Grian

Argyll has pods and huts aplenty and the planners were surprisingly comfortable with the evolution of my hybrid, though very particular about the actual siting, down to the last meter. My concern has been Building Control and the mobile criteria but a timber ring beam should to be just the job, what a relief to have a solution. As soon as I understand the spec required then I will press on before there are new hoops to jump through (the short-term lets licensing was a twinkle in the politician's eye when I started this project!). Again many thanks indeed for all the input!

I'm in Scotland, Argyll. Thank you for replies. I will look at your blog Crofter, sounds as though you have the solution, muchos gracias!

I obtained planning permission to build a shepherd's hut (5.4 x 2.6m) for letting in the curtilage of our house - the topography means it needs to be built on site. I didn't actually want the expense of the chassis and the planning authority agreed to me not having it so it is now going to be a hut-shaped pod (bed, kitchenette, en-suite). I do still need the building to be mobile so that Building Regs only involvement remains in the connection to the septic tank. As I understand it the building has only to be technically mobile - i.e. though the site is not accessible by crane if I could demonstrate that the structure could be moved using one then that would satisfy requirements. The other alternative I am aware of is to build it on skids, again it wouldn't be easy to actually tow it away but that shouldn't matter. For either of these options to work the structure would need to be adapted, I imagine, to cope with the hypothetical means of transport. I would be very grateful for advice how best to do it in order to convince the building regs inspector it definitely is 'mobile'? Thank you!

Thanks, several things I'd not been aware of. Naively thought it might be easier than tongue and groove, but most importantly for me the need to treat with fire retardant. I'm trying to be as green and chemical free as possible. However would this also be a concern for tongue and groove - or is it the glue or some other characteristic that makes the ply more flammable?

Thanks. Similar but cheaperer, https://sheetmaterialswholesale.co.uk/18mm-chilean-radiata-pine-softwood-plywood-2440mm-x-1220mm-8-x-4/ I wonder if it is adequate quality.

I'm considering this for my shepherd's hut interior, as an alternative to the usual tongue and groove lining. Has anyone any thoughts on whether this is a good material to use? There is no wood stove, only a standard cooker, so is there any more fire risk than if using actual timber cladding? Does it need a special finish? Is it very expensive in the right quality? Thank you!

Thank you - on the next island up I know you know what driving rain is!! Hmmm, by drainage void, do you mean the tin should be on battens? Seems the hut-making norm to attach to OSB. Or is the wriggle in the tin the drainage void?

Thanks, excellent information! Regarding bending, I had a conversation online with someone who seemed to have done it as they fixed the sheet to their hut, elsewhere i have seen examples where people construct a thing to hold the tin and they pre-bend it. None of it generates confidence, but sometimes things are not as hard as they seem. Sometimes of course they are worse!

Thanks very much, appreciate it!

Could collect in an Ifor Williams trailer

Argyll. Could reach central belt, Inverness etc easy enough.

Phew, good to hear! Thank you. Knowing nothing I can't tell whether some of these timber types would be very short lived, or whether I'm unnecessarily over specifying for this purpose. Our house is clad in Siberian Larch but we can't afford it for this project.

I reckon we have a softwood budget. Planners would have a canary if we went for that red but I can see it looks well in the right context! I've been impressed with the performance of linseed oil paint, which seems to protect for a very long time.

It looks as though 0.7 polyester finished (not plastisol) wriggly tin is much cheaper and we will need to man-up and deal with our concerns about painting, cutting and bending it around the hut corners (don't want to use corner pieces).

Thank you for responses. I had a quote from a 'big company' and it was 3.2k for Douglas Fir to cover 35m2 plus corner posts. This is way over budget. I'm wondering what spec I actually need if I opt to paint the cladding? I discovered this style of cladding (pictures) which I think looks pretty charming. One producer describes it as 'matchboard', maybe that is the profile rather than the type or quality of wood?