Shed build & flooring advice (cement)

[busastars]

In the lowest place that wil be about 4" but most of the way round its its min 6", couple of places its deaper than that.

The ground is hard, already got stones beded in and im leaving a thin/single layer of stones to lay on.

Ive been reading online and mix'es are anything between 4-1 and 6-1. Im gessin about 4-1 or 5-1. Not sure on how wet to have it, any suggestions on how much water would help a great deal.

 

[rtbcomp]

I'd blind the stones with sand and don't forget the Visqueen as previously mentioned!!

 

[busastars]

I'd blind the stones with sand and don't forget the Visqueen as previously mentioned!!

Just had a read right through, got a bit lost on that one, just me being slow I gess lol...

BUT almost there, two days of next week, hopfully have a mixer by then if not ill get all the roof done. Four days I recon and all be finished.

 

[gavuk]

We used ready mix but they do a slump test...slump test....it wants to be able to hold some height ...have you sorted a mixer?...you will get a feel for the mix after a few and if you fill a water butt you can gauge using a bucket.....i agree with previous posts ,blind stones with sand,and use a plastic membrane ,re-inforcement using rebar or weldmesh is a good idea but i'm not convinced is critical for a shed ,if it were a garage using jacks and point loading then i would be more concerned.We had some reinforcement mixed into to the concrete , fibres,which were supposed to help with surface cracks etc ...

 

[rtbcomp]

I think you can ask for a setting retardant to be added if you're going to take a long time laying it.

A thin layer of sand over stones & pebbles stops the membrane being puntcured.

 

[busastars]

Just a little bit of advice needed for the roof.

It will be panneled with 8 x 4' 3/4" ply so each side is approx 16 x 4'

I priced up the plastic couragated sheets and that worked out about £82, about £8.95 a sheet, way over budjet for somthing that is supposed to be a cheap fix.

Is there anything else I can use, how much is couragated tin roughly before I waste my time phoneing round.

Felt I would need three rolls at £16 a roll or £48 total, BUT realy want to stay away from felt.

Any other suggestions, ive been searching ebay for a few weeks now and nothing has turned up cheap.

 

[pedrobedro]

We roofed next doors outbuilding this week with roofing felt, £22 for a roll enough to do a 16'x8' roof plus clout nails and a tin of roofing mastic to seal the joints just over £30 all in. He's 67 so it should last him out. Any salvage yards near you ? Sometimes box profile roof sheets come up for not too much money if you are willing to take what's there.

 

[busastars]

Thanks pedro,

Been down the salvage yard etc, ive got a number for a tin clading company but dont want to look stupid phoneing them, just incase its WAY to expensive.

Also got this week off now, just checked the weather, heavy rain all week, SUKS big time. I just need one day dry to pannel the roof, the trusses are up, few little bits and pannels can go on. Geee its not looking to good......

 

[SC_BK]

To give you an idea of price of tin sheets - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CORROGATED-GA...Ceilings_Walls_Roofing_ET?hash=item1c11320b19

So a 3ftx12ft sheet is just shy of £20 inc vat


OSB covered in a good quality felt, fitted well, should last many years

 

[Pete.]

Just a little bit of advice needed for the roof.

It will be panneled with 8 x 4' 3/4" ply so each side is approx 16 x 4'

I priced up the plastic couragated sheets and that worked out about £82, about £8.95 a sheet, way over budjet for somthing that is supposed to be a cheap fix.

Is there anything else I can use, how much is couragated tin roughly before I waste my time phoneing round.

Felt I would need three rolls at £16 a roll or £48 total, BUT realy want to stay away from felt.

Any other suggestions, ive been searching ebay for a few weeks now and nothing has turned up cheap.

Whatever timber you put on the roof you're going to have to make it weather proof. The only reason to use 18mm is security - you could use anything that will support your weather proofing - ply, chipboard, MDF or bashed-up pallets. So long as it's kept dry it'll last.

 

[MrFluffy]

I carnt get a wagon near to do the readymix thing

Dont they have concrete conveyers on the wagons over there?
We have them here, they can extend them out hydraulically like a weird crane, and shoot the concrete into the most awkward of locations quite some distance from the actual wagon itself.
The only pain is the extra cleaning charge they incur...

 

[rtbcomp]

Some wagons have extending chutes and I've seen one system where they pump the concrete along a flexible hose - goodness how much that costs!

 

[busastars]

Would love to post a few pics on my update but its been raining and im cream crackerd.

Got the roof pannels (8x4 ply) on and battoned up ready for the roof material I chouse, probably will go with the tin cladding. The roof is strong enough to take my weight and the father inlaw on top and im around 13 stone.

Made a start on the one square in the shed/workshop, aprox 7x4' and in most places around 8" deap, the cement mixer is RUBBISH, only get a bucket in at a time BUT its alot better than mixing by hand.

Well finished tonight about 8pm and tired, I sure am not designed for manuel labour. Got three more 7x4' sections to do, probably do two of them tomorow.

Having a hard time trying to fill the gaps between the two sheds as they are different sizes and also need to do a rear sliding door.

Lots of work left, I will update with pics especialy when I get the bike ramp made (all out of timber im afraid)....

 

[busastars]

So tired now, cement mixer is rubbish and done another square today all by hand, not going to have enough Ballest so need to order another bag all because I never measured the depth just gessed. Ive got in places around 8" and most places 6" here and there it does drop down to 4" so is way over spec for the shed and good enough for a real garage/drive.

Sent the wife out to take a couple of pics for anyone who is interested:

Roof is all panneled just need box tin:

Two square's are cemented, roughly 4-1 mix all measured with buckets and not to wet. Its not nice and smooth but is as good as two of us can do:

Question: How long should I leave it before I stand on the cement?????

 

[gavuk]

We poured late morning and were floating the top smooth ,later that day ,so 4-5 hrs prob ok ,disclaimer ,test first ,don't jump into middle ......we smoothed off of a scaffold board to spread our weight ,and used a plasterer trowel for finish....

 

[brightspark]

We poured late morning and were floating the top smooth ,later that day ,so 4-5 hrs prob ok ,disclaimer ,test first ,don't jump into middle ......we smoothed off of a scaffold board to spread our weight ,and used a plasterer trowel for finish....

someones cat will walk on it THERES ALLWAYS A CAT

 

[gavuk]

We have 2 cats......we had a hose set up to spray top down ,as it was sunny ,they didn't come anywhere near

 

[busastars]

Right then, the first square was hard this morn but end of the day I did wet the top layer because from what I read it needs to Hydrate to cure etc. So thats ok then end of the week will be fine for me.

No cats ever, not with my Murphy

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Right then, the first square was hard this morn but end of the day I did wet the top layer because from what I read it needs to Hydrate to cure etc. So thats ok then end of the week will be fine for me.

No cats ever, not with my Murphy

Drying home made stuff is usually 3 to 5 days depending on drying weather and how wet you made it for light walking on and 7 days or so for a wheeled car. heavier stuff ..leave about 28 days till it goes from the green colour to a lighter whitish one.

Keep it covered from rain for a couple of days and frost free for at least 14 days till the moisture content drops dramatically .

Commercial stuff is much more consistantly mixed and measured usually with less water content so can be compacted well and polished off with hand or power float five or six hours later but it is still reccommended to keep off it for the same sort of times

 

[cazl1994]

don't put a bench or bike on it for about a week
but you'll be able to walk on it in 2-3 days