# new workshop



## Andrew1 (4 Jun 2019)

Hi looking for some advice please.
I am looking at purchasing a building to have erected in my garden to serve as a hobbyist workshop. Unfortunatly i dont have time to build my own workshop. i have typically available to me 7m's by 4m's with no restrictions from neighbours or planning due to being at bottom of garden 60m's from nearest building and backing onto fields.
Does anyone have any feedback on workshops they have purchased, recommendations etc


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## basssound (4 Jun 2019)

I would build it as big as possible, you can never have too much space.
If money isn't an issue then it would be double skin brick and insulation with access to the roof space for storage. 
If you are having a large compressor then have that housed in a separate insulated box on the side of the workshop to keep the noise out.

Other than that, make sure you plan it out so that you can work with sheet goods and long lengths with ease through the doorway.


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## MikeG. (4 Jun 2019)

basssound":1pigcnmf said:


> ......If money isn't an issue then it would be double skin brick and insulation..........



Two skins of brick? Really? That's an expensive and thermally inefficient way of building. Besides, the OP talked about buying a building and having it erected, which suggests he isn't planning on having a fully masonry building.

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I have no knowledge of pre-fabricated outbuildings, other than that they are usually rubbish. Insist that whatever building you buy is built onto a low masonry plinth, raised at least 150mm above ground level......otherwise the building will be starting to decay from the moment it is erected. This means you don't want s suspended timber floor with the kit, and straight away the suppliers will be starting to get anxious. All in all, you would be far better off getting a local builder to build you a timber framed workshop to the design linked to in my signature. You'll get a better building, and you may even get it for less money than buying in a complete pre-fabricated building.


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## deema (4 Jun 2019)

I would look at a steel framed building with insulated panels and lots of skylights. A concrete insulated floor. There are plenty of people who can do a turnkey solution for you. I originally looked at a timber building but that would have been more expensive (45’x30’) 

I put 100mm in the floor and 60mm in the walls and ceiling. No windows but lots of skylights which are also insulated (not much difference in the price of skylights and insulated panels in my experience) it’s easy to keep warm in winter and doesn’t get too warm in summer. You can have almost any colour you want on the skin. I opted for dark green to blend in with the fields surrounding.

I would get a galvanised frame, again almost no difference in price to a painted steel frame. 

Look at industrial buildings rather than farm sheds. It will also add value to your property if you get it building regs certified. Planning for another use can be applied for at a later stage.....office, etc. 

This building method is neglected, but the cost / m2 is less than anything else I looked at. A wooden frame and insulated panels is another option I looked at for a much smaller shed. Again, cheapest solution and far better than say a wooden shed. The only downside is that the ‘look’is not for everyone


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## MikeG. (4 Jun 2019)

deema":2p2b6ur7 said:


> ........It will also add value to your property if you get it building regs certified........



The proposed building is too small for building regs to apply (other than electrical, of course). Building Control will not be interested. 

On your point about steel framed buildings......... I would be surprised if a building this small would be cheaper with the construction method you advocate. You're obviously right when it comes to larger buildings, but this is going to end up with only about 25 sq m of floor space, and I'm curious as to whether or not steel framing would actually work financially with such a small shed.


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## colinc (4 Jun 2019)

MikeG.":2bka4zr7 said:


> On your point about steel framed buildings......... I would be surprised if a building this small would be cheaper with the construction method you advocate. You're obviously right when it comes to larger buildings, but this is going to end up with only about 25 sq m of floor space, and I'm curious as to whether or not steel framing would actually work financially with such a small shed.



Hi Mike,

I don't want to take this thread too far away from the OP's questions but I often wonder if there is a market for steel framed workshops built in a non-industrial, garden friendly style? I agree that making them cheaper than timber might not be possible, but they do offer advantages of prefabrication and speed. I'll create another topic for that discussion though. I'd appreciate your comments.

regards

Colin


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## Andrew1 (4 Jun 2019)

Hi all thanks for the responses and advice. i dont feel as though, off the shelf is winning as the best route to proceed so far.
The next question is purely for indicative purposes, Mike G talks about wooden framed construction, local builder etc. Assuming i went down this route typically what cost per square metre would i be looking at, inc of materials construction, base etc. Appreciate dependent on what spec, but ball park would be good as a guide


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## Hornbeam (4 Jun 2019)

I would agree with Mikes comments about the general economics of timber vs metal framed buildings. As buildings get bigger then the spanning capabilities of steel and portal frames etc become much more viable. Insulated metal cladding panels can be very effective even in smaller buildings but because of teh thermal conductivity of steel you need to pay particular attention to the building interfaces/details and potential cold bridging and associated condensation issues. Commercially virtually all larger sheds are metal frame and insulated metal cladding and are extremely cost effective.
There are a number of small manufacturers who do provide full solutions but be aware of the differences in price quality and performance.
If anybody has questions about metal shed details I will offer advice but the typical shed size I work with ranges from 4000 to 40,000 square metres so not your typical workshop
Ian


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## MikeG. (4 Jun 2019)

Hornbeam":3t6ew8sk said:


> I would agree with Mikes comments about the general economics of timber vs metal framed buildings. As buildings get bigger then the spanning capabilities of steel and portal frames etc become much more viable..........Ian



As an aside, I've just come back from a few days in Sweden, where they aren't short of a few trees. Everything seems to be made out of wood. I saw a portal frame industrial building on an ordinary industrial estate under construction which I guestimated to span 18 to 20m.......done in glulam rather than steel. Their building economics are obviously somewhat different from ours!


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## colinc (4 Jun 2019)

Yes, 

in Europe they make much better use of timber than we do. I for one much prefer to see Glulam beams instead of steel and timber can be quite good in a fire compared to steel. I work for a Finnish company and as I often see from a plane, they have no shortage of timber resources over there.

Sadly there were a few high profile timber frame fires some years ago (before Notre Dame although the most notable was also during construction work) that haven't done timber frame low/medium rise building's image a lot of good.

Andrew's requirements might be met by buying a SIPs studio/office kit and getting a local builder to do the base preparation. I'm sure the SIPs suppliers will have a network of installers if their own preference is to supply only.

When I was suggesting steel frame I was thinking more like my own workshop - see construction pics attached. The benefit for me was that I basically built it on my computer and then sent a CNC file to the cold-formers who delivered a kit where every hole was exactly where it needed to be. Myself and my 80 year old helper erected it with no lifting gear required.


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## colinc (4 Jun 2019)

Would something like this work?

http://www.supersips.uk.com/sips-studio-designs-m.htm

Colin


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