Rural Bus Shelter

[Medeek]

I was out in rain waiting for the bus to pick up the kids the other day and looked up the road and saw a bus shelter about a 1/4 mile off.  We get a lot of rain here in Copalis Beach and its cold, all the time.  Also our five kids are now all in school (ages 11 to 5).  I thought maybe I should build a decent shelter for the kids since our house is about 300 ft. off the main road (State Route 109), and also I really don't like them standing at the edge of the road with cars flying by at 60 mph.  What I basically came up with is shown below:







3/12 shed roof, 2x4 framed walls with two 4040XO windows that can be opened for ventilation.  Resting on pressure treated 2x8's for portability. 

Seating for up to 7 youth/children.  2x6 headers over door and windows.  2x6 rafters with 12" overhang.  Metal or Asphalt shingles, wood shakes might also go nice with the log siding shown (7 1/4" x 1 1/2").

I was thinking I might insulate it and also add electricity so the bus driver can see the kids (when the light is on inside and outside).  My only concern with insulating it is that the level of humidity around here is so high that being such a small space and without adequate ventilation we might have a mold problem.  Any thoughts on dealing with high humidity in a small shed or structure like this?  Would insulating be a bad idea?  I'm think one could crack the windows a bit to ventilate as well but inevitably they would be shut during the cold months.

[Squirl]

It looks simple and nice.  With five children, you should get plenty of use out of it.

The header on the side window is probably not needed.

[UK4X4]

use plexiglass for the windows and drill a few small holes or add a couple of vents

I would not worry about insulation - if theres no heating

The only time insulation would help is when you have 7 adults and the body heat builds up.

Just make it wind and rain proof- the plexiglass is just to make it safer rather than glass

[SouthernTier]

There these sort of things are all over round my way (near Buffalo NY).  Most of them, however, seem to be designed to last only for the duration of one elementary school "career" so more often than not you see them tipping over or otherwise in bad repair.

I suspect yours will last a bit longer.

[Don_P]

Wow, deluxe.
Any of you remember the fuel oil drum tipped up on end with a doorway cutout, the local Coke distributor kept them painted like a coke can, sort of like the mail pouch or rock city salesman advertising and paying for it with a service.

[Redoverfarm]

Bus stops use to be a common site but then children walked to a central location to be picked up.  Now it seems they stop at every driveway irregardless of how close to each other they were to pick up the children.     It wasn't long ago that the school board went around and picked up most of them rather than preform maintenance on them.  There aree still a few at the larger stops but they are maintained by the parents.  No doorways just doorway openings.  Basicly just to break the wind and rain. 

[Rob_O]

I like it. Insulate it, small wall heater to warm it up, use a motion sensor or a timer to turn the heat and lights on when the kids arrive and off after they leave. Maybe a couple more windows for full cross-ventilation and/or to take advantage of natural morning light, for a few bucks more you can put in a goodwill stereo and your kids have the coolest bus shed ever!

[rick91351]

Gee and I had to walk to school in four foot of snow six miles up hill both directions.  And milk seven head of milk cows when I got home and do my home work by candle light. 

Those shelters were popular here as well.  Nothing that fancy of course.  Just something to block the chilly wind in the mornings.   

[Redoverfarm]

Gee and I had to walk to school in four foot of snow six miles up hill both directions.  And milk seven head of milk cows when I got home and do my home work by candle light. 

Those shelters were popular here as well.  Nothing that fancy of course.  Just something to block the chilly wind in the mornings.   

You never had to kill a bear with your 3 ring notebook while barefooted?

[rick91351]

Gary O told on me didn't he?  Speaking of Gary    Since I have been back he sort of disappeared.  I think I must apologize I think I stole this thread.

Sorry

Rick   

[Medeek]

You never had to kill a bear with your 3 ring notebook while barefooted?

I grew up in Terrace, B.C, so yeah I killed a bear off our front porch with my Dad's 30/06 while wearing a white tuxedo (high school graduation).  That's got to count for something

I'm thinking if I insulate this thing then the vent holes in the soffit won't be able to breath to the outside.  However I ran the numbers and I can run a 10GA extension cord from the house (300ft away) and power a 1000 Watt cadet heater plus two lights, line loss will be less than 5% which is acceptable.  Being that the space is so small the heater should be able to bring it up to a comfortable heat in a matter of minutes and insulation is probably irrelevant. 

Not sure about the stereo but putting a little web cam up in the corner of the rafters to keep a eye on everything from the house might be the thing to do.

Here is a screenshot with a concrete foundation and porch: