Steve200TDi Garage and new shed build

[landroversforever]

I'm still pleased with the leyland trade floor paint I used on the workshop floor. I did that with I think 50% white spirit added to the first coat. Just over 10 years in there now and it still looks pretty good if you ignore the cracks in the floor from the building sinking! 

[steve200TDi]

5 minutes ago, landroversforever said:

I'm still pleased with the leyland trade floor paint I used on the workshop floor. I did that with I think 50% white spirit added to the first coat. Just over 10 years in there now and it still looks pretty good if you ignore the cracks in the floor from the building sinking! 

That's good to know. And what preparation (if any) did you did before the 50% white spirit coat?

Steve 

[landroversforever]

Not a great deal - just swept it out well! That was a floor with a fair few oil drips on it already and I don't remember doing anything with them first. It was just an arse to paint as it's not that flat and needed working in with a brush rather than rolling on. 

[steve200TDi]

For locks, I'm think about one of these style locks. 

https://www.toolstation.com/gatemate-premium-long-throw-lock/p40306

I was also thinking about this style as you can still shut the door after you've unlocked it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404947133560?itmmeta=01HXS2CS74KSHK16W2EQR3WCM6&hash=item5e48bae478:g:lAoAAOSwFEVmLhEz&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4BgKDW2P13YwM%2B0RHtl7mavI%2FIZv8JoFMmr5CBXES1PTOs3zeVu5QRovvNYLU1J%2BSn%2FwbVZsvbObxmrklXAaH3Mc1RjVlw3WqOp6Pi5%2FCO%2BNO0yhA5uw8NwRxYPEfMHoeMbAU8G90WUmlbAsnmmC4id67BOWwyf92MeZlFyFOc0buR0AqD77tEc9vIokT2dbuAxQ27E3RERaO9Z035OoIQk%2BA%2FiC8NR%2FKbPXZGskqsgEYb6ElMvlFUZ0dC5rGMGjHkBgvaTOZCrDZBIZL668ZYq8AGASxp6Z0leZkLLWGEqd|tkp%3ABk9SR_qTs6LuYw

Steve

[FridgeFreezer]

Ours has the GateMate style lock and I'm quite pleased with it, it's very sturdy and the long throw makes it ideal for shed doors that may not have perfect panel gaps.

[Bowie69]

Don't forget the hinge side.... you can beef up the lock all you want but if the hinges are standard butts then Mr Burglar will just jemmy the other side, these are a great addition IMHO:

Smith & Locke Hinge Bolts Zinc-Plated 2 Pack - Screwfix

[steve200TDi]

6 hours ago, Bowie69 said:

Don't forget the hinge side.... you can beef up the lock all you want but if the hinges are standard butts then Mr Burglar will just jemmy the other side, these are a great addition IMHO:

Smith & Locke Hinge Bolts Zinc-Plated 2 Pack - Screwfix

Oh yes, that's a good idea. I'll add that to the list, I've already bought Parliament hinges.

 

6 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

Ours has the GateMate style lock and I'm quite pleased with it, it's very sturdy and the long throw makes it ideal for shed doors that may not have perfect panel gaps.

Do you find it sufficientl to use as a handle to keep the door closed when it's not locked? Do you have any additional handles?

[steve200TDi]

Bringing this up to date I felted the roof yesterday (Sunday). I had already bought a 10m roll of higher quality felt on offer at B and Q for £40 I think.

I knew that I would need approx 10M when I was building my 9 x 7 shed, a lot of rolls are 8M and that wouldn't do. Move back to last weekend and I knew it would be tight to get enough coverage (now 10 x 7), I did think I would need to add an addition strip of felt to make up the gap if the lengths were more than 3.3m. Luckily when fitting the roof, the overhang was governed by the length of the three sheets butted up against one another. I then measured the 10m roll, it was actually 10.14m long and so I divided this into three and cut 3 equal lengths of 3.38m. I made a little notch when measuring and double checking to make it easier to spot.

I laid the first sheet on the roof and positioned it, it was perfect, I didn't even need to trim the overhang! Zero wastage!

I then proceeded to nail the sheets down with some roofing sealant between the sheets. Please excuse the wavy nail line, I honestly started on the cider later and not before!

