critique my Pent shed / wood store design please

[Adsibob]

Need to place an order for a Pent shed quite soon. Found a supplier I like who was happy to make some bespoke adjustments to the standard sized sheds. The main bespoke feature we've asked for is for the roof to be extended so that we can have a pent shed that doubles up as a log store on the outside, by having the roof overhang project by 600mm on that side, creating an overhang to shelter the wood from the rain.

Here is a basic sketch showing plan and side and front elevations:

 

This is a 6' by 14' shed: on the short side (which is South facing) we've got three windows and on the long side (which is East facing) we have the entry door, then a window, then space for the logs.

 

The shed is going in the back corner of my garden, so no possibility of adding windows to the other sides.

 

A few queries:

 

1. Are the windows sufficient to get much light into the shed? I'm conscious half the shed will probably be in darkness but presumably a battery operated (or perhaps solar powered) lamp can easily be installed? I do have power in the garden, but not close to the shed, so to get power there I would have to lay some 12m of armoured cable and bury it in trunking etc, which I rather not do. Any issues with battery/solar power for this kind of illumination? I won't be working in the shed often, illumination is mainly to see my around and find and store things.
2. Thoughts on the front elevation? Would it be better to split the log store into two piles, and have the window in between them, rather than all the wood in one pile?
3. Will the log store stay dry? 600mm overhang at a slight angle of say 10 degrees will result in a covered space of about 590mm. My logs won't be bigger than 25cm long, so this should give enough space for two rows stacked perpendicular to the shed wall (250 x 2 = 500) plus a 90mm gap for rain that doesn't fall perfectly straight. Alternatively, is this all wrong and should the wood store be on the South facing side which will be sunnier than the East facing side? The reason I hadn't put the wood on the South facing side is that because of some tall trees we have at the back of the garden I don't think it will make a huge amount of difference, maybe an extra 10% to 15% of sunlight hours.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited October 26, 2022 by Adsibob

[ProDave]

You have posted a link to a document on your computer (so inaccessible to us) rather than post it as an image.

 

Without seeing the picture, an open sided log store the logs will get wet then the rain blows from that direction.  Perhaps not much of an issue unless that is the prevailing wind direction.

[Adsibob]

6 minutes ago, ProDave said:

You have posted a link to a document on your computer (so inaccessible to us) rather than post it as an image.

Thanks, now amended. Hopefully you can see it?

6 minutes ago, ProDave said:

 

Without seeing the picture, an open sided log store the logs will get wet then the rain blows from that direction.  Perhaps not much of an issue unless that is the prevailing wind direction.

 

The prevailing wind direction is very much West South West. If the logs are on the East facing wall, they will get ALL of the westerly wind. I thought that was good for drying them out, but I guess you're right about the rain. I could put in some vertical battons, from the ground up to the overhanging roof, in front of the area for the logs, to protect from wind-driven rain. Not sure.

[joe90]

I have a 600mm overhang on the back of my workshop for log drying/storage facing North and they mostly stay dry, if it was west facing then not a chance as I am near the Atlantic and rain can come horizontally at times, I do wish I had made it greater tho 🤷‍♂️

[Thedreamer]

2 hours ago, joe90 said:

 I do wish I had made it greater tho 🤷‍♂️

 

You can never have too much log storage!

 

 

[Adsibob]

3 hours ago, joe90 said:

I have a 600mm overhang on the back of my workshop for log drying/storage facing North and they mostly stay dry, if it was west facing then not a chance as I am near the Atlantic and rain can come horizontally at times, I do wish I had made it greater tho 🤷‍♂️

So there is a possibility of putting the log store on the north side of the shed if I move the shed another foot or so from the fence. But then that area would get zero sunshine and not a great deal of ventilation because it would be sandwiched between the shed wall on one side and the fence on the other side.

 

 In order of priority, what’s more important:

 

1. keeping it away from horizontal rain

2. keeping it exposed to as much sun as possible

3. Keeping it exposed to as much ventilation as possible?

[joe90]

Personally but not based on science I would say ventilation first, lots of logs stored in woodlands have a sheet of corrugated iron on top but open on all sides.

[Adsibob]

My shed is going to go quite close to the fence. What is the minimum gap I need between the shed and the fence to be able to repair the fence (hopefully not necessary for many years, given it’s just gone up) and paint the shed? Is 60cm enough, or a bit tight?

