bucephalus
Established Member
Hi Everyone
My real name is Gavin but i'm quite interested in ancient history and for some reason just really like the name of Alexander the Great's horse... hence the screen name.
I've been lurking around these forums for quite a while now, admiring the fantastic work that so many people produce and learning loads from others' experiences. For the past three years or so I've become increasingly interested in woodworking, to the point where I finally decided to go for it and have a workshop built. I say 'have a workshop built' because although I will be doing some of the insulating and fitting out, there is no way I could build a workshop like many of you folks have. I have learned loads from reading about other's workshop builds, so I thought it only fair that I would share back.
So, here we go...
This is the garden space available in which to build the new workshop.
Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on your point of view) there is no SWIMBO to restrain me... unless you count Ruby, my soon to be workshop assistant (see avatar image) but in terms of other constraints on the design I wanted to stay within the restrictions of the regulations to avoid having to get involved with planning permission, so it needs to be a low pitch roof.
Finances are not unlimited but I didn't want to end up with a shop that was too small and end up regretting it.. so after much agonising about whether to build across the back of the garden, or up one side, in the in the end I decided on a size of approximately 20'x12', to be built where the existing small tool shed is. Another advantage of this placement is that it lines up with my driveway, so bringing materials into the workshop (and hopefully finished items out!) should be easier. Also, if I sell the place, it could be converted without too much hassle into a nice large garage.
Well, I say 'without too much hassle', but obviously that wall would have to come down! #-o
So after deciding on size and location I then proceeded to agonise about what type of construction to go for... looked at tons of sheds on Greedbay and elsewhere and nearly went for a log cabin type. Then a metal shed caught my eye and I spent ages worrying about what to do about condensation. Then I happened to notice that I could get a concrete garage for about the same price as a large wooden shed would cost me. After visiting a couple of companies and looking at their products I decided a concrete garage was the way forward for me and so with much trepidation I took the plunge and bought one. The company selling the garage offered a good deal on a concrete base also so as I don't know any builders I went for that.
The great day came and this one little old bloke arrived on my doorstep. I thought he was the gaffer or something but it turned out he was here to do pretty much all the work by himself... my imagined 'Williams Pit Crew' of strong labourers and machionery was purely in my imagination - it was this one guy with a spade.
So he unloads the timber for the shuttering and gets started.
First he dismantled and removed the old shed.
Then he took up the concrete slabs it was on and saved them for re-use in the new base.
Then he got on with taking up the turf.
And it was at this point that I had my first little nagging doubt about 'what have I done? - this workshop is going to be half the size of the garden!' #-o Of course I had known all along it was going to be big (it is actually a fair bit less than half the size of the garden, but it didn't look it). Originally I was going to have it so there would be access up the side between the boundary fence and the workshop but looking at where the stake is in the photo below, I had him change it so that the workshop would sit flush up against the fence.
Its not much but it made a big difference to the feel of the space that was left.
So, out comes the turf...
...and in comes the first load of hardcore...
And he barrows it into place.
This photo clearly shows the amount of garden saved by building up flush to the fence.
The more observant of you will have noticed that there is a tree in the way... didn't want to have to take it out if it could be avoided, but now there wasn't enough room with it there, so it had to come out.
Then he got his whacker out (if you will excuse the phrase) and gave it a good going over.
As I was standing there watching I thought to myself, if I post these pictures in the forum there are going to be a queue of people telling me that there isn't enough hardcore down there... so I asked the guy and it turned out there was some more coming. There still didn't seem to be anywhere near the amount that I have seen on others' builds though, so I guess time will tell if it's okay or not... :roll:
I was also quite impressed that he took his time over the shuttering, making sure it was secure and that it was properly square and level.
On top of the hardcore went a thin layer of sand (which again I expected to be thicker, but...).
Which in turn got smoothed down...
Then in went the DPM...
Along with a pipe for the armoured electric cable to run through.
And then the heavens opened after threatening to for the last couple of days...
So the next day was the concrete day and today my guy brought his mate with him...
...and the two of them barrowed the whole lot into the back - I was quite surprised, it only took about three and half hours in total.
As you can see overnight the pipe morphed into a bigger one - I was a bit concerned the first one was too narrow (had some thoughts about trying to drain water out through there also, not sure if that is possible...? :?
Anyway as the day progressed it started to look more like what I was expecting and by the time they started tamping it down I was feeling better again about the whole thing.
I know nothing about laying concrete but they seemed to be doing a nice job and smoothed it down lovely.
And just as they were nearly finished it started raining again, so the smooth surface finished up full of little craters! :x
The concrete base is to the garage manufacturer's specification and is 4" thick and 2" oversize all round. If it can take cars (like it is supposed to do) then hopefully it will be alright for my workshop... so far it has cost £1200.
The finished base, left to go off for a week before installing the garage, which I will share in the next post. Hope you enjoyed it so far!
