Self build shed - help and advice needed please

[funstuie]

Hey all

I posted in the garden section the other day looking for advice on insulating a shed to use as an office in the garden. The more I look round, the more I am leaning towards building my own.

I had planned to get something like this

http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/Wooden-Sheds/BillyOh-4000L-Kent-Tongue-and-Groove-Garden-Shed

and then baton the inside and insulate the walls and roof, replace the windows etc. But as it would arrive flat packed and I would have to put it together and then go about making it better it would seem the more sensible option would be to buy my own materials and go it alone.

I am pretty competent with DIY as long as I don't have to do anything too fancy. I put up about 50ft of fencing on my own and it went up fine and seems pretty solid. I live on the south coast by the sea so we get a lot of rain and wind.

Right so preamble over. I want an 8 by 10 structure to fit in this space:

and here is a wider shot:

(the bricks are there to give me some perspective on the size - I put a table and chair in the space to make sure it was sufficient). This is at the end of my garden (approx. 110ft from the house), I will have to clear up the space and extend the base out to accommodate the shed. Also my brother in law has agreed to run power down there for nowt so I don't need to worry about that.

So can anyone give me an idea of what I will need to order to build this?

There are loads of builders merchants around here (3 TPP within a 4 mile radius as well as some local sussex suppliers) so I could order and have it all delivered.

From my reading it would seem I should use 4x4 for the corners and 2x4 for the rest? What about the roof, floor etc?

My budget is about £1000 is this doable?

I realise I am asking a lot but all the plans I can find online are from the US and are confusing.

 

[fencer35]

Firstly get your base sorted & trim back the trees.
Consider for the frames ex 3 x 2 or 4 x 2 cls
insulation use what you like most diy stores have specials on loft rolls which can be used in the shed walls also.
for internal lining 12 mm moisture resistant mdf is good as it fairly tough and can be machined easily and has a nice smooth surface.
buy a roll of breather membranefor the external surfaces prior to covering with cladding ie shiplap fixed to battens giving a cavity between the back of the cladding and the membrane.
Find a local double glazing company that wiil sell you a mis-measured window cheap or try your local recycling centre and you might get a door too.
for the floor 6 x 2 with celotex insulation between joists with either 22mm moisture resistant chipboard or 18 mm far eastern hardwood ply. dont use osb because its ****.
for the roof similar to wall construction with asomethin like box profiled steel , onduline or felt shingles.

job done.

you will need all you budget for that and find a local timber merchant that wont charge over the old prices like what TP will ( unless you know them well )

good luck

 

[big-all]

i used 3x2" sawn timber at 2ft centers for the floor wall and roof
with the floor supported at 2ft centers with 18mm ply for the floor and roof
and 5" pressure treated txg shiplap

http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/bigall2005/

 

[funstuie]

Thanks for the replies lads.

Is there a decent basic guide online anywhere which shows what I need to do to get started?

I understand creating a frame but Big-all did you use 3x2 for the whole structure - floor, walls etc?

 

[big-all]

yes floor 3x2" treated 2ft centers
wall 3x2" sawn untreared --"---
had planned on 2ft centers on the "A"frames in the roof but because i had an overhang off 6-8" put the first and last a frame around 3ft6" in so that left 4ft and a 2ft to make maximum use off the 9 8x4 sheets off ply floor area 12x10ft used exactly 3 sheets plus 3x2ft so 3 and 3/4 sheets
the roof although only 10ft used 2x6ft with the 6" overhang at around 30% angle

 

[funstuie]

I have pretty much sorted the area out for the base and tidied up the trees and that. I have worked out I can get a 12x8 shed in the space which gives me a bit more to play with.

I bought this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Workshop-Construction-Practice-Jim-Forrest/dp/185486131X - got it for £1 delivered. I am hoping it gives me an idea about how to construct the roof and frame etc.

Had a look round and I think I can get the wood on a good deal from a local supplier. I just need to bring in measurements and he can give me a cost. So will look to try work that out tomorrow.

Not sure what I am getting myself into especially as I have a 4 week old and a 5yr old to entertain.

