A tale of two sheds (and other distractions along the way).

BBChevro · Dec 13, 2015

Hey everyone, I'm finally starting a thread - and hopefully I may even find time to update it occasionally.

Because it rained here yesterday, I found time to scan some old grainy photographs of my first shed.

OK, it's time to fire up the flux-capacitor in the DeLorean and travel back to 1986...

When I bought my first house, I immediately saw the potential of that big back yard - it has room for a shed!

So I selected the spot that would require the least ground work to make level...

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Then hired a contractor to knock it into shape (with a drott)...

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He did an excellent job, right where it was supposed to be according to the (approved) plans...

BBChevro · Dec 13, 2015

...one small hitch was that although the plans had been fully approved - they had come back (to the builders, not me) with an amendment.

Apparently there was a sewer line running parallel to the back fence, so they just moved everything about 7 or 8 feet closer to the house - not a major problem except the front corner of the slab was now no longer on the pad.

I had to chip away at the rocky ground with hand tools, as the concrete was on its way...

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The contractors doing the concrete did a mighty fine job - if you look closely, you can see the bit that I had to dig out (at lower left).

More to follow.

Bib Overalls · Dec 14, 2015

No pictures mate.

BBChevro · Dec 14, 2015

Bib Overalls said:
No pictures mate.

Thanks Bib, hopefully it's working now (I just changed my settings).

1/2 Cup · Dec 14, 2015

Way to go Mark :thumbup:

CNGsaves · Dec 14, 2015

Pics are there now. Nice looking pad !! :thumbup:

Curious about the old vehicles in pictures:
. . . . station wagon looks like early 60's Ford or Chevy ??
. . . . blue car in 2nd pic . . 4 door Falcon, Maverick or what ??

Sunbimmer · Dec 14, 2015

BBChevro said:
.....OK, it's time to fire up the flux-capacitor in the DeLorean and travel back to 1986...

I like that :thumbup:

This is very interesting, I will be following. Thanks for sharing !

HOTFR8 · Dec 14, 2015

Good to see Mark that you have finally got this topic up and running. :thumbup:

C_F · Dec 14, 2015

That's a slick lookin' slab so far. I will be enthusiastically checking back here for updates.

BBChevro · Dec 14, 2015

1/2 Cup said:
Way to go Mark

HOTFR8 said:
Good to see Mark that you have finally got this topic up and running.

C_F said:
That's a slick lookin' slab so far. I will be enthusiastically checking back here for updates.

Thanks guys, don't expect too much from this - I've found about 20 pics in total at present (and I don't live there now, so I can't take any more).

Sunbimmer said:
I like that

This is very interesting, I will be following. Thanks for sharing !

Thanks Hugo, an ex-work colleague of min has a DeLorean - they look like they should go fast, but in reality.... :dunno:

CNGsaves said:
Pics are there now. Nice looking pad !!

Curious about the old vehicles in pictures:
. . . . station wagon looks like early 60's Ford or Chevy ??
. . . . blue car in 2nd pic . . 4 door Falcon, Maverick or what ??

Thanks CNG, the red and white wagon is a '64 Impala (there's actually a gold one parked beside it - just out of shot).
The blue car is an Australian Falcon (it's at the neighbours over the back fence).

Now for some build pics...

HOTFR8 · Dec 14, 2015

Mark, how long ago did you build this Shed ? Was it 1986 like in your post or earlier ?

BBChevro · Dec 14, 2015

I didn't expect the crew to do it like this, but it worked...

They built the frame for the back wall on the slab and attached the tin to it...

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...then moved it off the slab and did the same with the side walls...

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They even attached the guttering and all the hardware for the side door (a 10x10 slider)...

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More later (when the subject matter is so limited, I have to drag it out a bit :lol:

).

Lyndon · Dec 14, 2015

BBChevro said:
.....

OK, it's time to fire up the flux-capacitor in the DeLorean and travel back to 1986...

When I bought my first house, I immediately saw the potential of that big back yard - it has room for a shed!

So I selected the spot that would require the least ground work to make level...

View media item 55509

Then hired a contractor to knock it into shape (with a drott)...

