So I want to build a garden shed.
It's going to be an odd trapezoidal shape, 1870 wide x 3100 long along the short side and 4825 along the long side, as a lean-to against a robust stone wall along the short side and the tapered end. The other end is square to the parallel sides of unequal length.
I am thinking of placing 4x4 concrete fence posts (laid flat, like I-beams) along both parallel long sides about a foot in from the edge, straight on the ground. Should I place a polythene DPM, or weed-control fabric, over the ground first?
On the fence posts I propose to lay DPC, with timber cross-joists resting on the DPC and cantilevering over the fence posts. This because there is likely to be more weight (machinery, people, sacks, tubs) in the middle of the floor than along the edges (walls and roof, and spades, forks, etc.).
These cross-joists would then be screwed to longitudinal timber joists at each end, to form a frame half an inch smaller all round than the o/a size of the shed, so that the cladding will extend below the joists.
Then add framing, roof, cladding, etc. as usual. Some framing will be bolted to the stone wall, and one edge and one end of the roof will rest on the top of the wall.
Comments, please ?
My first challenge:
I want the timber structure to be off the ground, with air circulation beneath (otherwise I would have the top faces of the fence posts at ground level).
BUT... if I have a cavity beneath, then the rats will love this ready-made home !
How would you overcome this conflict?
It's going to be an odd trapezoidal shape, 1870 wide x 3100 long along the short side and 4825 along the long side, as a lean-to against a robust stone wall along the short side and the tapered end. The other end is square to the parallel sides of unequal length.
I am thinking of placing 4x4 concrete fence posts (laid flat, like I-beams) along both parallel long sides about a foot in from the edge, straight on the ground. Should I place a polythene DPM, or weed-control fabric, over the ground first?
On the fence posts I propose to lay DPC, with timber cross-joists resting on the DPC and cantilevering over the fence posts. This because there is likely to be more weight (machinery, people, sacks, tubs) in the middle of the floor than along the edges (walls and roof, and spades, forks, etc.).
These cross-joists would then be screwed to longitudinal timber joists at each end, to form a frame half an inch smaller all round than the o/a size of the shed, so that the cladding will extend below the joists.
Then add framing, roof, cladding, etc. as usual. Some framing will be bolted to the stone wall, and one edge and one end of the roof will rest on the top of the wall.
Comments, please ?
My first challenge:
I want the timber structure to be off the ground, with air circulation beneath (otherwise I would have the top faces of the fence posts at ground level).
BUT... if I have a cavity beneath, then the rats will love this ready-made home !
How would you overcome this conflict?