 

[big-all]

you really need to work out accurately what you need to save the maximum
do an accurate plan to work out the best option

the yard will rightly allow 20%
you need to remember timber is sold in foot equivilents at 2.4/2.7/3m and so on a bit less than the foot[1/4 inch or 6mm] o by the time you get to 3.3m youve lost 2"

the wood yard will tend to send random lengths to your required amount with a fair bit off waste where as with good planning you will have minimum waste

 

[funstuie]

So after all this agonising and planning etc. I went to a local wood merchant and had a chat about what I am planning to do. He looked my plans and pics and agreed it would be better to build it myself but before I order I should go see a local garden place that just does wooden decking, buildings, fences etc. it was just down the road and I didn't even know it existed.

Anyway went in there and had a look round and some of them where decent. I spent ages looking at one in particular that the manager (a hairy scot in a system of a down t-shirt) came out to chat. I again told him my plan and again he agreed that a self built would be the best option but he then said they were changing their stock and some of the buildings on snow where being sold off and he would give me £500 off the one I was most interested in. I said I had no way of taking it so he agreed to dismantle it and they would deliver for £15 and they would throw in screws, nails, wood treatment and if anything was missing they are just down the road so I could come back if needed.

It seemed too good a deal to turn round so in 3 weeks I will have 10x8 cabin. It's perfect - just one window and one door. Really thick t&g wood on the walls etc.

So now I have to work out insulation. I bought a hawk lock base kit from Friday ads as it was cheap and local. That should make life easier.

 

[big-all]

great thanks for the feedback just make sure all timber is at least 1" preferably 2" off the ground

 

[funstuie]

great thanks for the feedback just make sure all timber is at least 1" preferably 2" off the ground

Thanks. I did feel slightly like I had been scammed but reading local reviews of the garden centre and they get good reviews and those who have had log cabins etc from them say they are good quality. So I can live with it.

It will be at least 2 inches off the ground easily.

Anyone any advice on insulation?

 

[big-all]

have you got the speck for the building or any pictures
and what was the price

 

[funstuie]

have you got the speck for the building or any pictures
and what was the price

It's called a Shire Security Cabin. There's not much information on the web about model but shire get good reviews for their other cabins so I am ok with it. As I said this one just appealed to me as it's basically a glorified shed with a secure door (piano hinged) and one window (which I will look to replace with double glazing). I didnt want a normal log cabin as they all have too many windows/doors etc.

The reason the manager came over is I was taking photos to copy the design and I was taking notes on my phone as well. He said that it just wasn't popular as it looks like a log cabin but too much like a shed. So they were taking it off show. I bought their only one as they never ordered more stock.

It's 10x8 in size.

I paid about £650 but I bought other stuff for the garden from them. He said it was £500 off rrp but looking online I got about £300 off. Still I think it's a bargain.

Now I am really confused about insulation....

 

[funstuie]

I am thinking of lining the walls and roof with 12mm ply. I really can't be arsed with plasterboard and having it skimmed. I can paint ply a nice shade of white.

So what ply should I look to get as there seems to an awful lot of different types of ply.

 

[fencer35]

moisture resistant mdf or wbp fareastern plywood

mdf has a great surface to paint and is easy to work.
both are a lot more durable than plasterboard

 

[funstuie]

So the shed turned up finally but it's not in kit form. The walls, floor and roof are already built.

This poses an issue (as I can see) for insulating the floor.

I have laid a level base using hawklok and I was going to lay a DPM on to of this, put the floor joists down then fill with insulation and then the floor boards. But the floor is already complete.

The two options I have been thinking of are = dpm = 25mm Kingspan (the floor joists are 30mm). This would seemingly leave the kingspan somewhat open to the elements.

the other option is just put down dpm, lay the floor, build the shed then put down 50mm kingspan on top of the floor then 12mm MDF on top of that.

Which option sounds best?

Also as the walls are already built there is not much room for 50mm insulation unless I double up the uprights. Would 25mm suffice in the walls?

I have managed to get 2 coats of paint on the walls before it started raining. At the moment the whole structure is in the middle of my garden covered in a tarp.