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In Progress Gamesroom build #3 - Name to be decided!

Paul

Staff member
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
11,544
Location
South Wales
Alias
Toibs
Happy miserable, rainy, cold Saturday everyone!

This isn't my first foray into Gamesroom builds. Two previous at my Ex's place (one a Gamesroom, the other a workshop) means that i'm a little seasoned and am always looking to improve on the last one, using lessons learnt.

Was looking around for a Basic "shed" - Prices have stayed fairly stable over the last 4-5 years, however in a lot of cases quality has decreased, so the key is to find something that has retained Price vs quality.

The area I had was limited - around 5m x 4m - however conscious that it needs to include an area to run off etc for water. Planned for approx 16'x12' "workshop" to be placed on top.

For my previous builds the bases were always Concrete - however practice shows that there were a few issues with this...
1. Not Really Eco Friendly.
2. Expensive
3. If you can't get the delivery directly to the location then it's Barrow time (last time it was around 90 Barrows for a 6" deep similar sized build... which unless the mix was Very sloppy would start to set before you had even finished moving the damn stuff!).

This time have decided on an alternative route....

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So this is what we started with. Relatively level (other than the back right corner which has a bit of a rise on it..)

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First of all Membrane down to prevent weeds whilst allowing natural elements to permeate through to the soil beneath. It also helps to keep your gravel clean by creating a barrier...

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So to give me a level it was a layer of Gravel on the base - This allowed me to level out any imperfections and make things nice and flat.

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Then i used what are is advertised as "DRIVEWAY CAR PARKING ECO500 PLASTIC GRAVEL GRIDS". Once these are filled with Gravel or soil, they will support over 25 tonnes axle load - or in real terms Over 500 tonnes/m2 , and also add to the "eco-friendly" approach, since they are made from recycled plastics. Some are available that have thicker walls and do not need to be filled, however when checking up on this i noted that when it gets warm (25C+) they do have a tendency to lose their strength. Therefore opted for the cheaper grids, however with around 4 tonnes of Gravel (1 for the base/level, 3 for the filling!).

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What will also help is that they will act as a natural soak-away - meaning that there would be no standing water as there is on concrete bases... it should just drain through the Gravel.

Looked at the specs etc of what was about on the market, and came up with this :

19mm finish T/G cladding,
3x2 framework throughout
1’ thick flooring
Eaves height raised from 6'6" to 7' (obviously reducing the gradient of the roof VERY slightly to get it to stop at the legal Max of 2.5m for planning regs (Within 2m of the boundary)
all fully pressure treated

I requested a tweak to the location of the door to one end, which gives me more "wall space", and also rather than 6 small windows i would rather 2x larger ones, since it makes things easier (and cheaper) to install double glazed sealed units.

A week before delivery i needed to make sure there was enough space to fit everything in, and therefore a little "trimming" was needed...

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This was due to be delivered on 26th Oct, however that was the weekend with Weather warnings all over the place, so understandably was cancelled, and re-arranged for the following tuesday.
Price included Delivery and erection, as i'm getting too old for that kind of Crap nowadays...:)

And then it arrived....

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Inside....
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Decided to get some decent external pics the following morning :
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The weather has been crap since, so have been limited to what i can do (Previous builds have been in the summer, so have had the weather on my side).

Started on the internals this week. There was a little water seepage (initially because they had skimped on sealant around the windows - probably as i has mentioned changing the units... but can't afford that quite yet!), so re-sealed those and based upon recommendation i got some of this lovely stuff...

https://www.barrettinepro.co.uk/25/283/Decking-Oil-All-In-One-Treatment

Sprayed on the inside using a rather good spray gun for the price (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07CZYWQR5/ - yes i know the treatment is external use, however both sides will eventually be sprayed in it!) and VERY high in VOC (Solvent based - i.e. dont even think about using this stuff without a properly spec'ed face mask!!), however soaks in really easily and I can already tell due to the rain this morning it seems to have sealed anything major. Yes, this is the only part that isn't particularly eco-friendly, however the way i look at it if i didn't use something decent then it will have to be rebuilt in 5-10 years, so a little common sense prevails here.
Personal experience teaches me that with a lot of "eco" water based treatments they don't get absorbed as well by the wood, and therefore meaning that they have to be re-treated more often, and their effectiveness is lessened.

To be continued....
 
So - my first question to the masses..... Doors and Locks...

So i'm realistic to understand that there is no way with a wooden build that it will ever be burglar-proof.. however i would like to make things a little difficult, whiclt not making it too obvious from the outside as to what is inside! Granted it's difficult to just pick up a pinball machine and walk off, however the prospect of Damage/Vandalism is more likely.

Here's the door...

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Left door lips over the right door... currently only held closed by some external swivel retainers.

Inside the Right door, internally, i propose just to use a couple of deadbolts into the top/bottom of the Frame

Suggestions on what to use to use externally though would be gratefully received! Would like to use something a little more substantial than just a hasp...
 
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Also - here's a good one - Looking for a Name!!

Previous have just been called "the Gamesroom"... but would like a theme or a name around this one... It will have Pins, Fruities and old fashioned bandits in as a guide... :)

Would love some suggestions!!
 
Also - here's a good one - Looking for a Name!!

