TW Builds a Garden Room

There were a few on-the-fly redesigns too - firstly to give me more space around the sides (taking something like 30 cm off the overall width) and secondly moving the floor joists on the rear half, so that I could attach the joist hangers properly.

As it is, when I put the floor sheeting on, there'll be a little bit of jiggerypokery needed.

How did you level them to begin with? And are those feet the ones for decking frames? You reckon they'll hold the weight ok?

I'll PM you now with my email address.

How did you level them to begin with?

I used a water level (basically a hose and clear graduated tube) - I took one footing as a datum, and levelled the top of each cardboard form. problems crept in trying to get the concrete pour to the right level - Time constraints, slightly different hole volume, and one form being just over a safe mixer load, meant that I didn't always have the right amount of mix.

The feet are for timber buildings - each one can take 450kg, so I'm well within tolerance

Somehow missed this thread. Watching with interest!

How many skips you go through? I think I ended on 3, and then 6 skip bags that I'm still holding on to... Gonna have raised planters everywhere!

How long of an overhang will you have at the front out of interest?

I got rid of one 8 yard skip, and 3 skip bags, I think.

I've 3 skip bags of soil (every bit riddled, which was back breaking to say the least) - Raised beds ahoy!

The front overhang is a 365mm (140mm at the rear, to give enough space to ventilate the roof, and 80mm on the sides, just because it looks a bit nicer than being flush).

This weekend has been all floor.

It's safe to say that cutting 100mm PIR can get in the sea - I bought a proper insulation foam saw, and really struggled to keep cuts vertical and straight.

I ended up using my track saw, and doing a lot of outdoor vacuuming to keep the PIR dust down.

Today I measured and dryfitted all of the T&G chipboard subfloor - I would have glued & screwed too, but my caulk gun snapped as soon as I tried to use it.

Then it was a race to cover it up when it decided to rain particularly heavily.

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Next up - Shifting 1000kg of oak sleeper to retain the path around the perimeter.

It's safe to say that cutting 100mm PIR can get in the sea

Ugh, the thought of it sends shivers down my spine. Nice idea with the tracksaw. With a dust extractor connected too? If I ever have to do that kind of thing again I'll give this a go. I found cutting to exact size too time consuming so I ended up deliberately undersized by 10mm and then expanding foamed around all the edges later.

Re the overhang, I'd consider making it a little longer if you don't have a compelling reason not too, it will really help keep the front of the building dry. With 365mm I think you'll get splashback from rain hitting the floor, and direct rain in mild wind.

How long do you reckon is long enough?

I'm constrained by height (the longer the overhang, the higher it is), and how much overhang 2x5 can support.

(And, to a insignificant extent, overall weight increase).

I've drawn it up with a 100mm overhang, which is starting to look a bit unbalanced.

With a dust extractor connected too?

Yep - Even loose fitting, it was pretty effective - the PIR is so light it all gets sucked in.

Yep - Even loose fitting, it was pretty effective - the PIR is so light it all gets sucked in.

I wish I could go back in time and do it again

How long do you reckon is long enough?

Mine is 700 mm. Occasionally I stand under it and wish it was a tad longer but I think it's a good compromise. I did originally have it down to be 500 mm but when I put the first roof joist down and looked at it from the underside it just felt a little short.

I'm surprised you can get away with roof joists of 2x5s, your span is 3.5 m?

I'm surprised you can get away with roof joists of 2x5s, your span is 3.5 m?

Well fuck me.

Somewhere along the line, I've managed to mix the roof rafters up in my Sketchup files.

170mm is the depth I need for the span.

That was close...

Good work - Just one thing . I can tell your garden is sheltered but consider bolting building to the foundations..

How you getting on with the build?

I have lesson learned from mine that's giving me headaches now that I thought I'd share. My header beam for the bifold door has sagged ever so slightly which is making the doors more effort to operate. Correcting it now is difficult.

My header (for 3m bifold) is two 2x8s glued together with 2x4 under and above to effectively make 4x12. I suspect it has sagged as it has dried out over the year it's kept dry.

If i were to do it again, I'd layer in a steel box section.

How you getting on with the build?

We're at floor level still - Insulated, taped, and glued & screwed t&g chipboard. It's level, and solid af, which makes me happy.

I've been wanting a clear few days to get the walls framed & roof up, so that I can feel happy that the floor will not suck up a few tonnes of water. This hasn't happened, though, and I'm not even at home until September.

When I get back, I'll likely hire someone to help - We need the garden back, and the domestic goodwill needs refreshing.

The perimeter has a bunch of old treated sleepers retaining a path around, with big spikes holding those in place.

Around the edge of the floor frame, I've also stapled wire mesh, so that I can keep out any leaf / other debris, and maintain ventilation.

For the door frame, I have already designed in a 6mm sheet steel frame, at the suggestion of the door people, and I've been considering a box section header. Much for the reasons that you've suggested.

I need to talk to the blacksmith in any case, as I want them to quote for a door for the shed side too.

6mm steel sheet will probably be enough with suitably sized timber header. Could work out nicely if you're finshed timbers are 45mm wide, one steel layer would bring it to 96mm so more or less flush with the 95mm depth framing.

If you need help framing your walls/roof I could spare a few days to help you if you like.

That's an amazingly generous offer - thanks!

Now that we're back from a long break, I need to crack on with a project plan, and get on to the blacksmith - the house is falling apart, and we need me to move out of the front room office to allow us to find out why the bay window is falling off.

The decking arrived yesterday too, so I need to do some digging. Again.

My back aches just thinking about it.

Come on @TW

@nick_warner is killing it on his thread

Ha!

I have actually started a bit more on this recently.

To do the decking, I had to dig more.

To clear the soil, I had to find a place to put the old soil.

So I built raised beds, and riddled a few tonnes of topsoil.

But then I had to wait for an age for the sleepers.

And I only have 6 hours on Sundays to do it...

Tax tip: remove 'garden office' from this thread title unless you want HMRC to use the square footage of your commercial building to charge you CGT on a future house sale (they can use the % of land occupied applied to the house value, so it's not an insignificant sum).

Seeing as I need this done by the end of the year, and I just don;t have the time, I am probably going to get some help in.

I have made the plans look pretty though

Also - I'll be using a flitched beam header across the entire front frame - £150 more than timber, but so much stronger

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