Railway shed

Started by Dickydcc, November 13, 2018, 09:34:33 PM

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Dickydcc

Hi all
We are going to be moving & it looks as though Thetford Road is going to be assigned to the garden. Just asking if anyone has advice on do's & don'ts for a railway shed. Has anyone got companies they can recommend? I would like a bit more than just a shed as would like to play trains all year round.

Thanks in advance
Richard

bridgiesimon

Not sure where you are based but we used Dunster House for ours, it is twin skinned with insulation under the floor, in the walls and on the roof, keeps reasonable control of the temperature in heat of summer and cold of winter. Last winter I was out sat in the cabin model makinf with around a foot of snow outside, toasie warm and comfortable!

best wishes
Simon

Dickydcc

Simon, thanks for the info. We are in Norfolk but I'll give them a Google.

The Q

#3
Ensure the Shed, is on a good foundation it will move and shrink as the wood settles anyway, but nowhere near as much as on a weak foundation.

Make sure rats can't get under the floor, I had them eating through the floor before the roof was on (in Norfolk).

if you put it up yourself , put insulation under the floor and then protect the insulation with by boarding it over. Rats and Mice love insulation polystyrene or Fibreglass or any other.

IF put up by others, then you need insulation on the floor, sheet polystyrene, covered by ply or thick rubber matting works well.

Fill between the batons with insulation, then board over. Polystyrene will do, if any fire burns through the interior cladding to the polystyrene, you have lost the shed whatever insulation you use. I used interior cladding planks over the poly, much easier to handle than sheets of ply.

Either fit  a lowered ceiling or fill between the batons of the roof .

Double glaze the windows with another sheet of plastic, it makes a surprising difference.

Unless you have spent a fortune on a very expensive shed, reinforce the door with interior ply or cladding with insulation. Most sheds it will warp to a greater or lesser extent unless you do this.

If you are in an exposed area fit a porch roof over the door, to reduce the rain that will be forced round the door frames.

Fit an opening ventilator high up in the eaves, possibly using a green house ventilator (if you want automatic) to let the heat out in the summer. Cover the inside of the ventilator with a fine mesh to keep insects out.

Sorry can't advise on shed suppliers, I built my own, it's not hard..




TrevL

All good advice from @The Q.
May I add a couple of things, all gained in hindsight after getting a new shed in the spring.
My advice would be,
Don't get a pent  roof (single sloping one), get an apex (pointy) roof.  Two reasons,
1;- Llmited head room once you fit a light, being a short a***(5' 5"), it doesn't effect me, but if I was a six footer, I'd be forever making contact with the light fitting.
2;- Once I'd fitted the roof insulation, the 9mm ply inner skin, and the light fitting, the extra weight hanging from the roof cross members, caused the roof to sag and I ended up with a pool of water sitting on top of the felt when it rained, not good.  I ended up taking the lining down and strengthening the cross members with full width angle iron. I also Cromapol'ed the roof to be on the safe side.  All added expence of time and money, which could have been avoided If I'd chosen an apex roof.
HTH, best of luck.
Cheers, Trev.


Time flys like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana!

grumbeast

Quote from: bridgiesimon on November 13, 2018, 10:00:57 PM
Not sure where you are based but we used Dunster House for ours, it is twin skinned with insulation under the floor, in the walls and on the roof, keeps reasonable control of the temperature in heat of summer and cold of winter. Last winter I was out sat in the cabin model makinf with around a foot of snow outside, toasie warm and comfortable!

best wishes
Simon

My former shed when I lived in the UK was a Dunster House one and I'll endorse them as well.  It was well insulated and warm with double glazed windows.  I believe they offer different levels of insulation and finish so you've got options.  Also I'm 6'4 and had no problems with head clearance on the model I had with a single slope room.  I used the shed all year round with a small electric radiator for heat, although I did once forget to turn off my mac that lived in the shed overnight, I came back in the next morning and it was toasty warm :)

The other thing to consider is security.  The Dunster house one came with a 3 point yale locked door which was nice.

Graham

Dickydcc

Many thanks for the advice, I have googled them.

stevewalker

I erected my shed on a good, solid concrete base to ensure that nothing moves. I lined it with polystyrene insulation, covered with hardboard - with hindsight, ply would have been much better. The floor was covered with polystyrene backed, tongue and grooved chipboard flooring.

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