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How to build outdoor reading nook?

mariese

I have a small outdoor area for the past three years that I am trying to have completed before summer. The person who started the job has now abandoned the unfinished project. I am really lost and don’t know where to go from here. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My location is East Gippsland. Victoria.

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EricL

Hello @mariese

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your reading nook.

I'm sorry to hear that the person building your reading nook has gone away. But there is no need to worry, your project just needs a little bit of arranging so that you will have a better idea of how to proceed. I propose securing the two most important parts of your reading nook and that is your walls and your roof. Once those two parts are in place everything else such as the flooring, windows, doors and any other accessories you have in mind can follow.

I propose posting the job on either Airtasker or Hipages. If you have a local community paper, it's also worth checking out if any carpentry services are being offered. Once you find a builder that can give you a quote, you can then have a discussion with the builder about your reading nook. It's important that each job is hashed out and listed on paper so that you know what the sequence of events will be.

The amount of work that can be done will depend on your budget. It's important that you are prepared for the expense. Once you and the builder agree on the project details you can ask them for an official detailed quote and proceed from there.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag, @DIY4Knuckleheds, @DanUnited, @thomasmentzel42, @RatBoy and @dhanekom for their recommendations.

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

Eric

Nailbag

Hi @mariese

Personally, I would steer clear of the more social sources and Google for a local handyman. The hard work of the frame looks to be already completed and the weatherboards started. So, it appears to be a very easy job to complete along with installing the door and any windows.

Nailbag

Dave-1

Good Morning @mariese

:D Thats a nice outside area you have going.

I agree with @Nailbag that a lot of the hard work is done, definently doable by yourself mostly if you want to give it a go. We all have to start somewhere and considering that its half done what do you have to loose!

If you havnt already you could list the things you want from the building.

How weather tight do you want it to be.
What type of floor are you after.
Insulation?
Will you want power in there?
Guttering/downpipe and somewhere for the water to go at the rear.
Windows?
Door?
What is the main use you want for it.

I like the idea of a handy person for the windows and door if you want them. Have a look through these pages to see if you can find steps to install them and then you can be their offsider so you can see how its done (That is what I have done, Id say im 80% confident of hanging a door, and around 95% for a fixed window :)

Expanding on whats been done is pretty much copy and past, you can see what the previous person was doing and continue that. For issues just come back and ask :) We have all been newbies and have had some amazing completions form people nervous to pick up a hammer or saw.

Is it going to be a greenhouse or an outside area for entertaining?

Dave

Dave-1

Good Morning @mariese again :)

I just realised your title for the question. A reading nook :) So I would factor in some ventilation for sure, Maybe sketch up what you think may work and then post it here. In summer sheds tend to get very warm, I was thinking of removing the top outside panel and replacing with a screen or removing and reinstalling with hinges so it can be opened in the summer.

If you can supply the dimensions and wants that you have, maybe we can come with some nice ideas?

Dave

mariese

Thank you @Dave-1 for your feedback. It’s amazing how many people are willing to give advice.

The “reading nook” as I call it was to be a place of reflection and I love bird photography, so I was planning on spending quite times in the nook and taking pictures of the native birds that visit my garden.

I would love to have it insulated but not sure if I can afford to do that. I have some beautiful cane chairs I wanted to put in the reading nook but without insulation I am worried they will get damaged by mould as we have a lot of rain up here.

The idea is there but whether it comes to fruition I will have to wait and see.

Thank you so much for everyone reaching out to me and keeping me on a positive mindset.

Thank you

Mariese

mariese

Thank you so much for your feedback and advice @EricL and @Nailbag

I’m not too sure whether anyone will finish someone else’s job but I’m hoping that they can get past that and help me out.

I will have to budget carefully as I am not earning an income. This is making it very difficult indeed.

I the meantime I will try Airtasker and see what they will quote for the job.

I really appreciate you taking the time to read and respond to my message.

Hopefully I can see myself out there one day and enjoying the bird life in my garden.

Thank you so much

Regards

Mariese

Dave-1

Good Morning @mariese

Sitting here thinking of your book nook I sketched profiles out as it helps me decide what is it that I want/like.

You can do the same and then cut out ideas from magazines (Bunnings magazine say… :) ) and others and place them around your sketch.

So the green loops are extra pieces i would add in for support and also the slats (will explain an idea for slats in a sec)

The support at the middle base is to help carry the load of a window if you install one. I think it will sag with time if you dont have one. I am guessing the span between posts is around 1.8m.

The long green loop is for an extra stud, Since you re working on a very tight budget how about using light timber pallets? You could strip the pallets apart and reuse the slats for your slats. There are tools you can buy to make the job easy to pull apart a pallet.

For the door, You can keep your eyes out for second hand doors on facebook market place in your local area. Just measure the width you have and then you know the max size of a door you can fit, the door space looks large so I think you will need to add some sides to it but that is easy. So many choices depending on the style you want for your book nook. This is where cutting out pictures and placing them in the parts really helps decisions.

Windows or coverings is the question..

So any type of windows will add overall weight to that span. So definitely a support is something to put in place for future potential. However in the meantime, you could have shutters on the outside of the windows, clear perspex rolls held up with straps for when you want it to be cool, even just a flyscreen would work. With the slats I have seen flyscreens for them that work very nice. Keep an eye out on the market place and gradually add parts that you want to resource pile (mine is generally 3 years worth of finding stuff)

So the walls could be recycled timber slats, the extra bit of tin roofing comes up frequently (just make sure the hills and valleys match your existing ones)

With the attaching the roofing sheet the screws go through the peak of the hill, that way you dont get drips, I also overlap the sheet by at least one valley.

Another day another idea for the insides! :) Hard work is mostly done and you can definitely sort the rest over time. Roof first, then walls)

Dave

mariese

You have been very helpful with your ideas @Dave-1.

The first idea I had in mind was to have it designed based on “a barn like design”. But I really haven’t come across any design. I would like to use some metal roofing for the sides at the bottom to give it that barn/country style.

Any ideas.

Thanks again for your valuable advice

Dave-1

Afternoon @mariese

Corrugated sheets sounds good (I would make sure you line the insides with insulation and timber to keep the temperature down is all.

Just had a look in the big blue Facbook pages for "corrugated sheets" and there are a large amount about so that seems like an easy path :)

I would go vertical hills and valleys for the walls and cut the sheet using a grinder as it would be way easier then shears (scarier I admit but the finish will be nicer)

Dave