I'm building a "Victoria Cottage in NE TN" but needed a place to put my tools to keep everything organized so we decided to build a Gambrel roofed shed which will be used as a garden shed and eventually incorporate a small 16' greenhouse addition.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/195.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/198.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/196.jpg)
Kinda hard to see but the bubble's in the middle! Time to mix some concrete.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/191.jpg)
The wife is getting a head start on the garden....planting time soon!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/201.jpg)
The end of day 2. The forms are all poured and leveled, should have the floor framed tomorrow.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/004.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/003.jpg)
My brother came out today to help me frame the floor in. I'm using 2x4 construction at 16" OC set on 4 16' 4x4's at 4 foot intervals.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/002.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/006.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/005.jpg)
Another helper of mine. This one doesn't know a hammer from a table saw but he never leaves my side!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/012.jpg)
Since it seems to be a Countryplans tradition this is my attempt at tap dancing on my new floor. Gonna use my floor to lay out the gambrel roof trusses next and then frame in the walls.
Nicely done... 12x16 will be a great size for tools and a future greenhouse. Hmm. Makes me think twice about the 12x10 shed (based on the little house plans) later this summer....
Looks like you are well stocked on tools so far!
Ah, the dance :) very nice!
Thanks Duncan.....
Since the floor is the exact dimensions that the roof trusses will be I used it to build a truss jig. The jig took me a couple hours to lay out. The high pitched portion of the roof turned out to be an 18 - 12 pitch and the low pitched portion is a 4 - 12 pitch. I have it all layed out and almost have the peices for all 9 trusses cut. I just have to cut the OSB scabs for each of the 3 corner braces and the construction can begin. Shouldn't have a problem finishing up with another day's work.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/roofjig4.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/roofjig5.jpg)
All done building the trusses. Framing the walls and setting up the "truss hoist" tomorrow. I'll be using T-111 siding and it should be showing up in 2 days. I think we are going with a natural stain for it with green trim and a hunter green metal roof. Hopefully the roof will be ready to pick up in 3 days. The weather has held out for us and we are on schedule so far!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/finishedtrusses3.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/FinishedTrusses2.jpg)
Got all 4 walls framed and raised today. The building will have 3 double doors 5 1/2 feet wide and 3 - 24 inch wide windows. Siding arrives tomorrow and I'm all ready for it!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/walls1.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/walls5.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/walls4.jpg)
Nice sturdy project. That gambrel roof should give you lots of interior room.
Thanks for the thumbs up John....that's a big thing coming from you. I went with the gambrel because i'm planning on putting 2 - 4 foot lofts on each end and I want to be able to get up there and move around. I may even put a door on one end to be able to gain access from the exterior. It's still a work in progress though so who knows.
Today I built a jig on the floor to mount a 16 foot 2x4 with a pulley vertical. I braced it to the wall studs. We are using it to hoist the trusses into place. We only were able to work a half day today so we only got half the trusses raised. The pulley system took a couple hours to figure out and build but i'm pretty happy with it because my wife and I were able to raise the trusses without too much of a problem. Below are some pics of the jig for those of you that might be interested in the idea.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/trusshoist9.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/trusshoist6.jpg)
The "track" on the floor blocks the 16 foot 2X4 at every stud 2' OC......trusses are also 2'OC
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/trusshoist10.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/trusshoist2.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/trusshoist7.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/trusshoist1.jpg)
Good stuff! (Nice photos too!)
Might just have to change my plans to include the gambrel trusses too! you make it look easy.
Thanks for the compliment Duncan.
The gambrel roof will definitely add a lot of space to the lofts. For the most part it was fairly easy but it was a little hairy balancing those trusses until we got the first couple nails driven. A lot of time was spent in "thought experiments" thinking about how to get them up there and that hoist is what I came up with. It's actually a very simple design though.
Thanks for showing the truss lifting system...simple but effective...really like the floor track. Lots of good craftmanship and ideas in this build, keep it coming!