Mark

Snap - you got me. 1st pic and discussion about DeLorean's and there's a Buick (or some other yank tank)? And I thought "somewhere in the States for sure". Then there's an XA or XB in the 2nd photo...... WTF :dunno:

Keep it up, I like it when you can cover 30 years in a few day's postings.

Have fun. :thumbup:

Lyndon
South of you.

BBChevro · Dec 14, 2015

HOTFR8 said:
Mark, how long ago did you build this Shed ? Was it 1986 like in your post or earlier ?

Close to it Simon - I bought the house in '86 and it would have been within the next couple of years ('88?).

Lyndon said:
Mark

Snap - you got me. 1st pic and discussion about DeLorean's and there's a Buick (or some other yank tank)? And I thought "somewhere in the States for sure". Then there's an XA or XB in the 2nd photo...... WTF

Keep it up, I like it when you can cover 30 years in a few day's postings.

Have fun.

Lyndon
South of you.

Thanks Lyndon, like I said the material is very limited for this thread - so it may well be like documenting a couple of weeks activity that happened 30 years ago, then a BIG gap.

The car in the first pic is a '65 Chevy Impala (parts car).

.

BBChevro · Dec 15, 2015

Now for the next instalment...

Up goes the western wall...

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3 sides up...
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The last wall getting bolted on...
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I'd never seen a shed constructed this way before (or since) - it's a bit like an Amish barn-raising (which I've only seen in movies).

It worked well for the crew - although I don't know if they had a "plan B" for windy days. :willy_nil

...

BBChevro · Dec 15, 2015

.

The roof framework going on...
View media item 55521
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And the sheets of iron being screwed down...
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I missed taking pics of a lot of stuff (remember, this was 30 years ago - in the pre-digital age - taking photos of this kind of stuff wasn't the norm back then :lol:

).

The roofing was in full sheets that spanned the entire width of the building - they sliced a relief cut through the ridges at the halfway point of each sheet, but the valleys of the sheets continued right across.

Finished pics later...

.

HOTFR8 · Dec 15, 2015

So you have moved on from this build and to what did you move on to ?

BBChevro · Dec 15, 2015

I moved in 1999 to a different suburb - bigger house, but less land (therefore, smaller shed :sad:

).

I haven't scanned any photos of the new shed yet (I'm not even sure if I have any of the build - but I do have some of the demolition of the carport/workshop that was on the site).

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here - that will come later.

.

HOTFR8 · Dec 16, 2015

Sorry I did jump ahead.

BBChevro · Dec 16, 2015

So here is the last of the photos that I've scanned...

All done...
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Tilt doors...

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The (very) grainy photos don't do the slab justice - it was ultra smooth (to the point of being dangerous if you stepped onto it with wet shoes :scared:

)

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My reasoning for using tilt doors was that I thought that they would act as a small awning and offer some shelter from the Queensland sun and the occasional rain storm.

To an extent they did that - but I had to make stays for them, so the wind wouldn't slam them shut.

.

Lyndon · Dec 16, 2015

BBChevro said:
Now for the next instalment...

The last wall getting bolted on...
View media item 55520

...

Yep' it's the 80' - look at the mullet on the bloke in the foreground. :bounce:

I looked like that in the late 70's, but by the early 80's that was all gone as I was in middle management of a multinational, and that wasn't the "corporate look".

Lyndon :thumbup:

BBChevro · Dec 17, 2015

Lyndon said:
Yep' it's the 80' - look at the mullet on the bloke in the foreground. I looked like that in the late 70's, but by the early 80's that was all gone as I was in middle management of a multinational, and that wasn't the "corporate look".

Lyndon

1/2 Cup · Dec 17, 2015

Lyndon said:
Yep' it's the 80' - look at the mullet on the bloke in the foreground. I looked like that in the late 70's, but by the early 80's that was all gone as I was in middle management of a multinational, and that wasn't the "corporate look".

Lyndon

Good one Lyndon :lol_hitti

BBChevro · Dec 17, 2015

I've exhausted my supply of scanned photos of that first shed, but then I didn't make many alterations to it in the decade or so that I had it.

I used it for both vehicle storage and as a (light-duty) workshop and it did serve me well for both those purposes - nothing flash, but it worked.

