Astrokev's ROR - The Build

[Kev M]

54 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

The only small issue I have with the door is the weight. I can't believe that a few lengths of 3x2, a sheet of ply and bit of cladding can weigh so much ?. Perhaps it's the rock wool insulation ?.

More likely to be the sweat & tears soaked into it ?

Again, a very professional job....i'm a bit jealous when I look at my effort.

[Astrokev]

Update on today's work - what there was of it.

The plan was to get the door hung. Not sure what happened to that idea. Important stuff got in the way, as is often the case, and I didn't get outside until well after lunch. But, I did manage to get the hinges on the door. I went for parliament hinges which, by design, have the screw holes further from the hinge pin than conventional hinges. This means that I can put the screws through the edge trim and then into the solid 3x2 frame that lies behind it, rather than through the edge trim and then into cladding. With the weight of the door, I was worried that taking the weight on the edge trim / cladding combo may have been risky. I've also up-sized the screws from the 1.25", that came with the hinges, to 1.5".

The light was fading as I finished, and I couldn't face man-handling my 2-ton door into the doorway in half-light, so stopped while I was ahead. In the last 30 minutes before I couldn't see anything I cleared some hard packed soil from under the joists where the drainpipe conduit will go, linking the pier with the warm room. Tried the drainpipe for size and all seems in order, so a bit more progress made on the pre-work for the floor.

A bit off topic, but the other pic is of a few visitors to the garden this morning while I was having breakfast. Rubbish picture taken through a dirty kitchen window, but it made me smile. Perhaps they were eyeing-up the observatory as a roost !

[Astrokev]

5 minutes ago, Kev M said:

Again, a very professional job....i'm a bit jealous when I look at my effort.

Thanks Kev for your kind comment, but no need for jealousy. My build is totally over-engineered just to give me something to keep my mind engaged. Sometimes I wish I'd taken a more reasonable approach. If I had it would've been finished ages ago and I could be using the thing! And possibly more importantly, it would have still been completely fit for purpose! I'm sure yours is great. If it keeps your gear dry and lets you look at the sky then it's fit for purpose, which is what matters most.

[JamesF]

Are they peafowl, Kev?  Unbelievably noisy animals.

The hinges look pretty hefty to me so I'd hope they'd be ok.  We have a number of large (3' x 6'8") ancient solid wood doors here that don't use hinges any bigger than what you have and there's never been a problem.  In fact I think some of them only have two hinges.

James

[Astrokev]

1 hour ago, JamesF said:

Are they peafowl, Kev?  Unbelievably noisy animals.

The hinges look pretty hefty to me so I'd hope they'd be ok.  We have a number of large (3' x 6'8") ancient solid wood doors here that don't use hinges any bigger than what you have and there's never been a problem.  In fact I think some of them only have two hinges.

James

Thanks James. I'll soon find out if they're up to the job. The hinges may be fine; I just hope the door liner is too!

Yes, the birds are peafowl. Next-door-but-one neighbour has a wildfowl collection and lets a group of peafowl wander the village - a few cocks and several hens. Now that the young are about, it makes for entertaining driving sometimes! I had them nesting in the back garden several years ago under a rosemary bush (that was pre-dog). Very noisy as you say, and visitors to the village are always really surprised to see them. Here's a peacock in the front garden taken a few months ago. Beautiful birds. I'm sure once the observatory's finished it won't be long before they're using the roof as a sun-trap. That should make for an interesting photo ? 

[Astrokev]

Cold and the odd shower this afternoon but I desperately want to get the door on, so wearing 2 fleeces and my thickest woolly hat I braved the elements...

Well, the good news is that the door fits the hole ? . The first pic is just the door free-standing in the frame, held in place with the plank and a nail in the top beam to stop the door falling through.

After much puffing, panting and straining to get the door where it needed to be to mark the position of the hinges, I recessed the hinges slightly and then screwed the top and bottom in place with a couple of screws, to check for alignment. I was chuffed that the door moves quite freely, but the lock side doesn't quite clear the liner by about a millimetre (second pic). The gap on the hinge side is also too wide (a good thing to allow for adjustment) and is slightly uneven, being a bit wider at the top. I was pleased I'd only recessed the hinges in the liner by about half the hinge thickness. So, off the came the door again - lots more heaving and straining - and chiselled out another millimetre or so. The light was fading fast by this time so decided to pack away and try again tomorrow if I have time.

Oh, and my friend was back. Spent the whole time I was out there plodding around the garden with her chicks. Clearly inspecting the quality of my work ?. Or, possibly eyeing up their roost for the night.

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Get the hinged side 'true' & even spaced, then it will be easier just to plane down the opposite side, to match the opening...

[Astrokev]

Drizzling this morning, so doubt there'll be much activity on the observatory today ? 

[Astrokev]

Thinking about what flooring to fit. 

I want to use plywood, but wondering whether to go for 12mm or 18mm?

Only a small difference in cost but every little helps! 12mm is also a bit easier to cut and work. 

What do folks think? Anybody used 12mm and would it do the job?

