Thread: Shed lining gaps

I am currently lining my shed, its a big shed so taking a while

I have used corrugated iron on the bottom 1300 and then 12mm MDF sheets vertical above that for the 2280mm to the roof. I added extra purlins to take the weight. I cant comment on how it will go over time but I suspect it will stay flat and true, I painted the MDF both sides to avoid moisture related bowing problems. As for the joins in the sheets, I figured it was impossible to make the join invisible so I made it a highlight instead. I cut opposing rebates on each sheet of MDF and painted the rebates black, screwed to the wall the rebates overlap but I left a 3mm gap which is the black shadow line.

Have a look here for a picture or 2 AJ's Projects

Cheers Andrew

Originally Posted by DaveVman

1. Did you lay the sheets horizontal so that they were perpendicular to the studs? Did you offset them like brickwork?

Portrait style, and if the height of a sheet is not enough, another right on top.

Originally Posted by DaveVman

2. After a few years did you get gaps or "curling" at the ends or corners?

Not enough time has elapsed to comment

Originally Posted by DaveVman

3. What thickness sheets did you use?

15mm Okume ply from TradeMaster Joinery in Sydney

Originally Posted by DaveVman

I am assuming that you butt jointed the sheets and didn't worry about any small gaps. But perhaps some of you went for a really smooth finish?

I intentionally left a 5mm gap between all sheets to allow for minor expansion. This looks decent, and is deemed an "architectural feature".

See here:

Wiring to be done.jpg

Originally Posted by AJ.

I am currently lining my shed, its a big shed so taking a while

Don't worry I'm still stuck on the funding stage after all these months.

Originally Posted by AJ.

... I added extra purlins to take the weight.

Steel ones or timber ones?

Originally Posted by AJ.

I painted the MDF both sides to avoid moisture related bowing problems.

Uuooh I forgot to even consider that! Although I'm currently thinking 2 sided melamine anyway. but thanks to you if I go MDF, I'll undercoat both sides.

Originally Posted by AJ.

As for the joins in the sheets, I figured it was impossible to make the join invisible so I made it a highlight instead. I cut opposing rebates on each sheet of MDF and painted the rebates black, screwed to the wall the rebates overlap but I left a 3mm gap which is the black shadow line.

Have a look here for a picture or 2 AJ's Projects

Cheers Andrew

Mate! Shmick as!!

Originally Posted by Midnight Man

I intentionally left a 5mm gap between all sheets to allow for minor expansion.

But it's ply! - Confused -.
It could really move and by that much?

Originally Posted by Midnight Man

This looks decent, and is deemed an "architectural feature".

See here:

Wiring to be done.jpg

Looks more than decent!
Talk to me about your electrical. 2 drops every 1200mm? One high one low?

(As an aside, ceiling insulation looks great!)

Also I could not help notice your floor. Epoxy? I found a commercial epoxy floor supplies place. The system for a plain colour is about half the cost of the system with flakes. The flakes look nicer but for the size of my shed it is way too costly, even DIY. So I'm thinking an epoxy solid colour is the ticket. Is that what you have?

My shed is all steel framed so I used 75mm c section attached to the frame in the upright orientation for maximum strength. The top 2 are directly under the original purlins and the lower one is above the original. the corrugated iron on the bottom is directly on the concrete and ultimately all the weight goes directly to the floor through the MDF, purlins and the iron. Not much of a photo but maybe you can see what I have done from this one.

IMG_2444.jpg

Cheers Andrew

Originally Posted by DaveVman

But it's ply! - Confused -. It could really move and by that much?

Probably quite correct, but I didn't want to take a chance on minor settling/movement bowing out a wall panel. It still looks OK in my opinion, so I'm happy with the end result (note, the photo shows unfinished plywood, this will be varnished, or possibly shellacked as a finish.

Originally Posted by DaveVman

Talk to me about your electrical. 2 drops every 1200mm? One high one low?

No, only one power point every 1200mm (in most places, some are a bit more distant). The top "drop" that you see is the cable that will be installed in a conduit, and run back to the switchboard, which will go in where you see the big bunch of cables poking out of the wall on the last panel on the right.

Originally Posted by DaveVman

(As an aside, ceiling insulation looks great!)

That's just the sarking, and doesn't do much for thermal protection. MUCH more work coming on the ceiling.

Originally Posted by DaveVman

Also I could not help notice your floor. Epoxy? I found a commercial epoxy floor supplies place. The system for a plain colour is about half the cost of the system with flakes. The flakes look nicer but for the size of my shed it is way too costly, even DIY. So I'm thinking an epoxy solid colour is the ticket. Is that what you have?

Yes, it's a solid colour, a neutral grey. It was professionally installed (the thread of my build documents the issues the installers encountered, which made be super glad it was them, and not me). I had considered a flake, but if you drop a small screw/item on a flaked floor, you never can find it again, hence the choice of a light, solid colour.

It's got 2 coats of Poly on the top, so it should stand up well, and also possible to then recoat and take out surface wear without hitting the colour layer.

One note the installers did mention to me - some of the flake finish "packages" you get a retail stores only contain a small percentage of the flakes you need for a decent looking flake finish.

This space was 6.5 x 6.5 metres, and was under $2000 for them to do three coats of colour and two coats of epoxy. And I didn't have to deal with the stuff, with no knowledge of application techniques etc.

Use anything but MDF, it’s like a sponge. If you want wood to fix to, good quality a bond plywood would be hard to beat. Second choice would be white hmr melamine chipboard, which you can get in 12 mm thick.
Anything but MDF, it will end in tears of regret using that stuff.

Originally Posted by riverbuilder;[URL="tel:2264878"

2264878[/URL]]Use anything but MDF, it’s like a sponge. If you want wood to fix to, good quality a bond plywood would be hard to beat. Second choice would be white hmr melamine chipboard, which you can get in 12 mm thick.
Anything but MDF, it will end in tears of regret using that stuff.

I have a small shed as well that is partly converted to a room, the shed side of the dividing wall is lined with MDF, not painted or sealed in any way. That has been there for over 20 years and it is still fine, certainly no regrets here.

Cheers Andrew

Originally Posted by AJ.

My shed is all steel framed so I used 75mm c section attached to the frame in the upright orientation for maximum strength. ....
IMG_2444.jpg

Thank you so much for the photo. I was wedded to the idea of building a timber frame but with the cost of timber now, I might have to win lotto first. So I'm coming around to this idea.
I can't see any vertical parts in that photo but I think the way you described it is a great idea.
I could screw in vertical battens every 450mm or 300mm. As you say, I could add some sort of baseboard on a damp course to sit the sheets on. Then make sure the weight of the sheets is supported vertically through to the slab before screwing to the frame of the shed. Thus trying to limit inwards moment forces on the shed sheet frame.

Originally Posted by AJ.

I have a small shed as well that is partly converted to a room, the shed side of the dividing wall is lined with MDF, not painted or sealed in any way. That has been there for over 20 years and it is still fine, certainly no regrets here.

Cheers Andrew

Yes but Andrew, you are in SA. Up here, 10 years and 30 mins behind you, in QLD we have this stuff you probably never heard of. It's called rain. It's just like water, except it comes out of the sky. Yes, really! Out of Sky! Sounds weird but it's true. Then it soaks into the air and your clothes and every sticky pore of your skin. And it stays there for 10 months of the year. It's not fun. You're not missing anything. But anyway, way up here, far from the civilised world you live in, we do need to contend with it.