Come mid afternoon I had a fully felted roof!

It was then time to tidy up, neatly stack all the wood I didn't use back in the garage, I put all the shorter shiplap off cuts in the new shed and covered the openings in plastic until the next dry weekend becomes available. I was pleased with the amount of progress I have made having a week off to build this and I couldn't have wished for better shed building weather, let alone dream of this hot sunny weather we've had!

Steve

[FridgeFreezer]

12 hours ago, steve200TDi said:

Do you find it sufficientl to use as a handle to keep the door closed when it's not locked? Do you have any additional handles?

TBH the inventing shed is either open or closed, if I'm inside tinkering in the colder months I lock it from the inside to keep the door closed. I've never felt the need for much more than that.

+1 for the hinge pins, cheap & easy.

It may be overkill but on my shed I got an offcut of security film from the local car window tinters and did the inside of the glass windows (it came with single-pane glass), then "double" glazed it by screwing polycarbonate on the inside of the window frames which helps a fair bit with heat & a little extra security.

Foam strip round all the doors & windows to cut down draughts.

 

[Anderzander]

At the risk of tempting fate … do you guys live in dodgy areas? 

[Bowie69]

Nope, home insurances less than 200 quid, middle of nowhere. 

But I value what I have.... 

[Anderzander]

35 minutes ago, Bowie69 said:

But I value what I have.... 

And you feel the impact or likelihood enough to justify it presumably.

I’m just thinking through whether I need to up my game. 

At the other end of the spectrum: someone I live near leaves his doors open - house and garage. 

I'm not doing that - but I’m not where everyone else here seems to be. 

[Bowie69]

1 minute ago, Anderzander said:

At the other end of the spectrum: someone I live near leaves his doors open - house and garage. 

To be fair, I often do too... there's no crime round here.

2 minutes ago, Anderzander said:

And you feel the impact or likelihood enough to justify it presumably.

 

Yep, mostly because it would just be so much hassle to sort out.

[landroversforever]

I reckon I see a post from the local police at least twice a month asking for any information on shed/garage break ins. 

[Snagger]

5 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

TBH the inventing shed is either open or closed, if I'm inside tinkering in the colder months I lock it from the inside to keep the door closed. I've never felt the need for much more than that.

+1 for the hinge pins, cheap & easy.

It may be overkill but on my shed I got an offcut of security film from the local car window tinters and did the inside of the glass windows (it came with single-pane glass), then "double" glazed it by screwing polycarbonate on the inside of the window frames which helps a fair bit with heat & a little extra security.

Foam strip round all the doors & windows to cut down draughts.

 

Put the polycarbonate on the outside and you’ll have very ball (and bat) resistant windows.  Unfortunately, it does gradually get more brittle as the UV gets to it, which is why bust stop panels eventually become destructible.  Maybe a UV blocking film on the outside would help that.  Otherwise, having the polycarbonate as an internal layer is good for security long term, even though it won’t protect the outer glass, as most glass blocks the bulk of UV rays and would protect the polycarbonate.

[steve200TDi]

I've grown up with locking sheds and garages, and so fitting a lock is just the norm for me. I also think if you had something stolen would you're insurance company want to know of the shed/garage/outbuilding was locked or not? You're just tempting fate leaving it open I think.

Steve

[FridgeFreezer]

1 hour ago, Anderzander said:

At the risk of tempting fate … do you guys live in dodgy areas? 

No, although I used to - the main culprit there was the chav next door who did over a lot of neighbours before he got relocated at Her Majesty's pleasure

With that said though, the security bits cost very little compared to what's inside the shed and how much of a Charlie you'd feel explaining to the insurance company that you didn't have any security on it.

Snagger - the protection film on the outer glass makes it pretty hard to get through, and honestly at this point the window locks & hinges would give way before you bashed through the glass + film + polycarbonate.

[bishbosh]

26 minutes ago, FridgeFreezer said:

....... how much of a Charlie you'd feel ......

Oi!

 

There'll be no feeling of Charlie's around here thankyouverymuch!  

 

 

 

Also, on the shed security front, I know opportunists may be put off by a lock, but it is a timber structure with walls a few mm thick at the end of the day....... 

