Lean-to workshop pipedream

[RogerS]

So as regular readers may recall I have available a 'Now not quite so damp' garage and a lean-to 'workshop'. I've moved the two 'orrible Lumberjack machines - P/T and table saw up to the garage. Being made of plastic and aluminium they should survive long enough. There's just about enough room to layout a sheet of Kingspan on which to cut sheets with the tracksaw.

The 'Lean to' needs a 'bit of work' doing ('bit of work' being my entry for the 2026 Understatement of the Year award). View from either door....




It has zero insulation and bloody cold. Work will be done in stages.

Stage 1 - has to be stripping out all the ropey 'shelving' the previous owner put in and I've made a start. That is easier said than done because as you can see it's been a dumping ground and we have nowhere to put the stuff.


Stage 2 - when all the walls have been cleared I will put up some insulation...probably Kingspan type..between vertical bearers spaced to match sheets of ply which will be screwed on. That will give me a good insulated set of walls.

Stage 3 - build the two kitchen cabinets to form the base of my assembly table. It has worked well in our last twoplaces and suits my type/style of work. I don't need a bench. That will get me far enough to make the door for the Missus's bedroom - currently an open doorway.

Stage 4 - will be re-doing the electrics. Did I tell you he's a bodger? Two rooms in the house with sockets fed from two different RCBO's ? The garage has Live and Neutral reversed!! Like me, he's an ex-BBC engineer which makes it all the worse as he should know better as electrical safety was drilled into us from the start. Mind you, he's ex-transmitters which perhaps explains things

Stage 5 - will be in Spring as I want to do something about the roof.



I remembered reading about a company that produced replacement rooves for elderly conservatories and was going to research but I had an Epiphany in the early hours as we will be replacing this conservatory with a building in the same style as the Studio.


And these three double-glazed windows can be repurposed to fill 75% of a new roof! Result.



That's todays' plan, at any rate. Watch this space.

 

[duke]

Wow, you will be busy for awhile or longer Roger.

 

[Cabinetman]

You certainly aren’t going down the easy route with those windows Roger. Not sure what to think about that really.

 

[RogerS]

You certainly aren’t going down the easy route with those windows Roger. Not sure what to think about that really.

I think it should be pretty straightforward, Ian. Those three windows are self-contained units. Heavy admittedly. Place additional beams where the joins are. I will need an extra piece of non-glass to provide the extra surface needed to completely cover the roof. EDPM, plywood should do it. Lots of butyl roofers tape !!

 

[toolsntat]

Do those openings between the stone wall and the block wall mean its subsiding a little?
Cheers, Andy

 

[Cabinetman]

Well I certainly hope it is easy Roger, and yes they will be heavy!

 

[Accipiter]

Fingers crossed for some decent weather Roger for you (and the rest of us) so you can get to sort through and put the *rubbish* outside... are you far from your local (if there's one local?) recycling centre? I feel very fortunate that I have one about ½ mile away on the trading estate so I sort through stuff and take round there... you're asking fortunate. Looks like you've 'some' salvageable bits there.

With those three windows... you're thinking of using in the lean-to roof replacement? Certainly will be hefty for sure but will let in plenty of light. With not knowing what the direction of the sun will be where you are/the lean-to is I'm just thinking about heat/sunlight making it a tad uncomfortable... something you've probably already taken in mind.

Great to hear that the fan is helping in the other place .

 

[RogerS]

Do those openings between the stone wall and the block wall mean its subsiding a little?
Cheers, Andy

Do you mean in the first picture? The answer is Yes. As is the rest of the house. And, as it turns out, the stone wall - part of the walled garden 100+ years old - that was purloined over 40 years ago to be one of the walls of the kitchen extension

 

[RogerS]

Fingers crossed for some decent weather Roger for you (and the rest of us) so you can get to sort through and put the *rubbish* outside... are you far from your local (if there's one local?) recycling centre? I feel very fortunate that I have one about ½ mile away on the trading estate so I sort through stuff and take round there... you're asking fortunate. Looks like you've 'some' salvageable bits there.

With those three windows... you're thinking of using in the lean-to roof replacement? Certainly will be hefty for sure but will let in plenty of light. With not knowing what the direction of the sun will be where you are/the lean-to is I'm just thinking about heat/sunlight making it a tad uncomfortable... something you've probably already taken in mind.

Great to hear that the fan is helping in the other place .

The workshop is on the North side and gets very little sun. I don’t have time to go to the tip. There will be a skip coming for when we do the en-suite, another the bathroom and a third the conservatory.

 

[RogerS]

I see a workshop starting to emerge from the chaos. Quite impressed with the IKEA kitchen cabinets apart from the fact that they don't have tops (I don't mean worktops). Just a couple of metal straps spanning the width. The first one I cut some spare board from the main kitchen build and used Pocket Screws. But then during the tidy up I found three surplus boards of the right size. They were repurposed from some Magnet cabinets that they cocked up in the supply. They come with special screws designed for the job and of which I have loads.

 

[Lons]

I think I'd be looking at the possibility of rebuilding the conservatory on one end of the workshop if there's space and looking at the roof as a seperate project.

 

[RogerS]

Nice idea but no room.

 

[Mike G]

That looks like it could be a useful little workshop, Roger. I've certainly had much smaller.

Just a word of caution on the rooflight thing......I don't know the orientation of the roof for which they are intended, but in general terms, rooflights can generate an awful lot of solar gain, which can be a good thing in spring and autumn, and a really bad thing in summer. If they're not going to be openable, you could be giving yourself problems. Possibly a bigger issue, though (in a workshop) is that they can produce a lot of condensation in the winter, and this can drip. You could find yourself with puddles on whatever is under the lower edge. Double glazing is generally between 5% and 10% as thermally efficient as the wall or roof its fitted in, so it's going to be very cold in the winter. It's also a vulnerability for thieves.

