Beer and Darts Cabin/Workshop Build

[Paul200]

Well, we've had two days of persistent, heavy rain and wind and I spent a lot of time pushing water off my OSB floor because the plastic sheet just wasn't up to the job. I'm now thinking that my original idea of boarding the top surface of the roof and using felt shingles may be a no go - mainly because of the difficulties of getting 8x4 sheets of 18mm OSB up there and the complicated ventilation needed - but I really need to get a proper roof on quickly.

Has anyone else on here used Onduline roofing sheets and have they lasted? This would be a much simpler and lighter roof and one that would go up quickly but I've read all sorts of horror stories about the product. I think the majority of failures are down to shallow roof pitch (mine is 35 degrees) and lack of adequately spaced battens but I will be very interested to see what you guys think. Another question - does anyone actually know what Onduline sheets are made of? Looks like plasticised cardboard to me - hence my question!

Cheers, Paul

 

[Paul200]

OK - Onduline's a no no then :lol:

Done some more research and, probably more importantly, checked prices on the various options and decided to use good old corrugated steel - or wrinkly tin as I call it. Several reasons. I've used it on my Sitooterie and it still keeps the rain out 2 years on - even though it was a jigsaw of cut up, second hand sheets. I was concerned about condensation (and so were others) but I've had no problems at all with it mainly, I think, because there's masses of ventilation between the sheets and the roof membrane. Bug and vermin proofing the eaves whilst maintaining that all-important ventilation is almost impossible and this concerned me at the time but apart from the odd scratching noise there's no evidence of damage - the noise I'll put up with. Corrugated steel looks the part in a rural, agricultural area - in fact I've read that some conservation areas insist on it (we're in a National Scenic Area but there are no regs that affect us in this respect). The price difference between steel and felt shingles/onduline/slates etc is remarkable and cannot be ignored. The wrinkly tin works out about 1/3rd of the cost of the others - no brainer!

I've temporarily solved the water ingress problem so not so urgent now but I'm glad the rain made me sit down and rethink my plans - it's saved me about £400! I'm cutting and fixing cross ties for the roof today - hopefully more pictures later.

Paul

 

[Paul200]

Update time

Spent 3 days solid in the workshop and it doesn't really look as if I've achieved anything. I cut and bolted in 9 roof ties, fitted the gable end uprights and cut up some offcuts to nail into the gable slopes. These are to accept the top of the OSB inner wall cladding. Doesn't sound like much either - but it was a lot of faffing about :roll: and I don't even want to think about the number of times I climbed up and down the ladder!

The roof ties are at two different levels - the ones you see are to be a storage area and are at eaves height (2.2m) and the three over the door end of the building (not in the pictures) are set at 2.6m to enable long lengths of timber etc to be loaded onto the storage area. I used a 6x2 ridge beam to spread the load evenly across the span and I also installed cross ties on top of the walls at each end to beef everything up even more - probably overkill but gives me peace of mind 8)

Had a slight change of plan - originally the windows were to be in pairs on each side wall but a chat with a friend who came round for a nose convinced me that an entire run of one side with no windows would be more practical. So I've ditched one window and the remaining one will go in the gable end. The view from that window could prove distracting though.

That was to be the wall where my dart board was going but I can resolve that with a hinged board that clips up under the cross ties. It will have the added advantage of making it look like I actually work in there, instead of playing darts!

It's the Boss's birthday today and we have family coming to stay for a few days so I won't be posting much for a couple of weeks (unless I can negotiate a release from sight-seeing on the grounds that I've already seen it!).

Cheers, Paul

 

[n0legs]

Looking great Paul =D>
I always think a bit of wrinkly tin ages or settles an outbuilding into its surroundings nice and quick if you get what I mean. Especially if you can get some used but not too used sheets.

 

[Paul200]

I know exactly what you mean n0legs - our Sitooterie roof is recycled tin from an old outbuilding we demolished. I had to cut it up to lose the original nail holes and lay it like big tiles but it worked - and looks great! I bought a tin of bitumen paint to go on it but thought it looked better as it is.

