# Extend or rebuild shed?



## pike (24 Jun 2014)

I put up a 10'x10' bog standard shed about 4 years ago and added t&g flooring plus chipboard walls with the intention of using it for a bit of woodwork. 

Of course it was too small and it never happened. I've now cleared a space behind it which means I could fit a 20'x10' and maybe realise my dream of having some actual space to work in. Would anyone say it was folly to just build my own shed and try to attach it to the existing? Would you start again by knocking it all down and building from scratch even though the existing shed is in fine condition?

I've built sheds from scratch so I think I will want to avoid buying some basic cheap shell and then needing to strengthen it anyway.


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## OLD (24 Jun 2014)

Extend and make shure you support the final roof properly and also during construction , so you can reuse the end gable and save money.


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## Random Orbital Bob (24 Jun 2014)

I agree, being a Yorkshire lad I'm firmly of the make do and mend school and if your existing shed is in good condition why throw away all that effort and money provided you can make the extension safely


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## John15 (24 Jun 2014)

Hi Pike,
For my workshop I extended a 10' x 6' shed to a 14' x 8', moving the front out by 2' and one of the ends by 4'. I found it difficult doing it all myself with no assistance - as soon as the corners were unbolted the walls went out of plumb and I had a devil of a job to get it all back into square. I also raised the pent roof by 6" which added to the difficulty. It's all fine now but had I realised the work and cost involved I would have bought a new building, probably a bit bigger to.
Cheers,
John


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## Halo Jones (24 Jun 2014)

If you are planning on staying in your property for the forseeable I would sell your existing kit shed and build your own to suit exactly what you want. 

FWIW I bought my shed second hand and modified it and extended it and in the end I have made a lot of compromises that I would not otherwise have made.

H.


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## pike (24 Jun 2014)

All good points thanks! Good reasons for going both ways. I'm starting to think I either buy another bog standard shed to match what I've got and strengthen a bit as with the existing. Or if I'm going to build anything myself then I'd be too tempted to build the whole thing rather than have a 50/50 structure limiting what I do with the new bit because of what I've got already. I shall make sure I take WIP pics if and when


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## dickm (25 Jun 2014)

Very difficult to give categorical advice without knowing the exact form and construction of your existing shed and how you would want to extend it. Have done both (extended existing and built from scratch) but each was in different circumstances, so difficult to compare. On balance, it's probably not much more work to build a complete larger shed and the end result should be exactly what you need, where the extension is likely to be a compromise.

HTH.


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## Silas Gull (25 Jun 2014)

Recently doubled the size of a 14 x 8 standard shed by building a pent roof style extension on the side. The hardest bit about it was sorting the concrete base. The space within was opened up by chopping out the 14 ft panel and installing a 4 x 4" beam with central post to support the roof.


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## Phil Pascoe (25 Jun 2014)

It might be worth having two separate sheds, so you can keep one for dirty work and one for clean.


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## Random Orbital Bob (25 Jun 2014)

I was thinking that. The obvious differentiator would be one would be the machine and dust room and one the assembly and bench space with hand tools only. There is a lot to be said on the dust management side of separating the two in that way. You could build a second shed sufficiently close to the first such that if you installed sliding doors, you could walk out of the dust/machine zone and cross the threshold into the assembly room.


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## fluffflinger (25 Jun 2014)

If you are in this for the long haul I'd build from scratch. 

You will gain floor area, gain roof height (good for handling sheet goods or storage), be able to insulate (so winter doesn't require four pair of gloves).

Build panels on the ground with insulation already fitted and it will fly up. I did mine and by dint of having no friends raised all the walls myself. 

Consider a gambrel roof, pretty and gives you height without creating a monster. 

I also suggest you see if you have anywhere that sells recycled timber which will save you a fortune. There are quite a few dotted about and you will get 90% of the lumber required for a fraction of the price of new. This is the one near me http://www.woodchuck.org.uk/wood-shop-timber-yard/


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## Phil Pascoe (26 Jun 2014)

Very sorry to hear you have no friends, Fluff.


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## whiskywill (26 Jun 2014)

I have learned something today.  I was aware of the Mansard roof but had never heard of a Gambrel roof.


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## fluffflinger (30 Jun 2014)

Phil, I have no friends because they only evder get called on to do "stupid dangerous things" (their words not mine, thinking about looking to widen my social horizons to include people with a true spirit of adventure). :lol: 

Whiskywill, I quote from wikipedia "A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a steeper angle than the upper" Trust me I didn't know what it was called until and friend of mine enlightened me.


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## jimi43 (30 Jun 2014)

As someone who has extended an existing shed I would definitely say don't do it. It will always be a compromise.

I wish I could go back to the day I made that decision and get rid of the existing one..put down a proper foundation for just one enlarged shed and build it myself using timber, Celotex, a OSB roof covered with Wickes three part roofing.

The initial cost would have been far cheaper than the mix and make do problems I have had for the last ten years!

Jimi


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