# Advice on rotting shed



## Shane1978 (4 Dec 2020)

Hi guys.
I’m at the start of my woodworking journey. Been doing more and more DIY around the house and now planning to get into making furniture.
My workspace is a shed. The previous owner built it on the ground.. on a concrete pad. It’s a cheap, shop-bought thing made of the thinnest wood possible. 
The floor has started rotting and I now realise my first major task will be to build a new shed/workshop. It will be built Mike’s way (!). Plan is to re-use the existing shed as the exterior batten/board cladding.
BUT:
I need this one to survive the next 6 - 12 months and I’ve got lots of jobs to do in there that can’t be done elsewhere (sanding, oiling and cutting wood to size, routing). 
What shall I do to keep it ‘functioning’ and ensure I don’t destroy it with all the moving around I need to do in there? I’ve got some pallet wood I could use somehow.. 
this is the outside:







and the inside (looking down at the floor/back wall):

h


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## Tris (4 Dec 2020)

Looking at the state of that timber if you are putting in the effort to build something good why spoil it with timber that's already rotting. 

You could simply jack up each side, replace the lower edges with some tile batten, then chamfer an edge on the pallet wood to slip under the shiplap edge to replace the rotten board. 

I'd be tempted to just use it as it is for now as a workspace but keep your tools somewhere indoors.


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## artie (4 Dec 2020)

If the floor is rotten, just toss down enough 18mm ply to work on in the meantime and when the time is right tear it down and start from scratch. You can't make a good job trying to add to that.


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## Shane1978 (4 Dec 2020)

Tris said:


> Looking at the state of that timber if you are putting in the effort to build something good why spoil it with timber that's already rotting.
> 
> You could simply jack up each side, replace the lower edges with some tile batten, then chamfer an edge on the pallet wood to slip under the shiplap edge to replace the rotten board.
> 
> I'd be tempted to just use it as it is for now as a workspace but keep your tools somewhere indoors.



i think you’re right. I can’t jack it up but I will have to remove and replace most of the bottom board. Chamfer the edge is a good idea - I haven’t used the router yet (£30 Lidl special - bought this week) but this is a good first project to try it on.
The rest of the shed is surprisingly crisp and dry.. everything 15 cm and over is fine, but I will have to chuck the floor away. I just don’t like wasting stuff, so if the sides can be kept together I hope to re-use them.


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## Awac (4 Dec 2020)

You said:
"The previous owner built it on the ground.. on a concrete pad". 
"The rest of the shed is surprisingly crisp and dry.. everything 15 cm and over is fine, but I will have to chuck the floor away". 

Can you screw a horizontal batten all around (15cm above), cut the rotten bottom off and breeze block onto the concrete pad (make sure you put a strip of damp proof to stop the damp coming up and doing the same damage)? if this is possible you might get a few years out of it.

The shed is obviously not pressure treated wood, so I will recommend a coating of this eco wood treatment. _I can't stop recommending this stuff, it is cheap, works, looks great and so easy to apply! _


Eco Wood Treatment 793573760104 1 Gallon: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home 





Videos | Eco Wood Treatment







ecowoodtreatment.com


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## Shane1978 (4 Dec 2020)

Awac said:


> Can you screw a horizontal batten all around (15cm above), cut the rotten bottom off and breeze block onto the concrete pad (make sure you put a strip of damp proof to stop the damp coming up and doing the same damage)? if this is possible you might get a few years out of it.


This was my original idea and I haven’t gone back on it. If you look at my post from a few days ago you’ll see the site I’m working with.. it’s really hemmed in by a tree, the house behind us and the fences either side, so the most practical idea seems to be to take it apart and start again. There’s also another almost identical shed next to it which has the same problem in the same area (join between the floor and the back). 
the sheds were built too close (illegally close?) to the wall of the house behind and so it wasn’t easy to either paint the back wall or clear the weeds. I could have done better, but I think if I’m going to make this situation right it’ll mean starting from scratch - recycling some panels for cladding feels like the only hope for these sheds, long term.
Out of interest, how much do you guys think a brand new 6x2.5 ‘mikes shed’ would cost?


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## Jameshow (4 Dec 2020)

I could you not cut the bottom of the shed off in sections say 4' and block in from the inside. 

Re the cost of a I've been costing a 3.6x2.4m summerhouse out of 3x2 timber and 29mm cladding with 18mm ply floor and roof. 

Cost is about _1k with s/h uPVC windows and doors. 

So double it for 6 and add another £1k for a concrete and brick base I'd guess. So say £3k materials... 

I'd use 4x2 timber though. 

