Thank you! I hope so too - setting up the workshop, refurbishing my grandfather's tools (got some nice hand planes etc-will rewatch your videos for that) and building some furniture are all on the list!
If you nail a couple of pieces of deadwood on the exterior sill plate flush with the floor it'll not slip, give you more leverage and support especially when you raise the sidewalls.
Everyone builds slightly differently but this is awesome and most of our summer house build is using your techniques. Thanks so much Ali... super awesome.
Well, I'm glad i across your vid on garden, as I've also watched lots of utube vids and am ready for my garden room, but i really liked your detailed coverage of potential problems, ahed off time.. Thanks dude
So glad I've discovered your brilliant videos! I'm in the planning stages of a garden room and I'll be sure to keep dropping back to them for advice and guidance. Well done and thank you 👍🏼
Thanks for sharing. I was going to buy ground screws for my base but they are at least £20 each so you've already saved me a fortune by showing how to use blocks.
Thank you for the detailed videos Ali. Has taken most of the stress out of planning my build. I am an absolute novice and your advice has given me the confidence to start a Garden room build single handedly.
Ali, great videos and hats off for all your effort in putting your efforts out there. This is a great distillation of information. Done plenty of decks and other wood projects but this has really pushed me into tackling garden buildings and bespoke sheds etc.
these videos are superb. so much detail.. I can't tell you how helpful your videos are..just what I've been looking for ....I take my hat off too you..thank you very much.
I'm looking to save costs on a similar shed/room myself and am wondering should I bother with all those OSB boards on the walls. With rockwool between the studs, breathable membrane around it all and shiplap cladding on battens that'll surely suffice for heat+sound insulation and weather proofing right? What is purpose of all that heavy OSB?
Again brilliant video and attention to detail i liked how you added glue to your header another thing a lot of tradesmen wouldn't have done so top marks for that really enjoying watching your build progress with each video excellent workmanship you put some time served joiners i have worked with in the past to shame you certainly have loads of natural talent for this kind of work again a big thumbs up :)
Keep seeing your comments pop up Paul! I'm at work so will respond to them later, feel free to keep commenting! Enjoy the series. It goes up to Part 12 for the moment 👍
Easier to square up the wall before you add the OSB while you can still rack it square but you're doing a great job, better than a builder would have done and you'll know how to build anything now. I'm still impressed with you doing the demo by yourself.
I will watch your demo and enjoy it. I was thinking you could put insulation in between the joists instead of on top but you are clearly a very methodical person so look forward to your design. if you lived near me ( wirral, Merseyside )I'd jump on an help out, spk soon,
I thought I would just comment here rather than sending you an email. I got very confused re-watching your GR W series, I have your playlist as a bookmark. Just so you know this episode has been missed out of your playlist. Anyways - my plans are coming along slowly and surely, rather than ask you for advice every time I get stuck - so far I have managed to get the info myself on the Net or YT, but I'm sure I will get stuck eventually! While I am here, allow me to emphasise your recommendation again to people reading this, the link is in your description. NSM Construction have fantastic no bull guides to this kind of construction. 👍
Great info, could you explain how you 'tried' to keep the building dry, once you had the front and back walls up, I see you had tarps on the floor, but what about your walls with the OSB3, how did you protect those from the rain please?
It was tricky! It rained every single day for 21 days straight-infuriating. A trap helped with the floor and the walls being upright didn’t get that wet and dried very quickly so that was all fine.
@@AliDymock Indeed, it is VERY tricky, with the UK weather! Keeping your build as dry as possible before you get the rubber roof on is an art in it's self, and a possible video in it's self :)
Great videos Ali. Keen to hear your thoughts on how large a span u can have for doors without needing a metal lintel etc. Im current designing a garden room and was looking at french doors with a full length side window each side.
Hi Ali, another great vid. BTW it was like waiting for the next game of thrones lol. Cant wait for the next. The detailed explanation of every task is fantastic, keep it up mate.
I have a question, I've been looking everywhere for the answer. So the walls and roof are braced with OSB, is there any good reason that OSB should be on the outside rather than the inside? I can't find this alternative anywhere. It's kind of a cost saving tactic. The inner has an OSB finish and the outer can be tyvek directly over your insulation layer and then stick your cladding over that attaching into the timbers. Can you see any reason why this might not be done?
Hi. Another great video. Love the raw footage too. When can I expect no. 8??? Can't wait. My project is to going stall without it. You're going to throw my programme out completely haha!! Thanks again for the videos. It's looking great!
Hi Damien, thanks very much. Hahaha! I know, it would usually drop about now but as I might have mentioned elsewhere I've recently started a new job so I'm a bit short on time at the moment. That said, I'm editing right now so expect it to drop in the next few days ;)
Ah great stuff. I think there's a bunch of garden room self builder's our there hanging your every move cause were all petrified that we'll end up with a crap looking shed at the end of the garden that doesn't look a bit like that picture on Piterest ha! congrats on the job.
Damien mc mahon 😂 I figured nobody would have started building yet given the weather but I can assure you mine is watertight and looks awesome, although still a way to go with it. Cheers!
Absolutely superb thankyou so much for doing this I'm building a summer house and found your videos very informative and helpful I've now got a much more clear and concise idea of what I'm doing. Good luck in your new home and I suggest you put a model railway either oo or o gauge around the garden
@@AliDymock yes a lot of people use deckboards covered with roof felt and track either pinned or glued to it. For wiring it's 12v so add dropper wires to the bottom of the rails and drill holes to pass the wires through. There are loads of videos on you tube of blokes with cameras doing it but I feel if you do the same it'll be much more informative and helpful. Maybe put the wires in conduit for maintenance etc. You can buy the track from peco for £3 A length or more realistic looking bullhead track which is 50% more expensive but to look at will be much more real than a garden trainset. It's not as expensive as you'd think. I've got long trains and cost about £5000 over the last 5 years buying bits here and there. Peco points are available in electrofrog or insulfrog and you can print off plans to put in place to aid with track laying. Have a look at everard junction how to videos and try oo and o gauge garden railway
Hi Ali, so Im working on my own 6m x 4m project now and wouldn't mind picking your brain, my roof span is going to be 3.82m so I plan on using 2 x 7 C16 joists to cover that, the question I have is do you think it would be strong enough to frame my 4 walls using 2 x 4 C16?, Your videos are great to follow
The extra timber on the side of the floor was because I’d intended to have the ply within the walls so the third inner timber would have supported the edge. In the end I ply-d over the whole floor, including under the walls so I didn’t need the third timber.
You don't NEED to but it does give extra strength to the build. there's a lot you can strip away from the build. Imagine a spectrum with a shed on one side and a house on the other, how close you end up to either is up to you :)
Loving this video series, especially with how much detail you are going into for every step and bringing together resources (saving us doing the homework)! Looking forward to the next one already, especially how you do the roof. (I'm one of the ones who came along from Rag n bone brown)
You may have covered this previously, so apologies if that is the case, why did you decide to put the OSB on the wall before you erected them or stood them up?
I think it's because it stops the frame from going out of square once he unscrews from the floor, the OSB adds a lot of strength (and weight). It's also easier to cut something that's on the floor and not standing up on it's side.
Quick question - do the wall studs have to match the floor joists positions? I’ve done my floor on 400mm but am thinking of switching wall studs to 16inch to make the OSB easier.
Hey Chris, the walls sit on the two perimeter floor joists so they don't need to match up. That said, if you're plaster-boarding go with 400mm centres for the walls and roof (see Part 16). You can get OSB in 1200x2400 sizes for the wall.
Fantastic Video! I'm doing something similar, but haven't put the time into the detailed design you have. I have gone for a solid blockcourse around the building, rather than pillars. But overall the _best_ GardenRoom/Studio build video on t'interwebs!