That's a great idea you're using for lifting the trusses. I wonder if i can secure my extension ladder in similar fashion as a jig. Your project looks great. Thanks for sharing!
Doc
Doc,
Not sure what you mean about securing your ladder similar to the track. I'm assuming that you mean you'd fasten it to the floor in some fashion and use the rungs to support your upright? Knowing what I know now after I used this track system I'd definitely take a few minutes and construct it. You can make a track in the exact dimensions that you require very easily and not have to worry about your trusses being off when they are raised. Very effective! On a lighter note, I love your part of the world! I was raised in upstate NY in a small town between Rochester and Syracuse (Sodus Point). I'd be up there instead of TN if NYC didn't suck the life out of the rest of the state in the form of property taxes! Love Saranac lake!
OK today we got the rest of the trusses raised. We had a local Menonite come in and bush hog what used to be a pasture and now it is again! We have about 7 or 8 acres reclaimed again and he threw in tilling up a real nice garden site right next to the shed also! Life is good!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/skeleton4.jpg)
The skeleton is complete.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/skeleton5.jpg)
The garden site down the hill, then the pond. Gonna be a real serene site.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/skeleton2.jpg)
A picture of the property from a distance after the bush hogging. Just need to select cut some trees and let 'em grow.
Dave, I am a little spooked by your trusses... notching 2x4's really takes a lot of the strength out of them. Please be really careful when you get up on top of that.
-f-
Shooter,
I shared your concern. If you look at the gussets you'll notice that there is only two places in the roof that isn't re-inforced where there's a notch. The first is where you see the purlins installed currently which is an 18 -12 pitch. The 2x4 purlin will support much of the force where the notch is in that configuration. The second is on the high side where there's a low pitch of 4 - 12, more concerning. This notch is in an area with a span of only about 22 inches. It's a fairly low span in my eyes and with a snow load of only 10 PSF I think i'll be safe. Also, for the loft floors I'll be spanning 2x4's the width of the shed 4 feet on each end and tying them to the bottom of the rafters. I believe this will add stuctural strength as well. Another point is that i'll NEVER be on top of this roof. I plan on installing my metal roofing from the loft floor. With all that said, I will never notch a 2x4 that deep again....I'd only go as deep as 1X material in the future and never in a place that isn't reinforced.
My disclaimer is that i'm no stuctural engineer and that I may be TOTALLY wrong about the strength of my design. I appreciate comments to help improve anything in my build though. Should I be concerned with my notches being too deep for this building? If so are there any ideas out there to help with re-inforcment? This site continues to be a wealth of knowledge.....great stuff out there...Thanks!
Looks great. Being from Central NY I know what you mean and If i were to ever move it would prob be TN lol. The land is so similar in most ways.
I would think being that your filling those voids in the 2x4 you would be fine. Just make sure its reasonable tight. The weak spot is the hole when you fill it in ...no weak spot.
I should take a picture of the trusses that I built for my shed.... I did a similar design with no notches. I took my plans to an engineer who looked at them and told me that there was not way that they would meet the snow load requirements for my county here in NM near ABQ. I had no notches in mine... just decked it all with OSB.
I decided to declare my shed "portable" and temporary, which removed the requirement for me to have an inspection, which meant that I didn't have to have paperwork on my trusses. They have held up okay. But before I got on top of the thing to sheet it, I made sure that I had my loft decked so I would not have so far to fall!
Filling that notch is better than leaving it open, but even filled it is much weaker than leaving it un-notched. Wood has a great deal of compressive strength in parallel with the growth direction (such as pushing down on the length of a stud). The compressive strength in a direction perpendicular to the growth direction is much, much less. I think I read it is a factor of 10 or so.
Filling in those notches will help a little, but if the trusses are going to fail, that notch is where it will happen. Please be careful and consider decking the loft floor before getting up there.
Good luck!
Speedfunk,
where in central NY? I love the Fingerlakes region....Keuka is an awesome lake!