In peoples experience, would standard ply be ok, or should I go for marine. The latter is obviously ideal, but in real life, is it necessary? I can't see the floor getting wet other than occasional heavy dew, and will be covered. 

Edited November 20, 2018 by Astrokev

[JamesF]

My gut feeling is that 12mm is too thin for a floor.  I've gone for 18mm.  I'll probably give it a couple of coats of varnish to help keep the damp out before laying whatever floor covering I eventually decide on (probably those interlocking foam tiles).  Shouldn't take long to do with a roller.

James

[Gina]

It will get damp from underneath.  I think 12mm would be adequate with sufficient support but in marine ply depending on how long you want it to last.  Solid wood, as in floorboards, can't suffer from delamination and cheaper than marine ply plus the tongue and groove system allows for expansion and contraction with changes in humidity.

Edited November 20, 2018 by Gina

[Dr_Ju_ju]

If you have a Wickes near by, there usually is, have a look at these https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-P5-T+G-Caberdek-Chipboard-Flooring---18mm-x-600mm-x-2400mm/p/133702 

Already treated & easy to cut & fit

[Guest]

I used OSB3 18mm. Less flexible over joist gaps (no floor bounce)  totally solid and with air flow underneath it will last decades. Personally I think today's composite boards are brilliant with their moister resistance making marine ply over rated for most shed applications.

Downside is unless you're going to carpet or cover in some way its less pretty to look at.

Edited November 20, 2018 by Guest

[Astrokev]

3 hours ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

If you have a Wickes near by, there usually is, have a look at these https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-P5-T+G-Caberdek-Chipboard-Flooring---18mm-x-600mm-x-2400mm/p/133702 

Already treated & easy to cut & fit

Thanks Julian. I'll take a look, although chipboard sounds risky for a floor. I presume they're specially treated

[Gina]

I believe they are and designed for building sites so very durable.

[RayD]

4 hours ago, Astrokev said:

Thinking about what flooring to fit. 

I want to use plywood, but wondering whether to go for 12mm or 18mm?

Only a small difference in cost but every little helps! 12mm is also a bit easier to cut and work. 

What do folks think? Anybody used 12mm and would it do the job?

In peoples experience, would standard ply be ok, or should I go for marine. The latter is obviously ideal, but in real life, is it necessary? I can't see the floor getting wet other than occasional heavy dew, and will be covered. 

Definitely 18mm with the quality of your build, Kev.  I went for 18mm hardwood faced ply and it is perfect.  The difference in cost at this stage isn't huge.

[Astrokev]

53 minutes ago, LeeRich said:

I used OSB3 18mm. Less flexible over joist gaps (no floor bounce)  totally solid and with air flow underneath it will last decades. Personally I think today's composite boards are brilliant with their moister resistance making marine ply over rated for most shed applications.

Downside is unless you're going to carpet or cover in some way its less pretty to look at.

Thanks Lee. I know OSB3 is supposed to be water resistant but I still worry over it's use in an area that may get wet. I've seen some reviews where OSB3 has still swollen and disintegrated when it's got wet. Probably a dodgy supplier but still makes me nervous. That said I haven't completely discounted it yet!

I will be covering it - probably with interlocking foam/rubber tiles, so the visual appearance isn't an issue. 

Edited November 20, 2018 by Astrokev

[Gina]

Well, if you're worried and want to go for the best...  hardwood floorboards!

[wimvb]

11 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

Thanks Julian. I'll take a look, although chipboard sounds risky for a floor. I presume they're specially treated

I've had this kind of board untreated for 20 years in my storage/toolshed, with a second freezer that needed defrosting occasionally. It's remarkably stable. As long as water doesn't collect for longer periods, there's no risk of damage. But it does get dirty and grayish after a while. Ideally you'd cover it.

[Yawning Angel]

Following this with interest, and you can get free samples of that Caberdek stuff from https://www.norbord.co.uk/our-products/caberboard/caberdek/

Ordered some, and will be leaving them outside to see how they get on, while I continue other work ?

[Astrokev]

10 minutes ago, RayD said:

Definitely 18mm with the quality of your build, Kev.  I went for 18mm hardwood faced ply and it is perfect.  The difference in cost at this stage isn't huge.

Thanks Ray. Did you use marine ply?  This is horrendously priced, so would like to avoid this if possible. 

[Astrokev]

1 minute ago, Gina said:

Well, if you're worried and want to go for the best...  hardwood floorboards!

Not sure my budget would stretch to that, but they would look pretty!

[RayD]

1 minute ago, Astrokev said:

Thanks Ray. Did you use marine ply?  This is horrendously priced, so would like to avoid this if possible. 

No need for marine ply, Kev.  Just hardwood faced ply is fine and perfect for flooring.

[RayD]

4 minutes ago, Gina said:

Well, if you're worried and want to go for the best...  hardwood floorboards!

Now that would look the part!! 

[Bizibilder]

OSB should be fine - 18mm or more to get a solid floor.  Get the "damp proof" stuff.  No need to use marine ply - its far too expensive and your observatory will not be submerged for most of the time!  If there is a little air circulating underneath then OSB will last for years.