Posh Shed / Garden Room DIY Build

Posh Shed / Garden Room DIY Build

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Discussion

Russ_H

Original Poster:

359 posts

221 months

Saturday 10th August 2013
quotequote all
I'm looking to move my workshop which is currently in the cellar to a posh shed in the garden. The cellar would then become a child free zone/cinema/xbox room. Something along the lines of this.....



The posh shed would be 6.5 x 4m split into two - 3.5x4m workshop & 3x4m garden room/office. The walls constructed out of 4x2"s at 400mm centres. It needs to be useable all year round so its going to be insulated with Kingspan or similar, clad with cedar & plaster boarded inside. At the moment the base is to be constructed out of 6x2"s at 400mm centres held up on 50mm galvanised steel box section posts. Like this....






If OK, how long should posts be - I'm thinking concreting in 30-40cm should be fine.
Also what's the best way of constructing the frame? Concrete the posts in first then attach the 6x2s or use the squared up frame as a guide for positioning the posts. Posts and frame must be perfectly square and level otherwise the walls and roof will be on the p1ss.

Suggestions gratefully receivedsmile
Cheers thumbup

Mandat

3,881 posts

237 months

Saturday 10th August 2013
quotequote all
I'm thinking of doing something similar in my back garden.

what programme did you use to create the graphical mockup?

scottri

950 posts

181 months

Saturday 10th August 2013
quotequote all
I can't help answer your questions but watching this with interest.

Russ_H

Original Poster:

359 posts

221 months

Saturday 10th August 2013
quotequote all
Google Sketchup - broke the model into layers to switch on & off the walls/floor/roof/cladding as necessary.
Took a couple of hours to learn the basics.


Mandat said:
I'm thinking of doing something similar in my back garden.

what programme did you use to create the graphical mockup?

Russ_H

Original Poster:

359 posts

221 months

Saturday 10th August 2013
quotequote all
I discounted laying a concrete slab - the previous summer house base was wreaked by tree roots, the garden slopes & cost ££. Before I crack on with the base, does it sound sensible or should I be considering something else?

Cheers

Russ_H

Original Poster:

359 posts

221 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
Main base frame is now finished......pics to follow.

Question, what should I be laying underneath the frame?

Weed fabric to control any weeds but allows water to drain
or
Damp proof membrane to stop weeds but also prevents water socking up into the timber base?

Suggestions appreciated - floor joists going down in the next couple of days.

Cheersthumbup


mikees

2,745 posts

171 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
I would REALLY REALLY lay a concrete base. Surely this s only a few hundred quid.

Mike

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
mikees said:
I would REALLY REALLY lay a concrete base. Surely this s only a few hundred quid. Mike
http://www.minimix.co.uk

Handy for working bits out and ball park figures if your doing the base yourself.

Russ_H

Original Poster:

359 posts

221 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
speedyguy said:
mikees said:
I would REALLY REALLY lay a concrete base. Surely this s only a few hundred quid. Mike
http://www.minimix.co.uk

Handy for working bits out and ball park figures if your doing the base yourself.
Costed up a concrete base - was working out around £700-800 for a 6.5 x 4m base. I've then still got to construct a frame for the insulated floor to sit on.

Any way it's too late - 28 galvanised posts have been concreted in and 6x2 frame bolted to it!frown
The previous summer house concrete base was wrecked by the nearby tree roots so I discounted the slab.

Most of the garden room suppliers use either timber or steel framed bases so didn't think I would go too far wronglaugh

So....Weed fabric or damp proof membrane?



scenario8

6,554 posts

178 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
Great thread. Keep it up!

BlackCup

1,231 posts

182 months

Wednesday 28th August 2013
quotequote all
Just started something very similar, will start a thread of my own once it's been delivered. Ours is strictly for fun so the floor had to be able to support a 7ft slate bed pool table! The suppliers said their floor options would be a bit weak for that so we went with concrete.
Our base is 8 x 5 meters, so got 5 tonnes of mot type 1 delivered, wheel barrowed it all into the area, whacker plated it all, laid a damp proof membrane, made some shuttering and got some cement pumped (150ft) down the garden, tampered it down and now it's ready to be built on.
I think the sub base was £190 for the mot, £40 for a whacker plate. The shuttering I will reuse as decking bearers, the cement was £95 per cubic meter (4), the expensive (but necessary) pump was £350. It was that or 60 wheel barrow loads down the garden!
Total for base is therefore £940. Should out last us and still add value to the house.
Good luck with yours, where's it from? or are you making it yourself? I'm not that brave!