Shooter,
What's the snow load in Albuquerque? I'd like to see your trusses.
I definitely plan on sheathing my lofts before roofing the shed, in fact that's what I did today. I took it easy this weekend and put one 16' section of siding up and finished my lofts....as you can see in the pics below I have an 8' section in the middle of my building that is not lofted. I plan on building a "fake loft" between the 2 end lofts to be able to stand on while I do my roofing. while standing on the loft floor the peaks of my rafters are right about eye level so I should have no problem installing the roofing with my little 2 step stepstool.
The reason that I notched my rafters at all is because my steel roofing comes in 36" widths and I felt that using purlins would be the best way to be able to fasten each side with my 24" OC trusses.
Tomorrow I should be done with my siding and hopefully done with installing the rest of the purlins. I have a few things to take care of around the homestead while my wife is in Atlanta for the next couple days. I want to clear a nice spot out around the pond for a hammock and finish building a patio for the RV we are living in too....the work is never done here but i'm loving it!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/siding1.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/ledger.jpg)
I snapped a chalk line and nailed a 2x4 level to be able to set my siding on while I hung it....A lot easier to side by yourself this way!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/loft1.jpg)
Here's a shot of my finished lofts.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/loft2.jpg)
Another loft shot....notice I notched the ends for my lowest purlins to feed through.
QuoteWhat's the snow load in Albuquerque?
I live a little to the west of Shooter, up on a high mesa. Our local building department uses 20 psf or at least did 25 years ago. To the east and north of us it becomes a CS (case study) area.
is there any reason i couldnt use that type of gambrel truss for my 20x32 story and a half? upsized of course
Quote from: CjAl on April 15, 2012, 09:18:00 PM
is there any reason i couldnt use that type of gambrel truss ....
building code
CJ,
A 20' span is a huge difference from a 12' span. I'd suggest talking to a local truss builder for design specs for your local load conditions. Also my building is just a shed, if I were living in it i'd never use my limited experience to build trusses. Maybe some other members can give you some better info?? I'd be interested in a truss design for a 20 foot span though because i'll be building a barn soon. Share your findings please :)
NOTE: some messages are being split off into a separate topic.That may be found in the general Forum as Building Codes: TX (http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=12106.msg155606#msg155606) Part of this one moved, two following responses copied/moved.
.......... ............ ..............
......should I post the following informational link? ??? As an educational service I'll point to a NDSU website that provides conceptual information.
Main Page Here (http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans)
Click on the "Construction" page link and find plan 6410. I believe that is the newest version of the Gambrel Roof plans.
Sorry for the hijack and rant.
Don,
Hijack away! I learned a long time ago to learn from other's experience. It's kept me out of the trouble that they've encountered. That NDSU website has some GREAT info in it thank you!!
Today I worked between the raindrops and got all of my siding on with the exception of 3 sheets. I also framed the 3 windows that I got from a reclaimed builder's supply warehouse before I moved from DC. Brand new and not bad for 40 bucks a piece!
Tomorrow I'll finish the siding and cut out the doors.....roofing is next......hmmmmm interesting!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/windows2.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/windows1.jpg)
Tools are actually inside now.....still under tarps though.
I'm worried about the loft joists. They look like 2x4 @ 24" with a working span of 11'. On my table @ 24" spacing for a 2x6 joist (not 2x4) will span only 9' to 10' (@ 30 psf load). Think about sistering in another 2x4 if you can.
I also hadn't noticed the notches in the trusses. It complicates things. Can you reinforce those? Will you be sheathing the roof?
I planned on using the "lofts" as glorified shelves and not necessarily a space to walk on (except while hanging the roof). I'll sister in another 2X4 though if there may be a safety issue here.
I don't plan on sheathing the roof. I am running the purlins the length of the building in 12 different places to reinforce the roof. My dad and I did talk about re-inforcing the center notches on the top of the building by installing gussets on both sides of each truss.