Kind words! Sounds good, I looked at doing a strip type foundation too but would have needed support in the middle too. Good to keep foxes and rats from getting underneath the building but make sure you put air vents in 👌
Yeah, i'm going with roughly 4 Air Vents distributed around the building. Hopefully should be enough. I've put a support section across the middle aswell to cope with the spans.
Great video series! So much easier to follow when you are linking the theory with your own experience. You often see these garden studios where there is a long bi fold door and/or where a window and a sliding door meet at the corner of adjacent walls. I would guess we should never be relying on window or door frames to support the weight of the roof. Do you know of common approaches to support these long or awkward unsupported frame gaps?
I think you can 'get away with it' with aluminium frames and a lightweight roof but most will have a header above the wide bi-fold doors, usually in place of the top plate to maximise height of the doors. Sometimes a steel (RSJ) is used for very wide doors with two trimmer studs on either side of the door. For those corners, I reckon there is a double stud or vertical steel stud supporting that corner of the roof. I've struggled to find a span table for headers supporting flat roofs but with wide doors use two 2 x 8s screwed together, just make sure it doesn't make your door too short, otherwise look at using a steel.
@@AliDymock thanks for the quick response! Thats what I was thinking - although it would look great and let lots of light it I'm not sure I want to be replacing bi fold doors after a year once the roof buckles the mechanism! I'll probably go for something a little less ambitious. Cheers
Hi, I am building a summer house similar to this, it has 2 openings, the biggest being 2m. Would I be able to use 2 8x2 timbers for the header? It will be having quite a heavy roof on like yours, so I'm a little worried about the weight
I think 2 x 2x8s will be fine for 2m span. Have a look at my webpage for this video, as I write about flitch plates that sandwich between the 2x8s if you're concerned.
Hi Ali Thanks for the great resource you've created. I'm just wondering, and apologies if I've missed it in the video, where the 150 x 47mm timber was used in the wall construction. If you get a moment to answer me I'd be very grateful. Cheers Rob
I like how you've written this as a letter ;) I used 100 x 47mm timber for the walls (2x4"). That's the advertised size. The actual size is closer to 95mm x 45mm. Hope that helps, I think it is in the video somewhere!
Great videos! Really helpful. I'm currently planning and costing for a timber studio build. I just wondered why you didn't use firring strips for the flat roof and why? I used firring strips on my garage flat roof and they seem to do the job well. Thanks
Both options are good but I am pleased with the way that I did mine. Other than cost saving from not having to buy firring strips I detail why I went for sloped joists in Part 9 (I think). The main reason was not wanting a very thick facia as mine is a warm roof it's already quite thick!
it doesn't really matter so much but doesn't hurt and many suppliers only offer treated so go with whatever is cheapest. Maybe make the sole plate treated :)
Sorry if I missed it in the video, but how high are the walls? I'm in the middle of building mine and know you can't have a height higher than 2.5m to the eaves unless you get planning permission.
That's right. My garden room is 3m as I got PP (see Parts 2 and 3 of the series) so my walls are about 2.44 metres by themselves. 2.5m is quite restrictive so have a read here under 'loopholes' to see if you can bend the rules a little bit: www.alidymock.com/planning-permission-building-regs/ 😀
Hey Ali, i realise this is an old video but could you explain why people typically affix walls together at corners, and they don't use corner posts? Like a fence post?
It's an unnecessary waste of material, you can if you want to, but it serves no purpose! If you use 6x2 material, thats a 6x6 corner post. Structurally you also have 2 x points of weakness in a post at the corner (the joins), whereas only 1 with the walls overlapping, combined with the Sill plate at the top would need 2x more layers of material (staggered) to have a continuous band at the top. This is required on most builds, to ensure the top of the walls are structurally banded together around the perimeter. 👍👍
My thinking is this. If you had all four walls same height all way round, and put your slope going across the shortest span which is front to the back then how about using 6x2 joists and cut them so they become a giant door wedge basically which gives you enough of a pitch for rain water to flow off. Do this to each each roof joist and this way you can lay your roof sheeting on . This is possibly hard to describe but in my head clear as glass. If you want I can draw out a simple diagram and send you it on private messenger .
scott mclean hahaha I know what you’re talking about now- Firring strips! Yes that is a good option and I’ll discuss in Video 9 why I didn’t go that way. Shows good thinking though, you worked it out without knowing it was a thing. You’ll make a good garden room builder!
I'm interested to why you didnt go with that idea now. I thought firring peices are the triangle piece of board you use to hide the gap created from the angle of the rafter to top plate.? I will look forward to your video 9.
scott mclean hmm not sure about that, do you mean the soffit? Firring strips are used to create that roof slope as you suggested but no doubt have other uses. Okay, I’d want to know too. Not the only reason but the main reason: my span of 5m is big so I needed thick roof joists plus I decided I wanted a warm roof with insulation on top of the joists. Both of these together create a thick fascia. If I’d added another 9cm to it with Firring strips, it would have looked weird and cost more for fascia boards too as they would need to be wider. I also get slightly more headroom doing it my way but if you are doing a cold roof or have a smaller span, definitely build the walls level and add firring strips 👍
Hey Ali, quick question. I have one wall which will be adjoining to a neighbours garage brick wall. I'm doing studwork and OSB as usual. Would you recommend breather membrane or is this overkill?
I have been looking at the rock wool insulation option. They come in 600x1200 size. But then if I would use rock wool I would have to stick to 600mm centres instead of 400mm. Any idea if that would be ok? Thanks
Yes that should be okay but if your roof joists will be at 400mm centres, definitely double up the top plate as they won't be sitting above studs every time and doubling the top plate distributes the weight more 👍
Love all these videos. I've went from buying a man cave to deciding I can build it myself thanks to these videos. I noticed when using the circular saw you used it free hand and were quite speedy at it. Did you follow a line or were you letting the board below guide the saw?
Funny, I've been asked this a few times and I've never had an issue cutting straight and following a line without a straight edge. The blade is quite wide so it doesn't go off in circles once you're into the material - especially wider things like OSB. So yeh just free hand it I say. With construction a mm or so won't make a big difference.
Haha tell me about it! So I used lots of different ones but the brand I used most was GoldScrew from Screwfix and width most commonly used was 4.5mm. The length differed depending on what I was doing. There should be links in most of the videos' descriptions to the screws I used.
Hey Ali, did you ever manage to find decent span tables for header sizes and king stud calculations on load-bearing walls? I'm planning a 3m x 2.4m build but as the door will be on one of the ends due to the layout of our garden, I'd like as large a window as possible on the front as that's what I'll be looking out of from my desk. Bit worried that my current design loses too many king studs, but it's hard to find any good calculations for what is safe. Currently have 2x8s for the header, and thinking maybe doubling up the jacks may help. Back wall would have no openings. Thanks again for the awesome series!
Hey it's been a struggle and for a flat roof there just isn't much out there - mostly for house dual pitch etc. I reckon 2 x 2x8s and 2x trimmer (jacks) on either side of the opening will be more than sufficient. The trouble people have is that 2x8s take up too much wall height if total height
Great videos, just about to start on a garden build of a 5m x 3M garden space with pent roof. I need to stay within the 2.5m height and struggling to determine the height of the front and back walls to allow a slope from front to back for the rain to run off....Please help suggest dimensions... :-)
Go for a 1:40 drop so your front wall would be 8cm higher than the back -assuming the 3m is between those walls and across which your roof joists will span 👍
Another super video Ali - I'll be following it almost frame by frame when I get to the wall framing stage myself. You mentioned in a previous video about your decision to opt for narrower openings...did the structural element play a part? I am wanting to have a 3m wide opening but am not sure about the required lintel size. Should I get an engineer to do the calculations, is this covered in the TRADA span tables or should I just put a steel beam in (similar to one we recently inserted into a wider opening in a load-bearing wall)? Any ideas?
