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Can't build house so making shepherd's hut / site hut


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Covid-19 has stopped my self build in its tracks just prior to dig and pour of foundations. I have massively got the twitch to make something and have some materials on hand and time to do it. Thinking what to make I have decided to make a hybrid site hut come shepherd's hut.

 

I have a couple of old (but sound) 5.2m x 2m trailer chassis which I'll use one of for this. I stripped the 100mm coldstore panels off a building that got demolished and have 100mm Celotex that came out of the slab. I've done some basic CAD and thought I'd share what I am up to and see if anyone has any thoughts. Haven't thought about windows or internal stuff, also likely either clad with feather edge or plywood and vertical battens (US style).

 

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Base is 5.2m long and 2.2m wide so overhangs the side of the trailer by 100mm on each side. Doorway is currently 1800mm wide. Shown as 2000mm high but the panels could be cut to raise the ceiling a fair bit.

 

Front View:

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End View: I haven't spent the time filling in the part of the panels that would extend up to to meet the curved roof.

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Section View: I've allowed for the roof / ceiling to be made out of curved corrugated sheet steel with 150mm of loft insulation and 5mm sheet plywood curved to make the ceiling. You can see the uncovered frame of the endwall. Notice the timber cross braces that extend into the 'living space' but rigidity.

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Skeleton: All made of 4x2 (95x47) timber. The insulated panels are quite strong themselves but need to be restrained. The plan it to use scrws top and bottom into the timber to secure the insulated panels.

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End wall: All timber 4x2. Propose to use 18mm plywood screwed to interior surface to provide shear stiffening.

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Base: All 4x2 timber with 18mm Exterior grade plywood sheets screwed on top or bottom (if bottom then add timber flooring to inside of hut.

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I think it needs:

  • Skeleton: 53m of 4x2 untreated + 4 sheets 18mm plywood
  • Base: 57m of 4x2 treated + 5 sheets exterior 18mm plywood
  • Roof: 13m2 curved corrugated steel, 13m2 150mm loft roll, 5 sheets 5mm plywood

 

When finished as a site office I can line the insulated panels with 5mm plywood and paint etc adding guestroom like furniture.

 

What do people think? Will it stand up?

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Looks impressive and should definitely keep you busy!

 

I think you ought to get some windows in there at the planning stage though, this does not look like a temporary structure and it'll make it so much more useable in the both the short and long term imho.

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That looks just the job! My wife's got a long standing 'Romany Caravan' aspiration, and one day it'll make a good project.  I keep my eyes open for an old 4-wheel trailer every time I pass an old farmyard, hoping to find one in the nettles I can buy for a tenner!  I bet there are dozens around just rotting away, but I think they are becoming quite desirable for this sort of thing.

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Perfect trailer for the job and when you put a “skirt” on it it won’t look so high up, as it will just make the hut look bigger from the outside....kind of tardis in reverse! 
I too look endlessly for a trailer like this for the exact same project...... luckily I have not found one for a tenner yet so I can concentrate on all my other projects ! 

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15 hours ago, Cpd said:

Perfect trailer for the job and when you put a “skirt” on it

Extra storage as well.  Can put a small A2A heat pump in there, maybe MVHR, a few batteries, small genny, water filtration, DHW cylinder and waste treatment plant.

Then some solar slates on the roof, and forget all about building a house.

You can get @pocsterto run some CAT7 to a server as well.

Edited by SteamyTea
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Would look nice with some walk on glazing in the floor ....There was some on eBay for £9.99 delivered, but I’m sure @pocster could do a better deal than that ..... ?

 

Seriously though that looks a really nice project. You could always get a flat tank to go under it and have a proper toilet etc in it. They aren’t expensive. 

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43 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Would look nice with some walk on glazing in the floor ....There was some on eBay for £9.99 delivered, but I’m sure @pocster could do a better deal than that ..... ?

 

Seriously though that looks a really nice project. You could always get a flat tank to go under it and have a proper toilet etc in it. They aren’t expensive. 

 

 

Somehow that conjured up the image of an underfloor waste tank with a glazed porthole on the top . . .

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I thought I would canvas opinions. I was planning to use studding on the end walls to stiffen them up and help against wind loads etc. Whilst the insulated panels are stiff, I'd rather have something a bit extra to help against shear. That's what the 4 sheets of 18mm plywood are to help with. I was wondering if people thought 18mm was overkill? The other 18mm plywood is for the floor.

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18mm ply for racking is overkill IMO. On studding I would have thought 11mm would suffice, go 15mm to “hang” stuff on if you want. What are you going to clad the outside with? (I had plans to make a Shepard’s hut, even bought some cast iron wheels for it.    One day eh!).

Edited by joe90
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50 minutes ago, MortarThePoint said:

In the short term I'll lave the insulated panels exposed as they have an external skin of painted metal. In the long run I'll probably go with feather edged board.


I like the galvanised corrugated look like many original Shepard’s huts but it’s not every bodies cup of tea!.

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