Garden Summer House / Out building

[Gashead86]

Morning All,

I am new to this forum so please go easy on me! Apologies if I have posted this in the wrong place....

I am thinking of building a small garden out house. Literally had the idea this morning, so very early stages!
We have an area at the bottom of our garden that is approx 3 x 2M and said area is just a bit of a wasteland really. It is directly below two old trees and as such nothing grows underneath and the space is just wasted really.

We build a deck to the right hand side of this area a couple of years ago and have been enjoying it ever since!
I have this morning had a bit of a crazy idea of building some sort of basic out house to compliment the deck and hopefully become a watertight building we can spend long summer evenings in...

So I am here for advice.... Is this a stupid idea? How difficult are we talking here? I have a basic knowledge of general DIY and I also do a bit of furniture making, so I reckon I could probably have a go at this myself....
I would be using as much reclaimed material as I possibly could to both reduce cost and add a bit of character. I can get my hands on pallets quite easily and was thinking I could perhaps use pallet wood as cladding for the walls? Obviously I would need to build far more solid frame, but as far as I can see, pallet wood would be fine for cladding once treated?

Has anyone on here had a go at a similar project? Any ideas or tips before I even start?

Thanks for any help you guys might be able to offer.

 

[angelboy]

Have a look here for a handy guide.

http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/build-a-shed-mike-s-way-t39389.html

 

[r896neo]

pallet wood although cheap is no good for an exterior cladding. You need an interlocking profile with an over hang to shed water. Pallet wood will simply let water run down and track along its bottom edge. This is less relevant if you plan to waterproof the building with ply sheeting and breather membranes prior to cladding.

You need shiplap or a larger board applied like featheredge cladding.

You will be surprised at how much it will cost you relative to a new one. Undoubtly yours will be better built and more satisfying but if your building it purely because it will be cheaper think again and work out the materials needed before you start. You may well find you can buy one ready made for the same price as your materials alone.

 

[Gashead86]

I had planned to router the pallet strips to create a tounge and grove and thus deem them waterproof (in theory)..

Do you think this is viable?

Was looking to get second hand bifolding doors (plenty on ebay) for the front elevation, so will only be for side and back anyway (the cladding) that is.

 

[r896neo]

Well then you will have a load of 4ft lengths so will have to deal with the ends of each too?

I think its not worth it.

When building a structure like this you either build it with a water shedding interlocking cladding like ship lap directly onto the studs or you build it like a timber frame building with the studs over boarded with ply/osb then breather membrane then counter battens and finnally cladding.

In that method your cladding is less critical and is not providing the main waterproofing so you could go with your pallet wood in perhaps a hit and miss type arrangement.

The extra materials will cost more than buying ship lap though.

Have you ever tried taking apart lots of pallets? Its not fun or quick

 

[Gashead86]

Yes, it certainly is neither of those things! But it is certainly very rewarding when you have gone through all of that effort and then at the end of it have a reclaimed item that you know hours have gone into. Although, it is starting to feel as though hours may well be months in this case!

I am starting to think that a standard shin lap clad will be better all round.

Out of interest, what would you suggest for the base? The ground is not level so I was thinking a similar base to a raised deck with plenty of posts concreted in to the ground a base frame built off of them?

Then thinking timber frame to come off of that, shin lap external cladding, perhaps some cheap insulation to go in the frame voids, then plasterboard and finally a skim.

Should be able to do all of the above skills I think. But is it a viable plan?

 

[r896neo]

Plasterboard does not do well in damp situations and if you want to go the insulation and plasterboard route then you would be better off building it as a proper timber frame wall as above with breather membrane.

If it was me I would either do it outside to inside of

Shiplap - studs (with no insulation to improve ventilation) -boarding (such as sheets of decent ply which you could whitewash if you wanted)

Or Do it full on with cladding - counter battens - breather membrane - OSB- studs with insulation - vapour barrier - plasterboard.

A halfway house is probably going to end up a bit mouldy and damp

 

[r896neo]

Thats fascinating. I'll certainly call infinity garden!! perhaps they could fly 7000Km for a consultation? That may however have an adverse effect on the climatic changes though???

Its a quandry alright...