Good question. I'm not 100% sure but if you go for 2x8s (and can fit them into your wall height) then you should be fine. 2x10s to be sure perhaps. I doubt you'll need an RSJ but reckon you should do some more research :)
Thanks for your reply. I'll check heights and continue researching - if I find anything useful I'll post it back here. Any idea when we can enjoy your next video (11 or 12)?
Yes, please do, everyone learns from it! Next week I'm hoping. I'm waiting on something particular before I can post, all will be revealed (hopefully!)...
Ali, at 8 seconds in this video where you have your material heights giving you your total building height, have you missed out the timber frame (120mm)?? as you seem to go from dense block/ground level straight to the double bottom plate. The frame should be in the middle no?
Well spotted, the bottom of the diagram is cut off in the video and I drew when I was thinking about having a concrete base, the top of which would be 15cm above ground level. So a lot of the figures there changed as I built.
Hi Ali, great video series, really helping me in my garden studio build. Did you use 5” x 2” timber for the walls as well as the floor framing? Cheers. Paul.
Heart man The wait is not long now! I’m still building, it’s hard to do in the winter what with the darkness and cold, so am editing vids around that and work.
Dont know how many times I have watched all of your videos! nothing out there like these, its all about the detail. Im getting bored of sketch up now and just need to get on with it! Im going to need building permission for mine as its 44 square meters. what questions were you asked when you applied for planning and what did you submit? Ill be happy if I am only asked a couple of questions like you so want to give them exactly what they want! Thanks for the 10% off heads up for the rubber roof too... ill use that.
Hi Garry, high praise indeed, much appreciated! That. Is. Large! What are you going to use it for? Umm, they quizzed me about my window overlooking neighbours (it didn't) and about a nearby tree with had a tree protection order (TPO) and whether my foundations would affect its routes (another reason why I didn't use a concrete slab). Where I live, they are worried about beds in sheds i.e. renting out an outbuilding to like 10 people!, I assured them otherwise :) No worries, just email me when you're ready to order
Its well deserved.. putting together the videos alone must be time consuming! Its going to be a man cave :-) I have a pool table and arcade machine from my previous summerhouse (built by a contractor) and then im going to be adding a sofa and tv area. Thanks for that information, good to know and allows me to pre empt those kind of questions. Not sure beds in sheds is as big a problem in Essex but ill make sure its clear I am not opening up my garden to randoms! Looking forward to your cladding video due to what you said about non combustable cladding, I am interested to know what cladding you go for.. I might go down the same route I am getting building regs anyway... as long as the stuff has good insulation properties! Thanks again Ali
That’s not how you mark 16 on center, your supposed to put a line on 16 inch and then a line 3 quarters of an inch on both sides, for floors walls and roof. And shed size should be variables of 4
Ali, is it possible to have the front, back and side walls the same height, but notch out the rear joists more than the front to give the slope? Sorry if this isn't technical language, hope you get what I mean!
Yeh what you're talking about is a 'birds mouth' but only on the rear wall. It would work certainly. The downsides: the timber left once notched out needs to be the right thickness for the span which means you need wider joists and therefore it's greater cost (obviously depends on what slope you have). The other issue is you will have a wider fascia at the front and might have to get different width fascias for front and back creating wastage. Also worth thinking how you will do a side overhang if you're planning on one. So, yes, definitely an option but some considerations there.
Hi Ali, I have a question if you don’t mind on how you determine the size of timber. I am planning or use 45 mm x 70 mm C16 treated kiln dried, but I am now wondering if this will not be big enough. Hope you can help. Thanks
Is this for the walls? There are a whole host of factors that I'd consider before giving a proper answer but many sheds are built with smaller timber so it depends on size of building, the weight of the roof, depth of insulation (and therefore think about the use of the building), your budget etc. What's the motivation for using smaller than 100 x 47? To put it in perspective, some people use 2 x 6s (150 x 47)!
Hi, you mention in your video to use 8x2 for the header for the door if the door is above 6 feet. My walls will be 2.2 meters high. If I deduct the two top plates and a 6x2 header (no cripples above the header) from the 2.2 meters this will leave me with 1967 mm opening for the door (-10mm makes a door of 1957 mm). If I follow your advise of using 8x2 (header width 195mm) or doing the same thing as you do turning one around and attach to the header (so total of header will be 145mm (6x2) + 44mm (thickness of the 6x2) = 189mm), then this will only leave me an opening of 1923mm for my door. So deducting 10mm my door height will be 1913 mm. Is this not a bit low? Would it be ok to just stick with 6x2 header and maybe triple the 6x2 (I am using 6x2 for the wall frame so I have enough space to triple). I am a bit worried that a door opening of 1913mm will be too low. Thank you very much for all the info. Kind regards, Matt
Hi Matt, I think I understood all that. It depends how wide your door opening is? I reckon you could get away with 3 x 6x2s for up to 9 feet wide or more(that's a bit of a guess mind). I wouldn't go too low on the door (1.9m would just about be okay depending on how tall you are) so if you can find a way around it that would be best! Hope that helps or gives reassurance!
Hi, me again! Your PAR timbers are 95mm x 45mm. Did you use 90mm foam board insulation? 100mm would be 5mm proud of the internal wall and prevent the plasterboard sitting flush with the studs. Thank you.
I think this every time I pick up 8x4 sheets of 18mm plywood and the occasional 2.4 m length of 6x2 from the local timber merchant then I’ll fill the van up with litres of petrol and later go to the pub for a pint. 🥴
apologies if you have covered this previously, but why did you decide to put the OSB on the walls before you erected or stood up the walls, I see from other videos that the OSB is put on after the stud wall is put up
You can do either. For my side walls I raised them first and then sheathed them with OSB. The main reason I did so for the front was just to make sure they were square but if your floor is flat then it shouldn't be an issue either way.
Great video Ali. In the current climate has inspired me to build a garden office. Just a question I understand the size of timber you used to build the floor. What size did you use to build the walls? Looking at the timber described above there are 2 different sizes.
Yeh it's a great time to do it! I used 2 x 4s for the studs and top and bottom plates. These are advertised as 100 x 47 (or sometimes 50). Then for the headers above the doors I used 6 x 2s (150 x 47mm), that's why there are two sizes listed in the description.
There doesn't seem to be any point in leaving expansion gaps between sheets of OSB or plywood as those materials don't tend to expand, but also, they're screwed to the frame so aren't free to expand anyway.
@@AliDymock Thank you for what is probably one of the best guides to building a garden workshop etc. Your build is better explained, executed and with more attention to detail than some of the "professional" builds.
I'm going to use OSB3 to skin the outside of my 2"x4" frame walls. I'm fitting breather waterproof membrane, batons then vertical cladding over it. Do you think I could use thinner osb like 12mm or stick with 18mm for robustness? I'm not sure if the cladding will help the osb last hence I might be able to use thinner osb. Building will be w3.2 x L2.6 x h2.4 meters. Thanks
Hi Ali, did you consider using SIPs for the wall construction? I’m just about to start my build and was planning on using SIPs for speed but would love to know if you explored this material. Thanks!
Yes I did and decided against as I wanted to try timber framing, I liked the control I'd have over my project and felt I could make it more bespoke. I'm also not that clear on where the electrics are run or how they work for large floor and roof spans BUT they are quick and benefit from a lack of thermal bridging :)
Great question. Yes I did, a small one, and also I made sure my breathable membrane (Part 12) went below the OSB so any water that might get behind the cladding shouldn't even get to the OSB.
