Fitting out The Shed [Was: Unconverted loft? Expensive shed?]

[jamespetts]

I do not think that a shipping container would quite be the look that I am going for in my garden. As to the loft, I have already diiscarded that idea: see above. I am awaiting the local authority's response to the e-mail that I sent regarding building regulations and what a single storey wooden outbuilding within 1m of the boundary of between 15 and 30 sq. m. and containing no sleeping accommodation would have to do to comply with those regulations.

[Pannier Tank]

One thing that should be taken into consideration is "Article 4 of the Planning Consent" with regards to "Permitted Development Rights". See :-- 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_4_direction  for further information. Article 4 applies to my property so I had to submit Planning Permission (Free of Charge) which was duly granted. The last thing I wanted was to spend £1000's building the "Out Building" only to be told to take it down.

[jamespetts]

One thing that should be taken into consideration is "Article 4 of the Planning Consent" with regards to "Permitted Development Rights". See :-- 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_4_direction  for further information. Article 4 applies to my property so I had to submit Planning Permission (Free of Charge) which was duly granted. The last thing I wanted was to spend £1000's building the "Out Building" only to be told to take it down.

 

Thank you for noting that. Nothing regarding any Article 4 directions were found when the searches for my property were conducted before I bought it, but thank you for pointing this out all the same.

 

Incidentally, I have just had a call from one of the various garden building suppliers, who believes that, for buildings under 30 sq. m., only Part B of the Building Regulations apply, meaning that fireproofing the building is sufficient. I have asked him to e-mail me the details of where that is found in the regulations so that I can be sure that this is correct - if so, it would mean that a larger range of wooden structures are able to comply with Building Regulations than might otherwise be the case, including some of the less expensive buildings.

[Pannier Tank]

Thank you for noting that. Nothing regarding any Article 4 directions were found when the searches for my property were conducted before I bought it, but thank you for pointing this out all the same.

 

Incidentally, I have just had a call from one of the various garden building suppliers, who believes that, for buildings under 30 sq. m., only Part B of the Building Regulations apply, meaning that fireproofing the building is sufficient. I have asked him to e-mail me the details of where that is found in the regulations so that I can be sure that this is correct - if so, it would mean that a larger range of wooden structures are able to comply with Building Regulations than might otherwise be the case, including some of the less expensive buildings.

 

The following Link should answer your Building Regulations questions and your Local Building Control Office will confirm.

 

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/43/outbuildings/2

[jamespetts]

Thank you: I had already found that particular resource. The relevant part is:

 

 

If the floor area of the building is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building contains NO sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed of substantially non-combustible materials.

 

What I am currently considering is a building of circa 7x3m (21 sq. m.) situated on the boundary and built of wood, so the Building Regulations do apply in this case. What I am trying to find out is precisely what is required to comply with the Building Regulations in that case.

[Pannier Tank]

What I am currently considering is a building of circa 7x3m (21 sq. m.) situated on the boundary and built of wood, so the Building Regulations do apply in this case. What I am trying to find out is precisely what is required to comply with the Building Regulations in that case.

 

My building is also 7 x 3 Metres so I interpreted the Regulations:-

Building a detached garage of less than 30 square metres floor area would not normally need building regulations approval if:

• the floor area of the garage is between 15 square metres and 30  square metres, provided the garage is at least one metre from any boundary, or it is constructed from substantially non-combustible materials.

 So, my building being mainly of wood construction has the requisite 1 Metre Clearance at the Property Boundary. 

 

 

P.S - One of the advantages of having a 1 Metre Clearance all round is that you can carry out any maintenance from within your own property and don't have to worry about gaining access from a neighbouring property.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Pannier Tank

[jamespetts]

If your building has the 1m clearance and is no more than 30 sq. m., then it seems as though the building is exempt; but my garden is so small that it will be difficult to fit a building with a 1m clearance in it.

 

(I must confess, I had until now confused the 1m clearance for the Building Regulations with the 2m clearance required for buildings of over 2.5 meters in total height to be exempt from planning control; a 2m clearance would be totally impossible. A building with a 1m clearance could be 2.6m wide if it were right in the middle of my garden, which is 4.6m wide, so might be just about possible, but would not be ideal in many ways; if complying with the Building Regulations really does just mean having the walls closer than 1m to the boundary treated with fire retardant, then it might be better simply to comply with the Building Regulations, in my case at least, than to try to secure exemption).

[Pannier Tank]

Have a word with your Local Building Control Officer; they are usually very friendly and helpful.  Good luck with your project.

[big jim]

I got confused with the different planning rules etc on our local council website, filled out an ‘enquiry form’ to see whether I needed planning permission to convert my garage etc, only to discover I’d filled out some sort of building regulation form that’s now cost me £440 for the building regs people to visit and sign off/check things during the conversion

 

As I put in another thread and ‘chris p bacon’ has given very good advice about it (listen to him!) I’ve got no issue paying the £440 so the job is done right and I’m in the clear of i ever come to sell the house but to a ‘lay man’ like myself the website wasn’t clear that I was being directed to a pretty much ‘legally binding’ document that I’ve been warned that if I don’t pay, even if I don’t go ahead with the plan the council could sent the debt to the bailiffs!

