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How to seal and renovate a shed?

Hi All,

I appreciate this has probably already been a post but I can’t seem to find it. So I have a shed which for years was just storage, now I want to seal it, make it watertight and turn it into a gym for my son. Questions are, what do I seal the gaps between shed and slab with, what would I line it with, how would I put a window in it? Many thanks for all you’re wonderful ideas and suggestions.

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Jewelleryrescue

Hi @LJW

There are a bunch of choices around you project no rights or wrongs there.

If I am seeing right the floor looks lower at the door than the ground outside. If so you will need a drain in front of the door lower than the concrete slab to drain water away that same drain may suit other walls too.

For the walls gaps i would use aluminium flashing screwed to the inner walls draining at a slight angle out and off the slab edge.

Hopefully that will stop water.

Why do you want a window? light? or you have a view out there. Considered polycarbonate sheet sections to let light in easier than a window slightly. My body not seen the inside of a gym for a while arnt they mostly big mirrors for that authentic look.

Sunlite10 Twinwall x 2.4m Clear Polycarbonate Roofing I/N: 1010589 $114.50

https://www.bunnings.com.au/sunlite10-twinwall-x-2-4m-clear-polycarbonate-roofing_p1010589

A cheap but good window could be polycarbonate panel window (several choices) with a frame made from colour bond fence frames to encapslate sharp cut steel painted edges . Buy a second hand ex reno window mount it on the fence post rails.

Easy to line the shed with wall panels as desired.

So i hope many more suggestion comin your way too.

Jason

Hi @LJW,

Great to see you have already received some great advice from @Jewelleryrescue.

We've had a number of previous discussions about how to seal a shed. Let me point you in the direction of a few:

How to seal the bottom of shed walls? by @jjebw

How to seal the bottom of the shed? by @MattR85

How to waterproof existing garden shed? by @basilmabraham

How to water-seal edges of an Absco garden shed? by @bennyboy

Hope all the advice shared in those conversations will be helpful to you.

I'm sure one of our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts in @EricL will also be happy to share his thoughts.

Jason

EricL

Hello @LJW

It's great that you've received lots of great recommendations about sealing and renovating your shed. But before you begin putting anything inside your shed, I suggest doing a leak test of the roof. I propose cleaning off all the dirt and debris currently on your shed roof. Once the roof is clean, I recommend getting your garden hose and spraying the top of the shed and looking inside to see if water leaks through the roof or travels on the interior of the wall of the shed.

Mark the leak with a marker so that you know exactly where they are coming from. I suggest using Selleys 290ml Clear Storm Waterproof Gutter And Roof Sealant to seal off the leaks from the top of the roof. For leaks that travel in between the roof sheeting and make their way inside, I recommend using Consolidated Alloys 50mm x 3m Weatherproof Byute Flash Flashing Tape to stop water bridging between sheets and finding a way inside your shed.

When you've fixed the roof, my next suggestion is to examine the floor and look carefully if you are getting water ingress from the outside coming under your shed wall. Looking at the pictures you posted I can clearly see the dark spots on your floor indicating that water has settled in that spot. I propose looking around outside to see if the soil has sloped or mounded up to the side of the shed. This needs to be removed so that water will not pool around the base of the shed. Your objective is to make sure that water flows away from the shed instead of towards it.

Whichever sealant you choose to use it's vital that the floor be totally clean and dry. If you have a hard spot that refuses to totally dry off, I suggest using a heat gun to remove the moisture stuck inside the concrete base. Once the shed is secure from the rain you can then begin planning on what you want to put inside the shed.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Jewelleryrescue

Hi @LJW

Bunnings has a smorgasboard of ideas and options out there while you water proofing your shed find the look you want and myself and others can lend there experiances to achieve that.

@LJW you have lovly blank canvas of a shed dont look at what you have, look towards what to see in your minds eye,

LJW

Thanks @Jewelleryrescue for your suggestions. The shed is on a slab and is higher than the ground, however it does need a clean up and I'll be doing that at the weekend. I was mainly wanting to know what I could seal those larger gaps with where shed meets (or does not meet) concrete. I've read about adhesive neoprene foam rubber tape as a suitable solution, but perhaps that is too costly and I'm not certain if Bunnings stock it. How about the expanding foam, ugly but does it work? Flashing on the roof is a necessity I agree, and possibly gutting too so water will run off and not down the walls. Windows, yes I had though of grabbing a secondhand frame, but if I'm doing that I may just get new doors instead. I can't use wood, unless hardwood, I live in the rainforest so termites are an issue.

I was also interested to know what people line sheds with... have people used a foil insulation to stop condensation and does it work with the queensland weather? If boarding the walls and ceiling have you used plasterboard or ?? And would you line the doors too?

LJW

Hi @EricL , thanks for your response.

Actually I had just cleaned the interior of the shed hence the dark damp patches and we have had a substantial bit of rain over the last few days which has indicated the roof, if a bit dirty and full of leaves, is thankfully not leaking. phew!. I will double check and do appreciate the products you have recommended.

Jewelleryrescue

Hi @LJW

Its great the slab raised

Aluminium flashing would be a quick simple inexpensive water barrier see diagram to help visualize. and not termite food.

a shed.jpg

Install double foil garage insulation rolls find it on ebay or Use foil board from bunnings be mind full of power and fitting foil products. I can not vouch the re the condensation factor are you experiancing it in current shed? Yes then ventalaion required.

Wall panels example attached or you can use ply and wall paper it. paint it but you ideally would use timber rails to fix to.

Easycraft 2400 x 1200mm 9mm Lining Panel White MRMDF Primed Regency I/N: 0330827 $90

https://www.bunnings.com.au/easycraft-2400-x-1200mm-9mm-lining-panel-white-mrmdf-primed-regency_p0330827

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