Hi Guys,
First time posting here, though I've been lurking for the past few weeks trying to soak up some shed building tips!
I'm a writer/journalist from Cardiff, and I'm currently trying to build myself a nice little hideaway to escape my family...
Essentially, I've purchased a shed kit to build a 7' x 5' Shiplap Tongue & Groove Apex shed on our current driveway.
(Odd choice of location, but it's the most convenient space we have at the moment)
Anyway, I'm essentially aiming to convert the shed into as much of an office-space as I can.
This includes insulation, electrics - all the usual. But I wanted a bit of advice.
First of all - the driveway has a dip in the middle along the entire length with a small trench filled with crushed stone.
Obviously, this isn't an ideal flat surface. So I wanted to run my solution by you guys.
My idea is to build a large rectangular frame (2.8m x 2.2m) on top of the driveway to create my own level ground. This will be lined with weed control fabric and filled with gravel, leaving a gap at the top. The fabric is mostly just to keep the gravel in due to the dip in the middle. Once tamped down, I will lay patio slabs on top to essentially create a raised platform. The slabs will be laid with several centimetres inbetween for drainage.
On top of that assembly will be the shed - the original idea was to put 3 bearers down lengthways to create airflow underneath, but my first question - would this be necessary?
Here's a diagram to help illustrate what I mean:
(Obviously, not quite to scale... hah)
So back to my first question: Would this benefit from the 75mm fence posts as a base, or should I build the bottom of the shed directly onto the paving slabs? I believe the floor of the shed has supports along the width (which in this diagram, I intend to reinforce across the length with extra timber and insulate with 25mm Kingspan/Celotex - the width of the frame is just 35mm so I don't have much internal room to play with).
My second question is about the insulated walls - would the insulation in my diagram be suitable for home office use? I'm very mindful of condensation as I will be using the shed for extended periods every single day. There is a fixed window (which I will be double glazing) but that doesn't really help the condensation issue. My diagram shows insulation as follows: 12mm T+G (exterior), 10mm air gap, Breathable Membrane, 25mm Kingspan, Vapour Barrier, approx 12mm MDF/OSB (internal wall).
Would the air gap be beneficial in this instance? And due to the nature of Kingspan being foil-backed, would I need the Breathable/Vapour Barrier layers? I've been trying to compile as much info as possible and make decisions based on others work, but as you can see, the limited internal space between the frame gives me very little to work with.
Any other improvements/suggestions would be hugely appreciated.
And as a bit of background, I intend to use the building daily and am attempting to kit it out to be as much of an office space as I can. The internal walls will be painted, and I'm probably going to go with carpet/laminate flooring. A heater will be used for the winter months.
Cheers guys!
First time posting here, though I've been lurking for the past few weeks trying to soak up some shed building tips!
I'm a writer/journalist from Cardiff, and I'm currently trying to build myself a nice little hideaway to escape my family...
Essentially, I've purchased a shed kit to build a 7' x 5' Shiplap Tongue & Groove Apex shed on our current driveway.
(Odd choice of location, but it's the most convenient space we have at the moment)
Anyway, I'm essentially aiming to convert the shed into as much of an office-space as I can.
This includes insulation, electrics - all the usual. But I wanted a bit of advice.
First of all - the driveway has a dip in the middle along the entire length with a small trench filled with crushed stone.
Obviously, this isn't an ideal flat surface. So I wanted to run my solution by you guys.
My idea is to build a large rectangular frame (2.8m x 2.2m) on top of the driveway to create my own level ground. This will be lined with weed control fabric and filled with gravel, leaving a gap at the top. The fabric is mostly just to keep the gravel in due to the dip in the middle. Once tamped down, I will lay patio slabs on top to essentially create a raised platform. The slabs will be laid with several centimetres inbetween for drainage.
On top of that assembly will be the shed - the original idea was to put 3 bearers down lengthways to create airflow underneath, but my first question - would this be necessary?
Here's a diagram to help illustrate what I mean:
(Obviously, not quite to scale... hah)
So back to my first question: Would this benefit from the 75mm fence posts as a base, or should I build the bottom of the shed directly onto the paving slabs? I believe the floor of the shed has supports along the width (which in this diagram, I intend to reinforce across the length with extra timber and insulate with 25mm Kingspan/Celotex - the width of the frame is just 35mm so I don't have much internal room to play with).
My second question is about the insulated walls - would the insulation in my diagram be suitable for home office use? I'm very mindful of condensation as I will be using the shed for extended periods every single day. There is a fixed window (which I will be double glazing) but that doesn't really help the condensation issue. My diagram shows insulation as follows: 12mm T+G (exterior), 10mm air gap, Breathable Membrane, 25mm Kingspan, Vapour Barrier, approx 12mm MDF/OSB (internal wall).
Would the air gap be beneficial in this instance? And due to the nature of Kingspan being foil-backed, would I need the Breathable/Vapour Barrier layers? I've been trying to compile as much info as possible and make decisions based on others work, but as you can see, the limited internal space between the frame gives me very little to work with.
Any other improvements/suggestions would be hugely appreciated.
And as a bit of background, I intend to use the building daily and am attempting to kit it out to be as much of an office space as I can. The internal walls will be painted, and I'm probably going to go with carpet/laminate flooring. A heater will be used for the winter months.
Cheers guys!