[jamespetts]

I e-mailed the Building Control people yesterday evening and am waiting to hear back.

[jamespetts]

I think that I now have a resolution apropos the shed. The Building Control officer replied this afternoon:

 

 

Further to your enquiry below, a building control application will be necessary if you are using non-combustible materials within 1m of the boundary line.

 

The fact they state a cement board will be used is what we as Building Control would need to check on site.

 

 

When I checked with one of the shed providers (Homestead), they confirmed that they would take responsibility for applying for the requisite Building Control application. An individual from the shed people is attending to-morrow to look over my garden to assess the site. I have provisionally decided on a 2.9 x 7.7m shed, giving an internal area of 2.5 x 7.5m.

Edited February 20, 2018 by jamespetts

[jamespetts]

This is a graphic of the proposed appearance of the shed sent by the shed people.

[hayfield]

My daughter who happens to be a crime scene investigator laughed at my window security for the garden shed, but I am happy with it. I used several of those metal concrete reinforcing bars across the windows horizontally, then got 3 lengths of Aluminium strip which I drilled 2 holes for each reinforcing rod, fitted the strips vertically with a screw each side of every rod screwed into the window frame. 

Edited February 21, 2018 by hayfield

[chris p bacon]

This is a graphic of the proposed appearance of the shed sent by the shed people.

 

Depending on what you're modelling, if a layout I'd be careful of too many windows, one reason is security the other is UV damage.

[big jim]

As nice as it is there are too many windows for my liking

[Arthur]

 

On a related note, I recall many years ago, without going into too much detail, we were giving basic ‘security suggestions’ to a small operations (security wasn’t our core business). One suggestion was the growing of spikey, prickly bushes like pyrocanthus under windows etc.

 

One partner snorted and responded that prickly bushes were no ‘effin’ good, the last time they'd had a break in the scrotes had driven a transit through the doors....

 

I miss Salford

[ianLMS]

Depending on what you're modelling, if a layout I'd be careful of too many windows, one reason is security the other is UV damage.

Agree - My layout is in the spare bedroom - last summer I accidentally left the blind open (on the one and only hot day of the year) and the heat from the sun lifted my track 3 inches into the air and distorted it so badly I had to replace the whole section. It was just one uPVC window. If I had several windows, I would have had to have thrown the lot in the bin.

 

Having said that, I an seriously interested in the outbuilding prospect.

 

Ian

[jamespetts]

Thank you very much for your feedback. The area immediately next to the door on the long side is intended to be the work bench area, so I want a window there. Do you have any recommendations for window size/placement on the rest of the long wall? I do not want the place to be like a bunker! Perhaps blinds would be the thing, or curtains, possibly?

[big jim]

Have a look at the first picture in the link I posted to my shed thread, I’ve got 2 slat windows high up, not big enough to climb through and difficult to see through given the location of my shed

[hayfield]

Thank you very much for your feedback. The area immediately next to the door on the long side is intended to be the work bench area, so I want a window there. Do you have any recommendations for window size/placement on the rest of the long wall? I do not want the place to be like a bunker! Perhaps blinds would be the thing, or curtains, possibly?

 

In my previous work room I had very good lighting, and much better to have the light source overhead and behind you, rather than in front

[Buhar]

In terms of re-selling at some point, a building like the one you're considering would be an asset to the property.  Music/arts studio, kids den, workshop, home cinema etc.  Whether it could be used as a gym would depend on the floor construction.  As suggested above windows are an issue, you really don't want more than one or two small ones for a model railway room, except perhaps if part of the space is a workbench.  When the time comes to sell, if someone wants to use it in a different way, sticking a window in a timber-framed building is pretty straightforward.

 

In terms of foundations, have you seen these?

https://www.tuin.co.uk/Timber-Frame-Base-Pads.html

 

Another firm do a concrete version (Wyvern, I think).

 

You would need about 25 to 30 of them for the size of building you're thinking of.  They just need a simple MOT base.

 

I wouldn't avoid applying to building control if compliance gets you what you want.  It does make things easier if neighbours comment or when it comes to sell.  BC will usually run plans past Planning to cover themselves, which then covers you.

[Buhar]

I forgot to say that insulation is going to be a cost that might come to half of the basic build, under floor, walls and roof.  Foil-backed Kingspan/Celotex/Recitel etc, don't skimp on it, have it well fitted (or do it yourself), no gaps or draughts.  Seconds and Co are a good option if it's general stuff you need.

[big jim]

I’ve just costed insulation for my garage conversion and I’m looking £500+ from the likes of b+q or £350 from the factory second shop (100mm thick, 2.4 x 1.2 size), then there’s the cost of the battoning too, (I knew I shouldn’t have bought that phaeton!)

 

I was lucky with the shed when I did that as I got it from eBay from someone who had surplus sheets of 30mm thick stuff which I only paid £5 a sheet for

[teaky]

I bought the insulation for my loft from here and was happy with the price and service.

[jamespetts]

Thank you all for your replies. Big Jim - I cannot immediately seem to find your shed thread - have you a link? It would be interesting to see your configuration.

 

I should note that the people who make this shed include all the insulation and electrical connexions as part of the price.

 

Would three large windows on the long wall (with curtains and/or blinds) be suitable, do people think?