The rubber flooring was straightforward to lay – I started by covering the (SIP panel) flooring with 6mm ply, screwed down every 300mm (I countersunk and filled the holes). You need a completely flat surface to lay the tiles
You then apply the adhesive in sections big enough to work at one go, wait for it...
The rubber flooring was straightforward to lay – I started by covering the (SIP panel) flooring with 6mm ply, screwed down every 300mm (I countersunk and...
workshop fitting-out
it was a toss-up between bamboo and rubber, and I have plumped for the latter.
Rubber was my missus’ suggestion, and since she is generally right about things I did very little research. During the small amount of reading I did though, it did not take long to find people with critical things to say:...
it was a toss-up between bamboo and rubber, and I have plumped for the latter.
Rubber was my missus’ suggestion, and since she is generally...
workshop fitting-out
I am pleased with the end result, certainly not perfect but not a bad effort for a first attempt either. The walls are white ‘with a hint of apple’ in case you were wondering!
One schoolboy error was that I forgot to do a mist coat for the ceiling, despite knowing full well it was...
I am pleased with the end result, certainly not perfect but not a bad effort for a first attempt either. The walls are white ‘with...
workshop fitting-out
.. ceiling is done – doesn’t look nearly as bad as I feared. A few small ridges and dents if you look very closely, but otherwise a passable effort.
I am really pleased with the ecoled downlighters. A bit hard to show in a pic, but they are very bright – to give you some idea, they...
.. ceiling is done – doesn’t look nearly as bad as I feared. A few small ridges and dents if you look very closely, but otherwise...
workshop fermacell boarding
Preparing for decoration
* Step 1: filler over the joints and screw heads
* Step 2: fermacell fine surface treatment (FST)
* Step 3: caulking in the corners
lessons learned
FST is a smooth filler that comes pre-mixed in a large tub – it has the constituency of whipped cream and goes on easily. The technique with FST that...
Preparing for decoration
* Step 1: filler over the joints and screw heads
* Step 2: fermacell fine surface treatment (FST)
* Step 3: caulking in the corners...
workshop fermacell boarding
all wired up and live, the sequence of events was:
1. mark where the fittings will go (me)
2. First fit wiring (electrician)
3. Plaster-boarding (me)
4. cut holes for fixtures, fit back-boxes and pull cables through (me)
5. lay SWA cable from shed to house (me)
6. feed SWA cable from garden through side...
all wired up and live, the sequence of events was:
1. mark where the fittings will go (me)
2. First fit wiring (electrician)
3. Plaster-boarding...
workshop electrics
I have finished fixing the fermacell plaster boards: pretty easy on the walls, not so easy for the ceiling. The ceiling was eventually accomplished by chopping the boards in half and using temporarily affixed battens to give me somewhere to locate one end of each board so that I could then prop the other end...
I have finished fixing the fermacell plaster boards: pretty easy on the walls, not so easy for the ceiling. The ceiling was eventually accomplished by...
workshop fermacell boarding
A bit of progress this past week. Simon the electrician came and did the first fix of electrics. I think this has a different name in the US, but it involves laying out the cables before any plasterboard(drywall) goes up.
Before this happens you need to have thought through the quantity/rough location of:...
A bit of progress this past week. Simon the electrician came and did the first fix of electrics. I think this has a different name...
workshop electrics
calculating cable size – Voltage drop
The copper wire in a cable acts as a resistor and the amount of resistance varies according to the its size and length. As current runs through the conductor a voltage drop occurs: the voltage at the end of the conductor is lower than at the source. Smaller wires and...
calculating cable size – Voltage drop
The copper wire in a cable acts as a resistor and the amount of resistance varies according to the its...
workshop electrics
I mentioned before that I have an electrician doing all the connections, but to keep costs down I am doing the labouring and my main job is to lay a cable between the shed and the house.
When running electrical cables outside you need to use steel wire armoured (SWA) cable for safety reasons – sometimes...
I mentioned before that I have an electrician doing all the connections, but to keep costs down I am doing the labouring and my main...
workshop electrics
I bought the following sockets from screwfix:
not an exact match with the lightwaverf switch, but a bit closer than appears in the pic, where the light has caught them at different angles. Also pretty good value for £4 each.
I also got a cheap but functional exterior light – will be replaced with something nicer...
I bought the following sockets from screwfix:
not an exact match with the lightwaverf switch, but a bit closer than appears in the pic, where...
workshop electrics
obviously a critical feature in any decent shed is the ability to turn on and off the lights from the comfort of your armchair (inside the house).
enter…
lightwaverf
launched by a British firm (JSTS) in 2011 they produce a range of remote controlled devices (including switches and sockets) that can be controlled with a...
obviously a critical feature in any decent shed is the ability to turn on and off the lights from the comfort of your armchair (inside...
workshop electrics
Is DIY electrical work illegal in the UK?
I had a vague idea that work done to the mains or to equipment directly attached to it had to be done by a qualified electrician, or at least signed off by one, and that to do otherwise was against the law.
It turns out that this...
Is DIY electrical work illegal in the UK?
I had a vague idea that work done to the mains or to equipment directly attached to...
workshop electrics
After a lot of hunting around I have decided to go for these – ecoled zep2. Made in the UK and definitely not cheap (60 quid each) but top quality so far as I have read.
details:
1. 800 lumens1, which is about the same as a 60 watt incandescent bulb
2. Coloring Rendering Index (CRI2)...
After a lot of hunting around I have decided to go for these – ecoled zep2. Made in the UK and definitely not cheap (60 quid...
workshop electrics
Battens attached – a very tedious job that took pretty much the whole day.
They are spaced at 400mm centres and I used counter battens on the ceiling to make room for the light fitting (the recess will be 75mm which is just about deep enough for the led lights I have picked).
Anyhow, it is...
Battens attached – a very tedious job that took pretty much the whole day.
They are spaced at 400mm centres and I used counter battens on...
workshop electrics
I have completed version II of the pillar cladding and I am reasonably happy with it. This means the outside building work is now all finally done, bar a couple of coatings of clear coat for the cladding and a bit of silicon sealant between the pillar and the doors.
I used paint from Bedec...
I have completed version II of the pillar cladding and I am reasonably happy with it. This means the outside building work is now all...
workshop cladding