If I come across any old photos that may be of interest, I'll scan them and post them.

But, to keep this thread moving, it's time to fast-forward to the closing end of the 20th century...

On a personal level, a lot happened in the '90s (some good, some not-so-good & some good again)...

* My first child was born in the first year of that decade.
* My first wife left the household a bit over 2 years later.
* In the later part of the decade, I met a wonderful woman (now my wife).
* Then to close out the year/decade/century we bought a house together.

...which brings me to the second chapter of my tale of two sheds...

.

BBChevro · Dec 17, 2015

We looked at many properties in the area that we wanted to live in - we didn't have a huge list of demands for the agents, but one (my one) was that it have room (and access) for a shed.

You would not believe some of the places that we were taken to - one agent took us to a place that already had a big shed, which turned out to be a 10x10 garden shed.

Some people have no idea. :headscrat

Anyway, eventually we were shown a property that ticked most of the other boxes and had room to build (a somewhat downsized) shed in the back yard.

However the site that I had ear-marked for my shed already had a carport/workshop ...

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Hmmm, what to do ... :headscrat

(more to follow).

.

HOTFR8 · Dec 18, 2015

Did I see a sliding door on the side as well as the tilt doors ?

1/2 Cup · Dec 18, 2015

All I can see is POTENTIAL plus..

Great set up all the same Mark. :thumbup:

BBChevro · Dec 18, 2015

HOTFR8 said:
Did I see a sliding door on the side as well as the tilt doors ?

Hey Simon, my "first shed" had a 10' sliding door on the eastern side (3/4 of the way towards the back) for ventilation and to let in some natural light.

It worked very well - even on the hottest days, it was usually cooler in the shed.

1/2 Cup said:
All I can see is POTENTIAL plus..

Great set up all the same Mark.

I could also see potential in that little carport/workshop 1/2cup, but unfortunately it just wasn't large enough and my stuff would not be able to fit in it.

Remember, "first shed" was 25x40 and the house was a "high-set", so I also had under the house and they were on a large block of land - whereas the new place had a single car skillion carport attached to the house and the (pictured) carport/workshop (about 18x29 ?).

I got rid of a lot of stuff when I moved (sold some cars and threw a lot of good stuff away

), but I still had 2 x 20' hi-top shipping containers full of stuff at a friend's house and 3 cars at my brother's place.

Sadly, the little carport/workshop had to go... :sad:

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1/2 Cup · Dec 18, 2015

Looking forward to seeing where to from here, I am sure you have found a creative solution Mark :thumbup:

BBChevro · Dec 18, 2015

Nothing too creative 1/2cup, I just had to do what I had to do - which was to demolish the carport/workshop and build a shed with a larger footprint.

Someone bought the carport section of the structure and I gave them all the roofing iron (I had nowhere to store it) - I did save other parts of the workshop (including the work bench).

The existing slab was deemed to be sound, so a new slab was formed up on top of it...

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I went as large as permitted (I was able to build right onto the rear boundary and to within a about 3' of the patio roof), which allowed it to be about 37 or 38 feet long (I can't remember - I'll have to run a tape over it later).

The width wasn't as restricted, but I had to keep it the same distance from the side boundary as the old structure had been and my wife didn't want to compromise the view from the kitchen window (neither did I actually).

So I figured that I could only increase the width by a couple of feet - so 20' wide it is...

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Many Aussies will recall that the dreaded GST (goods and services tax) was to be introduced on the first of July 2000 which created panic buying in the building industry - I had ordered the shed in January, but could not get anything until about April.

(to be continued)
.

Grumblebum · Dec 19, 2015

You have me waiting now to see how this turns out Mark, although a tad smaller than your first shed you must have been grinning with the slab extension for this one...

Cheers Grumblebum.

1949 caddyman · Dec 19, 2015

Subscribed

1/2 Cup · Dec 19, 2015

Nice one Mark and great back drop. :thumbup:

BBChevro · Dec 19, 2015

Grumblebum said:
You have me waiting now to see how this turns out Mark, although a tad smaller than your first shed you must have been grinning with the slab extension for this one...

Cheers Grumblebum.

