Even More Shed Building Questions

[wizer]

I need to clear out my workshop. So this is top of my list atm.

The shed is to be sited on what was once a flower bed. It's been covered over with weed suppressant fabric, stones and crushed slate for about 5yrs. It's pretty solid. Would I be ok to site the shed directly on the stones? Or should I put down paving slabs? I'd rather not put down a concrete base for a storage shed.

Also I'm going to build it in stages. Base and frame next month, roof the month after and shiplap, felt and finish the month after that. Would there be ant problems in doing this? Should I tarp it in the intervening periods or will it survive a bit of rain?

TIA

 

[MikeG.]

Tom,

as long as the crushed stone etc is piled up above the level of the surrounding ground and is free draining, then you should be fine on that.

Does the shed have a timber base?

How about using some pre-cast concrete lintels or fence posts as a plinth? Just lie them down them on the line of your shed walls, and sit your shed on that. Even those 3 or 4 inches will make an enormous difference to the life-time of the shed, and its contents.

There is no problem letting the frame get wet, so long as the water doesn't pool. If you have walls and a floor but no roof, there is the danger of trapping water, and this isn't a great plan (its not the end of the world either). A tarp, or a sheet of ply as a temporary roof, will resolve this easily.

Mike

 

[wizer]

Cheers Mike. The site never gets waterlogged so I assume it's well drained. The shed is all timber. 2x2's for the base, covered with 18mm osb. I don't think I'm going to bother with a DPC as this is a storage shed (mainly timber) and as above, free draining. I will give everything a coat of fence paint type stuff as I have a couple of half empty tins. I'll get some tarps over the top of it when the walls go up. The walls won't get enclosed until the middle of summer when hopefully it will be relatively dry anyway.

 

[trousers]

Mike's tip re the conc lintols or conc posts is a really good one. But how big is the shed?
Putting the lintols under the walls only with just a 2" x 2" floor timber across the span may be asking for a bit (lot) of sag?
Push the boat out and put them every 450mm perpendicular to the joists and that should do it.

 

[wizer]

hmm well I was hoping to get away without playing with concrete. The shed is 2m x 1m so I guess it needs something. I might go for fence posts as Mike suggested.

Ordered the wood earlier so this should get going by the end of next week. Weather permitting.

 

[wizer]

Actually while I am about it. I was wondering what to use to nail the frame members together. I have a Paslode IM350 Gas Nailer but i'm thinking it might be a bit beefy for 1x1. I have one of these:

50mm air nailer. Would this be better suited? What size nails? and I'll also be using it for the shiplap, same nails?

 

[dickm]

I'd strongly recommend putting in a dpc whatever your substrate looks like. We have incredibly free draining soil here, but you can still get capillary rise to the surface, enough to rot stuff placed directly on it.

 

[MikeG.]

........and I wouldn't! At least, not at ground level. A DPC to work needs to be raised above the surrounding ground level.

If you stick it up on the concrete fence posts, Tom, then sitting the shed on a DPC on top of the conc. would be sensible. And if the 2x2 floor is spanning 1 metre, then put another fence post at mid span to give it a bit of help, or screw a 4x2 supporting timber running the 2m way at midspan.....so long as its' ends are supported on something.

Are you really planning on making this from 1x1? Even 2"x1" is a bit flimsy........that would be the minimum I would suggest. I would screw it rather than nail.

Mike

 

[wizer]

Sorry I meant 2 x 1

2x2's for the floor and corners.

 

[lurker]

Assuming this shed is just for storage, I think you are nuts building one.

For less than the price of the wood you can get a decent flat pack that will do the job.
Far less stress on that back of yours plus more time to do proper wood stuff.

 

[wizer]

Not by my calculations Lurker. I worked it out to be a saving of over £100 on raw materials. Every penny counts at the moment.

Whilst I won't be using top of the range materials, hopefully I can make a better structure than that of the cheap commercial sheds.

The other factor is size. I want it to be 1m x 2m with fully opening double doors. Much like a cupboard. The commercial versions are much smaller, especially in height.

I'm saving money by using hardware that I already have and some of the materials.

I'm taking it really slow and will beg help for the roof. I should be ok.

I'm desperate for the room in the workshop so it's top of the list now the weather is improving (why did I say that :roll: )

 

[wizer]

Mike would you really use screws? Seems like a lot more work. If so which screws?

Currently I'm looking at these

 

[gidon]

Actually while I am about it. I was wondering what to use to nail the frame members together. I have a Paslode IM350 Gas Nailer but i'm thinking it might be a bit beefy for 1x1. I have one of these:

50mm air nailer. Would this be better suited? What size nails? and I'll also be using it for the shiplap, same nails?

Tom I would (and have!) use 2.5" screws. That brad nailer is a bit lightweight for cladding IMO - I bought a 16 gauge nailer (was in a hurry and bought the Rockworth one from B&Q which has been fine for 2 sheds so far ...!) for cladding and reckon a 15 gauge nailer would have been even better. I used 2" nails for the cladding.

I used flooring boards layed across 3x2 pressure treated joists for my base. It's solid and gives some ground clearence (hopefully enough). 4x2s even better I guess.

Cheers

Gidon

 

[woodbloke]

I made piles of paving slabs and then bridged the gaps with railway sleepers to form a base, then dpc, then the 'shop over the top - Rob

 

[MikeG.]

Tom,

its marginal, Tom.

I think I would use screws, mainly because with a nail gun you could fire a nail in and your 2x1 could split instantly and be wrecked. Screwing would at least give you the chance to stop if you felt the wood starting to crack.

There really is so little to do in the way of joining in this little shed that the bit of extra time would hardly matter. You could even have a second drill on hand ready to drill a pilot hole if there was a particularly vulnerable looking piece of wood.......say a knot in the wrong place.

But, that said, I am sure you could probably make nailing work. I would have thought that a 70mm nail was better than 50. Hey.........you could even knock it in with a hammer!!!

Mike

 

[j]

Whenever I've put up a shed (Normal garden shed) I usually make two rows of slabs (3 if it's a longer span).
Lay fence posts like joists sitting on the slabs. Make sure the fence posts are at right angles to the shed joists.
Put a layer of DPC on the joists
Put the shed on that.
Never had a problem.

HTH
J

 

[lurker]

Tom,

My 12 X 16 workshop was bought from these people (£900 delivered)

http://www.waltons.co.uk/

I knew in advance (from their website customer feedback) the floor, felt & windows were crap for a workshop (would be fine for starage)

I got recycled double glazed windows for free
Roll of felt from Wickes -£20
I added 18mm ply floor - £100

Built a slab base (free slabs from neighbough) one weekend (on my own)
Erected shed next weekend on my own with SWMBO holding Walls
Fitted out next weekend
In use weekend afterwards