glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Apr 29, 2017 23:21:37 GMT
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In an attempt to both alleviate my mood at the current state of the world, and to try and tidy up my own personal corner of it a little, I had a bit of a mooch around Anderson Towers and my varied projects, and tried to form a bit of a plan of action for getting on with some of the things I want done, rather than just need doing. I am, at present, mainly engaged in converting an adjoining outbuilding into a utility room for Sarah. This is taking a while because the cash I had earmarked for it has been syphoned off elsewhere (along with the money I had planned to spend on lorry tyres, but I'm not sore about that, noooo...), so is progressing in fits and starts as both funds and enthusiasm coincide. However, a chance remark by her ladyship the other day, along the lines of "is there any chance you'll get that lorry off the front lawn this summer?" gave rise to the response that "If I had somewhere to keep the bits of it I want to keep, then yes, I could probably get it broken and gone this year" Why wouldn't you want this on your front lawn? I can't see a problem, personally - Anyway, I get permission to build a shed! By curious coincidence, a friend at work offered me a slightly used 10'x10' shed for the princely sum of £0-0s-0d if I helped him dismantle it and took it away... A bonus, and very generous of him, even though it is pretty well knackered. Permission has been obtained to assemble it adjacent to my lorry parking bay at the "front" of the house (our house is a bit back to front; the rear of the house is the pretty side, the front, nearest the road, is where all the parking/driveway/garage etc. is). Everything is working out hunky dory I hear you thinking... Yay! Except, the donated shed is both a bit too knackered and a bit too small... Boo! If I throw it back up as it is, it'll end up so full of junk you won't be able to move inside it, and it'll probably be falling down again in four or five years. But; I have a cunning plan... Having obtained the necessary marital planning permission to build a shed, I shall do so. A 12'x12' one would fit in the available space and give me a bit more room inside. I'm too skint to do that straight off, but being able to break my DAF, and sell the engine out of my Austin, would probably release enough funds... So I need to get creative, make something useable and semi-permanent, utilising as much stuff as I can from what's lying on site already, and spend as little as possible in the process. Now, I will confess to having a lot of stuff lying around, all of which I have paid for at some point in the past, so this is not going to be a true budget build, but I shall be keeping the additional spend to an absolute minimum - my target is not to spend more than £250 plus what's lying on site. But still build it properly. Or at least substantially enough it will house all the heavy junk I'll end up putting in it, for as long as I need it to. So - where am I going to put whatever it is I am going to build? Adjacent to my garage I have a 22' x 12' hardstanding where my Austin lives. The idea, ultimately, is to pitch a "lorry port" roof over it but, as you can imagine, that comes under the "impossibly unaffordable" area of my future plans. Ideally I wanted to keep the area completely clear, but the space between the parked lorry and the garage wall has been piled up with scrap and junk for ages - so it both needs tidying and has scope for being used as the site for my new shed. Here we are. new shed will ultimately go on the top of the bank to the left of the Austin as you're looking at it, and the gap between the lorry and the garage will be the site of the new lean-to. I also have, purchased two or three years back from a fellow internet forum-er, a quantity of heavy duty storage racking made up of 4' x 3' bays, a little over 7' tall. I was looking at them the other day thinking they'd make a good skeleton for a lean-to shed/store and, happily, they'd fit in the space available and still leave room to get past. So, I set to and tidied. With the area cleared out and a level on the floor, it became apparent that the racking needed a more level base to sit on. Cue some strategically placed engineering bricks laid and levelled to sit everything on... Now, I already had the bricks, but I didn't want to break into a new bag of cement just to lay eleven bricks, so I bought a bag of mortar mix which cost me £7. I also bought four 2.4m, two 3m and two 4.2m lengths of 4x2 tannalised timber, which was £60. I then dug out some of the racking frame - enough for three bays with two shelves in each. These, to my shame, have not fared well from the best part of three years outside storage, so they took a good bit of effort to clean up and paint. Fortunately I had a knotted brush for the grinder, and enough paint, so the only investment was time. So, at close of play today I am here... And my total spend so far is £67.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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brachunky
Scotland
Posts: 1,314
Club RR Member Number: 72
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Good luck! There's something very satisfying about building something from stuff you have acquired over time!
