#WARNING IVE NOT STARTED YET#

I’ll shortly be embarking on a fairly ambitious build, this will be the first time I’ve done something soo ambitious myself, but have done a lot general DIY and house building stuff.

It’s going to be a relatively simple (ish) “L” shape, approx 9mx2.5m and 6mx2.5m. With an overall height of ~2.8m with pent roof. Here’s the bit that folks will go – what the eck you thinking…? I’m due to renovate my current house which means moving family out for 4 months (ish), so guess what the shed is for!

So it will be done in the following way;

1. Full Concrete base of 6inch on a newly reclaimed hardcore ground (i’ve got a big garden and it’s going at the bottom.

2. floor, based on concrete/brick stilts with stud work/layered with Marine OSB. More stud work filled with rock wool/other. Then further ply to form floor.

3. Walls, Stud work with outer Marine OSB filled with rockwool/other. Insulated plasterboard to finish and maybe a plaster skim (not decided yet, i’m sh!t at plastering)

4. Roof, effectively same as floor, marine OSB stuffed with rockwool/other.

Exterior walls and roof, finished off with Cedar cladding.

Internal partitioning (but not closed off completely), 2 x Bedrooms (1 with bunks, 1 with double). Small kitchenette, and a shower room, and finished with a living space. I was going to have 2 x Sets of Patio doors + 1 x other Window. Add some passive airvents to all rooms and powered to Shower and Kitchenette as well.

A couple of questions

1. Water – how would you do it? I was thinking digging a ditch, but at 40m+ it’s a long ditch and i’m not sure how deep i should be going as i at some point it will get cold??

2.Waste water SHowers – Do you think it’s feasible to get away with those pump units and pump back up to the mains, considering it’s 40m+. I had another thought about digging a soak away.

3.Waste water Toilette’s – as above, but instead of soakaway, was thinking chemical toilet/cesspit.

(i’m not blind to building regs, so the above bits are “theory”).

At the end of this, it will be converted to a good size office/Studio/playhouse whatever so the amenities bar water are only temporary.

I promise to have lots of photo’s when i start (the base will begin next week).

thanks,
(slightly crazy, but the missus is up for it so why not).

Sounds more like a small house to me! What are you doing in it?

I bought a load of kingspan seconds sheets from their ebay outlet when i built my shed chalet
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seconds-Insulation-Board-40mm-45mm-Kingspan-Ecotherm-Recticel-/292164767849?hash=item4406609069:g:E0gAAOSwlMFZLthI

@tom200, well, living in it for a short period, but yes you are right it is more small house like.

@cloudnine, i used a seconds place before – savings are awesome! Will do that again and thanks for the link.

That’s not a shed, it’s bigger than my house!

think water needs to be 600mm down to avoid frost.

If septic tank you need a discharge consent unless its only going to be emptied by tanker.

if pumping back to mains waste, how about a macerator and pump everything?

Cheers YD, it looks as though the pumps have ample power https://jpumps.com/shop/all-macerator-pumps/aquabest-2/ so could be an option.

It’ll need planning permission and building regs approval!

It’ll need planning permission and building regs approval

that’s why amenities are theory. Plus it would only be temporary.

What about heating?

For the shower you could use a shower pod rather than having to seal everything with silicone. Kinedo Consort is the cheapest one I think but it’s not exactly huge.

that’s why amenities are theory. Plus it would only be temporary

Aren’t you going to get rumbled when building control come round to check the work on your main house? Or is it only cosmetic so to speak.

Depends how they choose to define temporary. Its really intended to mean site offices etc, not sleeping accommodation.

blimey, as mentioned, thats a house not a shed! 😯

good luck, ill be reading with interest.

Would it not be cheaper / easier to get a static caravan?

no way will a building regs guy not see that..and take your word its only temporary.. how would that sound in court.. yes me lord i checked the regs for the new house work and totally forgot to look at the house sized shed the accused was living in which is just why we have building regs and yes i didnt even check if it had planning permission… yes me lord i know i should have learnt form the various issues in the news but i thought hes a nice guy and he does use a bike forum.. buy a caravan.. cheaper practical done in an hour..flog it when done and build a shed then.

Building control, everyone will ensure out on those days.

I looked at static caravan but access will be an issue once build is complete. Whilst I have loads of room in rear garden (25m by 50m), the front is small and I need it for trades.