My real name is Gavin but i'm quite interested in ancient history and for some reason just really like the name of Alexander the Great's horse... hence the screen name.
I've been lurking around these forums for quite a while now, admiring the fantastic work that so many people produce and learning loads from others' experiences. For the past three years or so I've become increasingly interested in woodworking, to the point where I finally decided to go for it and have a workshop built. I say 'have a workshop built' because although I will be doing some of the insulating and fitting out, there is no way I could build a workshop like many of you folks have. I have learned loads from reading about other's workshop builds, so I thought it only fair that I would share back.
So, here we go...
This is the garden space available in which to build the new workshop.
Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on your point of view) there is no SWIMBO to restrain me... unless you count Ruby, my soon to be workshop assistant
(see avatar image) but in terms of other constraints on the design I wanted to stay within the restrictions of the regulations to avoid having to get involved with planning permission, so it needs to be a low pitch roof. Finances are not unlimited
but I didn't want to end up with a shop that was too small and end up regretting it.. so after much agonising about whether to build across the back of the garden, or up one side, in the in the end I decided on a size of approximately 20'x12', to be built where the existing small tool shed is. Another advantage of this placement is that it lines up with my driveway, so bringing materials into the workshop (and hopefully finished items out!) should be easier. Also, if I sell the place, it could be converted without too much hassle into a nice large garage.
Well, I say 'without too much hassle', but obviously that wall would have to come down! #-o
So after deciding on size and location I then proceeded to agonise about what type of construction to go for... looked at tons of sheds on Greedbay and elsewhere and nearly went for a log cabin type. Then a metal shed caught my eye and I spent ages worrying about what to do about condensation. Then I happened to notice that I could get a concrete garage for about the same price as a large wooden shed would cost me. After visiting a couple of companies and looking at their products I decided a concrete garage was the way forward for me and so with much trepidation I took the plunge and bought one. The company selling the garage offered a good deal on a concrete base also so as I don't know any builders I went for that.
The great day came and this one little old bloke arrived on my doorstep. I thought he was the gaffer or something but it turned out he was here to do pretty much all the work by himself... my imagined 'Williams Pit Crew' of strong labourers and machionery was purely in my imagination - it was this one guy with a spade.
So he unloads the timber for the shuttering and gets started.
First he dismantled and removed the old shed.
Then he took up the concrete slabs it was on and saved them for re-use in the new base.
Then he got on with taking up the turf.
And it was at this point that I had my first little nagging doubt about 'what have I done? - this workshop is going to be half the size of the garden!' #-o Of course I had known all along it was going to be big (it is actually a fair bit less than half the size of the garden, but it didn't look it). Originally I was going to have it so there would be access up the side between the boundary fence and the workshop but looking at where the stake is in the photo below, I had him change it so that the workshop would sit flush up against the fence.
Its not much but it made a big difference to the feel of the space that was left.
So, out comes the turf...
...and in comes the first load of hardcore...
And he barrows it into place.
This photo clearly shows the amount of garden saved by building up flush to the fence.
The more observant of you will have noticed that there is a tree in the way... didn't want to have to take it out if it could be avoided, but now there wasn't enough room with it there, so it had to come out.
Then he got his whacker out (if you will excuse the phrase) and gave it a good going over.
As I was standing there watching I thought to myself, if I post these pictures in the forum there are going to be a queue of people telling me that there isn't enough hardcore down there... so I asked the guy and it turned out there was some more coming. There still didn't seem to be anywhere near the amount that I have seen on others' builds though, so I guess time will tell if it's okay or not... :roll:
I was also quite impressed that he took his time over the shuttering, making sure it was secure and that it was properly square and level.
On top of the hardcore went a thin layer of sand (which again I expected to be thicker, but...).
Which in turn got smoothed down...
Then in went the DPM...
Along with a pipe for the armoured electric cable to run through.
And then the heavens opened after threatening to for the last couple of days...
So the next day was the concrete day and today my guy brought his mate with him...
...and the two of them barrowed the whole lot into the back - I was quite surprised, it only took about three and half hours in total.
As you can see overnight the pipe morphed into a bigger one - I was a bit concerned the first one was too narrow (had some thoughts about trying to drain water out through there also, not sure if that is possible...? :?
Anyway as the day progressed it started to look more like what I was expecting and by the time they started tamping it down I was feeling better again about the whole thing.
I know nothing about laying concrete but they seemed to be doing a nice job and smoothed it down lovely.
And just as they were nearly finished it started raining again, so the smooth surface finished up full of little craters! :x
The concrete base is to the garage manufacturer's specification and is 4" thick and 2" oversize all round. If it can take cars (like it is supposed to do) then hopefully it will be alright for my workshop... so far it has cost £1200.
The finished base, left to go off for a week before installing the garage, which I will share in the next post. Hope you enjoyed it so far!
