Sheds and Green houses

[grenfell]

I did once buy a metal shed as a quick fix when we first moved in the house and I too found condensation was a problem but put a layer of insulation on top covered with corrugated bitumen sheeting and it's been bone dry for the last decade.

Grenf, could you possibly give us a bit more detail on that bit of magic? Getting a metal shed to a non-sweating state is truly impressive!

Well I've pretty much said it all really , not a huge amount to add but here goes. Standard pent roof metal shed to which I fixed 2x1 slating lath . I did this by screwing from underneath and used four laths . Actually while I did that I carried them over by about two feet on the one side to span the gap between the shed and a fence. Then on the sections of the metal roof I laid some foam insulation , the same foam that's used in sofas and finally screwed Coroline corrugated bitumen sheeting over the top running into a gutter. The shed is pushed away in a more obscure part of the garden ,the back is close to a standard panel fence , one side against a trellis fence and the other side is the one two feet from another trellis fence and i store a scaffold tower in that gap. The front is clear and it stands on a slabbed area. Other than that I've done nothing else to it and use it to store tins of paint , oils , plastic sheets and other assorted building paraphernalia and haven't suffered any condensation problems.
Maybe I've just been lucky or maybe I've hit on a solution I don't know.

[shocker]

Thank you for your time mate, much appreciated. Thats a fantastic help

[grenfell]

Another thought which occurred to me the other night. As I said the shed is in the more obscure part of the garden , partly surrounded by fences, trellis and trees and as such doesn't really get direct sun so might not be subject to quick changes in temperature.
Not really prepping related but an update on the house I have been clearing. The owner asked me to clear the garden too and I've now "found" the old boys greenhouses , except that they weren't really identifiable as green house any more. It seems that when they reached the end of their lives they were simply spread around the garden. I had two bonfires burning all day long to get rid of the bits and pieces of wood , doors , old tables and cupboards but it was the glass that got me. He'd just plonked it around the perimeters , under hedges and against fences and part buried with soil. I just don't understand the thinking of burying loads of glass in a garden

[ForgeCorvus]

........but it was the glass that got me. He'd just plonked it around the perimeters , under hedges and against fences and part buried with soil. I just don't understand the thinking of burying loads of glass in a garden

Thats common round here, the old boys used to do it to supposedly discourage rats ........ Cost/Benefit is way off though, can't weed if the soil bites back

Asbestos roofing sheets are worse though

[Arzosah]

grenfell, I think that clearing up the garden *is* prepping in the way that maintenance itself is a prep. Food security: how could you grow things in there safely if you're coming across glass all the time? And the security of your children? You want them out in the back garden to play sometimes, and there's broken glass and nails everywhere?

I can understand it might discourage rats, but there's an awful lot of downsides

[Trojanhorse]

Thanks for all the info to date! Very helpful.

[grenfell]

grenfell, I think that clearing up the garden *is* prepping in the way that maintenance itself is a prep. Food security: how could you grow things in there safely if you're coming across glass all the time? And the security of your children? You want them out in the back garden to play sometimes, and there's broken glass and nails everywhere?

I can understand it might discourage rats, but there's an awful lot of downsides

I agree with what you say but unfortunately others don't always see things the same way. The garden I've been clearing isn't my own but belongs to a landlord ( my own is clear although I do grumble at the small amount I do find some of which are those little bits of bullet shaped plastic from bloody fireworks) .He wanted all the rubbish clearing but that was about it. He's put up a fence part way down the garden and a small lawn close to the house with a gate to connect to the area I've been clearing. He was saying that any tenants could use the area if they wish but in his experience most can't be bothered so he would probably go round a couple of times a year and weedkiller the lot which to me seems to be on par with dumping crap there.
I've seen the theory that people put glass down to deter rats although I'm not 100% convinced it's true. I can believe that some would try it but having to weed or thin out amongst a pile of broken glass would deter a lot of gardeners let alone rats. The other explanation that people buried stuff before regular bin collections does make sense although where we are we've had collections since the late fifties or early sixties so that gives the former resident of the house no excuse. I know we had collections that long ago because my father was on the bins at the time and have a photo of him taken with a camera they found in one of the bins.

[Arzosah]

Grenfell, thanks for that.

Just been reading through the whole thread again - I wanted to ask about renovating an existing structure. I have a brick-built shed built on to my house, with a concrete floor that's sound, and I want to renovate it. Priorities are:
- get rid of the asbestos roof I was thinking of just using polycarbonate sheeting (its in the back garden) as its cheaper, and sometimes I could use the shed as a greenhouse/cold frame, to start off seedlings. I also thought it was an easy way to get light into the shed, as the door is at one corner. I know I need a specialist contractor.
- renewing the door, which is currently rotting wood I want it to be insect and draught proof - so I was just thinking of upvc, with glass in the top half.
- saw a comment (I think it was Andy's) about fitting guttering - that would be great to do, and there's space at the side, on the patio, for a narrow water butt, which I already have.

I wouldn't be able to do the work myself, unless it was something simple like the painting at the end.

Any suggestions? Especially alternatives to polycarbonate and upvc, that are still insect proof?

[grenfell]

I think the only way to make anything completely insect proof would be to ask Jean Luc for one of his force fields , they'll always seem to find a way in although happily not all are bad. If you take the right safety precautions and take it double bagged to a registered disposal point there's nothing to stop you removing the roof yourself although I can understand if you would prefer to get professionals in. It might be worth checking your local council as some will remove asbestos or have links to approved contractors.
Replacing the roof then with the polycarb is fairly straight forward . You don't mention windows but while the roof is off would be the time to put one in on preferably a south facing wall. Local reclamation yards would more than likely have a suitable window for a decent price and you could pick up the new door at the same time. Simple screens made of timber covered with fine insect mesh would be a good idea to allow the door or windows to be opened for ventilation without allowing hoards of nasties in.

[Arzosah]

Thanks grenfell.

I think the only way to make anything completely insect proof would be to ask Jean Luc for one of his force fields , they'll always seem to find a way in although happily not all are bad.

True! I was thinking "good enough for the house", thats why polycarb and upvc, like a conservatory. I'd love to chat with Jean Luc though

If you take the right safety precautions and take it double bagged to a registered disposal point there's nothing to stop you removing the roof yourself although I can understand if you would prefer to get professionals in. It might be worth checking your local council as some will remove asbestos or have links to approved contractors.

Health wise, I'm not up to it, sadly, and its not something I want to test my skills on Never thought of checking at the council - my builder is good, but he doesn't display the "asbestos removal approved" logo on his website.

Replacing the roof then with the polycarb is fairly straight forward . You don't mention windows but while the roof is off would be the time to put one in on preferably a south facing wall. Local reclamation yards would more than likely have a suitable window for a decent price and you could pick up the new door at the same time.

It's such a small space - maybe 7' x 5' - that if it has a polycarb roof and a window in the door, it doesn't need the extra work of creating a window. Going with stuff sourced from reclamation yards is a great idea!

Simple screens made of timber covered with fine insect mesh would be a good idea to allow the door or windows to be opened for ventilation without allowing hoards of nasties in.

Thats a great idea too! I even bought a job lot of mesh a few years ago. There's so much wildlife round here (including tree bees that used to nest in the mortar) it became a necessity.