Vapour Shed

[landroversforever]

That is genius Si!

[Jon White]

It likely won't care, but if in doubt use Cat6 as that's screened.

Er.....no it aint!!! Cat6 is available in either utp or FTP. Its not screened by default.

Just use shielded cat5 (marketed as FTP). You dont want to get into cat6 really - its too finiky from an installation standard point of view. However if you are installing cat5 make sure you use external grade cable - its not easy to get hold of and should have a black sheath. I know from experience that non external grade stuff breaks down over time.

To be frank UTP will be fine run alongside domestic electrics and wont cause you any issues.We've even stopped using FTP in industrial areas these days as its just not necessary.

Jon

[UdderlyOffroad]

I'd vote for a wooden structure - more work to look after but doesn't appear to be as damp as a steel building.

Anyway, as has been said:

• Ramp
  
• Be generous spec'ing your electrics
  
• Cat 5 out
  
• Seperate dog house for the compressor
  
• Whole garage wired for lights, cat 5, air, water and sound (old surround sound amp + speakers)
  
• Some heat source that uses fuel that is free/cheap (wood burner using pallets, waste oil burner, etc...)
  
• Think about storage of materials/parts from the start.
  
• Clean(-er) area for doing delicate work (brake caliper rebuilds, off-job electrics)
  
• Dedicated mucky area for doing de-greasing, wielding mr angry grinder and fabricating
  
• a lathe!
  
• A large clock so you don't loose track of time and neglect your beloved and kids....
  
• Actually, somewhere safe for kids / dog to amuse themselves where they won't be subject to arc flash, grinding sparks...etc but you can still keep an eye on them?
  
• Think about security
  

[muddy]

Can't believe no one has suggested a bog! Loads of brownie points for not trailing muck in the house, ad a small sink too and a garage clothe/ overall hanger. I would also put a pit in, I am limited on head height so have a four poster over a half depth pit I can stand to do brakes at the side but still walk underneath.

Personal entry steel door and main doors openable only from inside.

Drain point inside with trap to stop smells.

Reasonable insulation although draught proofing will make a considerable difference.

If garge floor is level or below immediate ground level save loads of hassle and put a sump in the pit.

Also spend the time getting a good level floor and paint it before you put anything inside!

We are currently in the middle of fitting the long awaited workshop out, weeks of building shelving, running cable tray and trunking, took a month and over 180 gallons to paint!

Will.

[TheRecklessEngineer]

I'd vote for a wooden structure - more work to look after but doesn't appear to be as damp as a steel building. Anyway, as has been said:

• Ramp
• Be generous spec'ing your electrics
• Cat 5 out
• Seperate dog house for the compressor
• Whole garage wired for lights, cat 5, air, water and sound (old surround sound amp + speakers)
• Some heat source that uses fuel that is free/cheap (wood burner using pallets, waste oil burner, etc...)
• Think about storage of materials/parts from the start.
• Clean(-er) area for doing delicate work (brake caliper rebuilds, off-job electrics)
• Dedicated mucky area for doing de-greasing, wielding mr angry grinder and fabricating
• a lathe!
• A large clock so you don't loose track of time and neglect your beloved and kids....
• Actually, somewhere safe for kids / dog to amuse themselves where they won't be subject to arc flash, grinding sparks...etc but you can still keep an eye on them?
• Think about security

Good advice!

[CwazyWabbit]

..... and over 180 gallons to paint!

Will.

Is it an aircraft hangar?

[LandyManLuke]

It's not far off!

A lot of it's porous concrete, which probably didn't help!

[simonr]

I painted the concrete with dilute PVA first to seal it then floor paint. It only took 10l to cover 1000 Sq Foot.

Si

[Bowie69]

Er.....no it aint!!! Cat6 is available in either utp or FTP. Its not screened by default.

Just use shielded cat5 (marketed as FTP). You dont want to get into cat6 really - its too finiky from an installation standard point of view. However if you are installing cat5 make sure you use external grade cable - its not easy to get hold of and should have a black sheath. I know from experience that non external grade stuff breaks down over time.

To be frank UTP will be fine run alongside domestic electrics and wont cause you any issues.We've even stopped using FTP in industrial areas these days as its just not necessary.

Jon

Exactly my thoughts on the subject

Remember you will need a qualified sparkie to sign off all the work as it is an external building and therefore subject to the electrical section of Part P of the building regs.....

[muddy]

Its already full

That was four coats on walls and beam and block ceilings mind.

Theres a seller on ebay doing 20l of grey floor paint for just over £20 delivered, its very good stuff.

Will.

[CwazyWabbit]

Its already full

That was four coats on walls and beam and block ceilings mind.

Theres a seller on ebay doing 20l of grey floor paint for just over £20 delivered, its very good stuff.

Will.

Now we want pictures of your 'Shed'

[muddy]

Maybe when its got more interesting stuff in it

[jbs]

Its already full

That was four coats on walls and beam and block ceilings mind.

Theres a seller on ebay doing 20l of grey floor paint for just over £20 delivered, its very good stuff.

Will.

Will, Do you have a link for the floor paint please?

