Garden shed workshop *in progress*

[thecomputerguy]

Throw a 55" TV in there a gaming computer and a beer fridge and go out there to "work" from 5pm-9pm nightly.

 

[Mr.Mike]

dont use wifi, just have the electrician or if you do it yourself run a cat6 cable in a conduit pipe from your house to the shed

This is exactly what I did and installed a separate fuse box running from my main panel via conduit as well.

My security setup is a strong dead-bolt, a motion sensor with high wattage light and two 95 pound Labradoodles named Charlie and Eddie (Special Ed).

 

[CraiGDaniel]

Throw a 55" TV in there a gaming computer and a beer fridge and go out there to "work" from 5pm-9pm nightly.

Thats what it's going to be used for once i get a retail front


Security wise, i donno. I'll get a couple large bars and padlock them across the door.

Strong security lights fitted and a camera looking down to the shed. May also put motion sensors in there that set off an alarm inside my house. I'll keep a baseball bat by the back door.

 

[Xander]

Looks good, Craig. I was thinking of doing the same thing a year or two ago.

I didn't pursue it because I found out that, in my municipality, you are no longer considered a "home based business" if you are not in the home; being on the property doesn't count here. Likewise, you can't work out of your garage unless that garage has been fully converted into livable space.

I mention this because, if you haven't already, you might want to check your local by-laws to confirm that you're not setting yourself up for trouble.

 

[16k_zx81]

Throw a 55" TV in there a gaming computer and a beer fridge and go out there to "work" from 5pm-9pm nightly.

Now THAT's a PLAN

 

[PaulRome]

My security setup is a strong dead-bolt, a motion sensor with high wattage light and two 95 pound Labradoodles named Charlie and Eddie (Special Ed).

Those two Labradoodles must be pretty ferocious

 

[PC-MOT]

Yea, you will deffo need to get an electrician to at least sign off your work to comply with insurance (I assume you will take out some sort of cover as even the best security can be over ridden), even changing a light switch these days need to be looked at by a proffesional before its considered safe.
Also some sort of dehumidifier will prob need to be left running?

+1 on the carpentry skills.

 

[joydivision]

It is not quite true about having to sign off. Any DIYer can change light fittings or switches as longs as it complies to the regulations. Adding circuits in many rooms doesn't even require notification unless its in a kitchen or bathroom etc.

However as this circuit will be outside it certainly needs to be certified and from what I can tell very few sparks will certify other peoples work for obvious reasons.

Even out door security lights need to be certified under part P. In short this installation needs to be notified to the council too but a part P registered electrician can do this for you and its often cheaper than paying the council to inspect it.

I am sure once you sort out all these issues it will be great

 

[Pesk]

Great job, make sure you post some pics of the finished setup. I think this would be the perfect solution for me. Did you buy this as a kit? What are the dimensions? Good luck with the rest of the build.

 

[CraiGDaniel]

Thanks everyone for support and info.

For those asking the shed is very similar to this one here:

http://www.abbeygardenbuildings.co.uk/product_catalogue/w_range_apex_shed/index.html

However my shed has the windows positioned differently as you can see in my photos.

Just a simple 8x6 shed.

All boards etc were cut to shape as we went along, borrowed some expensive cutters and what not. Most materials picked up from B&Q.

Will post more pics when updated. Could be a week or two

 

[Simon Yates]

I think you'll have a nice little setup there.

Definately get a spark to install your power to ensure it meets current regulations.
As others have said, you probably can't just spur off of the security light.
I'd go with a dedicated circuit personally.

The obvious concern is security.

You don't want to come home to this...

Regards,

Simon.

 

[Mr.Mike]

Those two Labradoodles must be pretty ferocious

Very Scary......and if the dogs get scared my two strapping boys will take over.

EDIT: meant to attach picture here but Gyazo.com doesn't do it. Hmmm.

 

[bwhatley87]

I'm interested in hearing more about this. We are thinking about putting a "portable building" on the other side of our driveway that matches our home and make it like a store front.

 

[PC-MOT]

Any pics of the finished article?
Its done by now surely.......??

