Shovel

4 pound Lump or Club hammer

Shuttering

2 x 2 by 18 inch stakes

5mm reinforcing mesh

DPC membrane

Sharp Sand

Hardcore

Concrete

Float Trowel

 

As a general guide: one cubic metre of concrete will make 9 square metres 4 inches thick, or 6 square meters 6 inches thick. One ton of sand is approximately 2/5ths of a cubic yard and will cover about 7-12 square metres of hardcore (because you lose about half to a third between the cracks).

 

Bonds do not supply the base for your building.

 

Prepare your base at least 2 weeks before you start errecting your building to give the concrete time to cure, or it will crack when you try drilling it for the masonary bolts, or if you put weight on it.

 

We strongly recommend that you construct a concrete base sufficiently strong to do the job required of it. In most cases this will be four inches thick, contain reinforcing wire mesh and be constructed slightly larger than the garage or shed building. We would recommend it protrudes six inches out around the base of the building if possible. For larger buildings, where the base could be asked to support loads greater than a standard family car, we would recommend the concrete is at least six inches thick.

 

If you are building your own base, then you should remove all topsoil from the area where your garages is to be errected.

 

Excavate the soil down to good firm ground or 12 inches depth keeping the surface level and reasonably smooth. The sides of your excavation will usually suffice as your shuttering to retain the concrete when poured.

 

If you are building straight on to already firm hard ground, you will need to errect a shutter around where your base is to stand to hold in the concrete. Your shutter should be of good strong material and preferably finish level with your base surface when finished. 18mm shuttering ply, or purpose made steel shutters will be fine. Check all your levels with a good spirit level, or laser level.

 

For large areas it is recommended that you pour the base in sections (bays) about two meters wide on different days, so you can put an expansion joint between the bays to avoid cracking as the concrete cures. The shutter should be retained with some good stout pegs spaced about two feet apart. Steel pegs are best, 2x2 timber pegs about 18 inches long will also do the job. Make sure the pegs are driven deep enough into the ground. There is nothing worse than having your shutter collapse just as you are pouring your concrete.

 

Place approximately 6 inches of good quality hardcore (brocken brick rubble or 2-4 inch stones). Vibrate this level with a wacker plate (you can hire one from any good tool hire shop).

 

Cover the hardcore with a 2 inch layer of sharp sand.

 

If you require your building to be dry, (recommended) you will need to cover the sand with a damp proof membrane (Blue Plastic Sheet from any builders merchants).

 

If you require your building to be insulated, cover the damp proof membrane with polystyrene sheet, this comes in varying thicknesses between 1 inch and 6 inches. For a garage or shed it normally isn't needed, but if you use it the two inch will usually suffice for most purposes. If you intend using your building as a worshop we would recommend you insulate the base.

 

You can mix your own concrete if you like, though there is little point unless you like to work up a sweat, or you're a fitness fanatic. It usually isn't much cheaper to mix your own, than it would be to buy ready mixed concrete from you local supplier, which will be accurately mixed for the job and it will save you a lot of hard work if they deliver it.

 

If you mix your own, be sure to make the mix 1 part cement to 3 parts 3/4 inch concrete ballast. The ballast will come ready mixed in the right proportions of sand and stones. Also, be sure to mix in some water proofing agent, and if its winter, some anti freeze. Both can be purchased from your builders merchants, and will have mixing instructions on the cans.

 

Pour the concrete to to a depth of about one inch then place your reinforcing mesh on this. Once the mesh is in place (it doesn't matter if it overlaps, in fact it helps if it does) finish pouring your concrete up to the desired level for the base. This will usually be the top of your shuttering, or ground level. Smooth the concrete off with a float trowel.

 

If it is a hot sunny day, allow the concrete to cure for about three hours, then cover it with some old sacking. This will help reduce surface cracks from hot sunlight. If it looks like it will rain before the concrete is properly cured you should cover it with something to help shed the water off the surface.

 

Now go and have a cup of tea, you've probably earned it.

 

The Building:

 

The building will arrive in several different pieces. These will include the main structural steel beams or trusses, the wall and roof sheets, the door etc. You will also receive all the nuts bolts and washers you need to fix it together, plus the concrete fixing bolts required to fix the building down on the concrete base. There will also be instructions to guide you through the assembly. It will help to have at least one person to help you and a simple scaffold tower to help for fitting the roof parts.

 

You will need:

 

Spanners

Screwdriver

Masonary Drill

Hammer

Scaffold Tower or working platform.

 

At this stage, the detail gets specific for each building, hence the instructions that come with them. In general terms, it will help you to lay out a wall on the ground with all its componant parts, but nothing actually fixed together. This will allow you to see the general assembly, and check measurements of posts, panels etc. Don't just steam in building until you are very familier with all the pieces and you know what they are. There is nothing worse than being half way through errecting your building then to suddenly realise you have used the roof panels or trusses for the walls, and now nothing else fits. Lay it out on the ground and see how it goes together before you fix anything in a permanent position.

 

Follow the instructions closely. Be sure to have all the walls up before you start on the roof and make sure you double check everything you intend fixing, before you fix it. The trick to putting up a steel building quickly is patience and taking your time. LESS HASTE = MORE SPEED. Once you get going, you will be amazed how easy it is.

www.bondsgaragesandsheds.co.uk

Affiliated Sites: www.thechandeliercompany.co.uk www.bondsplastermouldings.co.uk www.bondsteelbuildings.co.uk www.thehouseofsilk.co.uk www.bondsclocks.co.uk