I'm going for new sheets on this one though, because it will be easier to lay and I don't want the hassle of cutting them. That tin of paint will get used after all!

Cheers, Paul

 

[Paul200]

Got back early from a trip out with the in-laws so I managed to get a bit of cladding up yesterday and today saw two windows fitted and the cladding extended up around them. I made a stupid mistake and assumed that the windows were all the same width, whereas in fact there's a 30mm difference :? The first one I fitted was a narrower one and I couldn't work out why I'd been so generous with the space I left for it :?: Luckily I'd taken my framing measurements from one of the wider windows so with a bit of packing the narrower window was made to fit.

In this next picture you can just make out the different heights of the rafter ties to enable longer lengths of timber etc to be loaded onto the overhead storage area. You can also just see the packing pieces for the narrow, left hand window (Stupid boy!)

Slow progress so far but it's starting to look like a workshop now 8)

Cheers, Paul

 

[Paul200]

Question - what happens where the gap between the membrane and outside cladding meets the underside of the rafters? I've installed bug mesh at the bottom and presumably there has to be a corresponding opening at the top to encourage air flow. I'm leaving the exposed overhanging ends of the rafters open but these need to be blocked somewhere at the top of the wall to enclose the ceiling insulation. Common sense tells me this blocking should be just inboard of the wall membrane to enable ventilation but having read through most of the WIP's on here (and elsewhere) I can't find a satisfactory answer. Really struggling with this detail so would be grateful for some help.

Thanks

Paul

 

[Fitzroy]

Search vented cold roof. My build has the insulation ending on top of the wall plates between the rafters. Soffits with vents are fitted on the external rafter ends to box them in, the membrane gap vents into this box.

Soz away from home so no pics available.

F.

 

[Paul200]

Search vented cold roof. My build has the insulation ending on top of the wall plates between the rafters. Soffits with vents are fitted on the external rafter ends to box them in, the membrane gap vents into this box.

Soz away from home so no pics available.

F.

Thanks Fitzroy - that chimes with what I was thinking, but without the soffits. So on my build the top of the ventilation gap will simply vent to the open air below the roof overhang. And I block the rafters just behind that. Makes sense. Don't know why I couldn't get my head round it :? :roll:

Cheers mate

Paul

 

[Paul200]

A bit more progress over the last couple of days.

The end window was fitted -

Before the cladding goes on lengths of bug mesh are stapled between the battens -

The cladding goes up quite quickly once you get into a routine (and use Mike G's crucifix jigs to give correct spacing) -

Not sure what these are called but they form the 'ladder' on the gable overhangs. These overhangs help to throw rainwater away from the walls and someone on here recommended them when I built my Sitooterie, but I'd already committed to the usual 'flush to the end' bargeboards. Makes a lot of sense to me but doesn't seem to figure much on the local vernacular - even our cottage doesn't have an overhang on the gables!

Before I can make a start on the much needed roof I have to install the ceilings inside to load the insulation onto - so the end gable was boarded and a start made on fitting the ceiling boards -

Nearly lost the will to live cutting these pain in the proverbial bits to accommodate the cross ties :roll:

Finally I boarded t'other gable end and got another quarter of the ceiling done just before beer-o'clock -

Hoping for a few dry days to sort the roof and then I'll be fitting the doors. Getting there! (hammer)

Paul

 

[Bm101]

Good stuff Paul. Coming along nicely mate!
Was looking at the height difference in the rafters in the last pictures and thinking 'why's he doin' that then well that'll be handy for storing wood anyway'. I was just about to point this out in a handy manner when I thought 'hold on son you don't want to look an silly person on the internet' so I scrolled up and read the line I'd missed about storing wood on the different height rafters...
God. That was a close one. At least no one will know I nearly made myself look an silly person on the internet again. Glad it's just you and me looking at this thread Paul.

