Our Decking Project - For those that are interested.....
28-06-2010, 07:33 PM
#1
Our Decking Project - For those that are interested.....
Take one WW2 air-raid shelter. It's obviously re-inforced concrete. We've spent the last 6 years trying to decide whether or not to keep it and finally decided to knock it in. So, out I went with my sledge-hammer and gave it a full swing.
"Ching"
....as the hammer bounced off, without so much as a crack. Ah yes, it's bomb proof.
The garden is a little too nice now for us to want a JCB in there, would that bring the thing down anyway? Possibly not. So, what to do. We kinda wanted to keep it for nostalgia reasons, but it's ugly. See........
So, there the plan was conceived to 'disguise' it. It came out of the blue, we hadn't planned to take on a large project this year and this one was much larger than we anticipated.
First we cut the turf out of the area and marked out 4 corners, which were squared up using traditional methods. These would be the basis for the whole thing. This is all new to me, so go easy!! I'm a salesman by trade.
The posts are 100mmx100mm treated timber. The main bearers are 150x47mm. Pretty much everything else is 125x47mm. All good quality timber (from Ridgeons). The four corners are coach-bolted, everything else was using large screws. LOTS of them.
.....and a step was added, just to make it apear a little more interesting.
The whole area was de-weeded, before lanscape blanket was laid to cover it all, along with gravel. The edges of the grass were dressed with garden edging, the same as we've used all over the garden. Posts were added for the railings, which are Wickes kits, they are actually really nice.
More follows.
"Ching"
....as the hammer bounced off, without so much as a crack. Ah yes, it's bomb proof.
The garden is a little too nice now for us to want a JCB in there, would that bring the thing down anyway? Possibly not. So, what to do. We kinda wanted to keep it for nostalgia reasons, but it's ugly. See........
So, there the plan was conceived to 'disguise' it. It came out of the blue, we hadn't planned to take on a large project this year and this one was much larger than we anticipated.
First we cut the turf out of the area and marked out 4 corners, which were squared up using traditional methods. These would be the basis for the whole thing. This is all new to me, so go easy!! I'm a salesman by trade.
The posts are 100mmx100mm treated timber. The main bearers are 150x47mm. Pretty much everything else is 125x47mm. All good quality timber (from Ridgeons). The four corners are coach-bolted, everything else was using large screws. LOTS of them.
.....and a step was added, just to make it apear a little more interesting.
The whole area was de-weeded, before lanscape blanket was laid to cover it all, along with gravel. The edges of the grass were dressed with garden edging, the same as we've used all over the garden. Posts were added for the railings, which are Wickes kits, they are actually really nice.
More follows.
28-06-2010, 07:39 PM
#3
The main joists were at 1200mm centres, with intermediate joists at 600mm centres. The posts were all set at 600mm depth, even the very short ones. Most have alot more in the ground that out of it!
I kinda missed a chunk out with the camera here!! But here it is all boarded and clad......
.....and all trimmed on the edges too......
This will become a storage cupboard once we get around to finishing it. It will be clad out using the same boards as the exterior of it, which you'll notice are different to the main deck boards. It will have double locking doors and most probably house the lawn mower etc. It will have a ramp upto it.
So, what do you think then? One air-raid shelter, gone.
I kinda missed a chunk out with the camera here!! But here it is all boarded and clad......
.....and all trimmed on the edges too......
This will become a storage cupboard once we get around to finishing it. It will be clad out using the same boards as the exterior of it, which you'll notice are different to the main deck boards. It will have double locking doors and most probably house the lawn mower etc. It will have a ramp upto it.
So, what do you think then? One air-raid shelter, gone.
28-06-2010, 07:41 PM
#5
LOL @ Tommy Walsh. Beccy does have better tits than Charlie Dimmock I might add.
28-06-2010, 08:02 PM
#18
In your dreams cuntflaps.