Doubling the 2x4 will stiffen the lofts. You might see some sagging if they carry much load.
Also consider a good sturdy metal connector between the trusses and the top plates. I don't want to suggest what might work in your situation, but you can look at the listings here: http://www.strongtie.com/products/category_list.html (http://www.strongtie.com/products/category_list.html) You might find something in the DIY projects section.
Thanks for the advice John. I thought I might go with adding 2 2x4's to each loft and make them 12" OC in stead of 24" OC. Would this be better than doubling the 2X4s or is it the same thing? Or is doubling better?
Top plate connectors are a good idea, and pretty cheap also......good insurance thanks.
12" spacing for the loft joists would work better for the OSB span and while still under sized for a bedroom level load, it's probably fine for light storage use.
Worked between the raindrops again today but managed to get the rest of the siding on and cut the openings for all of the doors. I also followed Johns advice and added 2 more joists to each loft to make them 12" OC instead of 24".....huge difference in rigidity!!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/doorcutout2.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/doorcutout1.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/reinforcedloft.jpg)
12" OC loft joists
Dave enlighten me. Why did you comprimise your rafter by cutting 1-1/2" X 3-1/2" notch for the purlins. Not too much a problem on the side roof but the top section it looks like it would weaken it considerably.
Redover,
The answer to your question in short is that I really wasn't thinking about the depth until it was already cut. In the future if I were to notch rafters i'd oversize them and use 1X material instead of 2X or just not notch them at all and allow a space between the rafter and the roofing. I'm planning on reinforcing the top notches in the same fashion that I did the corners, which should stiffen them up considerably.
Quote from: NavyDave on April 17, 2012, 05:08:10 PM
Redover,
The answer to your question in short is that I really wasn't thinking about the depth until it was already cut. In the future if I were to notch rafters i'd oversize them and use 1X material instead of 2X or just not notch them at all and allow a space between the rafter and the roofing. I'm planning on reinforcing the top notches in the same fashion that I did the corners, which should stiffen them up considerably.
I am not sure (might have been mentioned) whether you are going to use metal roofing or shingles. For metal top mounted purlins would be OK but shingles not so much. An alternative would be to split the difference 1/2 dado for the rafter and 1/2 for the purlins. But you could probably accomplish the same stiffeners by attaching them on the attic side w/o a dado.
Even with the notches it should not be an issue in TN as your snow load would probably not be that great. I was just curious. Thanks for the reply. Keep on hammering. ;D
Red,
I'm going with a metal roof. I've heard that if you screw into OSB sheathing and overtorque it even just a little that the screws tend to back out over time. My metal roofing material is 36 inches wide so I wouldn't be able to screw the ends into a solid piece of wood on every sheet with a 24" OC roof. That's why I went with the purlins.
Today I took a couple hours and built a "temporary catwalk" to be able to work on the roof while standing in the loft. It's perfect height for me, I can actually set my chin on the peak of the roof while standing on it. Tomorrow hopefully I can get all of my purlins in and I'm actually gonna invest some time to make some reinforcments for the top notches. Those trusses are pretty strong, I actually hung on one of the peaks today and it held my 170 lbs without any flex at all. I'll definitely sleep better though with some reinforcments installed especially if we get a freak snowfall on the east coast like we did in 2009.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/catwalk5.jpg)
Catwalk is made of 4 16' 2X4s at 12" OC and 2 pieces of 7/16" structural OSB. It is reinforced in 3 places with 3 moveable posts.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/catwalk3.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/catwalk2.jpg)
Dave, I've been mulling this notched rafter thing over in my head for a time, and I have come up with some comments. Please accept this constructively and as an explanation / lesson to future builders reading this today or "tomorrow".
