How to attach plywood to shed wall?

[mickfromaust]

Hi I need to attach plywood to my shed wall so I can install bike racks.

Advice seems to say attach the plywood to metal frame of the shed but there is only one frame down centre of my small shed half way down the longer wall so no frame even in the corners.

Can I attach the plywood directly to the shed wall and if so what should I use to fix it?

Thanks

[JacobZ]

Hi @mickfromaust,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Do you have any photos of the shed that you could share with us? Seeing what you are working with would certainly help us to advise a solution.

Unfortunately, the metal framing for small kit sheds is usually fairly thin and is not capable of supporting a lot of weight. Kit sheds are designed to be lightweight and provide shelter; they are not designed with the idea that the framing will support additional weight.

Assuming that you have a kit shed, then it is likely not going to be possible to attach the plywood directly to the frame.

When you can upload some photos, I would be happy to have a look, but there's a good chance it wouldn't be possible, and you'd need to look at building a self-supporting frame and attaching your plywood, then bike racks to that. I would be more than happy to assist with this.

Let me know what you think, and if you need a hand uploading images, I'd be happy to help.

Jacob

[mickfromaust]

Thanks Jacob I've attached a couple of photos yeah it is a small shed but im hoping I can still hang the bikes. My thought is to get some 70×35mm pine and secure with some tek tapping screws from the outside of the shed. Then I could secure a sheet of 12mm ply to the timber and then attach the steadytrack bike racks to the ply. How does that sound?

  

[AlanM52]

Hi @mickfromaust,

As @JacobZ requested please post some photos.

Here is one method I have used in the past.

Use the top and bottom tubular steel frames as anchor points.

Galvanised Hook Bolts

https://www.bunnings.com.au/pinnacle-m8-x-152-x-28mm-galvanised-hook-bolt-2-pack_p0740677

If needed modify the hook profile with a butane torch and bull nosed pliers for a better grip.

From the outside the top one slides in over the tubing.

The bottom one simply sits on top of the tubing.

Use something like 70 x 45 timber, transfer bolt locations to the timber supports and drill the holes.

Decide on the plywood sheet size and measure/cut to fit.

Adjust the supports to suite the plywood width and secure with the nuts.

Lay plywood sheet on the supports check alignment and bang each corner to imprint the bolt ends onto the plywood - drill the holes.

Remove the hook nuts and install the plywood sheet onto the supports while fiddling with the bolts to find the sheet holes.

Add washes and nuts and check alignment as you tighten up everything.

Cheers

[JacobZ]

Hi @mickfromaust,

To tell you the truth, I'm not a huge fan of hanging anything with considerable weight from a corrugated iron sheet because there is potential that the sheet will fold and collapse under the weight. Those sheets aren't made of thick metal, and they aren't designed to support weight. The main thing that gives them rigidity and strength is their corrugations and the framing around them.

Could you maybe bolt a steel post to the slab on the right of the image and then run some framing between the post on the left and the new one?

It might seem overkill, but I just can't see a corrugated iron sheet being sufficient to hold the weight of multiple bikes long term.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

[mickfromaust]

Thanks for the advice I'm willing to give anything a go.  Could you explain how I would bolt it and do i attach it at top or just solidly at bottom?

[JacobZ]

Hi @mickfromaust,

After thinking about it, a timber post would likely be easier to work with.

What are the dimensions of the existing steel post? The dimensions will matter so you can line the new post up with it.

You'd attach a Bolt Down Post Anchor, in the correct size for your post, to the concrete using dynabolts. You'd then attach your post to the post anchor using suitably sized bolts.

You could then run your horizontal timbers between the two posts and attach your plywood to the front of them. With the horizontal timbers acting as bracing, you wouldn't need to attach the top of the post to anything, as the posts would be braced together.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

[mickfromaust]

Thanks steel post is 65mm x 65mm approx. Hopefully standard size. What horizontal timbers would you use and how would you join them? Thanks so much!!

[JacobZ]

Hi @mickfromaust,

It's not a standard size in timber, but it is in steel.

If you wanted to use timber, you'd need to add another post on the left because you couldn't line them up. You could then follow the process I mentioned above. From a risk standpoint, this would be the best way to go, as no load would be applied to the shed at all.

If you were to use steel, you'd need to use this 65 x 65mm x 2.4m Galvanised Steel Fence Post with this Australian Handyman Supplies 65 x 65mm Internal Fixing Post Bracket to fix it to the ground in the same way as the post anchor mentioned above. The post would then have to be screwed to the post bracket using Tek Screws. This method would put some load on the shed as it is utilising the post that is part of the shed's structure. You'd also have to factor in clearance for installing the screws between the post and the bracket.

You could use 90 x 45mm Outdoor Framing H3 Treated Pine as rails and screw them to the posts with screws of a suitable length and type for the post. With timber, 75mm Batten Screws would be the way to go. With steel, these 65mm Galvanised Hex Head Metal Screws would work. 

Let me know what you think.

Jacob