They have drainage too. Each one runs towards a corner and has a path for the water to drain off onto the ground behind the clad. The front on sits on the concrete of the original shelter, where the rear one is suspended. I'm not entirely happy with the strength of it, being stupidly paranoid, so will add a couple of lengths of steel to be sure.
28-06-2010, 08:06 PM
#20
Professional Waffler
Think i might have left it as it was, its pretty cool, not something you'd expect to see in your average garden
I understand some people thinking it looks unsightly though
I understand some people thinking it looks unsightly though
28-06-2010, 08:25 PM
#24
10K+ Poster!!
A lovely job you two have made of that, flowers boxes are a nice touch too
I'm envious about the air raid shelter though, i've no use for it obviously but it'd be one of those quirky things to have in the garden. My mates grandparents have an anderson shelter in their garden, but we were never allowed down there as kids, now theyve filled it in
I'm envious about the air raid shelter though, i've no use for it obviously but it'd be one of those quirky things to have in the garden. My mates grandparents have an anderson shelter in their garden, but we were never allowed down there as kids, now theyve filled it in
28-06-2010, 08:31 PM
#25
A lovely job you two have made of that, flowers boxes are a nice touch too
I'm envious about the air raid shelter though, i've no use for it obviously but it'd be one of those quirky things to have in the garden. My mates grandparents have an anderson shelter in their garden, but we were never allowed down there as kids, now theyve filled it in
I'm envious about the air raid shelter though, i've no use for it obviously but it'd be one of those quirky things to have in the garden. My mates grandparents have an anderson shelter in their garden, but we were never allowed down there as kids, now theyve filled it in
Thanks for the comments everyone.
28-06-2010, 08:35 PM
#27
10K+ Poster!!
True enough i suppose, once the novelty has worn off its just an eyesore in the middle of your garden. It'd probably end up costing a fortune to make into a useful space anyway, electric and damp proofing etc. How big is it inside?
28-06-2010, 08:40 PM
#31
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28-06-2010, 08:43 PM
#33
Here's a picture of the garden 6 years ago, when we first bought the place. You can just make out the shelter on the left. It's amazing when we look back at the pics as we forgot just how bad it was.
It's Beccy's Dad in the picture, by the way, not me, or Compo from Last of the Summer Wine.
It's Beccy's Dad in the picture, by the way, not me, or Compo from Last of the Summer Wine.
28-06-2010, 08:51 PM
#35
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Brilliant use of the space and a class attempt from a non joiner I must say, dont know if anyone mentioned it though mate, your mitres on the flower beds wont stay perfect forever, our shitty weather will heat them up then soak them then shrink them, I stopped putting mitres on my deckings because of this, doesnt matter how much i used to screw them down or how much i treated them when i went back a year later they`d perished slightly. but if that wont bother you then you`ll be fine, cracking job mind.
28-06-2010, 08:54 PM
#36
Looks like a good job mate! Very similar to how I did mine.
Only thing I would suggest, when I was doing my research its recomended that you carry on with the side panels right down to ground level as rats etc will find it a nice cosy home under there if they can get in!
Only thing I would suggest, when I was doing my research its recomended that you carry on with the side panels right down to ground level as rats etc will find it a nice cosy home under there if they can get in!
28-06-2010, 09:26 PM
#40
Brilliant use of the space and a class attempt from a non joiner I must say, dont know if anyone mentioned it though mate, your mitres on the flower beds wont stay perfect forever, our shitty weather will heat them up then soak them then shrink them, I stopped putting mitres on my deckings because of this, doesnt matter how much i used to screw them down or how much i treated them when i went back a year later they`d perished slightly. but if that wont bother you then you`ll be fine, cracking job mind.
We may expand upon it one day, we have ideas, but for now, that'll do. We had a manky patio before, next to the bungalow, this is somewhere nice to sit etc.
Good point about the rats! Little bastards.
Biggest problem so far is birds. I love birds, but the amount of bird shit is annoying. They LOVE the decking.