Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: VegGirl7 on July 20, 2013, 12:03
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I inherited a shed/greenhouse combo on my plot when I took it on. It's a simple timer, 2"x4", frame with wooden planks overlaid (horizontally) for the shed sides. This has then been wrapped in roofing felt in an attempt to weather proof it, unsuccessfully!
The felt hasn't really been sealed properly and there are parts of it which have torn away which means the weather and the bugs can get between the felting and the wooden planks, and it looks awful (I've attached a pic)
Plans for this weekend were to remove the felt and paint the planks with a rather pretty blue, timber preservative :)
I started to pull the felt off last night and have found that there are small (1-3mm) gaps between the horizontal planks of the shed and so am unsure how best to proceed... which is where your advice is needed...
I can't leave the gaps between planks as it's not weather proof but what is the best way to fix it? I'm thinking I have a few options:
- take the planks off one by one and 'butt' them up to one another (adding an extra plank to fill the final, larger space)
- seal between the planks (what would I use? silicone sealant? would this look OK when I paint the outside?)
- clad the front
- clad inside -not sure if this would work - the gaps would be on the outside so water could still get to the inner 'skin'
- a better way I haven't thought of yet..?
I can't get the bullet points to work properly, they're not meant to be indented - never mind ::)
Any advice? (on the shed, not the bullet point problem :lol:)
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would have thought removing planks bottom up and refitting butted up with additional as required would do the business felt being disposed of in relevant skip at the council tip..
If you have some felt available there is the swisher 'proper job' option:
a. Remove planks bottom up to just higher than width of felt roll.
b. Put felt layer horizontal. Loose use of roofing tacks at top to hold against uprights, remove as suitable once refitted planks in step c are high enough for their nails/screws to hold it in place..
c. Refit planks bottom up, butting together up to height from top downwards of felt width.
d. Remove planks top section.
e. Put felt layer at top, overlap outside the lower layer. Loose use of roofing tacks at top to hold in place.
f. Refit planks on top of earlier section, butting up and removing temporary roofing tacks as convenient..
g. Additional planks as necessary to fill the gap at the top.
h. Use a few roofing tacks inside to fasten felt layer to the inside of the planks.
i. Apply preservative paint outside in hue of your selection. If wished, use salvaged mixture of part-full tins of paint stirred together to brighten up the inside of the shed (old gloss sticks best to roofing felt)
j. Stand back and say "My word, that looks good." Treat self to gin and tonics.
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This sounds like you are describing my shed, it is exactly the same.
I tried cutting up lengths of foam pipe lagging and squeezing it into the gaps, which worked quite well on the bits I could reach, and on the narrower gaps.
But the back of mine is a bit inaccessible to shortish people who have to stand on a stool so I didn't get all of it done and just had to get used to a well ventilated shed. ;)
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Thanks for the quick responses! I'm off to the plot soon so good to have a plan before I get there...
I'd never thought of adding a felt layer behind the boards. I do have some spare felt but that's earmarked for the front half of the roof which needs replacing
Think I'm going to go with:
would have thought removing planks bottom up and refitting butted up with additional as required would do the business felt being disposed of in relevant skip at the council tip..
followed by,
i. Apply preservative paint outside in hue of your selection.
a pretty 'iris' blue - perhaps with a 'country cream' window and door trim :D
and then
j. Stand back and say "My word, that looks good." Treat self to gin and tonics.
although it's more likely to be a wine and soda :lol: :D
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I'd worry that the planks butted together would not be weatherproof. The sheds Ive seen are either overlap or T&G. Even if a butted plank starts out weatherproof as it ages and moves it would open up gaps. If cost permitted Id start over, (If the frame is ok) Get T&G and redo the sides, then paint followed by refreshment.
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Looking at your pic its about 8x8. but only needs wood on 3 sides.
That's why you use waterproof felt under the wood ;)
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""That's why you use waterproof felt under the wood
Which you would be nailing through which would then leak.
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You might assume so, but it doesn't ;)
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I'd worry that the planks butted together would not be weatherproof. The sheds Ive seen are either overlap or T&G. Even if a butted plank starts out weatherproof as it ages and moves it would open up gaps. If cost permitted Id start over, (If the frame is ok) Get T&G and redo the sides, then paint followed by refreshment.
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Looking at your pic its about 8x8. but only needs wood on 3 sides.
That's why you use waterproof felt under the wood ;)
you make good points! I'll listen to advice and and use felt under the wood... (prefer not to have to buy more wood when the stuff that's there is mostly fine)
silly question time - do I put the 'outside' of the felt facing out (against the wood) or in (facing inside the shed)? (probably out but best to check :nowink:
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If the boards are not T&G do not butt to close together ! you must allow for expansion and contraction ;)
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My shed has got gaps between the shiplap (or whatever it's called) so I've started adding bits of thin marine ply to the inside of the shed, in a haphazard fashion. I have cadged various bits from people and have now a mottley collection. I glue it with no nails and panel pin it in place til it dries. I can't be bothered to empty the shed so I'm working around it the best I can. I do a bit when it rains :)
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if you want to seal the gaps, use a cheap car body filler and putty it into the cracks, this is the same stuff as the 'building' fillers that can cost twice the price (how do I know, a builder told me) then paint your wood, the only other option is to replace the wood with ship lap timber and overlap it. Many years ago I built a shed for my tools from old packing crates, and used the roofing felt method to seal it, it was good for quite a few years like that, but then I did use a very heavy weight of felt.
Grendel
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The car filler is a good idea on the smaller cracks. I shall give that a go as I think we have some knocking about. Shiplap is expensive and a big job for me to do so I'm patching and bodging. I have got the roof sorted. So proud of myself for that :D
I had thought of shingling the outside, that is if I didn't have to batten it first. I watched a video on Youtube and they tacked the shingles directly onto the lap itself. Would that mean nails sticking out on the inside of the shed? They didn't say anything about that :)
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Thanks for the advice everyone! I've made a start on removing the planks, lining with felt and then putting planks back over the top.
First picture is most of them removed from the front, right panel.
I'm going to have to drain the two water butts to do the side pieces, so I started to prize the ends away to make it easier to remove as the front pieces cover the ends (I know I didn't have to paint/seal the ends in situ, but I had to try the paint out!) ;)
you can see in the second picture the felt is wide enough to be able to tuck it round the door panel (under the beading/jamb) and I've left the other side so I can tuck it round and under the side pieces - working out quite well so far, I think :)
edited to add photos - doh!
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Looking good.
I might have a go with felt on the inside. Put it in place before I nail/glue my ply board on
Ta for the tips. Sorry to hijack your thread
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Veggirl impressive job.
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Thank you :D I'm really pleased with it so far - well, it couldn't have looked much worse than it did! :lol:
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Is the blue a bit... err... blue :D (Sunglasses required)
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Is the blue a bit... err... blue :D (Sunglasses required)
yup! I fancied something colourful to brighten the place up :D
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You'll be able to bounce lasers off of it.
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Shed colour is always difficult.
Paint it blue and you have to erect a flagpole to fly St George's cross, write letters to the Daily Mail as "annoyed of Gateshead" etc.
Paint it red and you find that somehow it has become part of the allotment committee of a site in Falkirk,
Paint it yellow and you have to hurry to make use of it seeing as it may well disappear completely in 2015!
I'll get me coat..........