Building a Bike Shed

Moving swiftly on

To continue... I cut rafters from 2" x 4" timber and made the mortice joints so that they would lock into place on their supports. The ends were cut with a mitre saw to a 10 degree angle for a tidier appearance. The site is near the top of an exposed ridge and the wind can occasionally blow down the valley with great gusto. For extra security the rafters were screwed down with 3" size 8 countersunk screws. At this stage I took the opportunity to give the woodwork a couple of coats of "proper" spirit based wood preservative sourced from Wickes. It looks a lot like creosote and I hope it works as well, just without the cancer risks.

shed09.JPG


I fitted an 18mm plywood sheet roof and covered it with Wickes self adhesive roofing felt. This is quite a costly option and is fiddly to install, but looks very tidy and lasts for years. The garage had this type of felt applied around 1998 and is still holding tight, no leaks or maintenance required yet. The underside of the plywood was finished in Trimite paint prior to installation, this is the finish used on rock and roll touring speakers and has a slight texture to it.

shed10.JPG


Clear corrugated roofing material was used to make the window, screwed to a couple of long battens. The lower batten was made from two pieces joined to make a L section. This stops any bowing and also doubles up as a handy shelf.

Incidentally, the battening was provided by another neighbour having a clear out, it had been in their garage for years. The bits stored on the floor had fallen prey to wet rot, but the rest was lovely seasoned quality timber without excessive knots or warping, so unlike a lot of modern wood. There was enough left over to make fascia boards, the door framework, door shuts and the frame work for the infill panels.
 
Custom shed! that's what i like to see! plus recycling materials


i couldn't agree more about modern wood being far too knotty some of the stuff that they sell in the big DIY shops is really disgraceful.
 
interested to know why you run the top beams under the frame rather than resting on top for support?

also why felt roof rather that clear corrugated which would have given you and the window behind you..more light?

just usefull to know why people make thier sheds/lean too.. differently

if anyone is using the pallet system..the gaps between are great for insulation ..reduces the condensation risk and also makes the shed warmer in the winter for working in
 
Excellent work Purley 8) might want to put a heater in there,it gets a bit cold in your shed :?
The little 2kw blow heaters are excellent only dont leave them on if youre not there :wink:

also why felt roof rather that clear corrugated which would have given you and the window behind you..more light?

Agree,it will be dark otherwise :?
 
Thanks for the kind words and in answer to the questions.

The rafters are fitted over the beams and not underslung, but the end supports are not.

I chose a solid roof over clear plastic for robustness and because they let too much heat and light in. The garage roof is 2/3 clear plastic of the double skinned type used in conservatories. In summer the heat gain can be brutal and I have found that tyres and plastic surfaces can suffer from premature aging.

Anyway to continue, I made a few minor modifications here and there as part of the ongoing process, then installed a couple more fence posts as supports half way along the rafter span.

I had a huge amount of 6mm plywood saved from a company's bonfire a few years ago and painted it in white texture stone paint to match the existing garage structure. Battening was screwed all the way round the side apertures, to which the ply was tacked with a nail gun. Ply was also fitted on the inside to form a double skin. The side facing the neighbour was more difiicult as access from their property was marred by a hefty 12' drop, prolific foliage and a fence. To get around this issue I made up the panels like a theatrical scenic flat, offered them into place before screwing the battening down, then finished the interior as per the other side.

shed11.JPG


Lastly, I built a door utilising some re-cycled exhibition laminate flooring for the exterior and more 6mm ply for the interior. I realise the flooring may not survive the elements long term, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

shed12.JPG


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Have you guys seen the price of that plastic stuff recently? he'd have to sell his kidney to do the roof in it.

I didn't notice the window first time round, i hope that's just a pantry or such like where light isn't really an issue.



edit: ooo an update, I like your style I had the exact same access problem one time, balancing on a wall with a drop whilst handling a sheet of plyboard was quite sketchy...i prefer your method.


For the flooring issue you can just use breezeblock or bricks at strategic points, cover those with a damp proof course then make a floating floor ontop of that by bridging the gaps between the points.
 
To continue, in order to organise my retro collection as efficiently as possible I wanted to hang the bikes vertically. M10 screw eye bolts were fitted through the roof rafters, with metal plates both sides to protect the wood. Onto these jumbo S hooks were hung. I threaded old narrow section inner tube onto the S hooks and cable tied them in place, this should prevent any chance of them scratching the rims.

Then it was time to install the collection and relax a little.

shed13.JPG


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dyna-ti":1gou7ric said:
Excellent work Purley 8) might want to put a heater in there,it gets a bit cold in your shed :?
The little 2kw blow heaters are excellent only dont leave them on if youre not there :wink:

also why felt roof rather that clear corrugated which would have given you and the window behind you..more light?

Agree,it will be dark otherwise :?

he lives in london andy , its never cold down there :lol:

great thread tho ,we should wiki the shed bits
 
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