Garden and shed project

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Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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It seems we all like a project thread on here so I figured it would be rude of me not to post this, nowhere near the scale of some other projects, but I'm sure I'll still get stuck and ask questions! For now though, here's the plan. I have asked for advice in separate threads a while ago so it didn't feel right continuing either of them, it's better with everything in one place.

I've recently moved into a new place and now is the time to start doing something about the garden. It is pretty plain at the moment, with a wonky patio area, a wonky paved area towards the far end, and a tiny shed close to the house:




We have decided to relay a larger patio area, with a short wall around it, build a shed across the back of the garden, and have an area for growing veg in. Add a path to one side and we should be good to go! Here is my first ever attempt at using Google Sketchup:




I have also added a huge rabbit hutch and run to one side, and a "bin shed" to the other, as I can't stand having the wheelie bins on display. I will build all this myself so it goes well with the surroundings.

The patio will give us a nice space for entertaining outside, with a barbecue, and maybe an outdoor bar, and we will also have a chiminea in one of the corners to give us a bit of heat in the evenings. The garden is south facing so I am keeping my fingers crossed we'll have some nice weather to enjoy it!

The biggest part of the project will be the shed. It will be part garden shed, on the end facing the green house, part mancave on the other end. I will build it on a concrete base and it will house my workshop area and will be used as a garage for my bike(s). I am currently trying to draw it in sketchup to give myself a good idea of what is acheivable.

It is 8m x 4m in total, at the moment I have designed it with a pent roof sloping away from the front garden in an attempt to hide its bulk, but I'm not sure this will be the best solution structurally, watch this space.

i suppose this wouldn't be complete without the plan for the front garden, which is simply to make the current gravelled and fenced area into a two car driveway:




That's all for now, I should start the ground works in a couple of weeks. Please feel free to offer criticism and suggestions on this, there's probably loads of stuff I haven't thought of!

Griff Boy

1,563 posts

230 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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Looks like an interesting project, will watch with interest!

What's the score with access? Looks like no side access, can you get to the other side of the end of the garden? I'm in the process of doing some designs for my sister in law in Portsmouth for an extension and similar size garden shed design, but there's absolutely no access. Apart from through the house, which will be a total nightmare!

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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The only external access is through the "tunnel" on the right hand side of the house unfortunately, which limits things a little but I should be able to make it work.

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
quotequote all
Here are a couple more 3D shots to give you a better idea of how it will look. I have added a treillis fence as an idea to separate the two sides a little, I'm not 100% on that yet.



natty94

590 posts

169 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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I think the plan looks good but I wouldn't bother with the trellis screen and I'd pave the walkways either side of the greenhouse

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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I've decided on how to build the shed, please let me know what you think:

100mm concrete base on 50mm sub base
2 x 4 framework at 60mm centers for the walls
For the roof, 2x4 apex or 2x6 pent?
For the cladding, I'm not sure what to do, OSD boards suitably treated with thin cladding over, or thick T&G? I plan to insulate and board up the inside.
I will use some plexiglass to make windows where necessary.

Once all the shell is built I'll have a better idea of how to kit it out inside, but it will be a mix of shelving and kitchen units, worktop, and maybe cheapo laminate over underlay for comfort. I plan to work on bikes, engines, etc in there so I need something I can mop, and even replace part of easily should I need to, so I don't want to use lino.


anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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Personally, I'd go for cheap lino, as it's much more suitable for mopping, and can be replaced easily if damaged. It can also be cut oversized so that up goes partly up the wall to make mopping easier.

With laminate, i'd be worried about water getting between the joins.

illmonkey

18,111 posts

197 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
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What about a log store, if you've a fire/stove.

Watching.

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Inkyfingers said:
Personally, I'd go for cheap lino, as it's much more suitable for mopping, and can be replaced easily if damaged. It can also be cut oversized so that up goes partly up the wall to make mopping easier.

With laminate, i'd be worried about water getting between the joins.
I see where you're coming from, I was thinking it would be easier to replace 1-2 damaged boards than to lift the whole lino floor up, as I'd be worried about replacing just a patch of lino.