John

[geoffbeaumont]

• Actually, somewhere safe for kids / dog to amuse themselves where they won't be subject to arc flash, grinding sparks...etc but you can still keep an eye on them?
  

I found a baby bouncer hung from one of the rafters was great when Tim was small I get a lot less done with him 'helping' now he's older...

Unless you've already decided on construction, I'd put in a big vote for www.premiersteelbuildings.co.uk, my shed came from them and was an absolute bargain comapred with the cost of buying materials & DIY'ing it. I was going to insulate with loft lagging & then line with hardboard but imminent house move means that's on hold.

Hmm - if it was a bit more out of sight I'd be tempted, but I'm not sure I want that in full view right across the bottom of the garden! Even assuming the planning department didn't veto it for being too out of character in the middle of a Victorian residential area...

[crclifford]

Or if you have time and the inclination...here's my build at the moment (after about 18months)..

Still have some way to go but the all up costs, ignoring the foundations, is about £15k (the tiles were free)

The foundations where 30k, but my brother paid that as he put it all in with his house, that he's building on the plot i sold him next door.

Foundations are Abbey Pynford House Deck system, due to mature Oak being within 2m and it being clay for at least 12m

[muddy]

Think it was this stuff.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GERMAN-FLOOR-PAINT-20-LTR-BONDEN-FARBE-GREY-/320715360780?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ&hash=item4aac200a0c

Will.

[Gazzar]

I found a baby bouncer hung from one of the rafters was great when Tim was small I get a lot less done with him 'helping' now he's older...

Hmm - if it was a bit more out of sight I'd be tempted, but I'm not sure I want that in full view right across the bottom of the garden! Even assuming the planning department didn't veto it for being too out of character in the middle of a Victorian residential area...

You could clad it with Waney boards, and roof it with shingles - then it would all cutesy and "Period Homes" ish.

G.

[geoffbeaumont]

Well, given the list of things we now know need doing to the house, this is looking like it's a true vapour project in the grand tradition of LR4x4... I'll be making do with the shack noble edifice that's already there for the foreseeable future

[Orange]

Foundations are Abbey Pynford House Deck system, due to mature Oak being within 2m and it being clay for at least 12m

GULP........

Is that the one with the stainless steel angle they cast in to the edge?? I'm sure they have improved it since I last had dealings with it and I guess they don't advertise the bad points/failed installations...

Hope the house isn't on it, too.......

[crclifford]

GULP........

Is that the one with the stainless steel angle they cast in to the edge?? I'm sure they have improved it since I last had dealings with it and I guess they don't advertise the bad points/failed installations...

Hope the house isn't on it, too.......

Ahh,yes it isthe one with a stainless steel angle cast in for the outer skin. The house is (My brothers problem) on that, and the garage is only single skin so no need for the angle piece, however, not a big fan of their finishing off workmanship, but it seems to be ok at the moment.

Chris

[geoffbeaumont]

Well, three years in and the old garage is finally coming down:

[FridgeFreezer]

Ooooh, excitement!

[Anderzander]

Indeed !

[geoffbeaumont]

Well, garage is now down:

foundations laid and walls going up:

Rood trusses arrive on Friday, so hopefully the walls will be done by then!

The garage has ended up shorter than I'd have liked in order to stay within boundary lines - the old garage was 5.5m (at the centre - no two walls even close to parallel), the new garage is about 4.8m internally at the shortest (far) side and gets longer as you come towards the nearest side. This is because neither the existing garage we're adjoining nor the boundary wall at the back were built by someone who possessed a set square - the front of the new garage has been built square to the existing party wall, but not in line with the front of next door's garage, because if we'd done that we'd have been well in front of the building line by the near side... The back wall follows the boundary wall (but where the old garage was just built by extending the boundary wall upwards, the new one has to have an independent wall which keeps the roof overhang within the boundary - by the time you've come back clear of the boundary wall foundations and an inconvenient pier on it that's a painful loss).

So far it's all going up fine but I'm not sure what's happening with the garage door at the moment - the fitter we were using isn't doing roller doors at the moment, as apparently the manufacturer he uses (one of the major ones) is having serious issues with their roller doors at the moment. Looks like we're going to have to find someone else who uses a different brand.

[geoffbeaumont]

Almost there - the new garage is up, just some minor work to be done on the roof when it stops raining for long enough and the electrics. And a large hole to be dug in (what's left of) the garden for a soak away (it has to take a fair bit of water from the house plus our garage and next doors' garage which overhangs the boundary and drained onto the roof of the old garage - now into a steel valley gutter).

The only real fly in the ointment is that the builders didn't do a very good job of the floor - it's a good thick, strong base but it's not very flat...if I lay a long straight edge across it there are dips where I can slide my fingers underneath. Anyone got any bright ideas for dealing with this? I would have thought most skims and levelling compounds wouldn't be strong enough to take things like jack wheels - did wonder about companies that resurface and finish concrete floors in commercial premises (anything that can survive in a commercial garage is going to have no problem here), but whether they'd be affordable or even remotely interested in doing a domestic garage is another matter.