wizer's Workshop

[StevieB]

leave the DPC big. like a pond liner , it will settle. Don't trim it until you needto

:text-+1: - you will be amazed at how the concrete will not push the liner flat. Always leave it as long as you can for as long as you can - it is easy enough to trim back later.

Steve

 

[Rod]

Tamp the concrete to remove any air.
If you've any timber left long enough use that across the timber shutter sides to level it off.

Rod

 

[wizer]

I'm wondering what equipment I'll need for pour day. Doesn't look like a vibrating poker is too much to rent for a day? Should I go as far as a power float/screed?

I'm going to buy a couple of magnesium floats. Anything else I need?

 

[Mike G]

You don't need a vibrating poker Tom. Those are only necessary with extensive reinforcing. You'll need wellies (you'll be walking around in the wet concrete), a rake, some gloves, and a long straight edge with handle-holes, for tamping. That's assuming your slab is too wide to tamp from the outside. You'll also need a wheel barrow. Plus of course a stiff brush and hose for cleaning everything up afterwards. Also, have some help.

If you are planning on putting a smooth finish on it, you'll need a power float (knowing when, not how, to use it is the big deal) or a couple of floats* and some boards to kneel on. If your pour is in the morning, go and check it mid afternoon and see if it is dry enough to start floating up. There are Youtube clips on floating concrete..........it isn't high-skill work.

As a tip, prepare another area for concrete. This might be a path base, or car standing, or foundation for another shed, or whatever, so that is you have a little left-over concrete you have somewhere to use it usefully rather than waste it.

Any doubts, give me a buzz.

*I use one steel float to work the concrete, and a cheapo plastic one to lean on with my other hand to extend my reach.

 

[wizer]

Concrete Booked! Sat 30th :shock:

I've enlisted a couple of labourers from work, along with me, Anita and FIL.

Going to order a couple of concrete rakes and floats and hire a bull float.

I think I'm going to hand float it. It will probably end up being covered by flooring, so it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth.

 

[9fingers]

Just in case it pi88es with rain, I'd have some covering to hand.
Either enough plastic tarps or get a roll of builders polythene sheet which is usually 4m wide folded in half eg a 2m wide roll. It will be useful for other things during the build like covering materials, and temp shelter over the roof before the tiles etc go on. Also can be a vapour barrier and cheapo insulation retainer.

You can use left over DPM but it tends to be a heavier, stiffer type polythene and less "cooperative" when you are trying to spread it out with insufficient pairs of hands. Also longer term it is not proof against ultra violet and disintegrates over time.

Good luck

Bob

 

[wizer]

Good point Bob. I'm guessing heavy rain will stop play?

I've been keeping the form covered with tarps, so I have enough. You never know, we might have a heat wave

 

[Mike G]

A garden rake is fine, Tom, and bull floating is the one thing I wouldn't recommend, because there really is a knack to it. You'll be fine kneeling and floating with an orthodox hand float.

 

[9fingers]

Good point Bob. I'm guessing heavy rain will stop play?

I've been keeping the form covered with tarps, so I have enough. You never know, we might have a heat wave

No it wont totally stop play but it it is really torrential, then you need to try and not work the concrete any more than needed. Water lying on the concrete is not the end of the world but diluting and washing cement out of the mix is to be avoided. If you are using one of these "mix on site wagons" then ask the guy about making a dryer mix if it really raining hard.
The concrete curing process is NOT one of drying but a chemical change most of which happens in the first day or so to the Green stage, when you can gently walk on and take off any excess water with a soft broom but stay off the edges. From them on it increases in strength gradually over a few weeks.
If there are no puddles left by the next day then take off the tarps but otherwise leave well alone for say a week unless you are really desperate to crack on.

Good Luck

Bob

 

[wizer]

The width of my DPM is exactly the same as the form 4.2m. Should I bother joining a bit on, or will this be ok?

Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk

 

[9fingers]

I don't know what type of construction you are planning but usually the DPM need to tuck up into the walls in some way or other unless there will be a second DPM under the final floor and that can tuck up to the walls.