Matt

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Thursday 29th August 2013
quotequote all
Bookmarked!

My job for next year (one of, anyway rolleyes) is going to be building a 4m x 6.5m garage in my garden, a wooden one is still an option, so it is similar to this. I'm interested to see how you get on.

bigdom

2,072 posts

144 months

Thursday 29th August 2013
quotequote all
Russ_H said:
Main base frame is now finished......pics to follow.

Question, what should I be laying underneath the frame?

Weed fabric to control any weeds but allows water to drain
or
Damp proof membrane to stop weeds but also prevents water socking up into the timber base?

Suggestions appreciated - floor joists going down in the next couple of days.

Cheersthumbup

I'd go for weed fabric, and pea shingle or similar. You don't require a DPC unless the joists are touching the ground, which would be a mistake. I'm assuming you planning to use celotex or similar inbetween joists, then DPC and boarded?

You've beat me to it, building one similar in a few weeks. Will be using recycled plastic timber for the supports into the ground. I have the same issue with tree roots, and to be fair, I just nicked the idea from the local log cabin company, they don't install concrete bases anymore due to this very reason.

Planning to build in sheet dimensions to limit cuts and speed build time.....famous last words! Enjoy.

SVS

3,824 posts

270 months

Thursday 29th August 2013
quotequote all
scenario8 said:
Great thread. Keep it up!
+1

Russ_H

Original Poster:

359 posts

221 months

Thursday 29th August 2013
quotequote all
Updated pics........

main framed laid out - levelled and squared & then marked out the hole positions




Holes dug using a petrol post hole borer, a lot easier than digging by hand but still censored hard work




Finished frame ready for joists. Doesn't look like its going anywhere, the wife says its over engineered, I say its robustsmile




Next step floor joists and walls.
Was planning to use 18mm WBP plywood for the floor - any cheaper options???
Assume 38x89mm CLS is good for the walls?

Thanks


Russ_H

Original Poster:

359 posts

221 months

Thursday 29th August 2013
quotequote all
Talk to me about insulated steel roofing sheets...




I'm thinking about using it rather than an epdm roof or torch on felt and then using PIR insulation.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 29th August 2013
quotequote all
OSB3 for the floor will be more than good enough, and better than cheep plywood.

Russ_H

Original Poster:

359 posts

221 months

Sunday 8th September 2013
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Progress has been slow, but the base is now complete.......waaaaaay over engineered but not going anywherebiggrin







Russ_H

Original Poster:

359 posts

221 months

Monday 3rd February 2014
quotequote all
Thread resurrection!

There's been a bit of a change of plan following a impulse Ebay purchase smile

SIP Panels

Seemed cheap for the size of panels, phoned up the guy and the deal was done.
Was only then I considered how was I going to get 2500kg of panels from Huddersfield to Leicester. censored

Was advised to get a 7.5 ton lorry by the guy selling so I hired & pitched up in a box lorry with a tail lift. Wrong! With hindsight a 7.5 ton flat bed would have been a lot easier. After man-handling 16off 5m & 6m lenghs into the back with the aid of a forklift it dawned on me how the F**k I was going to offload at the other end. curse

While driving back i was frantically phoning round local buddies to give me a hand but no one was picking up.......weeping managed to rope in a couple of neighbors but it still took 2 hours to unload.

Anyway - anyone have any experience building a SIPs?? The walls and roof of the garden room / posh will be made out of them.

Doesn't look difficult but could do with some pointers.

Cheers





Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Monday 3rd February 2014
quotequote all
Sounds interesting! I hadn't thought of SIPS for my garage build, it would be good to hear how you get on.