I'm yet to find a clear span table for timber headers holding up a flat roof. Generally for wider, 8 foot+ openings I'd opt for 2x 2x8s (if you can still get the height door you want) and then double up the trimmer studs. You could use an RSJ for really wide ones.
Hi Ali, little confused. When you mention about pulling back from the 16" so that the OSB will reach the end of the wall, I will be using actual 8x4 sheets. Do I need to do this as well?
Hi Amin, it's worth having a look at Part 16 first if you intend to put plasterboard on as that will be better suited to 400mm centres but the direct answer is yes. Mark out your studs on 16 inc centres and then see where 8 feet lies. If it hits the middle of a stud then you've marked it out right.
Meant to ask when I watched originally, did you sketch-up the whole build before hand? Or was it done at a later date for the video? Did you just learn that from RUclips videos and playing about with it?
I did beforehand but it was really rough, it just gave me a better idea of how things would fit together. I just learnt from watching videos on SketchUp to pick up the basics. Some people here are really good at it.
Ali Dymock Luckily I’ve got time on my side as my workshop is realistically a project for next year now, area needs clearing and a tree taking out etc. so I’ve got time to get it drawn up. It’s got to be a huge help when ordering materials, especially stud work, to be able to work out exactly what you need.
Regarding the upright studs, just to clarify, they are 2" x 4" or 50mm x 200mm? Is the actual size of the finished planed timber 45mm X 90mm? Sorry for being a pain 😉
Hi Gordon, definitely worth checking out the descriptions in these videos as there is more information there. The size of my wall studs were a nominal size of 100 x 47 mm (that's what they are advertised as). The actual size is more like 95 x 45mm. Hope that helps.
@@AliDymock It does help, thanks, actually planning everything before you even order wood I have to know the actual size of everything. Will be in contact when I have something concrete done. Thanks again Ali
I did, I'd say you definitely want to use it for the bottom plate but above that it's less important though treated timber is so common and usually the same price you may as well just use it
SOMEONE HELP PLEASE CANT FIND ANYWERE ! :) .. What wood is he using for the wall framing ? Is it treated ? And if so does it have to be treated ? Thanks!!
Mine was treated and 2x4" carcassing timber. You don't have to use treated for walls though I'd recommend the bottom plate being treated as closer to the ground.
Hi Ali, On the diagram pictures of your buildings are the amount of studs and roof joists the correct number needed ?? I am currently a bit stuck in that I can't get the concrete base down due to this coronavirus so have more time to prep and plan. I was orgiginally going to go 7x4m but am thinking of going the same size as yours
Hey Steve, that diagram is a really rough SketchUp I made to give me an overview and rough idea of how much timber I would need. It's not exact so please don't rely on it. I worked out the exact amount of timber at each stage but by all means create an exact plan, I think that's ideal. I'd also go with 400mm centres rather than 16" for reasons I'll explain in the next video. Lastly, (albeit without knowing about your site or use of your building, I reckon 7 x 4.5m sounds great. The 5m width of mine is a bit useless, I'd rather have the length but my site was restricted hence why mine is a bit more square.
@@AliDymock Thanks Ali. After seeing your vid I thought I would go roughly the same size. Mine will be used as a motorcycle workshop as I enjoy restoring old 70,s and early 80,s Japanese 2 strokes. Have the outline at 6.5 x 5 but unfortunately due to this Corona virus I can,t get the concrete for the base at the moment
super helpful and impressive video! thanks for sharing as Im planing to build one by myself! Can I ask did you pay £200 for your householder planning application? that sounds a lot for a small garden outbuilding...
Hi Ali, are you using 16” spacing or 16” on centres? I’ve just started watching the extra video (raw footage for part 7) to the series & your talking about “16” on centres. I have misunderstood something along the way😳?
So the centre of each stud/joist is 16” away from the centre of the next stud/joist. I.e NOT 16” gap between them. That said you may want to go for 400mm centres (see Part 16). I use ‘spacing’ and ‘centres’ interchangeably, I mean the same thing. Hope that helps!
Ali I’ve used 16” gaps so I’ve had to use extra joists at the flat sheet joins. Once the office is finished I’m building a fitness studio. This will be similar to yours. I’ll use 16” centres on that build 👍
Excellent series, incredibly useful for my garden games room project! Just one request/suggestion, can you dial back the volume difference between the music and speaking parts? Kept having to turn it up and down to keep things on a level! Keep up the good work and can’t wait for part 8!
Adam Bunn yeh so true! I’ve struggled to get the audio volume to harmonise across the whole vid. I think it’s getting better though. I’ll keep it in mind for part 8 though which will be out soon. Thanks for the comments, always a motivator!
That sounds like 'code'! Not sure if there is a rule here in the UK in b regs and besides no b regs needed for this build but sounds like wise advice nonetheless 👍
Superb video again Ali, thanks for sharing. I hope there’ll be more videos once this build is complete :-)
Thank you!
I hope so too - setting up the workshop, refurbishing my grandfather's tools (got some nice hand planes etc-will rewatch your videos for that) and building some furniture are all on the list!
Good video, did you consider keeping your stud walls all level and adding a top plate on one side to give you the pitch?
hmmmm, I'd still have the issue of needing my 2 side walls sloped no?
Thanks for the recommendation ragnbonebrown, great videos!
If you nail a couple of pieces of deadwood on the exterior sill plate flush with the floor it'll not slip, give you more leverage and support especially when you raise the sidewalls.
Thanks for taking the time to condense all the research you did into one easy to watch video.
Watching this series makes me want to demolish my 8 x 12 shed I built last year and start again. Thank you for taking the time to do this. Sub added.
Ha, I'm sure your shed is on point too Bradley ;)
Everyone builds slightly differently but this is awesome and most of our summer house build is using your techniques. Thanks so much Ali... super awesome.
Absolutely, and there's no right way but I'm glad it's helped your project. Do you fancy showing off your build on the website?
There is a right way and this is it. Bril well done. 👍
Thanks Rich! There are always other methods but seems to be standing the test of time!
Well, I'm glad i across your vid on garden, as I've also watched lots of utube vids and am ready for my garden room, but i really liked your detailed coverage of potential problems, ahed off time..
Thanks dude
Excellent set of videos. Thank you .
Glad you like them!
Wondering why not fill cavity with insulation?
So glad I've discovered your brilliant videos! I'm in the planning stages of a garden room and I'll be sure to keep dropping back to them for advice and guidance. Well done and thank you 👍🏼
Cheers Stephen!
Thanks for sharing. I was going to buy ground screws for my base but they are at least £20 each so you've already saved me a fortune by showing how to use blocks.
Thank you for the detailed videos Ali. Has taken most of the stress out of planning my build. I am an absolute novice and your advice has given me the confidence to start a Garden room build single handedly.
Ali, great videos and hats off for all your effort in putting your efforts out there. This is a great distillation of information. Done plenty of decks and other wood projects but this has really pushed me into tackling garden buildings and bespoke sheds etc.
Cheers Lester, essentially it's just a very, very tall deck so you're more than capable, I'm sure.
these videos are superb. so much detail.. I can't tell you how helpful your videos are..just what I've been looking for ....I take my hat off too you..thank you very much.
I'm glad they're helpful Mr Slim :)
I'm looking to save costs on a similar shed/room myself and am wondering should I bother with all those OSB boards on the walls. With rockwool between the studs, breathable membrane around it all and shiplap cladding on battens that'll surely suffice for heat+sound insulation and weather proofing right? What is purpose of all that heavy OSB?