Cheers James


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## akirk (4 Dec 2020)

when we moved into our house, the garage was discovered to have quite a lot of rotten lower wood - due to allowing tree mould to build up behind it - the whole garage was supported on that tree mould, and about 2 inches of crumbly wood  our chippy jacked up the whole garage and popped in a 2x4 framework and popped the good wall back down on it and then reclad the relevant bits outside - as the garage dates from c. 1930s, it was worth repairing - now water-tight and very usable


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## Sandyn (4 Dec 2020)

Rotten sheds stay up for a surprisingly long time, so it should survive for another 6 to 12 months, Just patch it up with pallets as required to keep it safe and functional. Leave it until you have to fix something.
I think if you start trying to jack it up, it might fall apart, it is possible, but is worth the effort for something you will replace. These sheds are made from panels, so reinforce the corners where panels meet. give it a shake and see where the weak points are. I have repaired worse than that with pallets, lol. I had the advantage of a 4" nail gun, so I could join two bits of wood in mid air just by holding one against the other and blast a nail through it to build a skellington inside. Without a nail gun, just use long screws.


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## Shane1978 (4 Dec 2020)

Awac said:


> You said:
> "The previous owner built it on the ground.. on a concrete pad".
> "The rest of the shed is surprisingly crisp and dry.. everything 15 cm and over is fine, but I will have to chuck the floor away".
> 
> ...


 I think I’ve seen your posts about it. Not quite right for me now, but I’m adding it to my list of products for the new shed.


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## Shane1978 (4 Dec 2020)

Update 
I’ve spent the morning clearing space and hacking away at the rotten wood. The whole of the sole plate was rotten at the back. The back panel is now alarmingly wobbly. And there are parts of the floor at the back where the ‘joists’ are gone, so its a bit bouncy. The bottom 5 cm of the studs is also rotten at the back.. I don’t have a multi tool to cut the rotten bits off but will try to do so somehow.
Ive got some wood hardener so once it’s dried a bit (rain all morning) I might slop some of that on the affected areas.. studs, floor etc worth it?
Then I’m thinking im going with the suggestion of putting some plywood down. I’ve got a 12mm board I can cut into 2 x1m strips, maybe 30-40cm wide. Do I slide it under the (trimmed) studs? Then I guess I will reconnect the studs with some pieces of pallet wood at the bottom (sitting on top of the plywood). It’s a botch job, but based on all your advice it feels right..
Do I connect the pallet wood to the plywood or just let it sit on top?


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## Jameshow (4 Dec 2020)

I'd get some treated cls 3x2 and put under the studs and pocket hole the studs into the new sole plate. 
Then you can nail the cladding to it or patch in some pallet wood. 

Cheers James


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## Shane1978 (4 Dec 2020)

Jameshow said:


> I'd get some treated cls 3x2 and put under the studs and pocket hole the studs into the new sole plate.
> Then you can nail the cladding to it or patch in some pallet wood.
> 
> Cheers James


 It’s a lot more wood than I’d hoped (wanted to just use scrap/what’s available) but that’s the plan now. heading to B&Q tomorrow to pick up some treated 3x2. 
I’m might have to do some trimming but hopefully i can shape the new sole plate so that my ply floor will partially sit on it for support (the floor will be too bouncy/uneven otherwise). 
thanks for all the help! I think I can get this done by the end of tomorrow (light permitting).


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## marcros (4 Dec 2020)

I would avoid B&Q and look for a timber merchant- better stuff and a far better price.


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## Bm101 (4 Dec 2020)

I lifted an old shed with 3 mates and a couple of scaffold bars. We stacked a load of surplus paving slabs then moved it back on. Surprisingly easy and stopped the rot as an active process until it dried out. Might help in a make do and mend sort of way.


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## Jameshow (4 Dec 2020)

Wickes is cheaper than b and q tbh. 

Wood merchants can be cheaper or more expensive imho. 

Cheers James


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## thetyreman (4 Dec 2020)

The reason it has rotted away is because there is no air circulation and the 'damp proof' layer traps in moisture, combined with touching wet concrete, I think the best solution is to raise it up and get airflowing underneath, let it dry out as @Bm101 suggested.


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## Shane1978 (4 Dec 2020)

thetyreman said:


> The reason it has rotted away is because there is no air circulation and the 'damp proof' layer traps in moisture, combined with touching wet concrete, I think the best solution is to raise it up and get airflowing underneath, let it dry out as @Bm101 suggested.



Yes, It rotted because its on the concrete, sitting in a slight puddle. The pent roof dumps all the rain behind the shed and the concrete has a slight dip in that same area. Plus I didn't clear out the weeds behind it last year, so they did their work and found some rotted corners behind belongings stored along the back wall of the shed. wasn't till I moved these items for the first time in 2 years that I realised what had happened. It doesn't have a damp proof layer (unless you mean the paint?) and it was made of untreated wood.
@Bm101 has/had lots of things I don't have: 3 friends willing to help, surplus paving slabs, space to move the shed to (mine is 40 cm from the house behind), presumably he also had a few non-december days/weeks to dry it out and didn't need to use the shed during that time. Plus he wanted to keep his shed, whereas I only need mine to last till the summer - when I can build a new one. 
If I tried to raise it up now I'd have to move everything in there, detach the floor completely and leave the shed suspended in the soon-to-be-frost.. presumably I'd then have to lay a few courses of brick in the cold/frost before replacing the shed. And I'd still have the shed next door to it thats developing similar issues and the fact that both together are too small/cold for what I want to do with my shed-space. On top of that (on the plus side) I'd have to buy a load of festool tools so that I could do everything in the front room for the next few months!


