Hi all, My name is Reuben and I am building a shed using recycled materials with a friend. I'm also doing this for a school project so I would love your advice.
I'm using pallets for timber, old corrugated steel for the roofing, and, I know it sounds weird, but we are making windows with old fridge shelves. Below I will attach some images of our project so far, but I would like to know if you have any feedback or advice for making this shed. Also, if their is anything you think I should know before continuing the project, let me know! The more feedback I receive, the better since it is for my school project.
Thanks for your time!
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @rbn.pkr. It’s terrific to have you join us and many thanks for sharing your project with us.
I really like the concept of seeing how much of the shed you can construct from recycled materials, and it should give you plenty to discuss in your school project.
Looking at the construction so far, one of the main things I'd concentrate on is bracing. You've created some quite large wall frames, and once they're standing, they'll need adequate diagonal bracing to prevent them from racking sideways, particularly once wind starts acting on the shed. Strap bracing is a good choice here. I'd also make sure the completed walls are securely connected to each other and the structure is appropriately anchored.
I'd also be selective with the pallet timber. Some of the pieces vary considerably in size and condition, which is perfectly understandable for this project, but I'd reserve your straightest and strongest pieces for the structural framing and use the others for cladding and non-structural areas. Remove any protruding nails and avoid timber showing significant splitting, rot or deterioration.
The raised timber floor you've constructed looks like a substantial start. I'd make sure there's adequate support beneath all the joins in the mismatched plywood sheets and that the timber framing underneath is protected from prolonged ground moisture.
Your recycled corrugated sheets should work well as cladding and roofing provided they're still sound. Make sure the roof has sufficient fall, suitable sheet overlaps and appropriate roofing screws so water is directed away from the structure.
And the fridge shelves for windows certainly aren't something we see every day. That's a clever bit of recycling. Just make sure they're securely framed and, if they're glass, determine whether they're safety glass before incorporating them into the shed.
I'm looking forward to seeing how you progress with it.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