Again brilliant video and attention to detail i liked how you added glue to your header another thing a lot of tradesmen wouldn't have done so top marks for that really enjoying watching your build progress with each video
excellent workmanship you put some time served joiners i have worked with in the past to shame you certainly have loads of natural talent for this kind of work again a big thumbs up :)
Keep seeing your comments pop up Paul! I'm at work so will respond to them later, feel free to keep commenting! Enjoy the series. It goes up to Part 12 for the moment 👍
Easier to square up the wall before you add the OSB while you can still rack it square but you're doing a great job, better than a builder would have done and you'll know how to build anything now. I'm still impressed with you doing the demo by yourself.
Love the fact your pal turned up after work from the office in his trousers and shoes to help you lift the walls! Lol
My housemate. If he wanted to come home he had to help haha
I will watch your demo and enjoy it. I was thinking you could put insulation in between the joists instead of on top but you are clearly a very methodical person so look forward to your design. if you lived near me ( wirral, Merseyside )I'd jump on an help out, spk soon,
Yup, that can be done, called a ‘cold roof’. Cheers Scott, have a good evening :)
I thought I would just comment here rather than sending you an email. I got very confused re-watching your GR W series, I have your playlist as a bookmark. Just so you know this episode has been missed out of your playlist. Anyways - my plans are coming along slowly and surely, rather than ask you for advice every time I get stuck - so far I have managed to get the info myself on the Net or YT, but I'm sure I will get stuck eventually! While I am here, allow me to emphasise your recommendation again to people reading this, the link is in your description. NSM Construction have fantastic no bull guides to this kind of construction. 👍
Hi Gordon - thanks so much, Part 7 must have been missed from the playlist this whole time so I've now added it in. cheers! Yeh, NSM is great!
Great video giving confidence to anyone to start a garden project thanks
Excellent and helpful video for so many people mate - thank you.
I have to ask however - do you genuinely like the music you've added?
Great info, could you explain how you 'tried' to keep the building dry, once you had the front and back walls up, I see you had tarps on the floor, but what about your walls with the OSB3, how did you protect those from the rain please?
It was tricky! It rained every single day for 21 days straight-infuriating. A trap helped with the floor and the walls being upright didn’t get that wet and dried very quickly so that was all fine.
@@AliDymock Indeed, it is VERY tricky, with the UK weather! Keeping your build as dry as possible before you get the rubber roof on is an art in it's self, and a possible video in it's self :)
Great videos Ali. Keen to hear your thoughts on how large a span u can have for doors without needing a metal lintel etc. Im current designing a garden room and was looking at french doors with a full length side window each side.
Ali thank you so Much 👏🏻 best regards from🇩🇰
really informative channel. tnx
is it possible to use drywall as exterior sheathing, or something else instead of osb and plywood?
Hi Ali, another great vid. BTW it was like waiting for the next game of thrones lol. Cant wait for the next. The detailed explanation of every task is fantastic, keep it up mate.
haha, well I promise it won't be a year until the next one! Looking forward to that GOT too!
Excellent. Particularly interested as I mentioned a design an you said it's a cold roof style.
Did I? Mine's a warm roof, though I'm covering both options 👍
I have a question, I've been looking everywhere for the answer. So the walls and roof are braced with OSB, is there any good reason that OSB should be on the outside rather than the inside? I can't find this alternative anywhere. It's kind of a cost saving tactic. The inner has an OSB finish and the outer can be tyvek directly over your insulation layer and then stick your cladding over that attaching into the timbers. Can you see any reason why this might not be done?
Hi. Another great video. Love the raw footage too. When can I expect no. 8??? Can't wait. My project is to going stall without it. You're going to throw my programme out completely haha!! Thanks again for the videos. It's looking great!
Hi Damien, thanks very much. Hahaha! I know, it would usually drop about now but as I might have mentioned elsewhere I've recently started a new job so I'm a bit short on time at the moment. That said, I'm editing right now so expect it to drop in the next few days ;)
Ah great stuff. I think there's a bunch of garden room self builder's our there hanging your every move cause were all petrified that we'll end up with a crap looking shed at the end of the garden that doesn't look a bit like that picture on Piterest ha! congrats on the job.
Damien mc mahon 😂 I figured nobody would have started building yet given the weather but I can assure you mine is watertight and looks awesome, although still a way to go with it. Cheers!
Does the bottom plate come out before you install the doors?
Lovely, very comprehensive.
Absolutely superb thankyou so much for doing this I'm building a summer house and found your videos very informative and helpful I've now got a much more clear and concise idea of what I'm doing. Good luck in your new home and I suggest you put a model railway either oo or o gauge around the garden
Thanks Leo. haha, there's a free attic I could use. My dad's got some great Hornby engines! 🤔
@@AliDymock you definitely should. Ou house is end of terrace but still managed to get 24' x 14' oo gauge and plenty of trains
And the track can get rained on with no issues?
@@AliDymock yes a lot of people use deckboards covered with roof felt and track either pinned or glued to it. For wiring it's 12v so add dropper wires to the bottom of the rails and drill holes to pass the wires through. There are loads of videos on you tube of blokes with cameras doing it but I feel if you do the same it'll be much more informative and helpful. Maybe put the wires in conduit for maintenance etc. You can buy the track from peco for £3 A length or more realistic looking bullhead track which is 50% more expensive but to look at will be much more real than a garden trainset. It's not as expensive as you'd think. I've got long trains and cost about £5000 over the last 5 years buying bits here and there. Peco points are available in electrofrog or insulfrog and you can print off plans to put in place to aid with track laying. Have a look at everard junction how to videos and try oo and o gauge garden railway
Hi Ali, so Im working on my own 6m x 4m project now and wouldn't mind picking your brain, my roof span is going to be 3.82m so I plan on using 2 x 7 C16 joists to cover that, the question I have is do you think it would be strong enough to frame my 4 walls using 2 x 4 C16?,
Your videos are great to follow
Presumably you used the "pull back" marking on the floor framing as you had an additional plate down the outside?
The extra timber on the side of the floor was because I’d intended to have the ply within the walls so the third inner timber would have supported the edge. In the end I ply-d over the whole floor, including under the walls so I didn’t need the third timber.
What is the reason to put the osb on the sides? Do you need to? Assuming cladding will do the job?
You don't NEED to but it does give extra strength to the build. there's a lot you can strip away from the build. Imagine a spectrum with a shed on one side and a house on the other, how close you end up to either is up to you :)
Loving this video series, especially with how much detail you are going into for every step and bringing together resources (saving us doing the homework)!
Looking forward to the next one already, especially how you do the roof.
(I'm one of the ones who came along from Rag n bone brown)
Awesome. Yeh the roof is pretty fun! Go check out the extra footage video on my channel page if you're really into it!
You may have covered this previously, so apologies if that is the case, why did you decide to put the OSB on the wall before you erected them or stood them up?
I think it's because it stops the frame from going out of square once he unscrews from the floor, the OSB adds a lot of strength (and weight). It's also easier to cut something that's on the floor and not standing up on it's side.
@@plantyisplenty thank you
Quick question - do the wall studs have to match the floor joists positions? I’ve done my floor on 400mm but am thinking of switching wall studs to 16inch to make the OSB easier.
Hey Chris, the walls sit on the two perimeter floor joists so they don't need to match up. That said, if you're plaster-boarding go with 400mm centres for the walls and roof (see Part 16). You can get OSB in 1200x2400 sizes for the wall.
Taper fillets no need for different height walls
You'll have to watch Part 9 to see the considerations involved
Brilliant, thanks Ali.
Fantastic Video! I'm doing something similar, but haven't put the time into the detailed design you have. I have gone for a solid blockcourse around the building, rather than pillars. But overall the _best_ GardenRoom/Studio build video on t'interwebs!
Kind words! Sounds good, I looked at doing a strip type foundation too but would have needed support in the middle too. Good to keep foxes and rats from getting underneath the building but make sure you put air vents in 👌
Yeah, i'm going with roughly 4 Air Vents distributed around the building. Hopefully should be enough. I've put a support section across the middle aswell to cope with the spans.
