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Pinshed Build

DRD

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Joined
Oct 26, 2014
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5,421
Location
Newark
Like so many on here, my appetite for games exceeds my space.

So 'er indoors and I decided to normalise our lives by building a posh shed. The idea was to get our home office and pinball machines out of the main house. This builds on the great work done by @newdos and @Jsyjay in particular. Big thanks to these guys. It is easier to stand on the shoulders of giants than figure it all out for yourself. I had not even heard of epdm or hardieplank before these guys shared their builds.

The plans ...

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My design philosophy ...
  • Commodity materials wherever possible
  • 4x2 CLS tanalised frame
  • Frame filled with celotex
  • OSB (orientated strand board) outside the 4x2 for rigidity and wind-proofing
  • One piece EPDM rubber roof
  • Warm roof structure (celotex above the inner roof surface) so you do not need to ventilate the loft
  • OSB and stud partition internal dividing wall one third to two thirds split, giving rigidity along the long wall
  • 1m roof overhang on one side to create a nice walkway
  • Off the peg steel security door as the main entrance
  • Internal steel shutters protecting the french doors and window
  • Alarmed
  • Insulated concrete floor
  • Overnight storage heaters
  • All wood to be raised well above ground level, resting on damp proofed engineering bricks
  • hardieplank weatherboards on the outside
  • Water for a sink
  • Big power supply
  • Recognise that Pinball might be my hobby now, but build this thing recognising that might change. So the building may well be re-purposed one day
I actually wanted to go for a pent roof and a modern looking structure, but as we are in a conservation area I was advised to go for an apex roof and to make the thing look like a wooden barn/ stable block. You then hit that "my united states of whatever" frame of mind.


This will give about a 4.8 by 4.9m pinball room. This will take 12 games comfortably. I just decided that 12 HAS to be enough. I was happy with one game, my addams family for over 15 years. So if I cannot cope with 12, I ought to blow my brains out and leave my dough to a charity like Raptor Rescue. The more you get, the more there is to go wrong. Then the untreated OCD kicks in and the damned things make you miserable.

Layout - the beauty of these dimensions is that you can do 6 opposite 6 .....

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.



7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

But I am actually going to do this ....


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

7................. 8.
9............... 10.
11.............. 12.


When it is just me, or me plus a few others, I would leave it like this. But by moving 7. and 8. out of here into next door for tournaments it will give loads of room for folk to play and move around.

At just over 7.5m by 5.1m this shed was caught by building regs by virtue of its floor area, but quite frankly I know what I want. It also required planning permission as I have an end-on house, and the council consider this to be in front if its main elevation.

Planning consent was gained without issue.

I auditioned the council and three independent building control firms. One of the independent firms just spoke my language. It wanted to work with me, not against me. Offering me solutions not just problems. So I went with them.

The foundation. The filthy weather of the past few weeks has crippled progress. This has been the largest cat litter tray for three weeks. But we expect to pour the reinforced concrete foundation tomorrow.

Pit dug, compacted stone on top ...

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Then the first of two damp proof membranes. This one is arguably not needed, but for the sake of 30 or 40 quid or whatever ...

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A second damp proof layer will sit on top of the concrete raft and extend over the engineering bricks that create the void for the screeded floor.

I know that a concrete floor is overkill, but I want to do this once. I just do not trust suspended wooden floors - though one would have been much cheaper and easier.
 
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You know what @kevlar , it takes time to do these threads. Time when I could be watching tv, or overeating and overdrinking myself to death.

But I have benefitted from other guys who took that time, so hopefully one or more of the folk on here might pick up some tips from whatever I do. Copy good ideas, avoid bad ones.
 
@JMP I honestly don't know. I have tried to pick commodity materials. I am trying to source the individual bits at sensible prices, just checking prices on dearer items v what the builders can get them for. I will be working alongside these guys after the foundation is poured to help with the labour side of it. The two builders are reasonably priced on a day rate and work quickly

Where I live you always get this conundrum. Day rate v job rate

Go with a day rate and everyone tells you that you are stupid. They will mess about. Drag their feet. You will overpay

Go with a job rate and you fear that they will put in a big price to cover contingencies. Then they will make as much money as they can by cutting corners, buying inadequate materials, leaving you unseen problems that will develop over the following months. I know so many folk who have had to redo work because something stupid was done - usually involving damp, drains, rainwater etc

Involving building control could cause a step change in cost, depending on what spec you wanted in the first place. Building control means that the thing has to be done to a higher spec than you might have wanted (floor strength, robustness of damp course, thickness of insulation used, type of vapour barrier, protection against condensation) - but I see this as a line of defence to cockups

The lines of defence to cock ups are the builder, my internet research, the building control lady

Major cost items ...
Planning and building control
concrete floor
Hardieplank
Celotex
Rubber roof
Security shutters

As I am fussy I will overspec this. The alternative for us was a brick built extension with loads of extra cost to fit in with the damned conservation area - expensive bricks, tiles, drainpipes, specified windows .... So as long as the guys work fairly and we all buy things at sensible prices, the cost of the shed will be the cost

P1ssing it down again, so another delay ...

