Shed proportions

[cheb]

I might be building a new shed soon, probably a steel frame agricultural type. The size might be 8m x 6m or thereabouts. I've not paced and prodded the land for it yet so this is all very, very vague.

It's mostly to keep stuff out of the elements but there will be a warm dry room inside for the lathe, table saw etc. I like a tidy shed and dislike having to move things about before I can start on something.

I'm pondering about, bearing mind my comment about not knowing the land, whether a longer thinner shed is better than a shorter wider one. I don't suppose it'll make much difference but I'm sure I've not considered all the possibilities. I'm minded to keep the height down, a 2.4m height door will admit anything I'm likely to work on, and prevent chanchy mates trying to work their boats into it.

 

[sako243]

If you do your own maintenance on vehicles then having the ability to get a vehicle in is a godsend. My workshop / office space is 11x5m but the main vehicle door is on the long side down at one end. Getting the 110 in is not too bad to work on but you tend to have to clamber over the bumper or scoot underneath it to get to the other side. Having a "long thin" shed means that you can put stuff down one / both sides but keep a walkway down the middle which is nice but you then have to keep a project area for larger bits and bobs.

The only thing I'd like (other than everything being bigger) is having the vehicle door at the end rather than the side as it means getting equipment in / out I could use the JCB's forks to simply put it into place and then shunt sideways. With the current set up it requires a lot of shunting to get heavier equipment in and out.

 

[Blobber]

Decide on the dimensions you want and then make it bigger!

 

[Anguz]

Decide on the dimensions you want and then make it bigger!

at least double

 

[nickk]

Depends also on inclement weather conditions,unlikely where you reside,but obviously a larger roof span is more susceptible to wind and snow loads.

 

[Wildefalcon]

And a lean-to is very handy.

 

[Wildefalcon]

But, bigger, having the option to have a clean side and mucky side is worth considering. One for gearbox builds and one for angle grinding/media blasting.

 

[Gareth J]

I've a very long, relatively narrow barn. Great for lengths of steel (in one direction) and for maximising wall space. Horrible for vehicles or vehicle sized projects. They end up stacking up and blocking each other in.

I'd work on the principle of having a squarish clean/warm room at one end the dimensions you need to fit all the non smutty tools in with a storage mezzanine above. Then having a minimum of 6m (steel length) of shed behind that, whatever works with the space, purlin length and budget.

 

[Screwdriver]

I had a long narrow shed and it was useless. Once you have anything in there, you can't get in. I just spent the last couple of weeks making it wider. A trmendous amount of effort (new roof!) for just another 600mm width and a fair bit more height. I also had to work around all the junk stored in there but that's another story.

Re internal height, 2400 is fine until you have to swing a full sheet in there. It may be only 2440 long but it's 2728 corner to corner and you have to spin them around on an angle remembering you're probably going to lose a fair bit of internal height to your joists. The stuff of nightmares.

 

[8ob]

The 6mts wide bit is going to be a bit tight to sub divide and anything off the length would compromise workspace. May be ok if you get some height and build in a mezzanine for storage.

Bob

 

[jenki]

My garage is long 13m+ but narrow (Site limitations) think generous single garage width what I would give to be able open a car door and walk around it. Also the appeal of a warm clean room. As others have said whatever you think is big enough go bigger you will only build it once.

 

[Bobupndown]

I thought about a decent sized double garage but what it would cost to build in traditional block was more than this cost me.
12m x 8m, 3x3m roller door. Galvanised steel frame, steel clad, moisture barrier on roof. It's cold in winter but beats working on a car in the driveway. Picture is day 2 of construction.

 

[Onthespotwelding]

If you want a shed these are the people you need.

Prefabricated Construction UK | Warehouse, Agricultural & More

Quickway specialises in the supply, delivery and erection of prefabricated steel framed buildings and modular buildings. Based in Kent, making building simple across the UK.

quickway-wingham.co.uk

Smallest they do is 9m wide.

I Forgot to mention they have been going since 1889. That’s 134 years!

 

[indy4x]

Just bear in mind, @cheb lives in the Outer Hebrides so shipping stuff might be interesting

 

[addjunkie]

If it were me, Id start with your max budget, and work back wards. Steel buildings and big concrete floors get expensive.

The sheds pictured above come as a kit, and vary in quality, some are all bolted frames, others are riddled with tech screws. Up your way you may be better off going with a traditional agricultural type steel frame, timber rails and purlins, then sheeting it. Steel or fibre cement with roof lights, if going steel you need anti con lining. This type of thing
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28501270...MIoYGtv8H7gQMV02DmCh0LpwF_EAQYByABEgJ_RPD_BwE. Bigger is best. With this style youd normally put about 3/4 cube of concrete with cone bolts set in for each leg, rather than building on to a large slab. Then lay the floor once its built.

 

[steve t]

If you want a shed these are the people you need.

Prefabricated Construction UK | Warehouse, Agricultural & More

Quickway specialises in the supply, delivery and erection of prefabricated steel framed buildings and modular buildings. Based in Kent, making building simple across the UK.

quickway-wingham.co.uk

Smallest they do is 9m wide.

I Forgot to mention they have been going since 1889. That’s 134 years!

Never seen them done like that before. Very clever

 

[cheb]

If you want a shed these are the people you need.

Prefabricated Construction UK | Warehouse, Agricultural & More

Quickway specialises in the supply, delivery and erection of prefabricated steel framed buildings and modular buildings. Based in Kent, making building simple across the UK.

quickway-wingham.co.uk

Smallest they do is 9m wide.

I Forgot to mention they have been going since 1889. That’s 134 years!

That looks very interesting, certainly worth reading the brochure.

 

[cheb]

I've had an email back from my preferred contractor and he asked this: Will you have concrete panels, blocks or just cladding at the sides?

I've not had a framed shed before, they've either been stone built or timber frame and block clad. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the three options above?

 

[willie.macleod]

If you specify a 30 degree roof pitch then it tends to perform better in windy conditions and will give useful height for lifting inside or additional storage space. As above make sure either insulated panels for roof or anti condensation lining. Concrete panels are quick to install but expensive to ship and can be a bit agricultural, cladding needs careful detailing to ensure watertightness (seen way too many leaky sheds, especially at the bottoms) but if done right can tick all the boxes. I'd personally prefer blockwork if you are DIYing, seen fewer leaky block walls, good fixing points for items on walls, can render and all materials readily available locally.

 

[addjunkie]

Concrete panels are simple and quick, come in various thickness from 90 mm up. There are normally fitted inside the steel frame, then clamped to it, so you loose a bit of floor space. Erection is quicker and easier though as your not holding a panel while erecting the frame so the panel is inside the I of the steel. With block in fill between the vertical steels you get cracking down the seam as the structures move a bit in high winds, probably easier fixed with flexible mastic.
Once the concrete panels are installed, you then lay the floor. You then clad down to the panels, if using box profile youd need the fillers at the join to stop the draughts. Concrete panels add security as they Are not so easy to ram through. You can fix to them, or drill through and use bolts, but work out where the re bar is first.

If your cladding to the floor Id do a single block right round the bottom, to stop driven rain ingress, again the gap between the concrete floor and box profile needs blocking for draughts.

Heres a couple of pictures so you can see how concrete panels look. These in the picture are 1.5m. You can also stack concrete panels if you wanted to go higher. But the floor is 200mm thick. If you look closely at the first picture you can see the panel fixings, the joints are mastic sealed if required. This is clad with yorkshire boarding to let air through for animals. Steel frames are normally is 15ft or 20ft spacings.