Maybe draw up and publish a section of your proposed floor and lower wall for comment?

Cheers
Bob

 

[Mike G]

I don't think there is any need for DPM/ DPC continuity in a workshop, and the difficulty of achieving it when building off a slab is simply not worth the effort in my view. So long as the concrete finishes above ground level all round by at least 50mm, then there really is no big deal with cutting off the DPM at the bottom edge of the slab. Any attempt to dress a DPM around the slab edge and back under the plinth A/ leaves a vulnerable bit of exposed vertical plastic and B/ forces the finished slab level underground. I would much rather have the slab above ground level than be constantly worrying about the state of the DPM, a membrane which gives up in UV, and is vulnerable to tearing and puncturing if wrapped over an edge of concrete.

Anybody who is really bothered about this should consider having a floating floor, and having a DPM on top of the slab, rather than underneath.

 

[wizer]

We Did It!

Very hard work but it all went well without many hiccups. I was worried about the form, but it's remained solid. Need to go back out later to float it.

that's after I lay down for a moment....

 

[Mike G]

Well done Tom (and Anita, and helpers)!

Go and check it every hour. You want it just wet enough to turn damp on the surface when you trowel it, but not so wet that you leave lines.

 

[9fingers]

Well Done Tom!
Glad the weather was kind to you.

Bob

 

[TrimTheKing]

hmmmmm, I can't see Tom's pics in either Chrome or Safari. Just gives a grey 'STOP' sign!

Odd

Mark

 

[Tusses]

well done Tom .. that's the hard bit done

 

[AndyP]

hmmmmm, I can't see Tom's pics in either Chrome or Safari. Just gives a grey 'STOP' sign!

Odd

Mark

Same here.If I log into Google to view all I get is a no entry sign.

But well done anyway. I am sure it will look good when I can get to see it.

 

[wizer]

Images should be working now. You have to jumpt through a few hoops to get it to work with Google Photos.

I've decided not to float it. We went with a bull float in the end and that worked very well. It looks nice and smooth and it'll be covered by flooring, so not fussed about shiny perfection.

Heavy rain forecast tonight, so I've covered it over.

Good job jobbed.

 

[AndyP]

Thanks for sorting the photos Tom. Yep, a good job. Are you hoping to crack on and get it water tight before the worse of this winter's weather arrives?

 

[Malc2098]

Nice.

You lucky so and so to get the vehicle that close. Mine got within a meter of the edge and a metre higher than ground level!

 

[Rod]

Looks a good un

Rod

 

[TrimTheKing]

Yep can see the images now, cheers Tom.

Looks good that pal. What woodworking direction you planning on going in now, or a bit of everything as before?

Cheers
Mark


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[wizer]

Are you hoping to crack on and get it water tight before the worse of this winter's weather arrives?

No chance. I may get the brickwork done and maybe some or all of the walls. But I'm not remotely looking at weather tight until spring/summer next year. I don't do cold...

You lucky so and so to get the vehicle that close. Mine got within a meter of the edge and a metre higher than ground level!

Sort of lucky. The lorry had to do some deft manouvering to get there and I've got a few 2ft divots to deal with now :? :lol:

We also had a 2nd pad to fill. FIL's greenhouse base, and that was half way down the garden. All done via wheel barrow!

What woodworking direction you planning on going in now, or a bit of everything as before?

Yes bit of everything. We are doing some major renovations on the house and that will need all new furniture. Anita is keen for us to build everything we possibly can. She's the driving force behind all this.

Not sure I'll get back to turning for a few years... but you never know what 2nd hand machinery might fall in my lap.... :eusa-snooty: :eusa-think:

The pad is still there this morning so I think we did good :lol:

 

[Malc2098]

Well done. Looking good.

 

[Rod]

Brickwork, frames, roof, membrane and it will be sufficiently weather proof to let you work on inside [emoji3]

Rod

 

[wizer]

Just thinking about the ground level behind the workshop.

