Pent shed build

[Adam simpson16]

Hi all,

New user to the forum and first time poster, so not sure if this or the Projects Forum was the best one, so thanks in advance for any help. I'm going to start the build of a shed over the next few weeks, I'm generally happy with most aspects of the build as there are plenty of good posts on here, however there are a few areas I'm not sure of before I get started.

The shed frame will be constructed with 480cm x 240cm lengths of 4" x 2" treated timber and will sit on a couple of courses of bricks on top of an existing concrete base. It'll be cladded with treated 19mm shiplap and insulated and internally boarded with 11mm Osb.

The aim is to have two rooms, one for my gym and the other for garden tools. I'm thinking the gym will  be 320cm x 240cm and the storage will be 160cm x 240cm.

The main queries are:

1. Doors
I have a set of upvc double doors set aside by a friend that I want to use as the doors for the gym space. They are approx. 182cm wide by 215cm high, I'm not sure of the depth of the door frame but was hoping to make a wooden  frame to fit and then bolt the door to it. Anyone see any problems with this and what screws would be best?

2. Roof construction
As I've said I'm going for a pent roof, I
had initially thought that the high side would be 240cm and the low end 220cm. Not sure what gradient that is so Im not sure if this is enough. Any thoughts?

I had thought a birdsmouth cut on both sides, to fix it to the frame would do the job before using 18mm Osb. The main query I have is, how do I calculate and measure up for the birdsmouth cut?

Also what would be a sensible overhang on all sides?

3. Roof covering
My first thought was felt but if I'm spending the time and money then it'll be worth looking at the other options such as rubber and shingles? Any suggestions that aren't too expensive?

4. Insulation
What would be a reasonable insulation to use? I've read a few posts about having a gap between the exterior cladding and the insulation and also a dpm on the warm side?

I'm sure there are plenty of further questions to come but thanks in advance.

 

[MikeG.]

For the basics, especially of wall construction (and the air gap you mention), please see my "How to build a shed" thread linked to in my signature.

It is your choice of roof materials which determines the minimum angles.

 

[martin.a.ball]

Hi Adam

There is a sub forum for workshop builds which is worth reviewing if you have time. With the usual note of caution that I'm not builder or carpenter and just following other build threads on here, hopefully this helps you along the way.

1 - Doors. The opening for the door needs full length upright studs on either side, then you need additional cripple studs which the lintel rests on. A quick search on youtube explains a lot. I used external rated screws from Screwfix, turbo outdoor but there are lots of alternatives.

2- Roof construction. My span or width was 2.4m and the fall from front to back was 300mm. A 200mm fall would have been fine and I've read that you can go much shallower if you pick the right roof covering. I have approx 100mm overhang on all sides with a little more on the front.

Birdmouths, again try youtube, there are lots of short videos which are easier to watch than trying to type out instructions.

3 - Roof covering - I paid about £300 for an EPDM roof kit from Permaroof. I went in this direction because the glue used is water based and can be applied cold. I bought a kit with trim on 3 sides and gutter trim on the rear. There are other alternatives worth considering though, shingles and Onduline sheets, see Mike's build thread.

4 - Insulation - I've not got to this stage yet. Celotex and Kingspan get a lot of mentions here as does Rockwool wall bats.

Hope some of this helps, it might be worth asking the moderators to move this thread to the workshop builds as you'll probably get more replies there.

Martin