It looks like you used planed all 'round for your walls instead of rough sawn, is that correct? Either way why did you choose the one you did?
That's right. It's the typical timber used for construction and is nice to handle. It doesn't make a great deal of difference though
Great video series! So much easier to follow when you are linking the theory with your own experience. You often see these garden studios where there is a long bi fold door and/or where a window and a sliding door meet at the corner of adjacent walls. I would guess we should never be relying on window or door frames to support the weight of the roof. Do you know of common approaches to support these long or awkward unsupported frame gaps?
I think you can 'get away with it' with aluminium frames and a lightweight roof but most will have a header above the wide bi-fold doors, usually in place of the top plate to maximise height of the doors. Sometimes a steel (RSJ) is used for very wide doors with two trimmer studs on either side of the door. For those corners, I reckon there is a double stud or vertical steel stud supporting that corner of the roof. I've struggled to find a span table for headers supporting flat roofs but with wide doors use two 2 x 8s screwed together, just make sure it doesn't make your door too short, otherwise look at using a steel.
@@AliDymock thanks for the quick response! Thats what I was thinking - although it would look great and let lots of light it I'm not sure I want to be replacing bi fold doors after a year once the roof buckles the mechanism! I'll probably go for something a little less ambitious. Cheers
@@icedragonninjawizard 👍exactly the decision I would make too
Another great one!
Hi, I am building a summer house similar to this, it has 2 openings, the biggest being 2m. Would I be able to use 2 8x2 timbers for the header? It will be having quite a heavy roof on like yours, so I'm a little worried about the weight
I think 2 x 2x8s will be fine for 2m span. Have a look at my webpage for this video, as I write about flitch plates that sandwich between the 2x8s if you're concerned.
@@AliDymock I will have a look, thanks for getting back to me 👍
once again, top video!
Hi Ali
Thanks for the great resource you've created.
I'm just wondering, and apologies if I've missed it in the video, where the 150 x 47mm timber was used in the wall construction.
If you get a moment to answer me I'd be very grateful.
Cheers
Rob
I like how you've written this as a letter ;) I used 100 x 47mm timber for the walls (2x4"). That's the advertised size. The actual size is closer to 95mm x 45mm. Hope that helps, I think it is in the video somewhere!
Can I use 9mm ply instead of 9mm osb on the out side walls,?
Great videos! Really helpful. I'm currently planning and costing for a timber studio build. I just wondered why you didn't use firring strips for the flat roof and why? I used firring strips on my garage flat roof and they seem to do the job well. Thanks
Both options are good but I am pleased with the way that I did mine. Other than cost saving from not having to buy firring strips I detail why I went for sloped joists in Part 9 (I think). The main reason was not wanting a very thick facia as mine is a warm roof it's already quite thick!
Hi Ali, would you advise using treated timber for the walls and roof as well as the floor? Thanks
it doesn't really matter so much but doesn't hurt and many suppliers only offer treated so go with whatever is cheapest. Maybe make the sole plate treated :)
What was the final price ? i can only image how bad pricing is gonna be now 2023
Sorry if I missed it in the video, but how high are the walls? I'm in the middle of building mine and know you can't have a height higher than 2.5m to the eaves unless you get planning permission.
That's right. My garden room is 3m as I got PP (see Parts 2 and 3 of the series) so my walls are about 2.44 metres by themselves. 2.5m is quite restrictive so have a read here under 'loopholes' to see if you can bend the rules a little bit: www.alidymock.com/planning-permission-building-regs/ 😀
@@AliDymock I do like a bit of rule bending 😉 Thanks for the reply and look forward to the next video! They're a great help!
Hey Ali, i realise this is an old video but could you explain why people typically affix walls together at corners, and they don't use corner posts? Like a fence post?
It's an unnecessary waste of material, you can if you want to, but it serves no purpose! If you use 6x2 material, thats a 6x6 corner post. Structurally you also have 2 x points of weakness in a post at the corner (the joins), whereas only 1 with the walls overlapping, combined with the Sill plate at the top would need 2x more layers of material (staggered) to have a continuous band at the top. This is required on most builds, to ensure the top of the walls are structurally banded together around the perimeter. 👍👍
My thinking is this. If you had all four walls same height all way round, and put your slope going across the shortest span which is front to the back then how about using 6x2 joists and cut them so they become a giant door wedge basically which gives you enough of a pitch for rain water to flow off. Do this to each each roof joist and this way you can lay your roof sheeting on . This is possibly hard to describe but in my head clear as glass.
If you want I can draw out a simple diagram and send you it on private messenger .
scott mclean hahaha I know what you’re talking about now- Firring strips! Yes that is a good option and I’ll discuss in Video 9 why I didn’t go that way.
Shows good thinking though, you worked it out without knowing it was a thing. You’ll make a good garden room builder!
I'm interested to why you didnt go with that idea now. I thought firring peices are the triangle piece of board you use to hide the gap created from the angle of the rafter to top plate.? I will look forward to your video 9.
scott mclean hmm not sure about that, do you mean the soffit? Firring strips are used to create that roof slope as you suggested but no doubt have other uses.
Okay, I’d want to know too.
Not the only reason but the main reason: my span of 5m is big so I needed thick roof joists plus I decided I wanted a warm roof with insulation on top of the joists. Both of these together create a thick fascia. If I’d added another 9cm to it with Firring strips, it would have looked weird and cost more for fascia boards too as they would need to be wider. I also get slightly more headroom doing it my way but if you are doing a cold roof or have a smaller span, definitely build the walls level and add firring strips 👍
Hey Ali, quick question. I have one wall which will be adjoining to a neighbours garage brick wall. I'm doing studwork and OSB as usual. Would you recommend breather membrane or is this overkill?
Hmm will water get between the walls or not? Probably no point putting a BM because vapour won't have anywhere to go
this has been very helpful. thanks
I have been looking at the rock wool insulation option. They come in 600x1200 size. But then if I would use rock wool I would have to stick to 600mm centres instead of 400mm. Any idea if that would be ok? Thanks
Yes that should be okay but if your roof joists will be at 400mm centres, definitely double up the top plate as they won't be sitting above studs every time and doubling the top plate distributes the weight more 👍
That's great advice. Thank you so much.
5:56 you should left those to be attached to the bottom joist to direct water away towards ground.
yes you can. The front wall, being taller, only left 2cm overlapping so there was no point and I just kept it consistent.
Love all these videos. I've went from buying a man cave to deciding I can build it myself thanks to these videos.
I noticed when using the circular saw you used it free hand and were quite speedy at it. Did you follow a line or were you letting the board below guide the saw?
Funny, I've been asked this a few times and I've never had an issue cutting straight and following a line without a straight edge. The blade is quite wide so it doesn't go off in circles once you're into the material - especially wider things like OSB. So yeh just free hand it I say. With construction a mm or so won't make a big difference.
What type, size and make of screws did you use.? Its a pity you couldn't take the building with you when you move lol.
Haha tell me about it! So I used lots of different ones but the brand I used most was GoldScrew from Screwfix and width most commonly used was 4.5mm. The length differed depending on what I was doing. There should be links in most of the videos' descriptions to the screws I used.
Hey Ali, did you ever manage to find decent span tables for header sizes and king stud calculations on load-bearing walls? I'm planning a 3m x 2.4m build but as the door will be on one of the ends due to the layout of our garden, I'd like as large a window as possible on the front as that's what I'll be looking out of from my desk. Bit worried that my current design loses too many king studs, but it's hard to find any good calculations for what is safe. Currently have 2x8s for the header, and thinking maybe doubling up the jacks may help. Back wall would have no openings. Thanks again for the awesome series!
