# Damp shed- moving it and adding a breathable membrane?



## themoogs (29 Dec 2020)

Hi everyone.

I had a shed and decking built by a company around 4 years ago and have had problems with it ever since. I’m trying to make it into a bit of a workshop where I can ‘butcher some wood’ (new woodworker).

It sits on a raised deck (about 50cm from ground) framing with decking to the side of it.

There’s quite a lot of damp starting to creep into it from all corners.

2 years ago my garden wall fell down and the guy my neighbours employed built it straight up against the shed. He did put some flashing (I think) to protect the side of the shed but it hasn’t worked.

I’ve added guttering and downpipes to the front and back and I’ve paint it a number of times and it seems to be getting worse.

I can’t justify building a new one but I was thinking about moving it to the other side of the decking on a new base (on top of decking) and extending the overhang of the roof so the rain drips away from the shed. Does this sound like a feasible idea to you?

Also, is there a way I could add a breathable membrane to the existing shed to prevent water ingress in the future?

Open to any ideas within a tight budget.
Thanks I’m advance for your help 

Sean


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## clogs (29 Dec 2020)

themoogs
the first photo, the downspout finishes to close to the shed.....
also the shed is to close to the stone wall....apart from never drying out u need room for maintainance.....
is the decking ur floor...? def not a good start...guess no heavy'ish machines, just hand tools etc....
is the decking well supported....
no good for the shed if it's on an unstable footing..
anyway, I'd actualy raise the shed on some decent timber and create a new floor.......
I have a huge area with decking (sits on a steel frame) and it has a steady fall to get rid of blown rain....prob 25mm over 4m.....
also if u decide to have a floor over decking it will need some decent ventilation or rot will soon start.....
always been a fan of big roof overhangs, gutters n down spouts...down spout exits need to as far as poss away from the shed walls.....
Driven rain and wind are the main prob with wooden sheds.....

I understand ur prob but never been a fan of wooden sheds.....to much maintainenece.....unless it's made from Cedar.....
I prefer brick and or insulated steel panels......
in a prev property there was a v/large wooden shed...fully exposed and suffered from driven rain on one wall.....
replaced the wall with insulated steel panels, end of problem..... 
best to get a good win on the Lottery and start over.......sorry......


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## themoogs (29 Dec 2020)

Thanks for your reply clogs. The downspout is my fault. Was meant to get an angled section to take the water away but totally forgot about it.

the garden wall fell down a few years ago and the brickie built the wall up right to the shed - it wasn’t that close when it was built.
The decking is solid enough. When I asked the company who built it if I could put a hot tub in it they said yeah so I assume it will hold a shed.

the shed floor is plywood but it’s at the same level or slightly below the decking level. The only things kept in there is my workbench and some hand tools and wood which one day I’ll get around to using.


I wish I could win the lottery . There’s a plot of land behind me that I’m trying to claim. Would love to build a big double garage out there but I’ve got no chance atm .


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## clogs (29 Dec 2020)

so the shed is just standing on the decking framework...?
Then move the shed making sure there is at least an inch gap aound it from the decking....
sort your drainage out and get painting.....
I always was worried about the T+G next to the floor / frame.....water does seem to collect and get in that way even if the side is lipped over the edge of the floor/frame.....have the corners a good overlap....?
In the past (as a job) I removed the bottom panel/TnG all around the shed and had a galv sheet panel made that lips over the frame floor and is secured to the wall uprights at least as high as the bot panel/TnG.....it looked like a lasy Z.....then refit the last panel......that way the water drips of the last panel and away.....
As for protecting the wood sides there's plenty of manufacturers to choose from but I have good experience with Sikkens.....
got fed up with the like of "does what it says on the tin" brigade....
I can still get it here and it's not the rain but the UV that kills wood finishes.....and of course before applying the finish proper prep is very nec......
good luck.....


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## Jameshow (29 Dec 2020)

Re the bottom raise it up on engineering bricks and treated 4x2" timber under the floor 

let in new cladding where it's rotten with some decent timber. 

Cheers James


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## mikej460 (29 Dec 2020)

When we bought our house in 2007 it came with a 1980's summer house (cost £1200 - they left the receipt) but the roof and floor were rotten. we wanted to renovate it but I didn't have time so employed someone. He replaced the roof with treated 9mm T&G and the floor with treated T&G. He constructed the new floor across half a dozen treated runners to raise it off the patio in the shed's new location. He then removed the shed floor in situ and installed two temporary beams across the inside of the shed so that 4 of us could get inside and lift it away and walk it to the new location. He then simply screwed the shed to it's new floor.


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## themoogs (30 Dec 2020)

clogs said:


> so the shed is just standing on the decking framework...?
> Then move the shed making sure there is at least an inch gap aound it from the decking....
> sort your drainage out and get painting.....
> I always was worried about the T+G next to the floor / frame.....water does seem to collect and get in that way even if the side is lipped over the edge of the floor/frame.....have the corners a good overlap....?
> ...



Yes, currently standing on the decking framework. Thanks for the recommendation on the paint. I have been using Culprinol- I'm not a fan!



Jameshow said:


> Re the bottom raise it up on engineering bricks and treated 4x2" timber under the floor
> 
> let in new cladding where it's rotten with some decent timber.
> 
> Cheers James



That's what I'm hoping to do. Just got to move the thing somehow.



mikej460 said:


> When we bought our house in 2007 it came with a 1980's summer house (cost £1200 - they left the receipt) but the roof and floor were rotten. we wanted to renovate it but I didn't have time so employed someone. He replaced the roof with treated 9mm T&G and the floor with treated T&G. He constructed the new floor across half a dozen treated runners to raise it off the patio in the shed's new location. He then removed the shed floor in situ and installed two temporary beams across the inside of the shed so that 4 of us could get inside and lift it away and walk it to the new location. He then simply screwed the shed to it's new floor.
> 
> View attachment 99686


Thanks, Mike. So it is possible to move it without taking the things apart? Was thinking I'd have to take it apart to move. But I'd I can get away with just removing the floor and move that would be great.

That looks live a lovely shed/summerhouse btw. My wife would be envious if she saw that!


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## okeydokey (30 Dec 2020)

In case it helps I managed to move a shed by gradually lifting it on blocks until I could get 4x2 underneath and projecting a couple of feet out. Then with my sons we lifted it and struggled a few feet at a time to a new location.


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## mikej460 (30 Dec 2020)

themoogs said:


> Yes, currently standing on the decking framework. Thanks for the recommendation on the paint. I have been using Culprinol- I'm not a fan!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, obviously dependent on how heavy it is and how far you want to move it. But with 3 other strong blokes we moved it in a Freddy Flintstone sort of way. 

We painted in in Cuprinol Garden Shades straight over a previous wood stain after power hosing the woodwork. This was what it looked like after repair and power hosing, but before painting.


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