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## Shane1978 (4 Dec 2020)

Jameshow said:


> Wickes is cheaper than b and q tbh.
> 
> Wood merchants can be cheaper or more expensive imho.
> 
> Cheers James


The idea of going all the way to a proper wood merchants just to buy 2.4 metres of pressure treated 2x3 for a rotting shed rehab is peak ukworkshop. Love you guys! Will check Wickes prices/availability, thanks.


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## glenfield2 (5 Dec 2020)

If you’re wanting cheap wood for sheds and such like just keep a look out on Facebook Marketplace - round our way people are always selling off cuts of ply, left over 3x2 etc etc. Cheap as chips. 
And don’t go to B&Q. Overpriced and poor quality. Go to a timber yard.


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## Jonm (5 Dec 2020)

,


Shane1978 said:


> Yes, It rotted because its on the concrete, sitting in a slight puddle. The pent roof dumps all the rain behind the shed and the concrete has a slight dip in that same area. Plus I didn't clear out the weeds behind it last year, so they did their work and found some rotted corners behind belongings stored along the back wall of the shed. wasn't till I moved these items for the first time in 2 years that I realised what had happened. It doesn't have a damp proof layer (unless you mean the paint?) and it was made of untreated wood.
> @Bm101 has/had lots of things I don't have: 3 friends willing to help, surplus paving slabs, space to move the shed to (mine is 40 cm from the house behind), presumably he also had a few non-december days/weeks to dry it out and didn't need to use the shed during that time. Plus he wanted to keep his shed, whereas I only need mine to last till the summer - when I can build a new one.
> If I tried to raise it up now I'd have to move everything in there, detach the floor completely and leave the shed suspended in the soon-to-be-frost.. presumably I'd then have to lay a few courses of brick in the cold/frost before replacing the shed. And I'd still have the shed next door to it thats developing similar issues and the fact that both together are too small/cold for what I want to do with my shed-space. On top of that (on the plus side) I'd have to buy a load of festool tools so that I could do everything in the front room for the next few months!


You have clearly worked out what is causing the problem. I would only add that for your new shed, gutters with downspouts are a good idea. Outfall preferably to a drain or to a soakaway or anywhere away from the base.

With regard to your existing shed it may be a good idea to add gutters, too late to stop the rot but it may make the inside drier.


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## artie (5 Dec 2020)

I've seen people putting down sheds on top of damp proof. They seem to forget that it works both ways. You can end up with your shed sitting in water on top of the damp proof course.


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## Tom K (5 Dec 2020)

A badly built shed is for life not just for Christmas. Build to Fail, Fail to Build. What is this I don't.....


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## OldWood (5 Dec 2020)

My original workshop was here when we moved in in 1975. The base at the front rotted out about 15 year ago due essentially to the same problem though the wood was reasonably sturdy, and like the OP everything above 500mm was fine. I supported the roof off the concrete base, ripped out all the rotten framing, placed a single course of concrete blocks off the concrete pad all round, dpc, screwed down timber pad and then connected back to the original frame. I'm led to believe that concrete blocks don't pass rising damp but have never checked that out.

Do that and clear out the existing floor to the concrete pad and lay interlocking foam 'rubber' flooring pads.

Rob


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## Richard_C (5 Dec 2020)

I have a similar problem in one corner of an inexpensive summerhouse/shed that I bought 15+ years ago. You can see that one corner has dropped because the roof has a slight 'kink' and you can poke your finger through the bearers in that corner. My plan, when my son is home next week and can wield the long crowbar or the lump/sledge hammers (I can't do both at the same time) is to clear a little under each panel upright - they are sound - lift the sagging corner from outside the shed with crowbar and hammer half bricks, bits of hardcore, whatever, under each upright. Then do bit of cosmetic + bodge with the floor/base frame where they are holy. Hoping for another 5 years. Consulting actuarial tables, if I can get 5 more years out of this one the next one is more likely to last me out....


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## Shane1978 (5 Dec 2020)

glenfield2 said:


> If you’re wanting cheap wood for sheds and such like just keep a look out on Facebook Marketplace - round our way people are always selling off cuts of ply, left over 3x2 etc etc. Cheap as chips.
> And don’t go to B&Q. Overpriced and poor quality. Go to a timber yard.


I hope it works like that in my area too. I’m going to work hard on the design/materials list over winter and then go into womble-mode. Collecting anything that fits the description of the items on my list. Will make Facebook Marketplace a regular haunt, thanks.


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## Shane1978 (5 Dec 2020)

Jonm said:


> ,
> 
> You have clearly worked out what is causing the problem. I would only add that for your new shed, gutters with downspouts are a good idea. Outfall preferably to a drain or to a soakaway or anywhere away from the base.
> 
> With regard to your existing shed it may be a good idea to add gutters, too late to stop the rot but it may make the inside drier.


That’s both a good idea and one that’s possible for me because I’ve already got a long piece of guttering in the garden. Was tempted (by the wife) to take it to the tip recently, but I think I can get it to take water away from the back of the shed. Today was slower than expected, but I can see this is all going to have a big effect on its life expectancy.


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