Shed storage

[bendiddley]

I want to store my 130pds and heq5 mount in my new garden shed. The scope will be in a flightcase. I'm a bit worried about dew problems and wondered if anyone has had any experience with this type of storage and can offer advise.

[Astro Imp]

I don't forsee any problems but I would suggest several bags of desiccant in the flight case just to be on the safe side.

[laudropb]

If the shed is dry and as suggested you usedessicantpouches it should be ok. My only worry would be security.

[bendiddley]

Cheers guys. It's a wooden shed on paving slabs. Brand new building it on Friday hopefully. Will be raised up on batons. No window though. Will have a look at the pouches you talk about. 

[bendiddley]

What about the mount? Will that be ok?

[glowjet]

I would recommend you consider carrying out the improvements that I did. First and foremost your shed should, for best results, be set on a concrete pad, or at least paving slabs, raised slightly above ground level. Lay a wide waterproof PVC flashing strip under the base framework ( I used old 9" DPC flashing strip ) dressed over the concrete base and up on the inside of the structure. You should then try to fit another strip up the back of the bottom piece of the shed cladding as far as you can, even if you have to ease the board slightly. Dress this over the first lot of flashing, I used cold Bituminous mastic to keep it all in place. This should hopefully keep the base assembly of the shed completely clear of rain water.

The next job is to shell out for some cheap 1/2" Chipboard, if you can source it, then clad the whole of the inside and the door, having first stapled a reasonably strong waterproof polyurethane sheet to the framework. A Hit & Miss ventilator can be introduced in any position, with a few holes drilled through the fabric and adequate outside cover protection, provides air circulation as when required.

I have done this with two small sheds and my Western Red Cedar 15`x 10' workshop. The result is extremely good and well worth the outlay, making the building very sound and strong, dry and almost air tight, keeping out the moisture. I no longer suffer from my tools and machinery going rusty during the Winter months.

With the extra thickness and strength of the door., I fabricated, using 1/8" steel plate, a latch system, utilising a Yale lock together with an exterior fitted Pig bolt and hardened steel padlock assembly. During a spell of garden thefts in the area, my Son fitted a very simple sensitive light sensor and time switch in the shed, fed to an old fire alarm bell on the garage. Fortunately for us and a good number of our neighbours in the vicinity, our sleep was never disturbed  

[goose35]

Agree with glowjet. When i eventually build my shed/obs i will put the floor joists on multiple concreteblocks with a damp proof membrane to isolate the wood fron the concrete and thus avoid moisture being sucked up from the ground.