Training as a luthier - need some workshop help

[dlowry_uk]

Hello,
I've been away from the forum for a while, but I'm about to start a new phase of my life and need some help! I'm starting an internship with a luthier in October, and am in the process of setting up a small workshop at home. Plaaning regs in France allow a 20m2 structure without full planning permission, which should be sufficient - it will be kitted out specifically for guitar-making, not general woodworking.

I've had a 4" slab laid. They first laid a border of blocks to reinforce the edges, then poured the slab, including a damp-proof membrane. I plan to build my own workshop, as it will have to be well insulated and humidity-controlled. The thin plates for guitar bodies are very prone to warping.

One of my main concerns is avoiding water ingress where the walls meet the slab. The contractors advised leaving 5cm of slab around the building. However, a local shed supplier advised laying the wall plates flush with the edge of the slab and then letting the cladding overlap the edge, so run-off doesn't hit the slab surface at all. That seems the more sensible option to me, but I'm a complete novice where building is concerned, so would appreciate some advice.

Regards
Drew

 

[Charlie Woody]

A couple of years ago a local firm supplied a carport with storage shed for me. For the shed they insisted I put in (I did the groundworks) a single row of blocks. They then put the sole plate, with a Damp Proof Membrane between the blocks and bottom of sole plate, on top of the blocks with the cladding running about 50mm over the outside edge of the blocks. This allows rain to run off the timber and keep it above any puddles.

Seems to work really well and they have been using this method for years. If I was building what you want this is the way I would do it.

Good luck and don't forget the WIP pics!

 

[dlowry_uk]

A couple of years ago a local firm supplied a carport with storage shed for me. For the shed they insisted I put in (I did the groundworks) a single row of blocks. They then put the sole plate, with a Damp Proof Membrane between the blocks and bottom of sole plate, on top of the blocks with the cladding running about 50mm over the outside edge of the blocks. This allows rain to run off the timber and keep it above any puddles.

Seems to work really well and they have been using this method for years. If I was building what you want this is the way I would do it.

Good luck and don't forget the WIP pics!

Thanks Charlie. I've decided to do exactly that. As I'm also installing an insulated wooden floor, I'll lay a membrane over the whole slab, then build the framing flush with the edges (or as close as possible depending on how off-square the slab is). Having gone through a few workshop-build threads this evening, I think I'd be too embarrassed to post photos of my effort, but we'll see how it goes...

Thanks
Drew

 

[Charlie Woody]

Drew

If you are going to run your cladding down over the edge of the slab you will need to ensure that the ground surrounding the slab is a good bit lower - 150mm min I think - otherwise the rain won't run off the cladding and your timber won't be above any puddles on the ground.

 

[dlowry_uk]

Drew

If you are going to run your cladding down over the edge of the slab you will need to ensure that the ground surrounding the slab is a good bit lower - 150mm min I think - otherwise the rain won't run off the cladding and your timber won't be above any puddles on the ground.

The minimum clearance right now is about 100mm above the garden surface, which doesn't normally puddle even in heavy rain. However, might be worth digging a shingle trench around the slab just to help drainage a bit.

 

[Aled Dafis]

This post goes back quite a while, but the drawing Mike supplied gives you pretty much all the information you need to build a workshop that will last a lifetime. It's definitely the way I would build if I were to build a second workshop.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/build-a-shed-mike-s-way-t39389.html

Cheers
Aled