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

[jamespetts]

https://www.remlandcarpets.co.uk/vinyl-floor-tiles/f/plain

 

Not sure if these will be the same type but they are plain coloured, devoid of patterns. They have a textured finish which provides a non-slip type surface (there are variants of non-slip mind). I quite like Golden Gradient!

 

Thank you for that - that is helpful. I have written to them and asked whether they have samples of their white and "silver satin" tiles so that I can see just how textured that these are.

[ianLMS]

If they are like the tiles i have the texture is minimal. You can feel it when u run your hand over it and see it but not enough so it traps dirt.

[jamespetts]

I note that I have not had a reply about the tiles, but I have ordered some samples of general vinyl flooring.

[ianLMS]

It was just a site I found that sold plain LVT so unfortunately I do not have first hand experience of them. I had my flooring supplied and fitted by The Carpet Store in Brandon, Suffolk - not sure if they would come out to London though. You could call them on 01842 813380. 

[tomparryharry]

Dear Dave. I'm building my 4th storey extension out over the front of the house. Despite the height, it's quite safe, as I've got it balanced on the streetlamp outside. My question is this:- When I screw the structural batten to next door's party wall, can I use yellow rawlpugs?

 

Our top floor weaves about a bit, but the lady next door is overweight. I've suggested for her to attend slimmers world, but she hasn't spoken to me lately. Our electrician is pretty good, and installed a 5mm bolt instead of the fuse. Now we can cook toast on the fuseboard any time we like.

 

Can I use panel pins to hold up the plasterboard ceiling?

 

Cheers,

 

L. Lasto-Plast.

 

 

 

Dear Dave. It's been a while since we've spoken, but I've just come out of hospital. You see, the Electricity Board have made enquiries about the bill. It seems I've got the lowest bill in the neighbourhood. In fact, the entire south-east Wales. They quite liked my building standard, and wanted to know where I bought the yellow Rawl plugs. We all got on very well, so I made a cup of tea. sad to say that the kettle was the final straw. What with the kettle, toaster, arc welder, and the halogen lamps for my 'medicinal herb' greenhouse proved just too much for our local supply. The large lady next door put her washing machine on spin, and it was all over. Mostly, all over me....

 

So, rebuilding starts next week, and I've asked for the street lighting people to provide a thicker section lamp-post. I've also got a wider section gaffa tape:- Quality work here!

 

Finally Dave, just a last question for now. Can I substitute a 6mm bolt intead of the old 5mm version? When I wanted a cuppa, the bolt turnrd blue. I thought it was cold.....

 

Many thanks,

 

L. Lasto-Plast.

PS. I've found hardboard sheet very good for my joistwork. Our local building control office was very impressed. He took lots of photos, saying he had never seen anything like it. With a recommendation like that, I think I'll set my own business.

Edited June 26, 2018 by tomparryharry

[jamespetts]

I managed to get some samples of vinly flooring, and among them I also ordered a sample of rubber flooring. This has a more pleasant consistency than the vinyl but is somewhat more expensive. Does anyone have any experience with rubber flooring that might inform its suitability for a model railway room?

 

Incidentally, I looked into the vinyl tiles, but I could not find any that were totally plain - all seemed to have a pattern; but I can get rubber flooring in a flat plain grey.

[jamespetts]

There has ended up being some delay with respect to the completion of the interior of the shed on account of its completion coinciding with a hot summer and all the air conditioning people being very busy - I have got an appointment booked for installation on the 14th of September, however; after that, there will be decorating, racking and flooring to go before I can start work in there.

 

In the meantime, I have prepared a 3d mockup of the interior in SCARM, showing the OO gauge layout that I intend to build there, the shape of the baseboards for the N gauge layout (the OO gauge at 130cm and the N gauge layout at 75cm from the floor), and the position and size of the desk and main window (I have not shown the door or other windows, but the door is at the part of the room entirely unobstructed by layout, as one might imagine).

 

Here is an overview:

 

This image gives a better idea of the planned degree of vertical separation:

 

This image shows a standing height view from the far end:

 

This image shows a sitting height view from the desk area:

 

This image gives a far off overview from what would be the neighbour's garden, imagining that fences and walls are invisible:

Edited August 20, 2018 by jamespetts

[jamespetts]

Some progress as to the shed: the air conditioning has gone in and some initial painting work on the ceiling has been completed.

 

However, the decorator is having great trouble in researching how the Supalux cladding should be painted (and, in particular, what, if any, primer to use). He is very conscientious and wants to make sure to get it right. He has contacted the manufacturer of the paint many times, who have passed him to their head office in Denmark (!), from whom he still has not had a substantive reply. This is now delaying further progress on the shed.

 

Can anyone here assist with the question of what sort of paint/primer ought to be used with Supalux cladding? The Promat website refers to using water based paint, making no mention of primer, but is not very detailed, and warns decorators to make sure that the paint used does not adversely affect the fireproof properties of the material (giving no specifics as to which paints are and are not suitable).

 

Any assistance from those who have knowledge of these matters would be much appreciated.

[rdr]

i'm not sure if this has been mentioned, would it be possible in your attic to make a completely self supported room in there which would just sit on the attic floor. Theoretically you've not altered the attic or made any habitable alterations to it, so no regulations would be affected. Essentially it would be like putting up a tent in your attic.

[Buhar]

i'm not sure if this has been mentioned, would it be possible in your attic to make a completely self supported room in there which would just sit on the attic floor. Theoretically you've not altered the attic or made any habitable alterations to it, so no regulations would be affected. Essentially it would be like putting up a tent in your attic.

 

You have altered the attic and I can't see how it can be self supporting if it's sitting on the floor!  That means the floor has to take the additional weight, a task it was not designed for.