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Cracking Dave and thanks for the mention - look forward to watching this. Your design almost looks identical to mine - except for the roof. Lots of pics please

Cheers

kev
 
Cracking Dave and thanks for the mention - look forward to watching this. Your design almost looks identical to mine - except for the roof. Lots of pics please

Cheers

kev
EDIT forget to say when you come to the hardieplank give me a shout as I Sourced(I think) the cheapest in the UK by far.
 
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I know that a build like this can never be fully secured from break ins.

If folk use one of these rechargeable grinders, they can easily get through most sensible levls of security in seconds....

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If folk use one of these, they can get through just about anything short of a bank vault in seconds....

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Garden sheds are very vulnerable to crime, so I want to make mine upappealng to the average criminal. It just is not worth the hassle of them trying to break in, damaging stuff .....

I am not going into specific details, but I will be fitting stuff like a steel security door. Things to look out for are rust proofing (zinc coated for example), powder coated seems better than paint, anti bump/ snap/ pick cylinders (cheap europrofile cylinders are the EASIEST way to break in anywhere right now), dog bolts (protect against the hinges being cut off), outward opening is safer than inward opening, stainless steel handles/ hinges so they do not rust. Companies like this do off the peg doors. It is MILES cheaper to get the door first and fit the frame around it than buying a custom door. You can get fearsome looking steel doors for just over £250 inc delivery ....

https://doorsforsecurity.co.uk/steel-security-doors/standard-duty-steel-security-door

Internal roller shutters are a good visible deterrant. It probably does not matter what they are made of as just seeing it would put most thieves off. Loads of folk do these. Aluminium, steel, double wall, insulated double wall. Electric ones are quite neat and are very easy to use with either a toggle switch or a quarter turn keylock. Going electric might add £150 or so to the £250 or so you pay for a manual one

http://www.securityshuttersdirect.co.uk/shutters/prices.htm

Securing the french double doors is not so easy. I have not made my mind up yet. These things are a cost effective way if you only open them from the inside ...

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This is another way ...

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Or there is the roller shutter option. But with tall openings like this, the headbox might be 25cm by 25cm. And putting an electric switch on the outside totally compromises its security
 
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@JMP I honestly don't know. I have tried to pick commodity materials. I am trying to source the individual bits at sensible prices, just checking prices on dearer items v what the builders can get them for. I will be working alongside these guys after the foundation is poured to help with the labour side of it. The two builders are reasonably priced on a day rate and work quickly

Well you sound like a man on a mission ! Good luck with it, will be cool-as when finished and better to do it right at this stage if can afford to than come back to stuff later on.
 
This really does seem like overkill to be. Overkill in the extreme. Like using an atomic bomb when a hand grenade would have done. Anyway, two layers of reinforcement mesh are down with a spacer in between. This is the downside of crossing the building regulations threshold.

A cautious building inspector could require this to be built as robustly as an extension to a house. With insulation to match. My local council building controller unofficially advised me not to build it as he would be so rigorous. He wanted structural engineers' reports. He advised me to reduce the floor area to below 30 sqm to eliminate building regs.

Using a more pragmatic inspector, you can dial this back. Recognising that there is no toilet, no overnight accomodation, it is an occasional use building ...

But this thing was measured to fit. It has to do a number of things - decent sized office with a big window, 12 machines, enough turning space into the garage, sensible walkway between it and the house (1.2m). Importantly it shields the garden from the public road, and we want to seal it off so the dog can patrol the garden without terrifying members of the public. Approach our gate when she is outside and you are met by something out of a horror movie or mexican drug cartel.

My hope is to create something that feels solid. That feels like you are inside a proper house. So no floor deflection (well that is guaranteed !!), warm, quiet, no creaking....

image.jpeg

We are all praying for dry weather as the readymix is on standby for tomorrow.

I pity whoever has the job of digging this out in about 100 years time, to do whatever folk do then. Maybe growing apples and vegetables as subsistence farmers, like they did here when the house was originally built.

Celotex has arrived, 75mm for the floor. 75mm for the walls. Will be 100mm or 125mm for the roof.
 
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Skilful phone photography mate. To get the dog in there. Looking at the camera too.
 
Fekk me dave - how deep is that base??!!!

4" is good/overkill for a driveway.
I went for 6" which is good for A rather large lorry......
 
This is exactly what I did 9 years ago when I built my games room 30m square floor space 225mm thick floor including celotex 25mm celotex around perimeter then built it like a house.
The only problem I had back then was because it was so big the council tried to put my house up a band to pay more council tax as they said I could use it as a living space even though it is about 3m from my house so ended up putting a false garage door at the front to get round it.
 