Nice idea on the shower pod, but I was going use the existing and rather old shower we have. It won’t be pretty, but functional.

Its a good way to to do the house build. A friend did similar. Had a live in shed, caravan and garage before embarking on the main house build. Technically you’ll need planning and building regs for this building. Whether you can get away without depends on how likely you are to get caught (grumpy neighbours, officious council) and whether you’ll be out before any enforcement,the council rarely act quickly.

Water should be 600mm deep (same for electrics)
Macerator should be fine just be aware they aren’t the most reliable things or the most pleasant to work on when they fail. Can you discipline the family not to chuck the wrong things down it?

Total. The structure will be permanent, but amenities not. The size is well within any regs and will be turned back to an office after a short stint of living in it.

Building control, everyone will ensure out on those days.

Building control can still ‘pop around’ unannounced when they’re in the area, so I’d be slightly cautious about that!

Probably best to ask BC what they would accept rather than run the risk of big problems later.

Or use a private building inspector rather than the council

‘stalker mode on’ you’re Surrey hills way aren’t? Guildford building control are real sticklers for detail and snooping round. We had an extension done recently by a friend who is a builder and he said it was night and day compared to other building control they have encountered. They were appartly even having an inquisitive nose over the fence at a neighbours work whilst looking at ours.

What about buying a cheap shed to put by the house and turn that into a toilet/shower shed? It would take away a lot of the more technical concerns re water and drainage for your temporary home and you would end up with a better living space and less rearranging to do when you’re finished.

Interested though. I love these threads!

Or use a private building inspector rather than the council

Is exactly what we did with our extension, most of the time pics via WhatsApp were good enough for him, and they were cheaper.

Water should actually be 750 deep. Yes I’m not picking but **** it that’s what people do to my posts from time to time. However as a temporary supply at this time of year it’d be laid on the ground. As for the marine grade ply absolutely no need for that. I’d be looking at wrapping in tyvek or similar then going with yiur cladding on to uprights. Have you looked at osb composite panels? You get the whole thing tbere and then done and it just screws together.

It’s more than 30 sq M so needs a regs application
As your using it as accommodation you’ll need Planning too.
Council I work for doesn’t accept temporary use line and heads straight to enforcement and positive action i.e. Demolition.
Good luck

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/43/outbuildings Find all you need to know regarding planning here.

Be warned, local authority rules may also be in place so check them as well. For instance I live in a conservation area so could only build 15m2 as opposed to 30m2.

Look at American tiny houses or shepherds huts built on flat beds for inspiration.

Not read replies but if water and waste are only a temporary thing then go caravan style. Chemical toilet, and gray water cassette. Mains supply can come from a long hose I guess.

Not sure what the rules are regarding emptying a chemical toilet into mains sewerage though.

Fine if you want to empty poo every day or so.

I have to empty the van bog every couple of days with just 2 of us not living in it 24/7

^^ This ^^
Current project has three plots requiring rising mains. Two bed houses still having 1000 litre tanks, that’s max capacity which will never be used as the incoming inverts are too low. Still get 700 litres but one good bath is 85.

Its a 2 minute job to empty it though.

2 mins but still not please pleasent.

with a modern cassette toilet I don’t see what the issue is.

Is this something you have done ?

It’s **** stinking.

I’ve got a thetford c200.

Cartridge like

I could fill that solo after a good builder breakfast. 😳

Have been having a chat with missus. About toilet she’s actually OK to empty daily, so may go cassette route as above. Shower I thought I could water the plants with 🙂 as well. (remember it won’t always be there).

We will be using private building control as advised by the architect anyway, so we should not really have the snooping council issue, though gotama yes you are right.

Oh, also ref size, the 2 dimensions I said, these overlap, but it will just be within 30m2 (or I’ll make sure it does).

So going back to what I said before, have you thought about composite osb panels?

Is this something you have done ?

Yes I have a caravan that I go to most weekends. Don’t know what chemicals you’re using but it’s either the wrong ones or you have something wrong with your insides.

This is what you need!

wrightyson – Member
So going back to what I said before, have you thought about composite osb panels?

do you mean sips? If so, yes but they are expensive and not as easy to get doors and windows on to. If other then no….I shall do some googling..