New Workshop - Roof Now On

[Sheptonphil]

You'll love the new space. I've only really started actually using mine in the last 2 days and its SO NICE. I keep toddling on being able to find everything I need, having space to work, bliss. Owing to the amount of light in mine though I do keep comnig out at 5.30 and going "duck it's dark out here".

More pics and words please!

@Sheptonphil ere this blokes cheating, getting people in!

it’s great isn’t it?

I still smile every time I walk in to do any sort of job. I’m really fortunate I know, but this is the best workspace I’ve ever created. I was meant to get ‘people in’ they just wouldn’t come due the the first lockdown. I’d have loved to have cheated, but I’m really glad I managed to complete every aspect without doing damage to myself. I too thought the sitting on roofing battens for a week was easily the worst part of the build. I have pics of the bruises that still make me wince.

Had I had to use blocks, it would never have got past the footings stage, my bricklaying is painful, blocklaying non existent.

this will be a different build to either of ours for sure.

 

[Lons]

Had I had to use blocks, it would never have got past the footings stage, my bricklaying is painful, blocklaying non existent.

It's no different to woodwork Phil you need to know the basics, stay accurate and practice. Bricks are satisfying to lay once you've put up the corners and strung a line between them you can get into a rhythm, the mistakes beginners make is keep tapping and levelling each brick which is counter productive Blocks are much faster and no more difficult.

The secret to both is the consistency of the mortar and you'll see a brickie constantly folding it on the board to keep it pliable.

 

[DBT85]

I just about got confident with the bricks as soon I ran out of bricks to lay

 

[Blackswanwood]

I just about got confident with the bricks as soon I ran out of bricks to lay

I'll post a full update later but the bricks are being laid by the professionals at least five times faster than I can do at the moment.

 

[Sheptonphil]

I just about got confident with the bricks as soon I ran out of bricks to lay

Same here, 300+ was 300+ too many.

I'll post a full update later but the bricks are being laid by the professionals at least five times faster than I can do at the moment.

yep, it’s about knowing when to farm out certain jobs (assuming the labour is available).

 

[Blackswanwood]

A few days on and good progress ...

Top tip - if the concrete driver asks if he can drop what is left into your skip don't let him ...

Another balmy day in Yorkshire to start the week. First job move the blocks that were providing ballast and take off the shuttering.

The wooden frame was knocked up last week and is in the opening for the sliding doors. The inner skin of blocks is built off the slab and the brick outer skin off the toe. I'll put a clearer picture in later. The layout of the first course can only be described as meticulous.

This was start of play on Tuesday.

Once the first course was in the blocks went up quickly.

Now the bricks start getting lined up and another bricky magically arrived. The brick layers are all needed on another job from next Tuesday so they have their orders to get on with it.

This shows a cross section of the foundation

First thing this morning ... yes the sky is blue in Yorkshire sometimes ...

I forgot to mention that the supply chain for insulation is apparently a bit erratic at the moment and we are having to use full size sheets which are then cut to size. Apparently it's just another case of the joiners getting the brickies out of a hole!

Outer skin of brickwork done to dpc level and insulation being attached to the blockwork.

Scaffolding goes up on Monday so the joiners can do the roof structure and hopefully roofer will be here back end of next week.

 

[DBT85]

Very nice. A damned sight faster than mine!

If you aren't shy about it it wouold be good to get costs listed for others to see. DIY does save money but costs time and effort.

 

[Cabinetman]

Quite wonderful how they getting on with it all, I know you’ve got a camera in one hand, have you got whip in the another?

 

[Blackswanwood]

Caffeine and biscuits seem to be quite effective in keeping up the momentum.

@DBT85 - happy to share the detail on the costs- I've not been billed yet but will have everything itemised. I trust the builder (we have a JV doing property development) which makes things a lot easier.

 

[DBT85]

Caffeine and biscuits seem to be quite effective in keeping up the momentum.

@DBT85 - happy to share the detail on the costs- I've not been billed yet but will have everything itemised. I trust the builder (we have a JV doing property development) which makes things a lot easier.

Oh yeah you absolutely call in the mates rates, favours and anything else you can!

