Query on Building a Timber Workshop

[Matabele]

Hi gents!

First post here but I've been having a look around and there are some great builds here and obviously a lot of knowledge!

I was hoping for some advice. I'm looking to build a timber frame workshop in my back garden for semi-professional use. By that I mean it will be used evenings and weekends to start with, hopefully expanding to full time if things take off. I will be involved in light engineering specialising in small run jobs and prototyping. Now my query is related to the fact that I have no experience in timber buildings and really dont know what their utility is! I'm from South Africa (well born in the UK and brought up in SA) and over here we hardly ever use timber as a building material, and insulation and weatherproofing is not a top priority either. My main concern is protecting my machines: lathe and mill, drill press, bandsaw etc from humidity and the build up of rust. The other consideration is working comfort, keeping the place warm enough in winter. Are there any maintenance considerations to take into account in particular for timber frame buildings?

I'd be looking at a 9 metre x 6 metre structure, and am thinking I would buy a simple structure (either workshop or double garage) from one of the many companies out there and then customize it to my needs, add insulation, windows etc. However do you think I would be better served by a brick and mortar structure or maybe even renting some premises instead?

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Welcome. In view of the proposed size, you would do well to sort the legalities out first. It'll need P.P. and building regs and you may have a problem if you mention business use. You may well be told what you can do.

 

[Matabele]

Hi Phil. Thanks for the reply. I should have mentioned in my post I'm aware of the need for Planning Permission and might be restricted because of that. I'm dealing with that as a separate issue however (if the timber building wont suit my needs it's back to the drawing board anyway). Thanks for bringing it to my attention though.

 

[artie]

I'd be looking at a 9 metre x 6 metre structure,

That's quite a big building to be made of wood, what kind of roof are you thinking of, 6 m is quite a span for a "shed"

 

[tomf]

You could do it in timber but I think metal frame would be cheaper.
I would not though you'd get planning permission for a business building of this type in your back garden due to noise and access.

 

[colinc]

Hi,

Timber frame makes for a low thermal mass which means you can heat the building more quickly and with less energy. That is good for buildings used occasionally. High thermal mass retains a constant temperature longer but needs more energy to get to a comfortable level. That makes it less economical when used for sHort periods.

I built mine using a steel frame for convenience as it all just bolted together. However the steel is all encased by osb so there are no cold-bridges. The roof is tiled with a timber t&g ceiling. The floor is chipboard on timbers and insulation over a concrete slab. Compared to my previous converted brick built garages it is cheap to heat and feels dry inside all year round. Certainly my tools are staying rust free!

Hope this helps.

Do check the termite situation. Not sure if that's a problem in SA?

Regards,

Colin

 

[JonnyW]

Steel or wooden framed construction with a lot of insulation. It's commonplace where I live (a small island off the north coast of Scotland), to use highly insulated wooden kits (6 or 8inch) with horizontal or vertical cladding on the exterior.

A wooden truss would span 6 metres no problems at all - the max is usually around 9 metre span for a conventional wooden truss.

I have an un-insulated block garage that is like a sieve, so the wind pours in - and so does the moist air. I will be extending it next year with a wooden kit extension with the cladding on the exterior (to match my house, as Scandinavian wooden clad houses are the norm here in Shetland). However, the kit will be packed to the gunnels with kingspan and the cladding will cover my old garage, but will have external insulation added to keep the chill down.

You say insulation and weatherproofing is not an issue for you - well it should be if you are looking to protect your expensive machinery and make it a comfortable place to work in.

The rule here for tackling condensation, is Heat, Insulate and Ventilate. Even in SA, you will still be needing to keep the weather out i.e. the heat, and the use of good insulation will stabilise the environmental conditions within your workshop (sorry teaching my granny how to suck eggs, as you know that already).

I have a friend who spent a lot of money on building a wind and watertight workshop (which is a no-brainer here), but he spent a lot of money insulating it and making the building as air tight as possible (obviously when your machines are going, you'll open a window or use your ventilation/extraction system!). His garage has no heating, and has been very kind to his tools and machinery - I also check them to see if he's lying and has dipped them all in camellia oil!!!!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I didn't have a problem with rust until I had heating. It's intermittent heating that causes the problems.

 

[whiskywill]

Do check the termite situation. Not sure if that's a problem in SA?

Do we have a termite problem in the U.K?

 

[JonnyW]

Completely agree with the intermittent heating comment. As soon as you start quickly warming up cold surfaces, then you're causing a load of grief for yourself. Especially that space heaters that burn hotter than the tail end of an F16!