To a married man, a shed can be his haven, his fortress of solitude, a place to escape the stresses of daily life, but to most it’s just somewhere you put the lawnmower. If you are looking to build one you can either build it from scratch yourself or buy a pre-built assembly pack, but if you can’t build one then you don’t deserve it in the first place!
Your first step is to choose a location, its best not to stuff it up against the hedge but don’t be stupid and put it in the middle of your garden. Mark out an area just larger than the size of the shed on the ground. Although you won’t need to build foundations, a hard standing is quite important to keep the shed sturdy. Begin by stripping the topsoil of your marked area and pour a couple of inches of sand which will compress over time. Then place a series of paving slabs onto the area, hammer them down with a rubber mallet and use a spirit level to make sure they are level.
If you already know what a shed is supposed to look like you can go ahead and design that yourself, it can be as big or as small as you want but remember that larger structures need more support. Build each panel with a diagonal support beam for strength and to avoid twisting and warping.
Your base can be made up of flat planks but to protect it from dampness you should apply an additional coat of wood preservative. Position the base centrally on the hard standing and consider the location of the door.
You might need a hand erecting the first wall, unless you can find something to balance it against, then nail the bottom of the wall to the floor and position the adjacent wall and securely join the corners.
Your roof can be of any design but remember that it will drain water so do not position the lowest point above the door, which would be an error. You will need to waterproof your roof which is commonly done by using felt; this can be securely fastened to the roof of the shed but will need replacing every few years.
Use preservatives to treat all the wood so it will cope with weather and moisture many wood paints are pre-mixed with treatments. Finally, watertight your shed with silicone around all the internal joints.
Fit a sturdy door that won’t be blown open with the wind or broken in to easily, depending on the size of the shed and your budget you may want to include windows but these aren’t vital. Now just enjoy it, use it to escape life and all its troubles or just store stuff in it, whatever.
You can get your materials for a shed from any decent hardwood suppliers and there is a variety of hardwood and softwood timber you can use.
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August 21 2010 | Gardening | No Comments »
The decision to embark upon concrete waterproofing is not to be taken lightly. This is particularly true when you contemplate the behavioural differences that there are when organic and chemical compounds are mixed. One can not always be certain of the outcome. That being so, the first decision should be to consider the actual condition of the concrete you will be working with and its position in respect of water.
Although it is true to say that the topical asphalt based sealers are typically the first choice for most concrete work, being as they are, tried and tested against problems with foundations and brickwork, there are alternatives. There is an ongoing evolution in methodology and product development in the current manufacturing processes. As an example many new additives are being created to improve the protective qualities of sealant against water erosion and water vapour in particular. The encroachment of water into concrete can have a highly damaging effect rendering the structure prone to weakness.
The market today is full of brand-new products that are capable of keeping water out. These are designed and graded according to how much waterproofing is required for the particular job in hand. Most manufacturers will claim, especially in the case of outdoor sealers, that they will provide powerful protection against any kind of extreme weather. These designer sealers are a special blend of liquid that has the ability to seep into the very structure of the concrete making a much more powerful seal against the most heavy duty type of water problem one can envisage. This includes stains.
They are claimed by manufacturers (in the case of exterior sealers) to allow superb protection against even the most robust weather conditions. These high specification products use special blends that can be absorbed into the fabric of the concrete making it impervious to even the worse kinds of water-based conditions, including stains. They are claimed to be suitable for pond and pool sealant, with the chemical barrier they provide. That makes them ideal for the average do it yourself yard job.
One of the newest products on the market is based on crystal technology, which is a brilliant but simple concept. The idea behind it is that since concrete has a porous construction, by blending a special kind of crystal into the wet concrete, when the crystals grow and expand they will seal up the air pockets and cracks rapidly. This is a very useful benefit as a concrete additive.
There are also products on the market whose foundation is based on the new crystal technology. It is a simple idea; because concrete is porous by nature if you mix a special type of crystal to the mixture, as the crystals grow and expand they automatically close up the gaps in the concrete. It is a very efficient technology for sealing up those hairline cracks that often appear overtime. The crystalline mixture can be troweled in to fresh concrete, sprayed on, added to water and simply applied to existing or new structures.
Additives such as silica and pozzolan are also added in order to provide more water protection and strength further benefit is the fact that these latest products form a barrier against erosion from all kinds of oil-based products that damage the concrete structure. This adds an element of protection against future erosion for your concrete waterproofing project.
If You would like more information on Concrete waterproofing and Stone Protection then please visit our website.
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May 12 2010 | Gardening | No Comments »