 

Building regs are not the work of the devil (well maybe the layout of the Scottish ones is).  Loft conversion is well-established trade, get it done properly.  The big issue is the supporting strength of the timbers, eg for a 3.2m span our SE specified 150mm joists at 400mm centres, plus you need a suitable stairway and that takes up space.

[ianLMS]

Looking very good James. Not sure on the painting side of things and affecting the fire rating. Have you contacted Dulux or Crown etc?

[Harlequin]

See: https://www.promat.co.uk/downloads/get/en/401BDDE2353B4BEF89E385F07E3A3337?rev=8c5de9b5-c5ca-4473-b262-2e88c276b350

 

Page 28. (Acrobat Reader won't let me copy and paste but my reading of it is that any paint is OK with appropriate priming.)

Edited September 26, 2018 by Harlequin

[bgman]

i'm not sure if this has been mentioned, would it be possible in your attic to make a completely self supported room in there which would just sit on the attic floor. Theoretically you've not altered the attic or made any habitable alterations to it, so no regulations would be affected. Essentially it would be like putting up a tent in your attic.

 

I beg to differ, you are totally wrong I'm afraid and it would contravene the current Building Regulations.

 

I will say no more than contact your Local Authority Building Control.

 

Sorry to have taken up this thread.

Edited September 26, 2018 by bgman

[Tiptonian]

 

 

However, the decorator is having great trouble in researching how the Supalux cladding should be painted (and, in particular, what, if any, primer to use). He is very conscientious and wants to make sure to get it right. He has contacted the manufacturer of the paint many times, who have passed him to their head office in Denmark (!), from whom he still has not had a substantive reply. This is now delaying further progress on the shed.

 

 

I should not be replying to this thread as I have no expert knowledge, but I would suggest looking into Resitex products, and in particular, the Resifine paint. This is the "go-to" paint for the exterior of residential mobile homes.

 

http://www.resitexcoatings.co.uk/products.html

[jamespetts]

See: https://www.promat.co.uk/downloads/get/en/401BDDE2353B4BEF89E385F07E3A3337?rev=8c5de9b5-c5ca-4473-b262-2e88c276b350

 

Page 28. (Acrobat Reader won't let me copy and paste but my reading of it is that any paint is OK with appropriate priming.)

 

 

Thank you - that is very helpful. I have sent this to the decorator. It is the "appropriate priming" that has been the issue so far - but do I understand that this means that the priming should be done with a diluted version of the paint used for the final coat?

[rdr]

I beg to differ, you are totally wrong I'm afraid and it would contravene the current Building Regulations.

 

I will say no more than contact your Local Authority Building Control.

 

Sorry to have taken up this thread.

Oh well, not to worry. 

[Harlequin]

Thank you - that is very helpful. I have sent this to the decorator. It is the "appropriate priming" that has been the issue so far - but do I understand that this means that the priming should be done with a diluted version of the paint used for the final coat?

 

It says: a. follow the paint mfrs instructions regarding surface preparation, b. water based paints should be primed with a diluted first coat, c. oil based paints should be primed with an alkali resisting primer.

 

So hopefully your decorator should be able to make some progress now.

[John M]

Thank you - that is very helpful. I have sent this to the decorator. It is the "appropriate priming" that has been the issue so far - but do I understand that this means that the priming should be done with a diluted version of the paint used for the final coat?

Superlux is a trade name for fibre-cement board, which is widely used for external wall cladding in Australia & New Zealand.

 

Fibre-cement board should be sealed with a masonry primer-sealer before painting.

 

It might be worth checking whether Crown produces an equivalent of its Australasian masonry/cement primer https://www.resene.co.nz/archspec/datasheets/d405-Concrete-Primer.pdf 

 

Alternatively Dulux Drywall Primer Sealer may do the job https://www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/products/picker#details/dulux-trade/drywall-primer-sealer

 

Externally we apply 1 coat of primer and 3 coats of exterior finish such as Dulux Weather Shield on fibre cement wall cladding, two coats of interior finish for interior surfaces.

[hayfield]

i'm not sure if this has been mentioned, would it be possible in your attic to make a completely self supported room in there which would just sit on the attic floor. Theoretically you've not altered the attic or made any habitable alterations to it, so no regulations would be affected. Essentially it would be like putting up a tent in your attic.

 

 

I think I can see where you are coming from, but the flaw is the room you are proposing has to sit on something

 

Now if its not going to be habitable why not just fit flooring on the beams if they are strong enough, also again if the roof timbers are strong enough board the ceiling. However before taking such action it is imperative to get the correct professional advice. using the lost as an additional storage space is one thing, using the loft whether for habitable purposes or not is another thing

[CUTLER2579]

With regard to these comments about lofts. I would have thought one's Insurance Company may have a view on it which could be very negative?

[hayfield]

With regard to these comments about lofts. I would have thought one's Insurance Company may have a view on it which could be very negative?

 

Not just with lofts, any form of alteration to the fabric (or things like electrics) of the building should be checked with an appropriate professional. And not just for insurance purposes but for reselling.

 

Our previous house had works carried out and we had to provide documentation that it had all the correct permission and had been signed off ( some items which had been done 30+ years earlier). Our current house the building inspector had to sign off the electrics and gas installations as well as building work. But if done correctly there are no issues with either insurance companies or prospective buyers.

[jamespetts]

The decorator has just finished in the shed. The next step is to have the wall fixings for the brackets installed, and then a rubber floor.

Edited November 20, 2018 by jamespetts

[hayfield]

Very posh !!

[ianLMS]

Looks very nice - they done a good job with that! Looking forward to seeing the layout progress.

[chris p bacon]

Thats 10X better than the living rooms of some houses I've worked in !