The reason I ask is that for man the cost is a limiting factor and they see Mike for example say that his massive workshop cost only £3k and think "oh thats ok," but mine cost double that despite not paying for the hole to be dug or anything near full price for the insulation and also doing it all myself. If you see tohers who say theirs came to £6k and were made recently its a bit easier to go "ok, no need to plan for it yet then" or "Oh I can do that, lets get started".

 

[Lons]

Oh yeah you absolutely call in the mates rates, favours and anything else you can!

The reason I ask is that for man the cost is a limiting factor and they see Mike for example say that his massive workshop cost only £3k and think "oh thats ok," but mine cost double that despite not paying for the hole to be dug or anything near full price for the insulation and also doing it all myself. If you see tohers who say theirs came to £6k and were made recently its a bit easier to go "ok, no need to plan for it yet then" or "Oh I can do that, lets get started".

Absolutely right!
Anyone who doubts how expensive it is to have one built should look at the cost to build a basic porch, even a modest patio will set you back a couple of grand these days.

A good few years ago I built an extension on the back of my house, mostly weekends and evenings so took me a long, long time and had I factored in my labour costs I certainly couldn't have afforded it.

 

[Sheptonphil]

Doing all the work, mine has come in fully costed at a tad now over £8500. A bargain as the quoted price to have it built for me was in excess of £20000.

 

[Blackswanwood]

A slight slippage in the schedule due to one of the guys needing to self isolate as a colleague of his wife tested positive for COVID-19 and then having to wait for a scaffolding slot.

Completing the brickwork

Waiting for scaffolding

Scaffolding in place

Brickies had obviously had an extra Weetabix ... bringing in the steel.

Steel in place

Trusses going in after more weetabix

Trusses in place

I’ve sorted a couple of days holiday to work on the roof structure and then hopefully pantiles on next week.

 

[DBT85]

Not sure those trusses are thick enough

Hand whittled by yourself I hope!

 

[Doug71]

Loving the trusses, will be a great feature in the workshop

 

[Glitch]

I'm liking the trusses. How did you get those in place?

Edit: Put together in situ

 

[Blackswanwood]

I'm liking the trusses. How did you get those in place?

Edit: Put together in situ

Hi Glitch - as per your edit they were the subject of some serious muscle work and then went together once up there. The original plan had been to assemble on the ground and then use a Genie Lift to get them up to the level however as there is a crash deck inside the building that wouldn’t have worked.

 

[Farm Labourer]

Gosh from deciding to do it to completion will take approximately how long? It's great - I keep thinking of doing something similar as my, admittedly large workshop, is really just a grain store with better lighting but it's not sealed, can be Baltic in winter and I'd like more usable wall-space.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Progress has been slower than I had hoped for due to a combination of things.

The original plan had been to use purlins in the roof structure but I realised late in the day that this could impede the positioning of the velux windows and lighting which will be led panels. The engineer was consulted and it was confirmed using a ridge beam instead was okay.

Unfortunately a mistake had been made on the dowel size for the trusses. The correct ones are now here and I am going to bang them in this morning.

Cutting rafters and bids mouths came next. The wall plate had to be realised slightly as it worked fine on this side but the rafters were just missing on the other side. All measurements were checked first with the laser and subsequently with a plumb line and tape measure and were spot on. There must be a discrepancy in the original roof. It doesn’t matter but still bugs me ...

The hips took a bit of time and then the rafters were all trimmed, barge boards fitted and insulation added just in time for the roofers to start.

The roofing supply chain is apparently not yet recov and getting hold of pantiles and the ridge pieces was surprisingly more difficult than expected. The pantiles are pre-aged (so cost more!) - for some reason the colour difference stands out much more in the photograph than to the naked eye.

Roof insulation all in and counter battened so lighting wiring can go in. A further 50mm of Kingspan has then been put in-between the counter battens before the plaster board is fixed.

Plasterers are back tomorrow to skim the ceiling and then floor insulation will be added before screed is poured on Wednesday afternoon. Hopefully the doors will arrive tomorrow and go in first otherwise some shuttering will be needed before the screed is poured.

I had hoped to be where we are now ten days ago but it is what it is!

 

[Blister]

I am GREEN with envy , Looks like a super workshop build