Also, the bigger the lock, the bigger the advert that there's something vlauable in there...

[ThreePointFive]

If you're doing windows, agree with doing a reflective (not tinted) security film.

I put a 2x2 diagonally behind the window in my old shed, screwed into battens that were screwed into the nearest frame joists. It meant the window could be opened if ever needed, but it didn't become a burglar cat flap. 

You couldn't see the brace from outside, due to the film. 

Useless of course if they were willing to start unscrewing things or use power tools, in which case a shed isn't the building you needed in the first place. You don't want to overtly fit too high-spec of a lock, or you start to invite the speculative 'smash and see'. 

I also tied mine into the house burglar alarm and CCTV system (positioned at face level on a shelf opposite the door) but that's garnish.

I have a plan involving an irregular strobe light and smoke machine for my next house, but I daren't elaborate. 

[ThreePointFive]

2 hours ago, Bowie69 said:

To be fair, I often do too... 

Noted

[Bowie69]

2 hours ago, ThreePointFive said:

Noted

That's not to say the keys are left in LGT

 

[FridgeFreezer]

16 hours ago, bishbosh said:

Also, on the shed security front, I know opportunists may be put off by a lock, but it is a timber structure with walls a few mm thick at the end of the day....... 

Also, the bigger the lock, the bigger the advert that there's something vlauable in there...

The lock type I've got only has a small cylinder sticking out through the wood of the door (maybe ~30mm hole), everything else is basically invisible outside. I left the original crappy bolt on the outside of the door so it looks like any other cheap shed from 10 paces.

Agreed if they really want to get in they will, that's why I haven't gone any further - everything was cheap & simple, the polycarbonate was as much about the insulating properties as the security.

 

15 hours ago, ThreePointFive said:

If you're doing windows, agree with doing a reflective (not tinted) security film.

The security film I used is not visible at all - it's clear but very strong so it makes the glass very hard to actually smash through. The thicker grades are designed for protecting vehicle windows against bomb blasts although Basingstoke isn't that rough.

[steve200TDi]

The film's a good idea, I think I'll get some mainly for the UV protection.

Thinking about the solar panel idea for lighting in the shed. Would people recommend buying a proper second hand panel? I've seen the cheap kits on ebay, I'll have to work out how much power they give out and how long it'll last. I guess some sort of battery storage will be needed too.

Hoping to get a bit more cladding done this weekend in-between the rain showers.

Steve

[landroversforever]

I recon second hand would be fine. Friends use a couple of cheap new panels to take the edge off their above ground pool over the summer months and it seems to work well. 

If you're wanting lighting in there at night then you'll definitely want a battery. Car battery and a couple of 12v floods should be enough? 

[FridgeFreezer]

38 minutes ago, steve200TDi said:

Thinking about the solar panel idea for lighting in the shed. Would people recommend buying a proper second hand panel? I've seen the cheap kits on ebay, I'll have to work out how much power they give out and how long it'll last. I guess some sort of battery storage will be needed too.

Basically all solar panels, lights, and batteries on ebay lie MASSIVELY about their specs - usually by orders of magnitude that defy the laws of physics, see the number of LED torches claiming to be a million lumens and small cheap solar panels claiming to be hundreds of watts. ...I guess it might work if you pointed your million-lumen torch at it

Average solar panels are about 250W per m2 so anyone claiming anything outside of that is either about to become a novel prize winning billionaire or is pulling your string.

Almost all solar-battery LED lights (EG garden lights) have very disappointing performance and the batteries are usually very weak and under-specced with bad charging circuits - big Clive on youtube has torn down so many of these and there's rarely anything that gets even close to advertised specs.

If I had an old car battery laying around I would be tempted to find a moderate solar panel to trickle-charge it and a half decent automotive LED light or two and call it done - if you're being fancy wiring them through a noddy PIR switch is shed-based luxury so they automatically light when you stagger into the shed with your hands full.

I recently bought a small 10W "Eco-Worthy" panel to trickle charge the Mini when it's laid up and it's good enough - decent quality, a pretty truthful wattage, sensible price:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324444551880

I dare say that plus the nearest not-totally-dead car battery tucked under the bench would keep you in lumens for a long time.