Summer House Construction - Stupid Question...
Summer House Construction - Stupid Question...
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Turtle Shed

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

47 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
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Hello all.

I'm going to build a summer house, might even start a thread, but here's a "before I even get started" question. I'll be making the base from 4x2 CLS, and walls/roof from 3x2. Size will be 4.8m x 3.6m but...

Would you build the side walls at 3.6m wide, which then makes the total width of the side 3.76m (3.6m + 2x38mm) or 3.44m wide which then brings the width to 3.6m when the front and back are attached? (I think the latter).

Cheers.

Vincecj

484 posts

144 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
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Without knowing more details, I'd suggest plastic 100 x50 for the base.

GasEngineer

2,004 posts

83 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
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Go for overall 3.6 then it will fit the standard timber lengths for your cladding.

Turtle Shed

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

47 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
quotequote all
GasEngineer said:
Go for overall 3.6 then it will fit the standard timber lengths for your cladding.
Thanks, I should have added that into my original post as it was my thinking too, but I had a nagging doubt there was something I hadn't considered.

normalbloke

8,403 posts

240 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
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Whatever bearers you lay it on, make sure they’re composite.

OutInTheShed

12,726 posts

47 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
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normalbloke said:
Whatever bearers you lay it on, make sure they re composite.
That's expensive advice!

There are perfectly good ways of using wood for bearers.
You just need to keep them off the ground with something damp proof, and be sure water isn't going to collect on top of the damp proof.
Many ways of doing this.

Turtle Shed

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

47 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
quotequote all
OutInTheShed said:
normalbloke said:
Whatever bearers you lay it on, make sure they re composite.
That's expensive advice!

There are perfectly good ways of using wood for bearers.
You just need to keep them off the ground with something damp proof, and be sure water isn't going to collect on top of the damp proof.
Many ways of doing this.
I'll be doing it like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qiv0yNh5Bk&t=...

Will use concrete instead of MOT type 1 in the holes though, and also a bit of dpc material between the blocks and the joists.

DonkeyApple

65,819 posts

190 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
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Turtle Shed said:
GasEngineer said:
Go for overall 3.6 then it will fit the standard timber lengths for your cladding.
Thanks, I should have added that into my original post as it was my thinking too, but I had a nagging doubt there was something I hadn't considered.
I'd favour 3.6m internal for ease of finishing the inside. The exterior can be greater than 3.6 as there will be corner timbers for the cladding to set into.

Turtle Shed

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

47 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
quotequote all
DonkeyApple said:
Turtle Shed said:
GasEngineer said:
Go for overall 3.6 then it will fit the standard timber lengths for your cladding.
Thanks, I should have added that into my original post as it was my thinking too, but I had a nagging doubt there was something I hadn't considered.
I'd favour 3.6m internal for ease of finishing the inside. The exterior can be greater than 3.6 as there will be corner timbers for the cladding to set into.
OK well thanks all. Seems there's no real right or wrong, which is fine, I'll have a think. Just didn't want to make a schoolboy error and overlook something.

OutInTheShed

12,726 posts

47 months

Saturday 26th July 2025
quotequote all
How is the roof going to be done?
If the interior is 3.6, bits of the roof may need to be more than 3.6, which may be OK if your roof is actually made of imperial 8x4 boards, or it might be wasteful, needing a board and more than half a board, or awkward joins.

Think out the detail of the corners inside and out.
Also what happens where the walls meet roof and floor.

Obviously, bigger is generally better, but there can be consequences.

Turtle Shed

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

47 months

Sunday 27th July 2025
quotequote all
OutInTheShed said:
How is the roof going to be done?
If the interior is 3.6, bits of the roof may need to be more than 3.6, which may be OK if your roof is actually made of imperial 8x4 boards, or it might be wasteful, needing a board and more than half a board, or awkward joins.

Think out the detail of the corners inside and out.
Also what happens where the walls meet roof and floor.

Obviously, bigger is generally better, but there can be consequences.
All good comments, and I haven't thought about such things yet. I am merely at the stage (whilst I've got a concrete mixer here on hire) of setting out the blocks on which the shed will sit. The blocks will form a level and precise place for the shed to sit on, so I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't making a big mistake with dimensions at the very start,

Will put up a build thread, it seems that people are interested in this kind of thing, and I will have questions along the way.

DonkeyApple

65,819 posts

190 months

Sunday 27th July 2025
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Turtle Shed said:
OK well thanks all. Seems there's no real right or wrong, which is fine, I'll have a think. Just didn't want to make a schoolboy error and overlook something.
Yup. Ultimately, it doesn't matter but all the materials are standard lengths and widths and there will be a design that means very little cutting and a near identical design that requires everything to be cut. smile. That's the big industry secret. Well that and how to not be able to tell the time. Which is ironic as it's another non base 10 measure.

dhutch

17,458 posts

218 months

Tuesday 29th July 2025
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6 and two threes I would suggest!