Previous have just been called "the Gamesroom"... but would like a theme or a name around this one... It will have Pins, Fruities and old fashioned bandits in as a guide... :)

Would love some suggestions!!
"Paul's Pleasure Palace of Pins"

Looking good mate!
 
Hi Paul
You could fit. Yale lock on , but personal I would fit 2 with two or three feet gap between them or a couple of dead locks or rim locks the choice is yours :thumbs:
But being a Joiner if I was going to break in I would just unscrew the screws on the hinges and hay presto your in ,so to combat that , you will need to fit bolts on both sides of the hinges !!

If you are going to use Yale locks drop me a PM and I will explain how as there is a few ways how to do it
;)
 
Loving it so far Paul.
I've just been deciding on a name for mine too. It's a big responsibility. Maybe bigger than naming my first born. My second name is Horsburgh so my nickname has always been Horsey. So mine is now called The Stable Arcade.
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On the lock front. A padlock is only as good as the building it is attached to. So metal plates front and back of the panel it is bolted to is a must.
Sometimes with sheds, less is more. Especially if it can be seen from outside your house. I knew a guy who had an alarm and multiple bars on his. The person who broke in obviously thought it was worth the hassle to try it.
 
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Hi Paul, do you mind telling us how much was it for supply and erection of this little beauty? And where you got it from? Moving house soon and I'll need one like that in the new place.
 
Hmm... yes understand that... that involves keys and i'm not the best with those... saying that i think a Padlock would be preferable than a yale... just seems more secure to me??

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yale-Locks-PDL02SC-Push-Button/dp/B004J342FS/
I see the link is for a lockable latch ! And in the same link if you scroll down and can use that type of system and use it on a Yale lock !!
But I have been thinking about this and if the gap between the doors looking at the inside is greater than 1/8 " (about 3mm) than the type's of locks I have mentioned are to easy to break in ,they may look the part but no good for the type of door which it is being installed in . As you said a padlock using a hasp and staple would be more secure . There are some padlocks which don't need a key , just a 4 digit code is required ,so that ticks that box :)
 
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Are there any restrictions on the inside stopping games being placed in certain areas ? Also how many games can you fit in ?
Also interested as I'm moving soon and this seems like a games room that could work for me.
 
Hmm... yes understand that... that involves keys and i'm not the best with those... saying that i think a Padlock would be preferable than a yale... just seems more secure to me??

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yale-Locks-PDL02SC-Push-Button/dp/B004J342FS/
I see the link is for a lockable latch ! And in the same link if you scroll down and can use that type of system and use it on a Yale lock !!
But I have been thinking about this and if the gap between the doors looking at the inside is greater than 1/8 " (about 3mm) than the type's of locks I have mentioned are to easy to break in ,they may look the part but no good for the type of door which it is being installed in . As you said a padlock using a hasp and staple would be more secure . There are some padlocks which don't need a key , just a 4 digit code is required ,so that ticks that box :)
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Looking at this as a possibility now... :)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-SHS-2920-Interface-Applicable-Thickness/dp/B01EFIW7VW

Thoughts?
 
Ive got a similar version in a 12 x 12 size.
Just be careful when walking out as i crack my noggin in that door frame on a regular basis.
It's OK going in but when going out 😭
 
Might be worth getting some sort of solenoid operated valve for a co2 cylinder and hook it up to a pad so when an intruder walks on it, they get a blast of co2 in the face. I can imagine that doing the trick in the dead of night. Also, hi pitched female screaming noises at full blast through a stereo when it happens would be the cherry on top. Could always not tell the missus for the first test too. Win win all round.
 
Flooring batoning done yesterday in preparation for delivery of the insulation today....

The insulation will sit in between the battons and then be covered over the top by 18mm OSB3 (Which is arriving tomorrow)

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Are there any restrictions on the inside stopping games being placed in certain areas ? Also how many games can you fit in ?
Also interested as I'm moving soon and this seems like a games room that could work for me.
I would look for a house that has been extended and fill the extension with the pins.
 
This thread makes me think we should have a dedicated thread on suggested building supplies used during the construction of mancaves. I am thinking that many of us do research in trying to get the best place to buy building supplies. Others might benefit from this research (at their own risk of course). For example when I built my glorified shed I got the roof covering from eBay(felt tiles) from a guy who offered a very good price. It might be useful information to others. I also got my insulation from insulation4less and that worked out ok too.
A thread that gathers all this info might be useful for those who want to embark on a project but aren't quite sure where to get stuff from. Just an idea.
 
So just an update on this...

Progress has been slow over the last couple of months due to a combination of being dragged away for work, Better half being very poorly, and most recently Christmas.. all the usual distractions really coming together.

Insulation is mostly up now, and most of the power cables are run in.

One question though - What would you guys do around lighting etc on this little lot below??? Obviously need to decide before i can board the walls as need to run the cables in :)

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Initial thoughts was to clad the roof (insulated of course) and then surface mount something, however not sure if that would be the most prudent option...

Cheers
Paul
 
Design what lights you want the run the grey power cable for it; then out in the insulation and then board up the insulation’s with the light cable runs dropping thru.

If I was you I’d go for the track lighting like I have super flexible.

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