Designing and building a true Australian Shed.

[Stephen B]

With additions to the tools and equipment required for the landscape care of over 5 acres, a store shed I built ten years ago needs to be rebuilt and enlarged. I want this enlarged and refurbished shed to be representative of the true Australian shed - post and rail framing and clad in slab timber and/or rusting galvanised iron.

I have second hand galvanised iron from partial demolition of a small cottage, colourbond remnants from our house build and Oregon posts and treated pine rails from a demolished dog enclosure. At the moment I am cutting to approx size and preasure washing the galvanised iron prior to treating it with Penetrol. This I am told will assist in preserving its current patina. The Oregon posts are also having rot removed from their base, stain sanded off and paint applied.

I do not want the new shed to look like the new iron sheds now dominating the Australian rural landscape, many of which are poor representations of Nth American barn heratige rather than our own rural history.http://www.fairdinkumsheds.com.au/products/products-0

I have started looking through some image collections representing some of the look and design of what I am after -http://oldsheds.com.au/?page_id=7

If your are further interested you might  like to google - 'the historical australian shed' and then select images.

To assist in refining my ideas I have created some image collages; here are two -

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

As this project proceeds over our winter months, interrupted I am sure by rain (we really need some) and other projects, I will post further comments and images.

Meantime, please feel free to make any comments.

 

[iamnothim]

Now, this is going to be very cool.

 

[ajones]

Do have any local stone you could incorporate into the design ?

 

[Kevin McConville]

If your going to be designing / making your own space there will be no excuse for it to be "Untidy" anymore.

Good luck this should be a rewarding project for you, I looked at the old sheds link - image 1 would offer great ventilation but I'd stay away from that one. Images 2 and 3 are my favorites with 2 the best, the two sections could offer a material storage, breakdown and prep area and the other an assembly and finish area.  lots of options should be fun.

 

[Jbmccombe]

Maybe time to get the film crew over and produce the Saturday morning show "This Old Shed".

 

[Stephen B]

[size=13pt]Thank you to those who have commented so far.
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Do have any local stone you could incorporate into the design ?

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[member=8167]Festoolfootstool[/member]

Many historical stone agricultural buildings can now only be seen publicly on Natuonal Trust sites or Private Property Open Days and are mainly found on estates originally owned by 'landed gentry' or pastoral squatters who eventually became wealthy as wool prices increased over the 1800s. One of the views from our property is the Victorian Western District Plains, which are an extensive larva plain with extinct and dormant volcanos and lakes. Consequently there are many historical dry stone fences and buildings made from basalt rock, mainly cleared from the ground surface.

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]
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Not Our View​

http://www.astoneuponastone.com/coranga.htmlhttp://otway.biz/stoneyrises.html
[size=13pt]
I do not have the skill for this work, nor is it the style or material I have in mind. However, I do have a slight slope to one corner to contend with, perhaps some stone work with mortar along the footings on that corner? The floor will be a continuance of the compacted crushed basalt in the original shed area.

[member=29225]Woodn't It Be Neat[/member]
No the Untidy Shop is another project - slowly happening. This is a shed for ride on mowers, slashers, chain saws and sprayers. Hence the historical agricultural design concepts being explored. Hopefully - it will 'Be Neat'.

[attachimg=3]

View of inside current shed. At the moment the mowers have to be backed out to get to other items.

[member=28483]iamnothim[/member]
Once again you inspire me.  [smile]

[member=41761]Jbmccombe[/member]
Thanks, I think The Shed Show will be this Thread, and certainly not weekly.  [smile]

[member=550]Tinker[/member]  - Thought you might be interested in the Dry Stone Wall links.

 

[Kev]

Will this "shed" have space for the traditional Australian outback bar ?? [wink]

For the nozzies .. look up "outback pub" images.

 

[Kev]

[attachimg=1]

Pertaining to my last post ,...

 

[Locky]

Can't wait to see what you do, we had a 150yr old homestead in Mudgee it the style your after. The walls were slabs of ironbark and the rafters were tree branches about 100mm thick, it even had a mister ed door as the front door

 

[sancho57]

Will this "shed" have space for the traditional Australian outback bar ?? [wink]

For the nozzies .. look up "outback pub" images.

