I have a 'shed' at my village hall 4m x 5m that consists of 10" thick
brick walls on four sides (probably over 150 years old) with an earth
floor and no damp course. It has a sloping felt roof with not much felt
or indeed timber support, I intend to install new timbers and tile the
roof as this will last longer than I will! What do people suggest I do
in terms of a floor (suspended?) and walls to create a dry storage
facility - no fixed power available but reachable with a very long
extension cable.

This is intended to provide long term storage, i.e. I'm prepared to
spend if I can achieve a service life of over 25 years with little
maintenance. Existing wood sheds are reaching end of useful life as
it's very difficult to get people to do regular maintenance, i.e.
preservative and replacing felt roofs every few years.

Peter

On 15/03/2014 10:37, Peter Andrews wrote:
I have a 'shed' at my village hall 4m x 5m that consists of 10" thick
brick walls on four sides (probably over 150 years old) with an earth
floor and no damp course. It has a sloping felt roof with not much felt
or indeed timber support, I intend to install new timbers and tile the
roof as this will last longer than I will! What do people suggest I do
in terms of a floor (suspended?) and walls to create a dry storage
facility - no fixed power available but reachable with a very long
extension cable.
....

My brick shed has a concrete slab floor and dry lined walls. There must
be a vapour barrier behind the lining, but I left the exact details up
to my builder.

Colin Bignell

In message , Peter Andrews
writes
I have a 'shed' at my village hall 4m x 5m that consists of 10" thick
brick walls on four sides (probably over 150 years old) with an earth
floor and no damp course. It has a sloping felt roof with not much
felt or indeed timber support, I intend to install new timbers and tile
the roof as this will last longer than I will! What do people suggest
I do in terms of a floor (suspended?) and walls to create a dry storage
facility - no fixed power available but reachable with a very long
extension cable.

This is intended to provide long term storage, i.e. I'm prepared to
spend if I can achieve a service life of over 25 years with little
maintenance. Existing wood sheds are reaching end of useful life as
it's very difficult to get people to do regular maintenance, i.e.
preservative and replacing felt roofs every few years.

My farmhouse is a similar age and has a damp course in slate. Worth
checking to see if floor and external levels have risen.

--
Tim Lamb

"Peter Andrews" wrote in message
...
I have a 'shed' at my village hall 4m x 5m that consists of 10" thick brick
walls on four sides (probably over 150 years old) with an earth floor and
no damp course. It has a sloping felt roof with not much felt or indeed
timber support, I intend to install new timbers and tile the roof as this
will last longer than I will! What do people suggest I do in terms of a
floor (suspended?) and walls to create a dry storage facility - no fixed
power available but reachable with a very long extension cable.

This is intended to provide long term storage, i.e. I'm prepared to spend
if I can achieve a service life of over 25 years with little maintenance.
Existing wood sheds are reaching end of useful life as it's very difficult
to get people to do regular maintenance, i.e. preservative and replacing
felt roofs every few years.

Peter

Inject a chemical damp proof course into the brickwork. Equipment can be
hired.

Dig the earth floor out, lay DPM (plastic sheet) and concrete.
Good for a couple of hundred years!

On 15/03/2014 17:31, harryagain wrote:
"Peter Andrews" wrote in message
...
I have a 'shed' at my village hall 4m x 5m that consists of 10" thick brick
walls on four sides (probably over 150 years old) with an earth floor and
no damp course. It has a sloping felt roof with not much felt or indeed
timber support, I intend to install new timbers and tile the roof as this
will last longer than I will! What do people suggest I do in terms of a
floor (suspended?) and walls to create a dry storage facility - no fixed
power available but reachable with a very long extension cable.

This is intended to provide long term storage, i.e. I'm prepared to spend
if I can achieve a service life of over 25 years with little maintenance.
Existing wood sheds are reaching end of useful life as it's very difficult
to get people to do regular maintenance, i.e. preservative and replacing
felt roofs every few years.

Peter

Inject a chemical damp proof course into the brickwork. Equipment can be
hired.

Dig the earth floor out, lay DPM (plastic sheet) and concrete.
Good for a couple of hundred years!


If you *do* go for a suspended floor to avoid that amount of effort,
make sure there is reasonable clearance over the earth *and* plenty of
ventilation. Use metal joist hangers and wrap the ends of the (pressure
treated) joists in polythene, then it should not matter too much even if
the brick walls are a bit damp. Obviously, include a DPM if you add any
supporting brick piers.

On 15/03/2014 18:39, newshound wrote:
On 15/03/2014 17:31, harryagain wrote:
"Peter Andrews" wrote in message
...
I have a 'shed' at my village hall 4m x 5m that consists of 10" thick
brick
walls on four sides (probably over 150 years old) with an earth floor
and
no damp course. It has a sloping felt roof with not much felt or indeed
timber support, I intend to install new timbers and tile the roof as
this
will last longer than I will! What do people suggest I do in terms of a
floor (suspended?) and walls to create a dry storage facility - no fixed
power available but reachable with a very long extension cable.

This is intended to provide long term storage, i.e. I'm prepared to
spend
if I can achieve a service life of over 25 years with little
maintenance.
Existing wood sheds are reaching end of useful life as it's very
difficult
to get people to do regular maintenance, i.e. preservative and replacing
felt roofs every few years.

Peter

Inject a chemical damp proof course into the brickwork. Equipment can be
hired.

Dig the earth floor out, lay DPM (plastic sheet) and concrete.
Good for a couple of hundred years!


If you *do* go for a suspended floor to avoid that amount of effort,
make sure there is reasonable clearance over the earth *and* plenty of
ventilation. Use metal joist hangers and wrap the ends of the (pressure
treated) joists in polythene, then it should not matter too much even if
the brick walls are a bit damp. Obviously, include a DPM if you add any
supporting brick piers.

Or install a suspended floor that doesn't use timber:

http://www.milbank.co.uk/beam-and-block.php

Colin Bignell

Peter Andrews wrote:
I have a 'shed' at my village hall 4m x 5m that consists of 10" thick
brick walls on four sides (probably over 150 years old) with an earth
floor and no damp course. It has a sloping felt roof with not much
felt or indeed timber support, I intend to install new timbers and
tile the roof as this will last longer than I will! What do people
suggest I do in terms of a floor (suspended?) and walls to create a
dry storage facility - no fixed power available but reachable with a
very long extension cable.

This is intended to provide long term storage, i.e. I'm prepared to
spend if I can achieve a service life of over 25 years with little
maintenance. Existing wood sheds are reaching end of useful life as
it's very difficult to get people to do regular maintenance, i.e.
preservative and replacing felt roofs every few years.

I assume you don't want to spend a fortune.
I'd dig the soil out to a depth of 100mm, apply a DP membrane over the
entire area, cover with 50mm grit sand and lay paving slabs.
Make sure the finished floor is higher than the outside soil / pavement
level otherwise flooding will occur

It depends what you want to store in there WRT a DPC in the brickwork,
although you can DIY provided you know how to drill holes and use a sealant
gun - 10mm masonry bit and inject DPC cream which comes in tubes, you'll
have to do the same course inside and out, but if you are only storing tools
etc, I wouldn't bother