I do not think even notching a rafter for a 1x, top or bottom, is a good idea at any time. If we look at the cross section of an "on edge" length of 1x, 2x, or whatever x, the strongest portion of that member is the upper edge and the lower edge. The middle is not imparting as much strength as the upper and lower edges. Think of an I-joist; a thin plate with a thicker flange top and bottom. Similar to a metal I-beam, the web (the thin part in the middle), simply holds the flanges apart and in place. An engineer would likely have a more concise explanation.
By cutting those notches the rafter is basically reduced to little more than a 2x2. The purlins inserted across the rafters in the notches don't come close to re-strengthing that section of rafter. The grain of the purlin runs across the notch; wood compresses across the grain much more readily than against the end grain. That is why properly sized floor joists include the minimum bearing area where they rest of a support. Even if the purlin is a very tight fit there will likely be some unwanted movement because of the compression. If/when that happens the purlin will not spring back.
It would probably be safest to double up a rafter2x along side every notch and sheath the roof with OSB. Then apply the weather resistant barrier ("tar" paper) and the metal roofing. As for the screws into OSB issue mentioned my belief that has some possible truth behind it, but we have two metal roofs over OSB here in NM. I have been over them with the proverbial fine tooth comb this spring. No loose screws anywhere. The screws were tightened just enough to flatten the neoprene under the washer "just so". I don't anticipate any problems now after 5 full seasons of exposure on the oldest roof.
EDIT: "...aimed at everyone out there... I meant to mention that OSB sheathing over the rafters, any rafters on any roof for that matter, builds a strong roof diaphragm that is able to better withstand forces of wind. I believe that many builders who use this metal over purlin technique do so because it saves money. With that in mind I also believe that those same builders them, more often than not use light gauge big box off-the-shelf metal panels that are NOT structurally rated. meaning that under strong wind load they may deform which is not good.
I also try to "look down the road" for "what if's". Who knows what events may transpire between now and sometime later. Who knows when someone hires a 250 pound roofer to make some repair or alteration on that roof and they don't look inside and up before climbing a ladder to the roof?
NOTE: some messages have been split off into a separate topic.That may be found in the general Forum as Building Codes: TX (http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=12106.msg155606#msg155606) Part of this one moved, two following responses copied/moved.
Don,
I appreciate the time it took to explain the "engineering" behind how the grain of wood compresses and the I-beam comparison really was a good example to illustrate the point. It was definitely taken constructively and it was helpfull in making my decision on how to move forward with my project. Thanks.
I figure at this point there are two options:
1. Pull down my rafters and reconstruct them without notches with my initial intention of sheathing the roof and living with the occasional loosening screw in 8 to 10 years. OR
2. Accept the fact that I've weakened the trusses and try to re-inforce them in a manner that will restore them to as close as possible to original strength and move forward using the structural sheathing and 30# tar paper that I already have.
I've decided against reconstructing the rafters for the simple facts that: This is not a dwelling but a garden shed AND the snow load where I live is rated at only 10 PSF.
A lesson to anyone who's willing to learn from my mistake:
A funny thing about this situation is that I originally ordered the material for a sheathed roof without purlins. It wasn't until I read/heard of the overtorqued screws backing out of OSB material that I dreamed up a way (in the form of purlins and notches) to prevent this from happening. I plan on making this property a final homestead and want to construct buildings that will withstand the test of time so I assumed with a bit of constructive engineering that I'd be able to keep from having a weaker roof over time. I do believe that with these purlins i've solved the problem of the loosening screws but have compromised some strength of the actual structure as as a cost. An additional cost to include the actual time of notching rafters, constructing purlins and reworking the mistake was approximately 3 days. This time would have been compounded if the structure were a dwelling because I would have opted to rework the rafters from scratch. I'm not at all convinced that this building will fall down because of my mistake but it isn't as strong as it could have been if I hadn't wasted a couple days "fixing" backing out screws.
I've put the shed kind of on hold for the last two days. My father flew in and we have been "wasting time" We did get some reinforcments cut and have the purlins started but have mostly been gardening and uuuuuumm fishing in the pond :) What can I say the bass have been teasing me! We'll be mixing concrete for my Victoria Cottage piers tomorrow and working on the shed roof while the concrete sets up.
