Hello all. I hope someone can tell me what roof will properly protect my pine ceiling/roof deck. I built a pavilion with poplar timbers and the pine tongue and groove decking on the trusses. I plan to use 29 gauge steel but I've heard conflicting information regarding what should be between these layers. Some say I need plywood or OSB on the T&G pine with roofing felt/tar paper on that before steel. Others say I can use some type of vapor barrier on the T&G then the steel. I didn't mention insulation or SIPs because I can't afford it yet and I will remove and re-install the steel roof in a couple/few years when I enclose the pavilion and attach it to the house for a room addition.

So for now I need to know if roofing felt/tar paper is best or is there something better? And must I use sheathing between the roof and pine deck? I do NOT want to ruin what to me is expensive T&G southern yellow pine which is going to be the permanently exposed ceiling in this structure.

I appreciate any advice. Also, how do I post pictures here of what I built? I don't see a camera icon or "attach photo" anywhere on this page.

Is it 2x T&G? If so, you can definitely live without the ply.

Either way, I would run felt under the metal.

For pictures, you have to host off site (photobucket, Picassa, Flickr), and paste the [IMG] in.

timberwrestler, thanks for the info. It is 2x6 T&G. Do you know if there is any great benefit to using the thicker 26 gauge? If climate zone is the difference, I'm in central Indiana. Out in the corn fields it gets pretty windy and we get hail probably as often as anywhere in the midwest.

I'd ask your supplier to get the local low down. If it's on solid sheathing, then it's got good support. I use 24 gauge pretty often and it is a lot heavier than 29. I imagine it could make a difference with the hail.