Being in construction myself, I often get asked many questions about building timber structures. The subject of how to build a shed often comes up. Here I am going to try and answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
Building a base for your shed. The foundations for your shed or outbuilding are just as important as the structure itself, so time and effort should be spent getting it right. Picking a suitable location is paramount. Choose somewhere that Civil Engineering Companies Near Me does not get too water logged as this can undermine your footings very quickly. The base should also be sited away from thick vegetation or trees and their roots. Tree roots and foliage are the number one cause of foundation breakdown.
Shed base composition. Throwing a few concrete blocks on the ground to put your shed on is just not the way to go. Dig the ground out to accommodate a 120mm sub base of crushed concrete or hardcore before pouring a minimum of 120mm of mixed concrete on top. Make sure the shuttering for the base is absolutely level, this will make life easy when you are tamping the wet concrete and also save you the frustration of ill fitting timbers as you build. A base that is 20mm off level translates roughly to 55mm off level on your uprights when you get to 2.4 metres high!
Roofing materials. The list of roofing materials is endless, but fall mainly into three categories. Sheet materials, felt and timber shingle. Choice of roofing material ninety percent of the time comes down to personal preference (and how deep your pockets are!) Corrugated sheet material, either tin or or plastic, is a relatively inexpensive way to roof your outbuilding, which is fine for a tool or storage shed but Renovating A House Checklist would not look particularly pleasing to the eye if you are building an outdoor office or studio. Cedar shingle or the more expensive powder coated sheet materials will look much better. Felt is probably the most commonly used and easily applied. Depending on size of your roof and the size of your pocket, employing a roofer to hot torch the felt on is always best, but for smaller sheds felt nails are good enough.
Shed plans and designs If you are looking for a good set of shed plans why not try Build Your Own Shed for thousands of blueprints and detailed schematics. Every size, shape and design of shed is available. Building a shed or timber outbuilding is a relatively straight forward process. Always remember that if you take your time and get it right from the start you can avoid a lot of frustration.
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