Plywood Shed Help!!

Discussion in 'Landscaping and Outdoors' started by OSBAli, Sep 11, 2017.

  1. OSBAli

    OSBAli New Member

    Hi everyone,
    I'm a newbie here, so please forgive me for any shortcomings. Also not a tradesmen but just one of lifes' great tryers!
    Desperate need of some help with a "man cave / gym" I am building. Doing this all pretty much myself with the help of a general labourer so appreciate some of the design decisions I have made are not the best but the ultimate driver is my budget.
    So basically I have built a 6x4 structure 3m high using 100mmx100mm fence posts (these are actually sitting in concrete in shoe in posts which are buried in concrete sunk into the ground) #
    The base is on concrete and raised off the garden floor. . All that is fine, the structure and roof is up, felt roof has gone on to provide some working shelter and I am at the point that I need to install some sort of siding. Looking at Shiplap/TNG it just throws my budget out no matter how aesthetically pleasing it makes the structure.
    So I am going with WBP plywood sheets to board up the sides to give it that "squatters den" look. I plan to possibly cover with bamboo or something to make it look better however that's the plan and doing this saves me about 500/600 quid.
    My desperate question is, being a newbie to this - what is the best way to seal adjoining boards. I haven't decided on horizontal or vertical but suppose doesn't matter so much as I am trying to cover the most area with as much board as possible. My main concern is around joining 2 of the boards. What is the best method - behind the boards I will have battons to attach to, and on the other side the inside of the shed will have OSB walls.
    So really the long winded question was, how to join up the boards to avoid water penetration?
    Would it be weather strip or Caulk/Silicone up the gaps?
    Part 2 of the question would be what stain/weatherproofing do you chaps recommend for applying to the boards? Seems like so many out there, and I was literally going to pick one of the trade rated/ronseal ones to do the job.
    I would desperately love some help and thoughts from you guys out there who have done similar projects.
    Happy to upload pics if needed. Many thanks
     
  2. diy_nixy

    diy_nixy Active Member

    I reckon silicone would do it. My window fitters used silicone around the PVC windows against the brickwork. I can't see why it wouldn't stick to wood. I guess scrape off quickly before its hard to remove.

    Water proof wood glue may work as well but may not fill the gap enough. You could use PU glue. E.g. Lumberjack 60min glue or Gorilla glue. This expands to fill the gap, just scrape off after its set. (A bit messy though, sticks to your hands and hard to remove)
     
  3. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    Everbuild 825 silicone may work...as for weather proofing I've been using Ronseal Shed & Fence preserver, seems pretty good. Not convinced ply will last too long so needs to be well protected.
     
  4. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    Plus you'd be wise to treat all wood with a good preservative beforehand, something like Lumberjack Triple Action Wood Treatment (or if that's not suitable for overcoating, their clear wood preserver)
     
  5. WillyEckerslike

    WillyEckerslike Screwfix Select

    If you use silicone any overspill on the surface of the ply will stop your stain/treatment from being absorbed and give an uneven/patchy finish. You could stain your sheets first before they're fixed but after they've been cut to size to offset this. I assume you're planning to arrange for the joins to land on a stud or noggin so a pu glue would work well in this instance - moisten the surfaces first. The joints should be vertical to shed (no pun intended) as much water as possible and you could create a sort of 'planked' finish by simply fixing lengths of 19x38mm tile batten at regular intervals - which could also be arranged to conceal your joints in which case use silicone to your hearts content. I was thinking something like this -
    [​IMG]
    Good luck with it.
    Willy
     
  6. DIYDave.

    DIYDave. Screwfix Select


    If your finding the glue messy and sticking to ur hands when scraping off overspill, then it's not fully set mate

    Leave overnight if you can, then clean off overspill with a chisel, craft knife, etc and the foam is totally bone dry and no mess
     
  7. OSBAli

    OSBAli New Member

    Thank you gents - you guys are legends. Exactly the info I was after. Sounds like Silicone is the way to go, however need to re-read the posts above to ensure I haven't missed anything.
    @WillyEckerslike - yes my thinking was that the joins would land on studs. Here is what my thinking was - the sheets would land on studs on the back side (inside of shed), and in order to cover the joins on the outside of the ply I would run a batten - prob the same offcut ply I would be left over to conceal that join ... ah yes sorry I just realised you typed and posted a pic of that exact thing. Thanks ever so much, that really helps.
     
  8. OSBAli

    OSBAli New Member

    Also, I ask this with great trepidation; but how well do you think the WBP Ply would stand up to the elements?
    As above, plan is to stain/waterproof/seal to the best possible standard - however is this almost a false economy as it will require constant upkeep over the years (re-staining/sealing etc.) at further cost. The original intention being to use ply over weatherboard/shiplap to save on the £££££££.
    Thanks again gents, really appreciate the input.
     