[joe90]

I am skinny so 600mm is fine for me, I just erected a potting shed for my sister in her small garden and we used the back of the shed as the fence (in agreement with the neighbour), she could not afford any wasted space.

[SteamyTea]

27 minutes ago, joe90 said:

erected a potting shed for my sister in her small garden and we used the back of the shed as the fence

@Adsibob has upset his neighbours so much he can never go around their side to repair a fence, ever.

When I redo my shed, the back wall will be my fence, but that goes onto the parking area.

 

More seriously, it should be able to design something that allows for a fence panel to be easily lifted out and repaired/replaced by standing on the shed roof.

[Adsibob]

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

@Adsibob has upset his neighbours so much he can never go around their side to repair a fence, ever

More like they upset me! Well I guess we upset each other. 

[SteamyTea]

2 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

More like they upset me! Well I guess we upset each other. 

Offer them some free legal advice.

MOVE

[Adsibob]

About to order the MOT Type 1 for the sub base. Going to hire a compactor and lay a sub base of about 50mm. Seems overkill for a shed installed on London clay, but there are lots of leylandii tree roots nearby and so I thought I might as well. But then I saw the prices of MOT Type 1 and almost feinted.

Do i really need this much:

 

Each bag is 800kg. My shed is going to be about 11 sq metres. One bag is a bit short wheras 2 bags is too much.

 

Could i lay less than 50mm? Would 30mm be enough given that I'm laying the probase plastic grids on top (which are 40mm thick and then filled with pebbles/crushed granite). 

[saveasteading]

The plastic grids need small gravel infill, so why not use that for the base too? 11m2 x (50+40). 1m3. Two bags.

Get angular gravel preferably, ie not pea gravel.

A layer of membrane too, to keep the weeds out...there are small rolls available.

 

Subdividing is good. It reduces the outward loads, and allows you to separate big and small, or old and new.

The gravel will allow rain to drain but will clog with woody bits. Another layer of membane? Most rain is close to vertical so a roof but no sides for me.

 

Instead of plastic grid i used halfed pallets for a raised base, and the other halves for the roof.

[Adsibob]

31 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

The plastic grids need small gravel infill, so why not use that for the base too? 11m2 x (50+40). 1m3. Two bags.

 

I think because MOT Type 1 base will compact better, whereas gravel won't really compact that well.

Query why the trays can't be filled with MOT type 1?

[saveasteading]

Type 1 is designed to be like solid stone when compacted, a recipe of large to small stones that pack solid. It will barely go into the grid.

For the wood you need single size stones, with gaps, to drain.

Under a shed anything will do. Type 1 is best but ott. 

For 50mm over 11m2 I would buy a thumper for £20, but it won't compact gravel unless you blind it with sand.

 

Only cutting corners to save you money, do it with thick Type 1 if you want.

[Adsibob]

On 01/11/2022 at 16:13, saveasteading said:

Type 1 is designed to be like solid stone when compacted, a recipe of large to small stones that pack solid.

My gardener is helping me with this and he's concerned that actually we need to build up the sub-base a bit higher given we plan on raising the ground level when we lay turf by adding a couple of inches of topsoil in the future. So for the bottom of the 40mm shed base to be level with the ground, we're going to have to build up the sub ground area by almost 10cm. Should i build a wooden frame, fill it with sub base and then compact it, or will it compact without the frame retaining it on the sides? This is all feeling very over the top. 

[saveasteading]

Lay  the stone wider than you need and then  let it slope away. That is how a road is built. Or do your ground raising first. And stone against it.

[Jilly]

You haven't mentioned the roof, but if it's corrugated, how about replacing some/all the panels

with corrugated perspex? It makes a shed quite light and airy in the daytime and makes no difference at night. It could even give a bit of solar drying for your logs. 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Jilly

[Adsibob]

20 minutes ago, Jilly said:

You haven't mentioned the roof, but if it's corrugated, how about replacing some/all the panels

with corrugated perspex? It makes a shed quite light and airy in the daytime and makes no difference at night. It could even give a bit of solar drying for your logs. 

I'd had a similar idea, but unfortunately the shed supplier I'm using doesn't offer rooflights. It's a wooden roof with an acrylic felt. Probably a bit tricky to cut into without compromising the waterproofing.

[saveasteading]

6 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

without compromising the waterproofing.

And the structure!  Commercial sheds are made with minimal material and the osb roof is critical to stability.  It is efficient design  reflected in the cost. ...don't cut holes.