Holding down the breathable felt wrapping the shed

[Jupiter01]

I am building a garden room - slowly and over the weekends. It's 6.5m x 3m. The base is in:

I've covered it with a waterproof membrane since then.

I plan to have the back and side walls up next. They are partially built:

They will be sheathed with 11mm osb externally.

I will wrap them in breathable membrane and at this point I don't know what cladding I will be using/can afford or when that will be. Most likely next year. I want to stop the membrane from flapping around and ripping over the winter. Can I screw in horizontal battens, assuming that they will be required for all cladding, even fetheredge boards? or is this - and the spacing of it - dependent on the cladding choice?

Alternatively how can I stop this from flapping around? I was thinking of screwing in some diagonal battens but the screws for this will puncture the membrane in places where I may not have a batten later and this could be a vulnerable spot.

Can you please advise.

 

[JohnD]

I prefer horizontal cladding, if you are using featheredge (or T&G, or shiplap), and so, vertical battens. Rain will not lie on them.

It throws the rain off better, and you do not get the annoying rot of every vertical board where rainsplash gets into the endgrain of the foot.

My horizontal cladding is fixed with rustless screws, and I made a few spares of the bottom two boards so they can easily be replaced. The bottom two have been treated exceptionally generously with wood preserver.

Eaves overhang and good gutters reduce rain damage, but on the exposed end of my shed I have a sort of skirting board that's 150mm of stainless, painted to blend in, it's quite cheap, you can buy it cut to size and drilled as kickplate for doors.

You can fit plenty of battens, you do not need to remove the redundant ones later as they will all be concealed behind your cladding.

If your shell is going to be exposed to weather before you wrap it, give it a couple of coats of fence stain. It's cheap, quick and easy to apply, and leaves a waxy film that repels water.

 

[Jupiter01]

I prefer horizontal cladding, if you are using featheredge (or T&G, or shiplap), and so, vertical battens.

It throws the rain off better, and you do not get the annoying rot of every vertical board where rainsplash gets into the endgrain of the foot.

My horizontal cladding is fixed with rustless screws, and I made a few spares of the bottom two boards so they can easily be replaced. The bottom two have been treated exceptionally generously with wood preserver.

Eaves overhang and good gutters reduce rain damage, but on the exposed end of my shed I have a sort of skirting board that's 150mm of stainless, painted to blend in, it's quite cheap, you can buy it cut to size and drilled as kickplate for doors.

You can fit plenty of battens, you do not need to remove the redundant ones later as they've ill all be concealed behind your cladding.

If your shell is going to be exposed to weather before you wrap it, give it a couple of coats of fence stain. It's cheap, quick and easy to apply, and leaves a waxy film that repels water.

Thanks John. My preference would also be horizontal cladding. Only because I am unsure on exactly what I will have, is there a temporary measure I can adopt to stop this membrane from flying around over the winter?

 

[JohnD]

Lots of battens. I think it is normal for the membrane to rip if left uncovered over winter so you might need to do it again. Staples are very likely to tear, the fence stain is quite good. Parts of my shed are WBP ply with no cladding, treated with fencestain, and lasting well. I did have some OSB blocking a gateway which lasted quite well until I threw it down flat and the rain got in.

 

[Deluks]

I've used membrane and vertical battens every 500mm on a shed that remained unclad for a couple of years. No probs.
Start off with a stapler, hammer tacker for speed.

 

[Jupiter01]

I have got a hammer tack but I suspect that this will rip in the winter.
@Deluks, were your 500mm spaced vertical battens temporary to hold down the membrane or ones that you eventually used for your final layer?

 

[Deluks]

I have got a hammer tack but I suspect that this will rip in the winter.
@Deluks, were your 500mm spaced vertical battens temporary to hold down the membrane or ones that you eventually used for your final layer?

Both. It all held up ok. Next to a fence so a little bit sheltered, it was quite thick membrane for roofing. Old school tyvek, not just thinner stuff you can get nowadays.

 

[Jupiter01]

Both. It all held up ok. Next to a fence so a little bit sheltered, it was quite thick membrane for roofing. Old school tyvek, not just thinner stuff you can get nowadays.

OK. If this is the permanent battens, should I centre at 400 so it lines up with the internal studs and I screw into that?
Presumably I hammer tack the membrane before I put these battens on?

 

[Deluks]

That's it.
But nail the battens. Otherwise the screw going in will twist and rip the membrane.
I used 40mm annular ring shanks. I didn't bother with the galvanised ones, it's fine though.

 

[Jupiter01]

That's it.
But nail the battens. Otherwise the screw going in will twist and rip the membrane.
I used 40mm annular ring shanks. I didn't bother with the galvanised ones, it's fine though.

I don't suppose I can use my Ryobi 18g nailer here?