Motorcycle Shed/Workshop

MikeMc1990

New Member
Hi all.
Sorry for what will be a big post and if this is in the wrong thread please move it to the more appropriate.

I asked a builder to sort me a shed that could fit my motocycle in and do basic maintenance work on it, in the shed. He took the mick out of me on several occasions and I ended up telling him not to return and leave it how it is.

He made me a 12x8 shed. Framing he used 4x2. Then the back and side walls he used 18mm plywood.(which is fine as its strong) Some reason he boarded the front up using 9mm ply.
He added waterproof membrane between each framing and ply which I think is good.
Standard roof felt, which had leaks. Then he added a metal door. Which also let lots of water through.
Since then, I added another sheet of 9mm of ply to the front to match the 18mm sides and rear. I took the metal door off and made a ply one using 18mm ply to match.
Added insulation apart from one side and roof till I order more.
Had electrics put in professionally.
I added a temporary floor using timber battans and some old mdf that I had laying around and then heavy duty rubber matting. Saves me sitting on cold concrete.
Changed the roof felt adding waterproof breathable membrane underneath it too.

Ok so my questions are...

1. I lifted my floor up to put ground anchors in and noticed damp on the concrete and the mdf flooring. How can I prevent this?

2. Best way to go about making a better floor and what materials to use and keep it the same level as the framing?

3. Once I have fully insulated the walls and roof. I understand I'll need some sort of ventilation. What to use and where?

I have added pics of the build progress so you can see what I mean better.
I havnt got a pic of the door I made but I need someone to do that for me when I find someone.

The concrete base he made as you can see on the pics is sort of under ground, is this why I'm getting damp?

My future plans once all the above is corrected is to insulate the rest and board up with ply. Hang shelves and add a small work bench. A roller tool box, freezer and dryer will be added(missus idea) and a air compressor. In one of the pics there is two bikes. However that's temporary and its will be mainly one bike.

If anyone is local to Liverpool, Widnes and Warrington area please get in touch and I would love to get someone who knows what they're doing to do it.

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The ply should have gone on first, then the breathable membrane, then battens, then some form of cladding. It looks like he’s just used cheap shuttering ply rather than a decent water resistant one, though if the structure is properly waterproofed shouldn’t matter too much.

MDF is no good for a floor, will reduce to mush with moisture and sags awful anyway. You’ll need to undo the fixings securing the shed to the slab and lift it up off the slab to clear the damp, personally I’d have it sitting on a course of engineering brick, do one corner at a time, then support along the length before doing the same to the other sides. Once the course of bricks is laid all around, unfold a DPM over the top of the slab and tuck it under the timber frame and pull it through to the outside.

You can lay treated 2x2 on the slab and OSB or ply over the top, bear in mind the higher you go, the more step into the shed you will have, leave the timbers loose and just screw the sheet material to the bearers.

The best vent in a shed is a window with a separate small top opening casement, as it’s only a shed, but as you’ve got a tumble drier in there, I’d ask your electrician to fit an extractor fan hooked up to the light that overruns on a timer. However I know nothing about electrics so don’t take that as gospel, it’s just an idea.
 
Sorry for the long reply but thanks for your feedback.

I have since ripped up the flooring and just kept it as the concrete floor for now. Still using the rubber matting ontop.
I have also dug out around the shed so the soil isn't touching where the timber meets the concrete base as I think that's where I was getting damp through and possibly water going through.
I plan on digging further down around the shed to add some sort of gravel with sleepers going around. To make it look decent and also to stop the soil going back to where the timber sits on the concrete floor in the bad weather.

I will then add the flooring inside out of timber once Im certain no more water or damp is coming through.

The ventilation I have asked about and hopefully someone is going to come sort it for me as I dont want a window on my shed.

As for lifting the shed up and adding bricks under. Is going to be impossible for me. I think digging around the shed may have solved my issue but I will see. Then maybe pay someone to do the bricks for me like u suggested if it's still causing me an issue.
 
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