To make sure water doesn't collect here, I was going to back fill with pea shingle against the pad. Would this be the best way to ensure water drains away?

 

[Tusses]

Just thinking about the ground level behind the workshop.

To make sure water doesn't collect here, I was going to back fill with pea shingle against the pad. Would this be the best way to ensure water drains away?

ah .. a french drain ! .. Roger loves them

If i was worried, I'd put a membrane/barrier up against the shed/slab to stop the worst

 

[TrimTheKing]

What's the ground like, looks decent, not too clay? I would just dig that trench about 12-18" wide alongside the slab, maybe to the bottom of the slab depth or just above and leave it open, no need for any stone IMO. Stone won't help the drainage...

Cheers
Mark

 

[AndyP]

Leave yourself something you can clear of debris. I see lots of trees = lots of leaves. The shingle will get clogged in no time and you have no way to clean it other than dig it all out again.

 

[Rod]

It looks like the ground slopes anyway- just smooth it off to a gentle grade, you don’t want to collect or trap water against your slab.

Rod

 

[Mike G]

Can you dig it away such that it falls towards the fence, Tom? You have a major ditch at the back, close to the slab, so I'd see if just grading the ground away from the slab and towards the ditch could be made to work. Otherwise get it away from the slab and put in a land-drain to the ditch. They work for a while.

 

[wizer]

The fence and neighbours land is higher than the slab, so digging away would create a gap under her fence.

We'll have a go at sculpting the land to persuade water towards the back of the property, but I think a land drain would be belt and braces.

That said, since the forms have been there, water has not collected along that edge, so it's probably not going to be an issue. I'd just prefer to make the effort now then when there is a workshop wall there and much less access

 

[wizer]

Right. I need to start thinking about the framing. Mike's given me some pointers, but I prefer to draw the whole thing, so I can understand it fully and weed out any issues.

This is where I am at:

I have a number of conundrums and not really sure where to start.

The windows will be UPVC. I was hoping to pick up a couple of 2nd hand, but nothing is presenting itself, so they will be made to size. There will also be a UPVC door (which I did manage to pickup 2nd hand) at the front of the workshop, which will be the only entrance.

How's my framing looking so far?

 

[9fingers]

First thing to leap out at me is the lack of a double header over the double doorway?

You can get UPVC windows in stock sizes which should be cheaper than retro fit made to measure.

You "might" just get some custom ones from a frustrated order via a local maker (as distinct from a seller).

hth
Bob

 

[StevieB]

Noggins for the walls, ebay for the windows!

Are you studs on 400 or 600 centres? Makes fixing internal sheeting so much easier (note 8x4 is not 2400 x 1200 - DAMHIKT!)

If you are running electrics internal to the wall (ie not surface mounted) think about drilling holes for cable runs in hte corner posts before you erect them eg 300mm up on each stud - makes routing cables so much easier.

Steve

 

[Tusses]

Are you studs on 400 or 600 centres? Makes fixing internal sheeting so much easier (note 8x4 is not 2400 x 1200 - DAMHIKT!)

Steve

:text-+1:

 

[wizer]

Good point on the door header Bob. Will have to think about how to do that. Messes me up a bit

I've been on the hunt for the 'right' 2nd hand windows for a while and nothing has really presented itself. I've got a good quote from a company and I think that's the way to go.

Steve, yes 400 centres. I will of course be using noggins. Internal and external sheathing will be OSB. I managed to get 50 sheets for dead cheap. Used as temp floor covering. I'll need to go out and double check their dims.

 

[9fingers]

Good point on the door header Bob. Will have to think about how to do that. Messes me up a bit

You might get away without it Tom. Your roof timber above looks like a twin 8x2 above and if the double verticals either side of the doorway continue up to the roof joist, the roof load will travel down to the base.

With a UPVC door, you want that floating and not carrying any load so provided the timber over the door is "hung" off the roof rather than resting on the door frame, you should be OK.

I hope that reads OK

Bob

 

[wizer]

Makes sense, thanks Bob