Trying to rescue my shed

[Jim77]

Hi again
Due to supporting bricks sinking and massive roots from neighbours silver birch my shed floor and supports are rotten. I have removed 2 fifths of the floor at the door end and two lengths at each side. It is now standing against the back of the shed and i think this section is reusable with bigger supports nailed alongside the old ones. Two lengths of shiplap at LHS need replaced and 1 length at RHS.

Here is a pic of what I now have.

View media item 60699
The all around support timbers were nailed into the bottom of the uprights.

I now need to replace these and also the timber support battens and replace the bricks with slabs or concrete. You can see it will be difficult from inside. I have very limited access at sides and back of shed. 3 or 4 of the frame uprights have a couple of inches of rot at the bottom

I'm looking for suggestions and ideas on how to save this wee shed, It is over 30 years old but still in good nick above the rot. It is 8' x 6' and a replacement is £500.

I think my starting point is to jack it up a few inches to enable me to work on the supporting structure and floor

Please help
Jim

 

[Jim77]

PS
I first posted about this a couple of years ago but events overtook it
Jim

 

[ladylola]

In all honesty I'd take it down to repair it it'll be so much easier than trying to jack it up and work on it insitu.

 

[ntb]

In all honesty I'd take it down to repair it it'll be so much easier than trying to jack it up and work on it insitu.

Agree with this, especially if you have someone to give you a hand.

Having said that, I have jacked an old shed up before and built a low brick wall under it to drop it back down on. I used a 2 ton trolley jack to lift it one side at a time and chocked it on bricks. You have to excavate a hole to put the jack in so that you can get it under the wall.

 

[ladylola]

In all honesty I'd take it down to repair it it'll be so much easier than trying to jack it up and work on it insitu.

Agree with this, especially if you have someone to give you a hand.

Having said that, I have jacked an old shed up before and built a low brick wall under it to drop it back down on. I used a 2 ton trolley jack to lift it one side at a time and chocked it on bricks. You have to excavate a hole to put the jack in so that you can get it under the wall.

I've done the same with a building, well almost but in reverse. 16th century timberframed cottage who's cill plates had rotted away and had been replaced with brick. We propped up the building to remove the bricks and replace with timber. At one point it almost looked like the building was floating.
Not that any of that helps the OP

 

[ntb]

Cool - was that your own or is repairing historic buildings what you do?

There's a TV series on Discovery about some guys in the US that jack up and move all sorts of unusual buildings.

 

[Jim77]

Thank you for your replies.

I know it would be best to take it down but just too risky as my wife and I are in our seventies and don't have help. (I heard about someone of 74 killed taking down a shed)

I have raised the whole shed on supports about 6" high. I did this using a spade as a lever. I can easily raise it more if needed. So the shed is now standing on bricks with the floor removed. I need to replace the 2x2 approx that is all round the bottom and 3 or 4 shiplap lengths.

Main question is do I build the floor under the surrounding 2x2 or inside it and how do I fix it? I think I'm going to use small slabs as piers and add 3x2 or 4x2 screwed to the existing floor supports on the bit of floor I've salvaged. Then complete the floor with new timber.

Thanks again
Jim

 

[ladylola]

Ok as I see it this is how I'd proced.
You should be able to remove the cill piece from one side of the shed at a time. If the studs need trimming back because they are rotten then fix sisters to them before removing the cill. The shed wall will remain supported by the front and back panels. When repaired prop up with bricks or timber and proced to repair the opposite side. You can then drop in new floor joists under the shed walls and remove the tempoary brick supports so that the shed becomes supported by the floor . That then leaves you free to repair the end panels . Hope this makes sense.

ntb, wasn't my own building. I have spent most of my working life in restoration and have worked on numerous historic buildings. I'd probably be lost on a modern housing estate. Redunances have now found me "downsizing" my employment and I am now working self employed in the handyman type of role.

 

[Jim77]

Sorry for the delay in replying - I'm a slow worker

I have now replaced all the cills and fitted sisters to supports. I got some second hand slabs to cut into 12"x10" pads. I'll get these level and fit 4 treated 2"x2" battens along shed length. I've bought 5 off 3"x2" CLS as floor joists. However I'm stlll unsure about how to do the floor. Should I fit the floor under the cills or inside the cills? Sorry if it seems like a daft question.

Latest pic
[View media item 61041]

 

[ladylola]

Under , makes it a much better job.

 

[Jim77]

Just wanted to show you latest progress.

View media item 61360
I'm not fitting the floor under the cills but the CLS joists are under the cills. I'll fit 38mmx19mm spacers to the CLS to bring the floor up nearer level with the top of the cills.

You can see damp proof membrane under the battens at each slab. Is this adequate or should I fit some under the CLS (although I can't see any need)

Thanks for the help getting to this stage - I've save about £400 against a new shed.

Jim

 

[ladylola]

Looking good. To be honest I can't say I would bother with the spacers to raise the floor to the top of the cill plate after all "it's only a shed" . I'd leave it as is, if in the future you decide to line it for whatever reason you'll be able to fix top the cill and you can bet that if you fit the spacers there will come a time when the floor is just 19mm to high to stand something up

 

[Mursal]

I've save about £400 against a new shed.

And a new shed wouldn't give you this level of satisfaction, nice tidy work