the yesyes observatory - let the planning begin

[Gina]

I agree that having a tool shed near you build will be a great benefit Means you can put your tools away. With my build the tools atayed outdoors in all the elements mos t of the time though I did manage to keep a tarpaulin held down over the build for some of the time. There were times when the tarp was seen heading for London up the A30/A303 but I kept it more or less under control most of the time.

[yesyes]

I'll have a few companies having a look today and tomorrow to get quotes for removing the wall and paving the area up to where the obsy will be.

I found this very useful website mybuilder.com where you can post a job that you want done and companies who want to do the job contact you for quotes. A lot less hassle than finding the companies on your own and call each one of them.

Once the wall is removed, obsy progress will resume...

[yesyes]

Line your tool shed Chris (especially if your going for a cheap ready made job), even with some of the vapour barrier material tacked to the inner frames or you'll end up with some rusty tools. Doesn't need to be fancy - just functional

What exactly do you mean by that, Francis? You mean I should but boards on the internal walls in addition to the external cladding and put some vapour barrier in between?

[fwm891]

Hi Chris, Just a vapour barrier unless the shed is to be a long term addition. Its really extra protection for whatever you put in there and vapour barrier is quite cheap (the 20 M roll of Wickes stuff I bought has done the obsy and my garden shed with loads left over. I still have the floor to do in mine and some will be used as a barrier under the concrete sub floor with another layer under the final timber floor.

[Islander]

I used a breathable membrane between the cladding and frame of my toolshed and it stays dry.

[yesyes]

Time for a bit of an update...

No real obsy progress but I have started removing the stone wall. I've had a few quotes from professionals for removing the wall and having the area paved but that was far more than we were willing to spend. It would have eaten up almost all of my obsy budget.

So I armed myself with a chisel, a hammer, some gloves and safety goggles and started removing the wall myself. The Yew trees that were planted in the wall / raised "flower" bed have been moved a bit further to the house (well, 2 out of 3 so far).

Photos:

- Sunday "morning", around 12:30pm. The bit that's missing already was a short "test run" on Saturday before leaving or a Christmas do

- Sunday evening around 4:30pm, too dark to carry on and my body can certainly use a bit of rest...

- Yews replanted

- tools used

[r3i]

It's always these first phases that are the back-breaking ones - you'll have some good muscle tone by the end of it, think of the gym fees you're saving.

Looking forward to following your progress.

[fwm891]

So that was you creeeeeeeeekin...

Enjoy

[Gina]

Nice bit of progress Chris Good to see it

[yesyes]

I must be crazy! I set the alarm clock for 9:30 this morning; on a Sunday!!

Got quite a bit of work done again. Most of the wall has been removed now. The 3rd yew has been replanted. Lots and lots of soil has been shifted and half the obsy area cleared.

Pictures:

1 - north half of obsy area cleared. There's a concrete pad there. No idea how thick that is. Probably no use to me. This will be under the warm room. So I'll just leave it alone...

2 - 3rd and last Yew removed from wall / raised flower bed. The area looks so much bigger now.

3 - same from the other side

4 - all 3 Yews have been replanted

5- this is how far I got before it started raining at around 3:30pm, would have had daylight for another half hour or so

6 - from the other side.

The plan is to spread these rocks across the ground evenly and then put soil on top (no soil under the obsy). The bigger ones can go into the concrete of the pier base.

Can anyone think of any reason why I should not have these stones under the obsy?

It would be a nightmare to take these rocks off-site. Our road and garden access are sovery narrow and there's nowhere to put a skip.

[fwm891]

At this rate it'll be up by Christmas

[yesyes]

Christmas 2013 that is...

[Chris]

I would be a bit worried about subsidance Chris so if you do put big rocks under the obsy I would tamper them down really really well. I had exactly the same issue and decided to make a number of trips down the tip in my little fiat panda:D, I still have planty more rocks and broken bricks to take in the spring still:( All the ground under my obsy is even sized stuff tampered down within an inch of its life and still I have a slight lean on my obsy after it was intially levelled:(

[yesyes]

The obsy wouldn't stand on the rocks. It will stand on 8 concrete posts, similar to Gina's build. The rocks would just lie between the ground and the obsy floor. I have to have the obsy floor a bit higher anyway so it clears the tree stump.

Do you think that's still a problem?

On the subject of concrete posts. I was thinking about 4 posts along the long sides of the obsy. Would that be enough? The obsy will be around 2.70m wide. Is that too far apart to have posts only on the sides?

[Chris]

The obsy wouldn't stand on the rocks. It will stand on 8 concrete posts, similar to Gina's build. The rocks would just lie between the ground and the obsy floor. I have to have the obsy floor a bit higher anyway so it clears the tree stump.

Do you think that's still a problem?

In that case I can't think of any issues? it sounds good and might even stop animals nesting under there:D

[Islander]

In that case I can't think of any issues? it sounds good and might even stop animals nesting under there:D

Or it might create nesting spaces for small furry critters...

There's no technical reason why you shouldn't lose them under the building though.

[Chris]

Or it might create nesting spaces for small furry critters...

Good point islander make sure you don't arrange the rocks into inviting little caves Chris:D

[martin_h]

NO problem putting them under the shed just make sure you don't block the air flow under there tho.

[Gina]

Coming on very nicely Chris The preparation is the hardest part and least rewarding. At least when you're actually building, you can see it coming together. Clearing stones and rocks is hard work and you have a restricted space to work in which doesn't help. I used some lumps of rock, stones, and odd bits of concrete in my pier base. Thing is to wet them well so that the new concrete sticks well to them.

[yesyes]

Thanks for the advice. I will make sure the rocks don't block the air flow and will probably put some mesh around the bottom to stop animals from getting under the obsy.

Also, wetting the rocks that go in the pier base is a good idea. Wouldn't have thought of that... I take it any rocks I put in the pier base shouldn't be too close to the outside of the concrete?

[fwm891]

...I take it any rocks I put in the pier base shouldn't be too close to the outside of the concrete?

50 mm from any outside surface is the recommended for rebar etc...

[yesyes]

Thanks Francis, that's less than I thought.

Where does one get rebar from? I've checked on Ebay but they only have the mesh type or stainless steel for over £30 for 4 metres.

[r3i]

Thanks Francis, that's less than I thought.

Where does one get rebar from? I've checked on Ebay but they only have the mesh type or stainless steel for over £30 for 4 metres.

Probably a local builders merchant would have some but I got mine from here, which is also where I got the threaded studding to bolt my pier down: e-stainless

[fwm891]

Thanks Francis, that's less than I thought.

Where does one get rebar from? I've checked on Ebay but they only have the mesh type or stainless steel for over £30 for 4 metres.

Hi Chris, B&Q sells rebar in either 1 or 2 mtr lengths. Just a case of looking for their strip metal bins - normally in the hardware section (normally!!!!)

[yesyes]

Thanks Francis, I'll have a look there.

I did find more rebar on ebay by searching for "reinforcing bar" rather than "rebar". But the lowest quantity I found was 25 lengths of 3 metres each. Sounds a bit too much.. ;-)

I think 5 - 10 1 metre lengths should be enough?

Would you also add rebar to the smaller concrete posts that the obsy will stand on? Or is that not worth it considering they'll be rather small? Thinking about 20x20 cm and 75cm tall (50 under ground and 25 over ground).