Building a shed...

[KevB]

Hi guys

I posted on here a while back with plans to build a 5x3m shed. I've been collecting wood from pallets at work and I probably have about a £1000 worth of wood now 8)

I'm planning on starting it very soon, though I have a few questions I was hoping you guys could help me with..

1) Will it be ok to have the floor as paving slabs, building the walls directly onto this?

2) Will a 2-5mm difference in the width of my various lengths of wood cause problems when building the walls?

I don't have access to a thicknesser planner and it would probably be too much work for me anyways, whilst also tending to my daddy duities. My dad reckons the difference shouldn't matter too much, though I thought I'd get a second opinion...

I'll try to match the best lengths (width-wise) together but I know there's going to be differences here and there. Is there a clever way to do this? Or am I going to end up with bellied and sunken internal boards, aswell as external cladding that doesn't fit properly?

 

[Droogs]

i built my wood shed and my shed from pallets and had no reall problems. I based the design of the frame to suite the pallet wood sizes. but then my shed was just to put garden tools and the bike in so wasn't too bothered about overall appearance and fittings inside

 

[blackrodd]

just make up the panels, if something is a bit too big, plane or saw some off to the right size each time.
Within reason the more care you use will leave a better job.
If I remember correctly, you have access to some really large pallets, so you ought to find it a little easier to make.
Don't forget a WIP as we all like a good ol' WIP on here, I, for one will be very interested!
Regards Rodders

 

[KevB]

Ok thanks for the advice guys.

No problem blackrodd. I'll take pictures as I go along and post them up here

As soon as my dad is available to help me with the base (paving), I could probably start the framework myself. Hopefully within the next few weeks

 

[MusicMan]

I would recommend against paving slabs. I did this with my workshop about the same size, 20 years ago, as I was in a rush to get it up. The thing has slowly sunk down, the worst being that it has sunk more on one side than the other so it tilted a few degrees.Very annoying. At some point I need to take it down, make a proper concrete base and re-erect it, but that is soon much work...

Keith

 

[blackrodd]

Sorry! forgot the slabs question.
Regarding the floor, Whatever is better for you, as you have loads of good wood available, I would weigh up the cost of some sleepers, or level up and compact for some concrete blocks, and build off that, level and flatten them off and build off the perimeter making for a nice warm wood floor.
Should slabs be cheaper and available, then you should level a 4" shutter around same size as the man shed,
concrete on polythene
Slab on top of that, don't forget the polythene for damp control.
Regards Rodders

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My father was a builder (quite large scale - when he sold to his partner they were holding 800 acres with PP :shock: ) and he always said spend your money below the ground and above the upstairs ceiling. Still a good rule - anything else can be worried about or done afterwards.

 

[Myfordman]

Proper concrete base with DPM, dwarf walls from brick or concrete blocks, then put your timber on that. The shed life will be much much longer if you do it properly.

 

[blackrodd]

I believe I posted this link on plans and it shows a few ways of forming the base,
Myfordman is right of course make a proper base for a decent man shed, but you'll have to cost it all out.
Regards Rodders
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=shed+ ... B802%3B602

 

[KevB]

Thanks for the link again blackrodd and for the advice guys

Regarding the blocks idea, that's something my dad suggested last week. He thought it would be easier to do with the ground in that area sloping. The thing is, I have around 30 3x2 paving slabs which I found on gumtree for free. It would be a shame not to use them and save on costs at the same time.

Hmm i'll have to have a think of what to do. Take a risk with the slabs and hope they don't sink or save more cash and do it properly.. I'm probs being a bit of a cheapskate haha, but other areas of my shed are going to cost me quite a bit and I don't have that much spare cash, with my second child on the way. Things like osb, cladding, felt, electric, windows, doors and insulation (if I choose to do so), make the £500 I've managed to save so far look like a couple of quid haha :roll:

Blackrodd - with the slabs option, do you mean cover the whole base with 4" of concrete, before laying the slabs? Would this be classed as a permanent foundation? I ask because when we moved in last year, the plans I was reading shows a council drainage pipe running diagonally across our garden and underneath the area where my shed will be. They say the chances of them needing access to it is quite low, though do state that no permanent foundations should be laid?

 

[blackrodd]

As you say the concrete and drain thing won't work, the next thing seems, as yer pater said to be the wood on
leveled concrete blocks or sleepers.
Unless you have a concrete base, I can't see any way of using the slabs inside as a floor,
Perhaps use them as a front and path area.
Dig and level the blocks into the ground, disturbing the soil as least as possible to prevent future sinking.
Don't forget the damp course between any base or floor area, and under the timber framing.
I suggest you pick a set of plans that you like for the base, and copy those and build away,
There are several options and styles of man shed and options on setting out the base.
Regards Rodders

 

[YorkshireMartin]

Hi guys

I posted on here a while back with plans to build a 5x3m shed. I've been collecting wood from pallets at work and I probably have about a £1000 worth of wood now 8)

I'm planning on starting it very soon, though I have a few questions I was hoping you guys could help me with..

1) Will it be ok to have the floor as paving slabs, building the walls directly onto this?

2) Will a 2-5mm difference in the width of my various lengths of wood cause problems when building the walls?

I don't have access to a thicknesser planner and it would probably be too much work for me anyways, whilst also tending to my daddy duities. My dad reckons the difference shouldn't matter too much, though I thought I'd get a second opinion...

I'll try to match the best lengths (width-wise) together but I know there's going to be differences here and there. Is there a clever way to do this? Or am I going to end up with bellied and sunken internal boards, aswell as external cladding that doesn't fit properly?

I'm new to all this, but I decided against paving slabs for my upcoming shed build. 5x3m is a large shed, more like a garage. Mine is 3x2 and I decided to put in a proper concrete base, because I believed over time, flags will sink under all but the smallest structures. The last shed was a 2x1.5m metal jobby, and that was sited on 4 large flags, even they sank despite putting in about 3 inches of hardcore below.

My rationale for the spend was, anything I build will be for nothing if the foundation is unsound to begin with, as the structure is on borrowed time.

If you dig out and put down say 6cm of compacted hardcore, then pour 10cm of concrete, you'll have a stable base to work from. I required 1m3 which is often the minimum that Readymix type places will supply. It cost £186 (3 quotes ranging from 165 to 186) all in but I think larger amounts would work out cheaper per meter.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but for the size of structure you're building, you might even want to go a bit deeper on the concrete.

An alternative to full slab base would be piles. Fortunately, not the type that require a visit to the chemist. Of course, if you have piles ( :mrgreen: ) you cannot use them as the floor.

Happy to share my construction ideas with you as I am literally planning the build as I type, just not sure how compatible they would be with pallet wood.