 

[Paul200]

Good stuff Paul. Coming along nicely mate!
Was looking at the height difference in the rafters in the last pictures and thinking 'why's he doin' that then well that'll be handy for storing wood anyway'. I was just about to point this out in a handy manner when I thought 'hold on son you don't want to look an silly person on the internet' so I scrolled up and read the line I'd missed about storing wood on the different height rafters...
God. That was a close one. At least no one will know I nearly made myself look an silly person on the internet again. Glad it's just you and me looking at this thread Paul.

Bless you Chris. So glad you're still looking in now and then 8) I can only guess that it's all been done before and I'm boring people with my endless pictures and step by step description of life as a serial shed builder, single malt enthusiast and zombie basher (haven't spotted any yet, by the way, but I'm always on the lookout). Still, when armageddon does come it might spark a bit of enthusiasm on here eh?

Cheers buddy, Paul

 

[Paul200]

Had a spot of rain day before yesterday and discovered that my temporary rain hat had sprung a leak. Wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't put the ceiling up and directed the leak over to a corner that had been rockwooled and boarded over :evil: So yesterday saw me mopping up and then climbing up a ladder to wrestle with an old tarpaulin in a stiff breeze - I came out with a few words I wasn't aware I even knew :?

This morning saw me up with the lark (well - noisy Jackdaws squabbling outside the window) and straight out to the workshop in yet more rain (a Galloway speciality) to find that my temporary fix of the temporary roof had worked. Happy days =D>

My other success yesterday was to get the door frame in place and hang the hugely heavy doors. Had to enlist the Boss's help with this job and boy did I need it! Got there in the end though and it's comforting to know that my tools are now safely locked up at night.

Had to extend the framework for the doors forward of the main frame so that the doors will open through 180 degrees and sit flush to the cladding out of the way.

Just waiting for a run of good weather to let me get on with the roof.

Cheers, Paul

 

[jkljosh]

WOW, Paul, looking good, I've not had much time for browsing postings, let alone comment on them in recent weeks. Nice to catch up on your build and have to confess to being a little jealous of your soon to be snug and draught/leak free workspace. Inspires me to pull my finger out and get on and sort the barn!
J

 

[KevB]

Fantastic work Paul, very nice indeed.

Will be keeping up with your progress and I look forward to more pictures

 

[Paul200]

Thanks John and Kev. I know what you mean about time John - I've been living and breathing my workshop build and begrudge time taken for anything else - like grass cutting, eating, sleeping etc ;-) It's been such a long time in the making I can't wait to get it finished now, but the weather's against me at the moment. Three dry days - that's all I need ........

 

[Paul200]

The weather hasn't been great lately. It rained all day yesterday and today, although dry, is grey and threatening and doesn't encourage me to risk taking the temporary roof off. I did manage to get some more cladding up on Monday though.

From this ......

To this ......

Battens also added to the gable end. You can't see it but I also worked my way along the eaves to add bug mesh to the tops of the cladding vent cavity and blocking between the ends of the rafters - essential to do this before the roof goes on. I'll try to get pictures when I'm brave enough to set to on the roof but it's not easy at the top of a ladder!

Cheers, Paul

 

[Paul200]

At last! A couple of dry days forecast so the plastic sheet and tarpaulin came off the roof and, with fingers and toes crossed, we got on with insulating the roof, laying the membrane and battening.

Roofing felt was used around the open overhangs to protect the breathable membrane from the dreaded UV rays.

When I built our Sitooterie I had a problem at this stage where rainwater was finding it's way in through staple holes in the membrane. It got so bad that I had to go round with an acrylic sealant and cover every staple! So this time I just tacked the ends of the membrane at the gables with felt nails and nailed a batten across straight away. Not sure if that's an acceptable method but it works so far. In my mind if you want something to keep water out put as few holes in it as you can! At least we're now waterproof and I can take my time installing the wrinkly tin covering.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Paul200]

Roof's on (hammer)

 

[Fitzroy]

=D> Looking good.

F.