice thick bushy look.
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When you have competed the placement of the fiber on the peak, use the
scissors to trim the bottom edge of this fiber to make a neat line from
end to end.
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Use the twigs as shown to help hold the fiber on the peak. I use fresh
twigs, so they are flexible . Use 1" or 1.25" , #18 or #20 wire
nails to hold the twigs on. Apply a twig near (3/4") the bottom edge
of the ridge row of fiber.
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The smaller twigs that I used to make the diamond pattern across the
top, are not glued or nailed, just tucked under the the two lengthwise
sticks.
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