Also, it would probably get mopped 1-2 times a year tops, as I would wipe any spillage straight away... Then again, lino is probably cheaper.

Or I could go half and half, with a harder wearing floor where required... Decisions, decisions!

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
illmonkey said:
What about a log store, if you've a fire/stove.

Watching.
Good point, the log store will be an extension of the bin shed, against the RHS fence. I'm not planning on having loads as there are no plans for a log burner in the house so our usage should be fairly small.

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
I've been reading more into building regs, if the building is 1m away from the boundaries and less that 30SQM they do not apply, so to make my life simpler the shed will now be 7m x 4.2m biggrin

bigdom

2,072 posts

144 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Alex@POD said:
I've decided on how to build the shed, please let me know what you think:

100mm concrete base on 50mm sub base
2 x 4 framework at 60mm centers for the walls
For the roof, 2x4 apex or 2x6 pent?
For the cladding, I'm not sure what to do, OSD boards suitably treated with thin cladding over, or thick T&G? I plan to insulate and board up the inside.
I will use some plexiglass to make windows where necessary.
I'd use 6" for roof, shuttering/structural ply instead of OSB. Have a look at Cedar shingles, not much more than decent T&G, circa 50 year life and no ongoing maintenance.

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Sunday 5th April 2015
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Well I've been to the sawmill to discuss the project and I have decided on 2.25" square, with 6" boards for cladding.
I'm mot sure on the best way to insulate it though. I'd like Kingspan but there are much cheaper options, what are polystyrene boards like?

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Sunday 12th April 2015
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Progress report!

This Saturday afternoon was spent shoveling 4 tonnes of aggregate from the front to the back garden, as there is no access to the back. It was a nice warm-up session! Today I have been able to start digging the hole for the shed's sub-base and concrete floor. I have started with a trench along one side to establish the level, unfortunately it's quite a bit deeper at one end than the other, I can feel some fun coming later to make sure the "high" corner stays dry! I'm digging 100mm down at one end, 250mm down at the other. I think it will be about 300-320mmm in the opposite corner. unfortunately this is as far as I could get before rain stopped play:



In a stroke of luck I have worked out that the volume of soil excavated there will roughly equate the amount of material required to raise the patio area, so I removed the wonky paving flags and started piling the soil there. It does make a mess of the garden though!



Unfortunately, this project is getting slightly frustrating, as I can't do one thing before I've done the other, but I need to do the second thing before I can do the first!
For example, I want to build the patio wall now, so I can spread the soil flat as I dig it out, but if I build the wall where I want it, it will be far too close to the current shed:


So I need to empty and get rid of that small shed, but I can't do that until I build the big one! Oh well, I'll just take everything on at once, it is loosely known as "my style" around here anyway!

Tom1981

218 posts

255 months

Tuesday 14th April 2015
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Can you not temporarily move the shed if you still need to use it?

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Tuesday 14th April 2015
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Tom1981 said:
Can you not temporarily move the shed if you still need to use it?
Good suggestion, however it would take a bit of effort to move it to another solid base, which would have to be in the middle of the garden since I'm digging it up everywhere... I'll work around it for a couple of weeks, If I can get my materials delivered when I want I estimate the new shed should be weathertight in that time.

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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A bit more progress has been made. I decided to do what I should have started with and get the framework in place and level:


That's quite a deep hole!


All dug to about the right level:


Aggregate down and compacted, ready for concrete in the morning:



These last few days have taught me a couple of things, motivational phrases, like "dig deep" for example, don't always apply. I found out yesterday I'd been digging far too deep at the start! Also, next house I buy, I will make sure there is access for a mini digger to the back garden! It was quite a lot to dig by hand.

CoolHands

18,496 posts

194 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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You will also need to shift a lot of cement & sand etc round to the back of your garden if you've got no back access. Best get a good night's sleep!

Alex@POD

Original Poster:

6,133 posts

214 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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I'm getting the concrete delivered pre-mixed actually, that will save a bit of graft.

CoolHands

18,496 posts

194 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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ah Are you going to barrow it round then?

Anyway good effort I've done things like this and it's good reading; and it'll be worth the effort in the end.

eg a path I did: