Martin's Small Work Shed

[MikeG.]

If you can find SS mesh plasterer's corner bead, then that does a brilliant job. My builder's merchant has swapped suppliers, so I can't get it any more, but it's called "Mini mesh bead" if you can find it.

 

[martin.a.ball]

For the insect mesh to the bottom and top of the cladding, I use the starter strips and ventilation profiles from James Hardie:

For example: www.squaredealupvcshop.co.uk/product/hardieplank-starter-strip-with-ventilation/

Thanks HOJ, I watched the video and it is an interesting product, however, I'm a way down the wooden cladding route and shiplap doesn't need the kick out on the bottom board.

 

[martin.a.ball]

I've not used either of these companies, because I have been using up some really old stock.......but I did notice them whilst looking for a specification for a client.

Here and here.

Thanks Mike, glad you are still reading along. I reckon 75mm wide soffit mesh is the product I'm looking for, so thanks for the links.

I'm enjoying your oak door build in another thread even if I don't have anything to add and its a million miles away from my plan to spray paint a white PVC door.

 

[martin.a.ball]

Before the rain returned this weekend, I managed to get the edge trim fitted. There are a number of useful videos on youtube including this one - How to fit kerb edge - 3 mins long.

I've yet to fit the corner caps and will wait until I've cut and glued the corners to the fascia. The trim is very effective at guiding rain to the rear of the shed, where a gutter is now essential.

 

[martin.a.ball]

75mm soffit mesh has arrived from mesh direct. I thought it would be easier to staple the mesh to the bottom bit of cladding and take that to the shed.

This turned out to be a right fiddle, backed off the screws in the battens and try to tuck the mesh under. I then checked Dan's thread and saw its is much easier to fit the mesh first then clad over. Anyhow, first board is fitted with screws just in case I need to adjust.

I need to get some galvanised nails to start fitting the rest of the shiplap.

 

[martin.a.ball]

Experimenting with nails. Top is 2.65mm galvanised round wire, middle is 3mm lost head, bottom are screws just in case I need to move the bottom row of cladding. I'm thinking I'll use the galvanised nails for the sides and back where the finish is less important, but use the lost head nails on the front.

 

[MikeG.]

Martin.....one fixing per board per batten. If you put two in, you'll get splits as the wood shrinks. The nail should be towards the lower edge of the board (where you've put the lost head nail, approx.), just above the board below, so that it not only fixes the board it is nailed through, but that board traps the top edge of the board below. Take care to paint the nail heads afterwards. Oh, and you should get a coat of paint on the boards before you fix them to the wall, because otherwise as they shrink you'll get a line of un-painted wood showing.

 

[martin.a.ball]

Thanks Mike. It was a toss up between treated and untreated boards, but these had a slightly wider profile which I thought looked better. I'll pick up some wood treatment during the week.

 

[martin.a.ball]

As mentioned before I'm trying to do as much of this build myself, partly for the satisfaction of saying I built that, but also to see what is possible as a single person build and learn a few new skills. Cladding is definitely one of those jobs that would be easier with two people, it took me a while to get into a rhythm but eventually I figured out a method to clamp the boards in place, using the nail trick as a spacer again.

I started on the side which is mostly hidden by the back of the garage, but decided to use the lost head nails as the corner is quite exposed and I wanted it to look tidy.

 

[MikeG.]

Martin......seriously....paint those boards before you fix them in place.

 

[will1983]

Good advice Mike, I painted my little 6'x4' shed we use for gardening stuff storage when it arrived and now I have lines of unpainted wood showing where all the featheredge boards have shrunk!

Oh well yet another thing to add to the to-do list!!!

 

[pertinaxone]

Hows progress Martin?

 

[martin.a.ball]

as pertinaxone asked so nicely, this is where I've got to:-

I was running out of spray paint on the door, so its a temporary fit until an extra can arrives. Still need to fit a gutter to the rear and fit a bit of decking at the front but I'm close to finished outside. Inside the floor is insulated and boarded and I've managed to pick up some free oak laminate on gumtree, so I'll experiment with how that works as a finish.

 

[nabs]

looks great!

 

[MikeG.]

That looks very neat, Martin. How is it inside?

 

[martin.a.ball]

With no wide angle lens available it is a bit difficult to get a proper view of inside. Standing in the door way gives a bit of a view with the 22mm chipboard floor down.

I've been searching for cheap and local Celotex/Kingspan for a while now without any luck, then I stumbled across "the restoration couple" on youtube and he had a neat trick of using pond mesh over the floor joists which neatly supports 100mm loft insulation. Much cheaper and easier to find on gumtree and I reckon good enough for my shed.

 

[MikeG.]

Can you get that insulation up higher than that? It should really be hard up under the flooring, leaving no gaps.

 

[martin.a.ball]

The photo of the insulation was taken as I rolled it out. A few hours later it had fluffed up nicely level with the floor joists.

 

[Kris the Handyman]

That's a very neat shed - well done

 

[martin.a.ball]

Very carefully taken photo to show the inside of the window which is finished and ignore the inside of the door which is not and the ceiling where I still need to decide what boards to use.

My friendly electrician has been and extended power from the garage to the workshop so I now have power sockets and led panels for lighting. I dug out a discarded fan heater so I'm toasty just in time for spring.