I'm not saying don't do it, but I am suggesting you think it through very carefully first.

 

[Cabinetman]

Yes I’ve had smaller workshops in the past, what’s that one Roger 12’x 20’?

 

[RogerS]

Yes I’ve had smaller workshops in the past, what’s that one Roger 12’x 20’?

I wish! 14’ x 10’.

It won’t be too bad because any prep will be done in the garage now. The only fixed power tool in the the workshop will be the KS60. I still have my pillar drill in the garage …possibly it might come down (with difficulty as it’s very heavy)..but TBH I never used it that much in the old workshop. Be good to get the bandsaw operational as that was always useful.

 

[RogerS]

That looks like it could be a useful little workshop, Roger. I've certainly had much smaller.

Just a word of caution on the rooflight thing......I don't know the orientation of the roof for which they are intended, but in general terms, rooflights can generate an awful lot of solar gain, which can be a good thing in spring and autumn, and a really bad thing in summer. If they're not going to be openable, you could be giving yourself problems. Possibly a bigger issue, though (in a workshop) is that they can produce a lot of condensation in the winter, and this can drip. You could find yourself with puddles on whatever is under the lower edge. Double glazing is generally between 5% and 10% as thermally efficient as the wall or roof its fitted in, so it's going to be very cold in the winter. It's also a vulnerability for thieves.

I'm not saying don't do it, but I am suggesting you think it through very carefully first.

You make very good points, Mike. Fortunately the roof orientation is such that it will hardly get any direct sunshine. There is a load of tall trees with dense foliage to the East. The house blocks the sun to the South and there is a monumentally high wall blocking the sun from the West.

I need to give some thought to drips.

 

[AJB Temple]

Is a rooflight that does not generate much light (due to trees and wall) worth bothering with Roger? Compared with say an LED daylight panel.

 

[RogerS]

Is a rooflight that does not generate much light (due to trees and wall) worth bothering with Roger? Compared with say an LED daylight panel.

I think it is. I don’t like that asbestos roof. It leaks heat. The DG units have been decently spec’s re prevention of heat loss. They will cost me nothing to fit as I will have a builder on site whit his Gofer.

There will be plenty of light.

 

[Jonathan]

60 % of the windows in my shed are north facing they get no direct sun due to roof overhangs, they bring in a lot of natural light which is in my opinion better than artificial light…..ok I’m a little further south than Rodger so maybe that makes a difference.

 

[AJB Temple]

Fair enough. Artists studios often had north facing windows. The best and most even light for work apparently.

 

[Mike G]

Fair enough. Artists studios often had north facing windows. The best and most even light for work apparently.

Very true. I've done one or two artist's studios, and north light is much prized......but of course, also the coldest orientation for a window, and thus likely to be the site of condensation.

 

[Doug]

How about something like this Roger



Simple to fit you just need an upstand & it’s triple glazed.
I’ve been plastering in the room below the doors & windows have been covered in condensation from the plaster drying out but there’s not been a spot of condensation on this roof light.

 

[Spectric]

When I saw those pictures my first thought was that someone had ransacked your workshop.

 

[RogerS]

When I saw those pictures my first thought was that someone had ransacked your workshop.

LOL. No, I’m extremely competent at doing that all by myself

 

[RogerS]

How about something like this Roger

View attachment 38280

Simple to fit you just need an upstand & it’s triple glazed.
I’ve been plastering in the room below the doors & windows have been covered in condensation from the plaster drying out but there’s not been a spot of condensation on this roof light.

Nice idea Doug but that would also need a proper roof to support it. I’m only ‘passing through’. I wasn’t supposed to be doing any of this malarkey but enjoying life, going gliding and windsurfing and generally chilling out.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Nice idea Doug but that would also need a proper roof to support it. I’m only ‘passing through’. I wasn’t supposed to be doing any of this malarkey but enjoying life, going gliding and windsurfing and generally chilling out.

But yo enjoy a little creative woodworking every now and then mate so a little workshop is necessary surely…

 

[RogerS]

So we now have an assembly bench



It's three IKEA 600mm kitchen cabinets with loads of drawers. Downside is that IKEA are even worse than Magnet in terms of 'picking' the right stuff. Fourth call to them tomorrow to get the right frontals

I'd originally hoped to have them sitting flat on the floor rather than on those spindly legs but twas not to be. So bit of improvisation and this has really stiffened up the whole bench. Quite please with it TBH.



But, by God, the cat is going to have a bruised head.

Jerry-rigged for the time being and repurposed on old shelf bracket to give support when using the mitre saw.

 

[AJB Temple]

Cool!

 

[AndyP]

Necessity is the mother of invention.

If it's fit for purpose then that’s all that counts.

 

[JamesHow]

How about something like this Roger

View attachment 38280

Simple to fit you just need an upstand & it’s triple glazed.
I’ve been plastering in the room below the doors & windows have been covered in condensation from the plaster drying out but there’s not been a spot of condensation on this roof light.

Hope I'm not threadjacking...
I have a dgu to make into a sky light.
But how do I integrate into corrugated steel roofing without it leaking.

 

[Doug]

Hope I'm not threadjacking...
I have a dgu to make into a sky light.
But how do I integrate into corrugated steel roofing without it leaking.

You would really need to start a thread of your own as there are so many variables to be specific, some photos of where it’s going, the roof construction & the type of steel roofing would help with answering your question.