@Paul

This is why sane people keep the building to below 30 sqm, to keep building regs out of it. the starting point for my shed is domestic extension standard building regulations. Throw in that I am in a clay soil area and then this sort of thing really kicks in.

This has to be a certain grade of concrete. The lower mesh must be 50mm above the base of the raft. The upper layer must be 50mm below the rop of the raft. The mesh must stop 50mm within the sides on the raft. All to stop water/ air geting to the mesh so it rusts and blows the concrete out

This thing is NINE inches deep. I suspect medieval castles and early examples of nuclear bunkers have less. I live in a village where folk grass on their neighbours, get planning enforcement involved etc. This shed is a clearly visible 20m from the road, straight down my drive, as opposed to being hidden behind a house as most sheds are. So I can't really take chances
 
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@Pharo

I have already had the business rates folk out trying to put business rates on this. The damned home office is about 13 sqm !!!
 
I know they try to get money out you any way they can,another thing I got my knuckles rapped for was they wanted the rain water into a chamber then into a soakaway 3m away I didn't bother I put a couple of eco-drains down the side and along the full front and connected into the main system they weren't pleased.
I'm a bricklayer myself and I come across these rules and regs everyday.
 
Reading that sent me to the fridge for my first gin of the evening

What is so tragic is that these people are called public servants. We pay their salaries. We are their customers. They are supposed to serve the community and make it better.

Yet most people I know DREAD any interaction whatsoever with the local authority. I have had some good experiences. The bin men give my dog biscuits ever week for example. I have had a lot of bad experiences. But these guys are generally monopoly service providers in heavily unionised jobs often enjoying lifetime employment, irrespective of their limitations

Right now in my village there is a deeply controversial planning application for 9 houses opposite the primary school. This is about 100 yards into the village on the main entrance from the 60 mph A road. There is daily traffic chaos during term time. Cars on pavements. Cars blocking drives. The bus stop is opposite the school. Delivery vehicles. The road becomes single file. YET Highways gave this application a clean bill of health despite admitting they visited during holiday time AND stating they are not prepared to return during school time.
 
Finally, we poured the concrete today. The readymix van duly arrived 3.5 hours late. And only managed half the job ...

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So a second mixer came along to complete the task ..

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The builders bring this teleporter every day, it is a fantastically versatile piece of kit ..

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This was when we relocated the former shed down the garden. This machine has 4 wheel steering so has superb manoeuvrability ..

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Bored pets though as we are in a lock down until this dries ...
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This base need not be absolutely perfect-looking. The 2 or 3 courses of engineering bricks will go down around its perimeter to form the area for the floor pour. Then a thick plastic membrane on top of this base as concrete reacts with celotex. Then 75mm foil backed celotex. Then another plastic membrane. Then the screed floor
 
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We have dug out the path with a mini-digger and extended the drive in front of the garage, putting 4" to 5" of compacted limestone in.

Connected up the various drains.

Got the engineering bricks ready to create the void for the floor and to lift the wooden walls well clear of ground level.

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Have got the engineering bricks down. A damp course will sit on top of this, then the stud walls made out of tanalised cls timber.

The tanalising protects it from insect attack. Cls is Canadian lumber standard. This means that the wood is graded for strength. It comes as eased edge, so it is easy to handle without splintering. So what folk refer to as 4x2, which should be 100mm by 50mm, is the size of the timber before it gets planed and edged. So the finished product might actually be 90mm by 40mm

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The bulk of the path is also down. I wanted York Stone, until I saw how dear it is. Daft money. Maybe £60 per sqm. Indian sandstone is less than a third of this. The guy at the stone yard advised me that all stone goes the same colour in the end (dirty) so unless you regularly power wash it, you might as well go for cheaper stuff. This place is in the impoverished East Midlands, so merely a path is a step up from what I had before.

He also advised that it is quite common for folk to put yoghurt on indian sandstone to encourage the rapid formation of grey lichen/ algae. Then sell it as york stone

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You can put all that stuff on it but and if it was me I would bypass the lot and cut a hole in the roof or side of shed. Take about 30 secs with a skill saw.....seen it done in petrol stations.....

Alarm it and cameras.....fact is someone has to turn up with vehicle/s to carry the things out....tbh...there are easier crimes.....like selling overpriced pins that don't exist to unsuspecting people on eBay........anyone trying to take your collection in reality are doing it to order or professional, and they are going to get them no matter what you do.....

.........alternatively put a little chef sign outside it...no f!!ker would be seen dead walking into one of them......

Ps...nice build...total overkill but certainly doing it properly!
 
It is all African lion theory

You do not need to outrun the lion. You just need to outrun your friend.

Make your outbuildings more troublesome than your neighbour's and the chances are that you will be ok.
 
Don't know too much about this stuff but how about using some of this stuff?


Smart Water is a dna marker you can paint on your stuff or as per you tube clip where you can have a curtain spray that will cover your unwanted visitors!
 
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