  9. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    Not very well.
     
  10. OSBAli

    OSBAli New Member

    Ha! Guess I need to rethink this and maybe lay out some £££ now to save headache down the line. I did trawl through the WWW and forums and there were some sources that said it was a viable option. Fair point it wasn't a majority opinion guess I was looking at it with blinkered eyes. Thanks Dr. Let me see what the differential is.
     
  11. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    If you slap a load of preservative on it and then coat with a suitable paint/varnish/protective layer (e.g. Sikkens) it may well last a while. But I can't help thinking it will delaminate especially towards the bottom and edges which will be the wettest and be hard to totally seal or protect.
     
    Deleted member 33931 likes this.
  12. I think I'd be tempted to use something other than silicone as it's tricky to paint over sili as said above.

    Loath tho' I am to mention this product again, but I'd use STIXALL :)

    Very sticky, and sets very tough and rubbery - I can't see it failing at all.

    If you are going to cover the walls with bamboo or other decorative finish (nice idea) then I'd forget aesthetics for the actual ply and go for the most weatherproof finish I could find - that'll probably be a bitumen-based roofing paint! Yes it'll look hellish, but you are going to cover it anyway? Or perhaps it can even be over-painted, tho' you'd need to do your research about what will stick to bitu.

    Once covered with bamboo (I'm guessing you mean these rolls you get for gardens?), that will provide a significant extra layer of protection from the sun and direct rain.

    I'd have thought that WPB ply would stand up pretty well to most conditions, especially if the more vulnerable edges are sealed and then beaded over.
     
  13. Good point about the bottoms - the remaining vulnerable part.

    Worth fitting a 'skirting' of treated timber all around the bottom perimeter - sealed against the ply and sitting an inch further down below its bottom edge so all rain runs off it and doesn't get to the ply edge.
     
  14. OSBAli

    OSBAli New Member

    Thanks DA,
    Ill check out that product. I hate that stuff (Bitu) ... did the roof on the weekend and was a messy job, but can see its value. Like you say, will look all sorts of hellish with it on even if there is bamboo over it. If we were to paint over, we start heading into that cost territory again and all these bits and bobs start adding up.
    Yes - It was the bamboo style roll I was thinking and that was my thought too that you would have additional protection - albeit not great.
    in the same vein what about some sort of weather/DPF type paper? and then bamboo over that? Suppose again cost, and how that would actually look as a finished product.
    Thanks!
     
  15. OSBAli

    OSBAli New Member

    Yes this had crossed my mind, some sort of weatherstrip. The ones I had seen online were more of a rubber membrane more like a draught excluder type and I did think it would be enough to repel water away from the bottom edge so your comment about an additional ply perimeter makes sense to create an increased run off.
     
  16. Ah! Good thinking - something like Tyvek (roofing 'felt') should provide a very useful level of protection, tho' it in turn would need protecting from the sun.

    But Tyvek or similar and then bamboo roll should work well.

    I've yet to mention my own second fav product - masonry paint :D. This will stick to pretty mcuh anything - definitely to timber - and will give good rain protection. And obviously you can use any colour you like (tho' light colours might show 'bleed' from knots etc over time).
     
  17. OSBAli

    OSBAli New Member

    That's a good call - just had a look on the membrane and might be the way to go. That I "may" not have to go all out on the PLY with numerous coats of stain/weatherproofing as this would sit over it. Also if possible, I may be able to "fold" underneath the bottom edge of the PLY to stop the issue of water penetration/warping we talked about.
    Awesome stuff. more questions than answers but would rather do it right now than come back to it later.
    Good call on the masonry paint as well. I swear I heard you banging on about the same stuff in another forum DA as well :)
    Cheers fellas.
     
  18. BMC2000

    BMC2000 Screwfix Select

  19. OSBAli

    OSBAli New Member

    Thanks BMC, when I read I thought that would look terrible. But it don't look half bad on roofs. Kicking myself as I maybe should have done this instead of a felt roof as its looks quite smart. I will cost it up and see how much it comes out too, I am just trying to picture in my head how that would look on the walls all black. Might get away with it ... Thanks really appreciate it!
     
  20. Using these sheets would certainly solve the weatherproofing issue!

    On the wall, tho', it'll look very industrial regardless, I think, of what colour you choose or may paint it afterwards.

    Steel cladding sheets can be very reasonably priced, and you can get square/box profile if you think it would look better - but it'll still be 'industrial'.

    Of course, whatever you put there can be disguised with your planned ideas like bamboo, so if steel or polymer sheeting works out cheaper than ply, then it's likely to be a good call.
     

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