Thread: Could you please advise me on new Colorbond shed build?

Great point, thanks so much Pasquan!

Originally Posted by clare

Thanks so much Damian! This is really great advice as well. I so appreciate your help. Council regs height limit is 3m so I'll aim for that. The shed is going to be a storage space for works I've made before they find new homes, so the advice on reducing heat is important (many are timber).

Depending on their size higher walls will almost certainly allow you to fit more in. Is that height limit the wall height or the ridge ? If it's the total height maybe look at skillion roofs or low pitched roofs. Not as pretty, they should be no dearer and will give you more useful space.

Here are some links to the roof types I'm talking about:

https://www.sheds.com.au/farm-sheds/...on-roof-sheds/

Buy Single Garages - View Sizes & Prices | Best Sheds

The lowest pitch you can go with custom orb is 12 degrees. With the other stuff, trimdeck or whatever it's called you can go lower.

Originally Posted by damian

Depending on their size higher walls will almost certainly allow you to fit more in. Is that height limit the wall height or the ridge ? If it's the total height maybe look at skillion roofs or low pitched roofs. Not as pretty, they should be no dearer and will give you more useful space.

Here are some links to the roof types I'm talking about:

https://www.sheds.com.au/farm-sheds/...on-roof-sheds/

Buy Single Garages - View Sizes & Prices | Best Sheds

The lowest pitch you can go with custom orb is 12 degrees. With the other stuff, trimdeck or whatever it's called you can go lower.

Thanks so much Damian - I'm now thinking skillion because it will line up with the house extension. I sent a 'Custom quote' off to Best Sheds and I'm pretty sure I could only select 5 degrees on the roof pitch in their drop down box. If I aimed for 3m height at front and 2.5m at back do you that would work? I have no idea about roof pitches.

What length and width are you looking at ?

Normally the fall is across the smallest dimension. For example if you are building a shed that's 6x3 the pitch or the skillion fall would be across the 3m dimension.

A 12 degree pitch roof has about 1 in 4 fall. On a conventional gabled roof the ridge runs down the middle, so it falls 1 in 4 over 1.5 meters on the example. So the ridge is 375mm higher than the edge of the roof. If the ridge is 3m then the wall height will be 2.625 meters. A tad under 9'. That's to the edge off the roof sheet so inside will be a tad lower.

If I were you I'd ask your council why you are limited to 20 sqm and 3m height and where the 3m is measured. Your forum login says you are in sydney but I don't know what council you are under. Those restrictions seem really harsh...unless you are near the city or in the eastern suburbs or something...

Wow, so much knowledge! Thanks so much for sharing Damian. In order to fall within the NSW building exempt regulations I can only go to 20m2, otherwise I need to lodge a DA. I'm thinking 3.7m x 5.4m (totals 19.98m2) with a PA door on the short end and a roller door and window on the long side. I live in the heritage suburb of Haberfield so special rules apply.

Originally Posted by damian

What length and width are you looking at ?

Normally the fall is across the smallest dimension. For example if you are building a shed that's 6x3 the pitch or the skillion fall would be across the 3m dimension.

A 12 degree pitch roof has about 1 in 4 fall. On a conventional gabled roof the ridge runs down the middle, so it falls 1 in 4 over 1.5 meters on the example. So the ridge is 375mm higher than the edge of the roof. If the ridge is 3m then the wall height will be 2.625 meters. A tad under 9'. That's to the edge off the roof sheet so inside will be a tad lower.

If I were you I'd ask your council why you are limited to 20 sqm and 3m height and where the 3m is measured. Your forum login says you are in sydney but I don't know what council you are under. Those restrictions seem really harsh...unless you are near the city or in the eastern suburbs or something...

Damian,
Those dimensions are set down by the NSW Gov. for Exempt Development so there is no need to go through council.
Just went through a similar build with my carport.
3m is measured at the highest part of the roof - that includes any ridge capping.

”Shed Approvals - New South Wales

New South Wales
On the 27 February 2009 State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (the Codes SEPP), which has state-wide application commenced. This new Codes SEPP contains exempt development types and complying development types for certain types of development.
Garden sheds that comply with certain guidelines are considered exempt developments. These guidelines are as follows.
To be exempt development the development must not be carried out on land that is an environmentally sensitive area.
You don’t need permission from council to build or install cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses if:

• There are no more than 2 per lot.
• If it is on land in rural zones RU1, RU2, RU3, RU4 and R5 – be no larger than 50sqm.
• If it is on land in all other zones - no larger than 20sqm.
• It is no higher than 3m above the ground level.
• If it is on land in rural zones RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU4 - be located behind the building line of any road frontage.
• It is set back a minimum of 900mm from each boundary.
• It is located in the back yard if your property is in a heritage conservation area or a draft heritage conservation area.
• If it is located adjacent to another building—be located so that it does not interfere with the entry to, or exit from, or the fire safety measures within, that building.
• It cannot be a shipping container.
• The disposal of any roof water must not cause a nuisance to adjoining owners.
• In residential zones, any metal parts of the structure are to be low reflective, factory pre coloured materials.
• If your property is bushfire prone land and the structure is going to be located less than 5m from your house or a neighbours house the structure must be constructed of non combustible materials.”

Hi Lappa,
Thanks for taking the time to verify this. Did you install a water tank to deal with water run-off? I'm thinking of doing this. Cheers.

No, I ran mine into an existing down pipe. I didn’t have room for a tank.

Ah! Now I understand. I had assumed you were putting in a DA. Here is brissy it's 10 sqm, so just a little garden shed. I haven't lived in sidinee for 22 years so not up with the regs. I was down a couple of weeks ago for my nephew's christening and was sick the whole time. I think I'm allergic to the place now

Try for a flat roof to get more volume inside. Consider insulation and maybe even a whirlybird to keep your work cool in summer. Whatever you do it will be fine. Good luck!

Thanks so much Damian! 10 sqm isn't much is it! Sorry you're allergic to Sydney...I've never been a city person but loving it these days. Cheers!

I lived there for 30 years. Admittedly I was staying with my sister in law at north sydney, where the air is <cough, cough> somewhat opaque...

I live on the rural outskirts of brisbane where old man's beard grows like a weed...our air is very clean.

Originally Posted by damian

I lived there for 30 years. Admittedly I was staying with my sister in law at north sydney, where the air is <cough, cough> somewhat opaque...

I live on the rural outskirts of brisbane where old man's beard grows like a weed...our air is very clean.

Nice! Lived in Bris for a few years. It's great!

Hi,

Just to be sure, check with your local pest controller in regard to what is required under the slab in you're area. What Rebuild mentioned re the plastic maybe correct, was for more years than I can remembers. I will say my shed my change from a class 10 to a class 1 at a later stage so this be the difference in under slab plastic.

However building my shed in Darwin, I had to use the new "termite treated plastic film" not what Rebuild has indicated. Around the perimeter I have a full reticulated system also in place, this is pumped full of chemical once the concrete barrier is installed. The termite treated plastic apparently has been in for 18mth. Certifiers, here anyway are enforcing this requirement.

Some great advise has been provided.

I'll only add running the wall sheets past the cement slab keep the sheets off making contact with the slab. This will help stop corrosion of the bottom of the metal wall cladding.

Look forward to your build .

if considering a suspended floor, don't forget to allow for the height it robs from under the ceiling ( if fixed regulated wall height); joists, bearers, surfacing stack up; yours may not need all such components.

When I was first planning mine, it was on the order of 200mm loss; plan B implemented.