Hey it's been a struggle and for a flat roof there just isn't much out there - mostly for house dual pitch etc. I reckon 2 x 2x8s and 2x trimmer (jacks) on either side of the opening will be more than sufficient. The trouble people have is that 2x8s take up too much wall height if total height
@@AliDymock Thanks Ali, appreciate it!
Great videos, just about to start on a garden build of a 5m x 3M garden space with pent roof. I need to stay within the 2.5m height and struggling to determine the height of the front and back walls to allow a slope from front to back for the rain to run off....Please help suggest dimensions... :-)
Go for a 1:40 drop so your front wall would be 8cm higher than the back -assuming the 3m is between those walls and across which your roof joists will span 👍
Another super video Ali - I'll be following it almost frame by frame when I get to the wall framing stage myself. You mentioned in a previous video about your decision to opt for narrower openings...did the structural element play a part? I am wanting to have a 3m wide opening but am not sure about the required lintel size. Should I get an engineer to do the calculations, is this covered in the TRADA span tables or should I just put a steel beam in (similar to one we recently inserted into a wider opening in a load-bearing wall)? Any ideas?
Good question. I'm not 100% sure but if you go for 2x8s (and can fit them into your wall height) then you should be fine. 2x10s to be sure perhaps. I doubt you'll need an RSJ but reckon you should do some more research :)
Thanks for your reply. I'll check heights and continue researching - if I find anything useful I'll post it back here. Any idea when we can enjoy your next video (11 or 12)?
Yes, please do, everyone learns from it! Next week I'm hoping. I'm waiting on something particular before I can post, all will be revealed (hopefully!)...
Ali, at 8 seconds in this video where you have your material heights giving you your total building height, have you missed out the timber frame (120mm)?? as you seem to go from dense block/ground level straight to the double bottom plate. The frame should be in the middle no?
Well spotted, the bottom of the diagram is cut off in the video and I drew when I was thinking about having a concrete base, the top of which would be 15cm above ground level. So a lot of the figures there changed as I built.
Hi Ali, great video series, really helping me in my garden studio build. Did you use 5” x 2” timber for the walls as well as the floor framing? Cheers. Paul.
4 x 2s for the walls - carcassing timber so in the UK look for nominal 100 x 50mm but sometimes labelled 100 x 47. Actual size is 95/97mm x 47mm
Really wanna see the nxt part, are you still building or just to edit vids?
Heart man The wait is not long now! I’m still building, it’s hard to do in the winter what with the darkness and cold, so am editing vids around that and work.
Dont know how many times I have watched all of your videos! nothing out there like these, its all about the detail. Im getting bored of sketch up now and just need to get on with it! Im going to need building permission for mine as its 44 square meters. what questions were you asked when you applied for planning and what did you submit? Ill be happy if I am only asked a couple of questions like you so want to give them exactly what they want! Thanks for the 10% off heads up for the rubber roof too... ill use that.
Hi Garry, high praise indeed, much appreciated! That. Is. Large! What are you going to use it for? Umm, they quizzed me about my window overlooking neighbours (it didn't) and about a nearby tree with had a tree protection order (TPO) and whether my foundations would affect its routes (another reason why I didn't use a concrete slab). Where I live, they are worried about beds in sheds i.e. renting out an outbuilding to like 10 people!, I assured them otherwise :)
No worries, just email me when you're ready to order
Its well deserved.. putting together the videos alone must be time consuming! Its going to be a man cave :-) I have a pool table and arcade machine from my previous summerhouse (built by a contractor) and then im going to be adding a sofa and tv area. Thanks for that information, good to know and allows me to pre empt those kind of questions. Not sure beds in sheds is as big a problem in Essex but ill make sure its clear I am not opening up my garden to randoms! Looking forward to your cladding video due to what you said about non combustable cladding, I am interested to know what cladding you go for.. I might go down the same route I am getting building regs anyway... as long as the stuff has good insulation properties! Thanks again Ali
That’s not how you mark 16 on center, your supposed to put a line on 16 inch and then a line 3 quarters of an inch on both sides, for floors walls and roof. And shed size should be variables of 4
Ali, is it possible to have the front, back and side walls the same height, but notch out the rear joists more than the front to give the slope? Sorry if this isn't technical language, hope you get what I mean!
Yeh what you're talking about is a 'birds mouth' but only on the rear wall. It would work certainly. The downsides: the timber left once notched out needs to be the right thickness for the span which means you need wider joists and therefore it's greater cost (obviously depends on what slope you have). The other issue is you will have a wider fascia at the front and might have to get different width fascias for front and back creating wastage. Also worth thinking how you will do a side overhang if you're planning on one.
So, yes, definitely an option but some considerations there.
Hi Ali, I have a question if you don’t mind on how you determine the size of timber. I am planning or use 45 mm x 70 mm C16 treated kiln dried, but I am now wondering if this will not be big enough. Hope you can help. Thanks
Is this for the walls? There are a whole host of factors that I'd consider before giving a proper answer but many sheds are built with smaller timber so it depends on size of building, the weight of the roof, depth of insulation (and therefore think about the use of the building), your budget etc. What's the motivation for using smaller than 100 x 47? To put it in perspective, some people use 2 x 6s (150 x 47)!
Hi, you mention in your video to use 8x2 for the header for the door if the door is above 6 feet. My walls will be 2.2 meters high. If I deduct the two top plates and a 6x2 header (no cripples above the header) from the 2.2 meters this will leave me with 1967 mm opening for the door (-10mm makes a door of 1957 mm). If I follow your advise of using 8x2 (header width 195mm) or doing the same thing as you do turning one around and attach to the header (so total of header will be 145mm (6x2) + 44mm (thickness of the 6x2) = 189mm), then this will only leave me an opening of 1923mm for my door. So deducting 10mm my door height will be 1913 mm. Is this not a bit low? Would it be ok to just stick with 6x2 header and maybe triple the 6x2 (I am using 6x2 for the wall frame so I have enough space to triple). I am a bit worried that a door opening of 1913mm will be too low.
Thank you very much for all the info. Kind regards, Matt
Hi Matt, I think I understood all that. It depends how wide your door opening is? I reckon you could get away with 3 x 6x2s for up to 9 feet wide or more(that's a bit of a guess mind). I wouldn't go too low on the door (1.9m would just about be okay depending on how tall you are) so if you can find a way around it that would be best! Hope that helps or gives reassurance!
Hi, me again! Your PAR timbers are 95mm x 45mm. Did you use 90mm foam board insulation? 100mm would be 5mm proud of the internal wall and prevent the plasterboard sitting flush with the studs. Thank you.
Spot on Jon, use 90mm or less. I'll be covering that in the next video.
@@AliDymock You're awesome! Looking forward to your follow ups. Good luck with your new home.
Only in the UK do we switch between metric and imperial so easily 🤣
😆so true.
I think this every time I pick up 8x4 sheets of 18mm plywood and the occasional 2.4 m length of 6x2 from the local timber merchant then I’ll fill the van up with litres of petrol and later go to the pub for a pint. 🥴
apologies if you have covered this previously, but why did you decide to put the OSB on the walls before you erected or stood up the walls, I see from other videos that the OSB is put on after the stud wall is put up
You can do either. For my side walls I raised them first and then sheathed them with OSB. The main reason I did so for the front was just to make sure they were square but if your floor is flat then it shouldn't be an issue either way.
@@AliDymock thanks for taking the time to reply
Great video Ali. In the current climate has inspired me to build a garden office. Just a question I understand the size of timber you used to build the floor. What size did you use to build the walls? Looking at the timber described above there are 2 different sizes.
Yeh it's a great time to do it! I used 2 x 4s for the studs and top and bottom plates. These are advertised as 100 x 47 (or sometimes 50). Then for the headers above the doors I used 6 x 2s (150 x 47mm), that's why there are two sizes listed in the description.