It was good to finally see some progress (as I said above, I had to wait several months) - being a little bit shorter wasn't so bad, but I do regret that I didn't make it a little bit wider.

1949 caddyman said:
Subscribed

1/2 Cup said:
Nice one Mark and great back drop.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I'll post some construction pics shortly (I haven't been able to find any of the slab).

.

BBChevro · Dec 19, 2015

As I mentioned before, I couldn't find any bare-slab pics - maybe I just didn't take any of it.

You can however see the new slab fairly clearly in this next pic (as well as the framework)...

View media item 55688

It would be a fairly tight maneuver to get a large car out of the right hand bay if the left bay was occupied - I've never tried it (3 cars went in and haven't been moved since

).

The bay on the left is a reasonably straight shot from the (drive-through) carport - the photo is deceptive.

I've finished my cup of coffee now, so I'll post a couple more pics later.

.

1/2 Cup · Dec 19, 2015

What bred of Shed Mark?

Looks like a Widespan??

Regards

C_F · Dec 20, 2015

BBChevro said:
- I've never tried it (3 cars went in and haven't been moved since ).

Sounds like me, I have 3 cars that haven't moved since '08. :sad:

Been putting extra finances toward too many other things, hopefully that will change soon.

Your current area sure does look nice! Looking forward to more cool pics.

Lyndon · Dec 20, 2015

Mark

If you get a sec, throw up a photo of the 3 cars that haven't moved since they went into the shed... :thumbup:

And what's the waterway you are looking at out the back, it looks familiar??? :dunno:

Lyndon
Watching on.

Tejas TJ · Dec 20, 2015

What size are the 2 buildings? The galvanized steel looks great.

BBChevro · Dec 20, 2015

1/2 Cup said:
What bred of Shed Mark?

Looks like a Widespan??

Regards

I don't honestly remember what the brand was 1/2cup - it was on the door lock, but I removed their logo because I didn't want to give them any sort of free advertising.

I didn't have any problems with the product, just the service (or lack there of) - they stuffed me around for months.

I'd signed the contract in January and every time that I rang to ask "where is it?", the %&^*# salesman would assure me that it would be delivered within the next couple of weeks - this went on for months.

I was not a happy camper.

I would know the name if I heard it (I could also dig out the paperwork) - it wasn't Widespan though.

C_F said:
Sounds like me, I have 3 cars that haven't moved since '08. Been putting extra finances toward too many other things, hopefully that will change soon.

Your current area sure does look nice! Looking forward to more cool pics.

Life sometimes gets in the way of hobby projects C_F (that's not always a bad thing - a lot of that "life" stuff involved raising a family).

My theory is that the cars are under cover (they're also covered in 15 years worth of cr@p

), so they shouldn't deteriorate any further.

All three paint jobs were pretty much destroyed by being under tarps on my brother's property (I would have made other arrangements if I'd known that it would take so long to get the building on site)

We are in a nice location, the view out the back was one of the deciding factors for choosing that particular property - it was also one of the limiting factors for the size of the garage build.

Lyndon said:
Mark

If you get a sec, throw up a photo of the 3 cars that haven't moved since they went into the shed...

And what's the waterway you are looking at out the back, it looks familiar???

Lyndon
Watching on.

Hey Lyndon, I have some old photos of at least 2 of the cars, which I will post when I get a chance - it's a bit hard to take photos of them currently (due to the previously mentioned "15 years worth of cr@p" :sad:

).

The water is a large (for a suburban area) dam that was used for irrigation before the farmland was all sub-divided into house blocks - the spillway of this dam flows into a lower-level dam and the whole lot is a council reserve (which our back fence borders onto).

Tejas TJ said:
What size are the 2 buildings? The galvanized steel looks great.

The "first shed" (at my old house) was 40'x25' (with 10' walls) - the "second shed" (at our current house) is about 37'x20' (also with 10' walls).

The size of the "second shed" was determined by the confines of the site (it might be 38' - I know that it was less than 40') - if I get a chance later this week, I'll run a tape over it.

Thanks for dropping in, I'll try to post a couple more pics soon.

.

A tale of two sheds (and other distractions along the way).

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