Beehive metal Roof with inner tablex

01 · THE MEASUREMENT

530 × 445 outside, and what box it covers

A ten-frame Langstroth body measures 510 × 422 mm on the outside, so this roof covers it with clearance on all four sides and sits without forcing. It suits Dadant US of ten equally. If your box comes from elsewhere, measure it round the outside before ordering: that is the figure that has to sit inside the roof, and no other.

02 · THE FIBREBOARD

The liner is what stops the drip from inside

A bare sheet-metal roof behaves like a cold plate: the moisture rising from the colony condenses on its underside and ends up dripping onto the frames exactly when it is least welcome, in the cold months. The high-density fibreboard lining the inside damps that temperature step and reduces the problem. It is the real difference between this roof and one of plain sheet, and it does not show in a photograph.

03 · THE 105 MM

Height for whatever you were going to put up there

The inner rim leaves 105 mm clear above the frames, and that is where what would not otherwise fit goes in: a top feeder, a bag of fondant resting straight on the crown board, or a sheet of insulation in winter. The roof still closes with that inside, which is precisely what a flat cover cannot do.

04 · THE COATING

Z200 is not a brand name

The number states the zinc coating: 200 grams per square metre spread over both faces. That is what decides how long the sheet lasts outdoors, more than the thickness of the steel. The corners are welded, so the roof does not open at the joint when you stack it or drop it onto the box. Look the edges over now and then: that is where any rust starts.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

It weighs 3.15 kg and acts as a roof: in windy sites, plan on a weight on top or a strap.