 

[Xander]

I was thinking about doing this a couple of years ago but, when I checked in to the local by-laws, I found it would void my status as a "home-based business" and tag me as commercial. Here, if you are not under the residential roof, you're not home-based. By the same token, you can't just work out of your garage (even if it's attached) unless you've renovated the garage to be living space (which probably means closing off the walls where the garage door is).

TL;DR : Check your by-laws before going this route.

 

[glricht]

Like Xander, I looked into this too, but ended up not doing it due to permits, building codes, insurance, etc. First, I had to get a building permit, which included providing info as to wiring, plumbing, complete structural drawings, etc. Everything had to be inspected. Then there was insurance ...

Thought about doing a lot of the work myself, but was told by my insurance agent that if I ever had a claim and it was determined that the shed didn't have the legal stuff in place (e.g. permits, inspections, etc), they would probably deny the claim.

Not to say that it might not be worth it for others, but it was too much hassle for me.

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

This is a great idea but I suspect by the time you are done and begin to work in it you will feel very claustrophobic in there.

I had a 6x8' trailer we sold snowcones from and employees hated sitting in it for a shift. They would leave the back door unlocked and open to give them more space.

I love the idea adn I know these portable buildings are expensive as hell but it just looks tight to me.

So i didn't want to be in the house when doing repairs. As i offer mobile & workshop repairs, it seemed a better option to build my own workspace so that i feel like im in an office, rather than being distracted in the house by the little one & partner etc.

Next step is to insulate & board the roof + door. Then beef up security on the shed and fit some sensor alarms, camera etc.

Plan to have monitors mounted to the back wall, soldering station in the corner. Other nice personalisations as i go along. Will post pics as things progress.

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

1 car garage is a perfect size. First do not underestimate the value of 8' ceiling and field of view of at least 8' in one direction. Typical garage is 9'x13 or larger.

If properly insulated and winterized the heating and cooling will likely be negligible.

I had thought about this, but thought damp proofing and insulating would be a hassle, also that after there wouldn't be alot of room inside, i'd be interested to see how yours turns out. How much will it cost to add electric from your house to the shed?

I have a garage behind my house so plan to try and utilise that (after I clear the crap out )

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

Fiberglass gets into your lungs. I hope you are going to dry wall over that. If not then you should consider using spray foam instead. IT is expensive but 20x better in many ways.

https://www.google.com/search?q=clo...re-closed-cell-foam-insulation-kit%2F;300;300

You can do it yourself buying the canned version of closed cell spray foam and put about 1.5-2" on all the walls and roof underside. This also helps in that it cuts wind down as well and dust. It ceils the space like a baggy and you do not have to put dry wall up on it. You can paint over it directly if you like.

I'm really excited about it.

I have insulated the whole shed for about £6. ($9) from B&Q. Just horrible old fiber glass loft insulation.

Once the insulation was in place we stapled heavy duty plastic bin liner, covering the whole shed. This adds damp + weather proof. The shed barely got damp before this anyway and i sat in there in a horrible storm the other day, was warm and not a drop got in.

As for electricity, i have a sensor light on the outside wall of the house. This was hooked up directly into the mains, so i'll mod it and run a cable to the shed. Just gotta factor the extra electric as a business expense.

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

I have a temp space in my home now in addition to our office across town. However we use wifi but I also have a 100' cat 5 which I run across the rooms when I have to do heavy downloading or backup to the server and such. You could have wifi and also have extension cat 5.

Lots of nice ideas on here, may implement some.

Think i'll end up using wifi as my landlord wont allow me to drill through the house or anything like that, really annoying. My sheds no more than 7 meters from my router anyway - £5 a pop for wireless dongles i should be good.

As for electrics, i have no idea. I had a knowledgable friend over to give me some advice and he seemed to think the light idea was bullet proof, and that it ran on the main circuit so i should be able to run a good amount of plugs off it safely. The guy is very credible and has done lots of this sort of work. Perhaps ill pay a sparky to come over and give me some advice on it, better safe than sorry.


DCGPX, i'm south east in Essex. Bit of a hike for you