Not to mention a outback BBQ and a fridge for the shrimp and beer

 

[Stephen B]

[size=13pt]Spent the last few days cutting and treating recycled corrugated iron and further refining my design ideas.

My supplies of  recycled corrugated iron have been rough cut to approx. 2400mm and pressure washed. i have started cleaning them with Metholated Spirits and experimenting coating with Penetrol to protect the current patina. Great stuff but 24 hrs to dry. The metal off cuts were taken to the metal recyclers and the trailer returned with basalt crush for the shed floor.

[attachimg=1]

Further refining the design intention. The extension will be clad in the recycled corrugated iron with the vertical posts but not the rails visible outside. There will be some rock work to support and contain the fine crushed rock extension flooring  on the sloping NW corner [[member=8167]Festoolfootstool[/member]].

Looking at the existing shed exterior, the vertical  150/25mm rough sawn treated pine boards will be painted in Wilderness Grey. The current Truedeck cladding and other timber cladding will be replaced with a mixture of remnant colorbond  corrugated sheets in Wilderness Grey and some corrigated iron. The existing Zincalume corrugated roof line will continue over the extension.

Inside the extension the rear wall will be slabbed with rough sawn timber, and together with all the new rails, oiled with sump oil or laninen  [[member=19691]Locky[/member] ] and hooks for implements attached. This will also make an excellent home for the Red Back Spiders  [big grin]. The painted rails and racking in the original shed areas will be re painted. The two new additional metal door frames will be clad in corrugated iron.

[attachimg=2]

Over the next week, I will have other projects, but do expect to complete the Penitrol treatment. These projects include tidying/landscaping the area where the iron was previously stored.  [eek]
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[size=8pt]

Can't wait to see what you do, we had a 150yr old homestead in Mudgee it the style your after. The walls were slabs of ironbark and the rafters were tree branches about 100mm thick, it even had a mister ed door as the front door

[size=13pt]
Indeed Locky. At the end of the day what is it but a Mower Shed! However I am trying to reflect some of the history in the design and construction of small rural sheds. It can only be an acknowledgement to the past though, some construction methods will be less basic and most of the recycled timber will be square edged rather than round. Just hope it does not end up, to quote Kevin McCloud, 'looking like something from Disneyland.' [member=19691]Locky[/member]
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[member=13058]Kev[/member] [member=10147]jobsworth[/member]
Yes gentleman, I got hold of the longest bar in Australia after it was removed from the Mildura Working Mans Club in 1995. However you should know that Zero Turn mowers and alcohol certainly do not mix. This is despite the fact that a majority of models have stubby holders. Consequently at some time in the distant future the bar will be installed in the Untidy Shop, for occasional drinking, and as the longest sliding compound saw infeed table in the world.  [eek] [big grin] With tongue in Cheek!

[attachimg=3]

 

[Holmz]

I'll get the GPS ready, and make the long drive.

 

[Stephen B]

[size=13pt]Coating the recycled Corrigated Iron Sheets with Penetrol
to preserve the Patina.

[attachimg=1]

Preasure wash - further clean with Metolated Spirits - paint on Penetrol by brush.
24hrs drying time.
May give them  a second coat during construction, as sheets are cut to final size.

[size=10pt]http://www.floodaustralia.net/brochures_guides/pdf_files/Penetrol-brochure.pdf

 

[Stephen B]

Having returned to this from other projects, we had a productive day.

Most recycled materials now brought to worksite.

Laying and pegging out extension and setting levels with string line, straight edge and level.

Commenced pouring concrete footings by using high strength concrete mix in stirrup holes [600mm depth]
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Tools: Makita 18V 3amp Impact drill, Stabila 800mm Level, Straight Edge [3 metre], Stanley Frame Square, Cyclone Shovel and Crow Bar and  Brickie’s String,  Hardwood scraps and recycled cement bricks for pegging layout.