Excellent videos, loving them, and attention to details! Can I ask how much this cost overall, please??
I don't have a full answer right now but you can get an idea here: www.alidymock.com/start-here
What size screws/bolts did you secure your walls to the floor with eventually ?
It’s in Part 8 my friend with a link in the description to the very screwbolts used :)
There doesn't seem to be any point in leaving expansion gaps between sheets of OSB or plywood as those materials don't tend to expand, but also, they're screwed to the frame so aren't free to expand anyway.
Yeh I'd agree with that in retrospect, I reckon I was over cautious on that point.
@@AliDymock Thank you for what is probably one of the best guides to building a garden workshop etc. Your build is better explained, executed and with more attention to detail than some of the "professional" builds.
I'm going to use OSB3 to skin the outside of my 2"x4" frame walls. I'm fitting breather waterproof membrane, batons then vertical cladding over it. Do you think I could use thinner osb like 12mm or stick with 18mm for robustness? I'm not sure if the cladding will help the osb last hence I might be able to use thinner osb. Building will be w3.2 x L2.6 x h2.4 meters. Thanks
I used 11mm OSB3 which is plenty strong for the walls!
Ali Dymock oh so 11mm on the outside of walls and roof? Sorry, just want to be sure as I could save a few quid here :)
Hi Ali, did you consider using SIPs for the wall construction? I’m just about to start my build and was planning on using SIPs for speed but would love to know if you explored this material. Thanks!
Yes I did and decided against as I wanted to try timber framing, I liked the control I'd have over my project and felt I could make it more bespoke. I'm also not that clear on where the electrics are run or how they work for large floor and roof spans BUT they are quick and benefit from a lack of thermal bridging :)
thanks mate, brilliant.
Ali, brilliant video as usual, did you over hang the OSB at floor level, so as to give a drip seal?
Great question. Yes I did, a small one, and also I made sure my breathable membrane (Part 12) went below the OSB so any water that might get behind the cladding shouldn't even get to the OSB.
How did you determine the size of your headers for the windows and doors?
I'm yet to find a clear span table for timber headers holding up a flat roof. Generally for wider, 8 foot+ openings I'd opt for 2x 2x8s (if you can still get the height door you want) and then double up the trimmer studs. You could use an RSJ for really wide ones.
Hi Ali, little confused. When you mention about pulling back from the 16" so that the OSB will reach the end of the wall, I will be using actual 8x4 sheets. Do I need to do this as well?
Hi Amin, it's worth having a look at Part 16 first if you intend to put plasterboard on as that will be better suited to 400mm centres but the direct answer is yes. Mark out your studs on 16 inc centres and then see where 8 feet lies. If it hits the middle of a stud then you've marked it out right.
When are you posting yojr roof video sir
Soon Scott! There's quite a bit of theory I've had to write out and create images for. I'll put it up as soon as it's done though, Monday possibly.
Meant to ask when I watched originally, did you sketch-up the whole build before hand? Or was it done at a later date for the video? Did you just learn that from RUclips videos and playing about with it?
I did beforehand but it was really rough, it just gave me a better idea of how things would fit together. I just learnt from watching videos on SketchUp to pick up the basics. Some people here are really good at it.
Ali Dymock Luckily I’ve got time on my side as my workshop is realistically a project for next year now, area needs clearing and a tree taking out etc. so I’ve got time to get it drawn up. It’s got to be a huge help when ordering materials, especially stud work, to be able to work out exactly what you need.
Regarding the upright studs, just to clarify, they are 2" x 4" or 50mm x 200mm? Is the actual size of the finished planed timber 45mm X 90mm? Sorry for being a pain 😉
Hi Gordon, definitely worth checking out the descriptions in these videos as there is more information there. The size of my wall studs were a nominal size of 100 x 47 mm (that's what they are advertised as). The actual size is more like 95 x 45mm. Hope that helps.
@@AliDymock It does help, thanks, actually planning everything before you even order wood I have to know the actual size of everything. Will be in contact when I have something concrete done. Thanks again Ali
Did you use treated wood for the walls? Thanks
I did, I'd say you definitely want to use it for the bottom plate but above that it's less important though treated timber is so common and usually the same price you may as well just use it
SOMEONE HELP PLEASE CANT FIND ANYWERE ! :) .. What wood is he using for the wall framing ? Is it treated ? And if so does it have to be treated ? Thanks!!
Mine was treated and 2x4" carcassing timber. You don't have to use treated for walls though I'd recommend the bottom plate being treated as closer to the ground.
Hi Ali, On the diagram pictures of your buildings are the amount of studs and roof joists the correct number needed ?? I am currently a bit stuck in that I can't get the concrete base down due to this coronavirus so have more time to prep and plan. I was orgiginally going to go 7x4m but am thinking of going the same size as yours
Hey Steve, that diagram is a really rough SketchUp I made to give me an overview and rough idea of how much timber I would need. It's not exact so please don't rely on it. I worked out the exact amount of timber at each stage but by all means create an exact plan, I think that's ideal. I'd also go with 400mm centres rather than 16" for reasons I'll explain in the next video.
Lastly, (albeit without knowing about your site or use of your building, I reckon 7 x 4.5m sounds great. The 5m width of mine is a bit useless, I'd rather have the length but my site was restricted hence why mine is a bit more square.
@@AliDymock Thanks Ali. After seeing your vid I thought I would go roughly the same size. Mine will be used as a motorcycle workshop as I enjoy restoring old 70,s and early 80,s Japanese 2 strokes. Have the outline at 6.5 x 5 but unfortunately due to this Corona virus I can,t get the concrete for the base at the moment
@@stevebeard9656 I know, I can't get anything either: ruclips.net/channel/UC4UDFzeOPhEkPJMuIqoVqTAcommunity
super helpful and impressive video! thanks for sharing as Im planing to build one by myself! Can I ask did you pay £200 for your householder planning application? that sounds a lot for a small garden outbuilding...
Yup £172, not too much in the grand scheme of things.
Furring strips then keep the wall heights the same??
Part 9 will explain my thought process about that and why I chose not to go that route :)
Hi Ali, are you using 16” spacing or 16” on centres? I’ve just started watching the extra video (raw footage for part 7) to the series & your talking about “16” on centres.
I have misunderstood something along the way😳?
So the centre of each stud/joist is 16” away from the centre of the next stud/joist. I.e NOT 16” gap between them. That said you may want to go for 400mm centres (see Part 16).
I use ‘spacing’ and ‘centres’ interchangeably, I mean the same thing.
Hope that helps!
Ali I’ve used 16” gaps so I’ve had to use extra joists at the flat sheet joins.
Once the office is finished I’m building a fitness studio. This will be similar to yours. I’ll use 16” centres on that build 👍
Excellent series, incredibly useful for my garden games room project! Just one request/suggestion, can you dial back the volume difference between the music and speaking parts? Kept having to turn it up and down to keep things on a level! Keep up the good work and can’t wait for part 8!
Adam Bunn yeh so true! I’ve struggled to get the audio volume to harmonise across the whole vid. I think it’s getting better though. I’ll keep it in mind for part 8 though which will be out soon. Thanks for the comments, always a motivator!
Hi ali is the wood treated or normal ??
I used treated throughout as that was all my supplier offered but above the bottom plate and floor you don't need to use treated.
Put tape measure n and just mark centers
good video, but your music taste is well below adequate:)
Top plate needs to have joints at least 48" staggered.
That sounds like 'code'! Not sure if there is a rule here in the UK in b regs and besides no b regs needed for this build but sounds like wise advice nonetheless 👍
6" rim nail, 12" in the field
Yep, should work too :)
always tarp your wood projects