Even with the occasional dumb mistake life can still be good :)
I was debating reworking the roof of our shed when we moved it. I just toenailed the roof back on with 4 nails and was going to make a decision that week. It went about 75 yards and was going for a record when a pine tree jumped in the way. I still intend to redo that roof when I get round tuit. We're always learning d*
OK we are back to work on the shed. We got in all of the purlins and the reinforcments for the top pitch of the roof. We are supposed to get quite a bit of rain in the next 3 days so we will probably only have a chance to get the side reinforcments in and put in the top plate connectors....possibly will frame the gambrel ends too but that depends on the weather. Sheathing is next then we'll tackle the metal!
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/purlins2.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/purlins1.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/tarp1.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/tarp2.jpg)
That 16X20 tarp looks like it was made for this building!
It looks to me like you have fixed the problem with the notched roof trusses in a very satisfactory way. It should hold up very well.
Bob,
The roof is definitley solid. I contribute most of the rigidity to the new OSB sheathing but the notch reinforcments make me feel better also.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/tarpaper1.jpg)
Sheathing and tar paper on, should be seeing green metal up there real soon!
Here's the metal! It's Hunter Green. We are probably gonna build the doors next so I can lock 'er up.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/roof1.jpg)
Got the first door built today.....took WAY longer than I wanted but I got it swinging nicely. Played around with the window trim too.....I wasn't trying to achieve an oriental look but that's kinda what it reminds me of.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/trim1.jpg)
Are you planning to put a door in the gable end for storage access?
Yep, gonna put doors in both ends. I think it will be nice when it gets hot to just pin those doors open in the gambrels and let them vent out the heat. Still contemplating on what to do in the gambrel ends though. Not sure if i'm gonna side it with the t-111 or get a little artsy and sheath it with OSB and tar paper and rip the T-111 to make shakes. I think a shake end would look real good and be unique for the area but this project has taken twice as long as it should've already. I have a house to build too! I'll probably take the longer harder route.....I like to do that usually d*
I have learned that making and fitting doors usually turns out to be much more of a chore than expected, but those turned out fantastic. Keep up the good work, I've been enjoying your build.
I've learned the same thing! They were definitely trying....luckily my dad was here to help me hang them. He's a perfectionist so I'll attribute the great look to him.
Thanks Brandon for the positive words!
Nice looking shed. Coming along nicely.
Looking awesome!
Now that I have a roof on I figured it was time for me to stop looking for my tools and actually get organized! Which is what I've spent the past 2 days doing. Along with the workbench on the 16 foot side of the shed and a few shelves and some well placed nails to hang and store everything else I feel much more organized than I have been. Nothing gets more frustrating than to stop a job to look through boxes and buckets for a much needed tool only to remember that it's in another box or bucket in your storage facility 22 miles away!
Anyway 32 days after I started this easy 10 day project I have probably another week to go! OK OK I haven't been working non-stop on the shed. I've also been chainsawing, pulling and burning brush, fishing and taking an occasional spin on the motorcycle.
I want to tackle my stairs/lawnmower ramp next. I'm a little perplexed with how to go about it though. I'd like to be able to ride my lawnmower up the ramp but still be able to walk up stairs too. I thought about having a set of 18 inch wide stairs and building ramps on both sides to accomodate the lawnmower tires but then I'd have, in my opinion, a very narrow set of stairs. I also thought of building wide stairs and having a removable ramp that form fits above the stairs when I need to use it. Has anybody tackled this dilemma in the past? Another issue I'm having is the 6 inch piece of trim on the bottom of the doors (see picture above) i'll have to trim it anyway I see it to be able to use the ramp effectively.....wouldn't look great trimmed I don't think.....any ideas that I could stew over would be appreciated.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/workbench1.jpg)
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/shelves1.jpg)
Dave I would ask you to come clean my shop up but it would take you 32 days just to figure out where to put everything. ;)
I thought you said that you were going to put doors in both ends. I was unsure whether you meant in the loft area or main floor. Then I went back and looked at your post pictures and it looks like on the main floor. What would be wrong with the ramp on one end and the stairs on the other?