Materials: Stirrups X 3 [600, 450 and 350mm] and High Strength Concrete [55MPa] mixed in wheelbarrow.
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Next: concrete collars around Stirrups and other works to retain crushed rock floor and account for ground slope.

This could be a slower build than I thought as Ms Untidy has other
project priorities! [eek]


[attachimg=1]

 

[Stephen B]

Some more work -

[attachimg=1]

Footings complete, some demolition started as required to side of existing structure, three recycled Oregon posts up and first horizontal beam up. Beam joined to existing beam structure by over lap lamination using coach bolts and battan screws. Beam cut as 140x45mm, using TS55, from a 240X45mm MP12 Pine remainent left over from our house construction. 100X45mm left from this process will be used as a wall rail. Paint color is Wilderness Grey in Taubmans Endure Exterior.

 

[Kev]

Some more work -

[attachimg=1]

Footings complete, some demolition started as required to side of existing structure, three recycled Oregon posts up and first horizontal beam up. Beam joined to existing beam structure by over lap lamination using coach bolts and battan screws. Beam cut as 140x45mm, using TS55, from a 240X45mm MP12 Pine remainent left over from our house construction. 100X45mm left from this process will be used as a wall rail.

[member=19746]Untidy Shop[/member] the angle of the photos make it look like the base is on a slop [smile]

Nice to see you've immortalised Monty [wink]

Ironically I was thinking today of building a larger and more comfortable kennel for Holly. All being good I still fear the old girls only got a couple of years in her [sad] Jane thinks a companion for her will give her a new lease of life - I'm not so sure.

 

[Stephen B]

[size=8pt]
[member=19746]Untidy Shop[/member] the angle of the photos make it look like the base is on a slop [smile]

[size=13pt]
[eek] Kev!
Well the ground is sloping, but I assure you that all levels have the bubble in the middle. As some tradies say around here, "a blind man would be glad to see it".

There is some parallel distortion created by the IPad lens. Also in the first image there is some white painted formwork timber left lying on the ground, which makes the concrete footing appear at an angle when it is not. The only item not true is the left hand post, which needs to move 5mm back to line up with the other two. I will do this soon when the concrete fully cures. At the moment the posts are only attached to the stirips with roofing screws. These will be later replaced by M10 bolts.

Give Holley a big hug from me.

[member=13058]Kev[/member]

 

[Tinker]

[member=19746]Untidy Shop[/member]
>>>@Tinker  - Thought you might be interested in the Dry Stone Wall links.

 

[rmwarren]

[member=19746]Untidy Shop[/member] - The Oracle has failed me.

I give. What's an "Oregon post"?

RMW

 

[Stephen B]

[size=13pt][member=8712]Richard/RMW[/member]

Hi Richard.  You might know it as Douglas Fir, but given that for many years it was imported from Oregon, we call it 'Oregon'. It was a favourite species here in the past for building ware houses and similar. Once, even only ten years ago, it was easy to find in most timber sales yards. Not so easy now, more now a specialist sale. Here  are some 'down under' links -http://www.timber.net.au/?option=com_species&name=Oregon&Itemid=448http://www.simplyoregon.com.auhttp://www.justwoodaustralia.com.au/history-of-oregon

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[size=9pt]Comercial
Oregon has long been regarded as a superior material for structural components and in heavy timber applications. It is used extensively for pilings, railway ties, sawmill and warehouse construction and numerous other areas where structural performance is of the utmost importance.

The species is highly resistant to chemical reaction and is often used in the manufacture of vats, tanks, containers, flumes, conduits and similar industrial components.
Oregon's stability and workability make it the perfect choice for form work and scaffold planks where a strong, lightweight timber is required.

Domestic
The strength and beauty of natural Oregon beams enhance the warmth and visual appeal of any home, whether is be used extensively in a post and beam construction or utilised simply in a pergola.
Its high strength to weight ratio makes the timber easily employed in the construction of concealed house framing, roof beams and rafters or fascia.
Previously Oregon could not be used in some external structural applications such as bearers and joists under weather exposed decks - this has now changed since the introduction of our H3 Treatment (above ground treatment for borers, termites and decay)

Quoted from -http://www.justwoodaustralia.com.au/applications