Red,
I'd be happy to give you 32 days of labor in return for 32 of your days when I start my build :) from the look of your place I'd be the winner if we made that deal!
As far as the doors in the loft, I am planning on incorporating a 30X30 door in each loft as well as the 2 on the bottom.
For the ramps, I'd like one on each end because I want to be able to put the lawnmower in one end and be able to get my 2 motorcycles in and out without having to move it. Yes this will be a garden shed/garage/wood working shop for a short while.
Quote from: NavyDave on May 08, 2012, 07:22:54 PM
Red,
I'd be happy to give you 32 days of labor in return for 32 of your days when I start my build :) from the look of your place I'd be the winner if we made that deal!
As far as the doors in the loft, I am planning on incorporating a 30X30 door in each loft as well as the 2 on the bottom.
For the ramps, I'd like one on each end because I want to be able to put the lawnmower in one end and be able to get my 2 motorcycles in and out without having to move it. Yes this will be a garden shed/garage/wood working shop for a short while.
The motorcycles would not be a problem with a narrow ramp but the mower does pose a problem. You could do half ramp and half steps and then double the ramp thickness to incorporate a hinge system that you could flip it out to give you a full ramp when needed. Sort of like a piano hinge set up but stronger. The flipped out portion could gain it's support resting on the steps outward edge.
Wide ramp at each end and stairs in the side?
Or, why stairs at all? Make nice ramps and place strips of the self stick gritty stuff (like coarse sandpaper) where you would walk. ???
I've thought of doing long ramps but like the idea of having solid footing. Perhaps a long ramp on one end though with a ramp/stair combination on the other. the side steps will eventually access a greenhouse and wouldn't be the most convenient way to access the shed so i'm kinda not considering that an entrance. I do think Redoverfarm's idea of the hinged ramp is interesting.......will probably lay in bed all night thinking instead of sleeping!
Quote from: NavyDave on May 08, 2012, 08:49:04 PM
I've thought of doing long ramps but like the idea of having solid footing. Perhaps a long ramp on one end though with a ramp/stair combination on the other. the side steps will eventually access a greenhouse and wouldn't be the most convenient way to access the shed so i'm kinda not considering that an entrance. I do think Redoverfarm's idea of the hinged ramp is interesting.......will probably lay in bed all night thinking instead of sleeping!
Dave in essence you would have 3' wide steps when not using 1/2 of the ramp(still allow motorcycle travel). When opened up you would have a 6' wide ramp (Lawn mower size). Using 2X material you shouldn't have to do any bracing to the temporary side just let it fall upon the steps. Door hinges would probably work. If your doors work independently you would only have to open the side for the steps when machinery is not needed to be moved. I think it would work.
OK so I decided to build a ramp on the end of the shed that would rarely be accessed from the house, a set of stairs on the side that will access the future greenhouse and a ramp/stair combination on the end closest to the house. My plan was to build the "ramp only" and the stairs first while thinking the best way to design a combo ramp/stair. I was originally going to try to incorporate Redoverfarm's hinged ramp idea but.......
While I was building the ramp on the far end of the shed I had to bevel the bottom of my 2x6's to allow them to be level to the ground. Anyway when I beveled the ramp braces I looked at the "waste" and what remained were 15 degree wedges that when turned over and layed on the ramp looked just like a single stair stringer......my removable stairs were invented! See below.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/stairs4.jpg)
removable stairs
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/ramp1.jpg)
The ramp under the removable stairs.
(https://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z477/navydave4/stairramp3.jpg)
center stairs will eventually access a future greenhouse.
Glad you got it figured out. ;D
Very creative solution....