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Righto... Got a bit more done today, in-between rainstorms. Started out by loosely assembling the shelving frames to determine optimum shelf heights. Although you can set the shelves to any height you like, once they're built in to the lean-to structure it's not going to be possible to adjust them, so a bit of thought was needed. I want my compressor to live inside one of the bays, and it is a whisker under 36" high, so the first shelf needs to be set high enough to allow the compressor to fit under and leave a reasonable air gap between the top of the cylinder head and the underside of the shelf. An 8.25-R20 lorry tyre is 37.5" in diameter, and the spacing on the shelving uprights meant I could set a height of 38" which seemed close enough. It's also high enough I can crouch under to retrieve heavy stuff, so that was step one. I've got a big quantity of plastic stacking storage crates, clearance for four of which set the next shelf height. Here we are, sort of mid muck about: The shelving is freestanding and bolt-less, but in order to avoid any catastrophes if they got backed into, there are pre-drilled holes that you can secure the uprights and cross beams together through, so I thought it prudent to do so: The closeup picture shows how the cross beams are cleverly staggered each end to allow a continuous run of shelving with only a narrow upright. With it all assembled and checked for squareness I could manoeuvre it into the corner. This showed, handily, that the building and end wall were slightly out of square, so I'll have to work around that. It's only about an inch over the 3' depth, so shouldn't be too hard to hide. I then drilled about 30-odd strategically placed holes in the wall and plugged and screwed the entire assembly into place. Like all these Meccano type constructions, it's staggering how rigid they become once bolted into place, considering how wobbly they are as individual bits. That, at close of play, due to weather, left me with this: The two windows, before I can complete my planned work inside the building, will be bricked up, so I was pleased that the bays neatly spanned them - it will allow me access when the time comes to point up the brickwork and I can worry about doing that later on when I've got more room freed up inside, rather than having to do it as part of this job. I did think about boarding them up, but the frames are pretty manky and if they're coming out anyway there seems no point in wasting effort on them. The next step is to begin the job of framing out and cladding the whole shebang. There's not much space between the end wall of the lean-to and the fence panel, and the fence panel won't lift out because of the eaves of the garage overhanging it, so I'll have to design the end, make it off the frame, and slide it into place as one piece. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will allow me to wheel my trusty circular saw into the open and crack on nibbling some timber into shape. I also need to run around the framework touching in one or two bits that either I or my slave assistant missed on Saturday. I had enough nuts, bolts, washers, screws and wall-plugs "in stock" to complete today's escapades without having to trek to Screwfix, so additional spend stands static at £67.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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Great start !!
That is a lot of work you have planned at this point.
Unlike many Americans and people in other parts of the world, we do have so little space to work with and of course there are always neighbours and neighbourhoods to contend with as well.
Finding and getting stuff for free or cost of a bit of labour is great too.
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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I am extremely fortunate in that I have a lot of space here compared to previous places I've owned, and have to remember not to get too frustrated at the pace of things being so slow. Life is a constant trade off between time and money. I chose to spend a great deal of money on the property, which leaves me short day-to-day; I could have stayed in my last house and been (comparatively) very well off, but wouldn't have had the space to do anything. Like you, I never throw anything away if I can help it, and am constantly picking stuff up that's too good to pass over, so it's high time I got a bit more organised!
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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eternaloptimist
Posted a lot
Too many projects, not enough time or space...
Posts: 2,578
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I am extremely fortunate in that I have a lot of space here compared to previous places I've owned, and have to remember not to get too frustrated at the pace of things being so slow. Life is a constant trade off between time and money. I chose to spend a great deal of money on the property, which leaves me short day-to-day; I could have stayed in my last house and been (comparatively) very well off, but wouldn't have had the space to do anything. Like you, I never throw anything away if I can help it, and am constantly picking stuff up that's too good to pass over, so it's high time I got a bit more organised! Wise words there. Bookmarked, and will be following with interest.
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XC70, VW split screen crew cab, Standard Ten
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I am extremely fortunate in that I have a lot of space here compared to previous places I've owned, and have to remember not to get too frustrated at the pace of things being so slow. Life is a constant trade off between time and money. I chose to spend a great deal of money on the property, which leaves me short day-to-day; I could have stayed in my last house and been (comparatively) very well off, but wouldn't have had the space to do anything. Like you, I never throw anything away if I can help it, and am constantly picking stuff up that's too good to pass over, so it's high time I got a bit more organised! I am sure the other part of your mind map, also allows you to share the bounty. I often see stuff and get it for various mates. It's a problem, this mindset, but it makes us happy and to be honest, others too. I have a similar problem, in that I am screwed financially, but at least live in a home I like. (Well, the garage and space)
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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May 10, 2017 22:29:24 GMT
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I am extremely fortunate in that I have a lot of space here compared to previous places I've owned, and have to remember not to get too frustrated at the pace of things being so slow. Life is a constant trade off between time and money. I chose to spend a great deal of money on the property, which leaves me short day-to-day; I could have stayed in my last house and been (comparatively) very well off, but wouldn't have had the space to do anything. Like you, I never throw anything away if I can help it, and am constantly picking stuff up that's too good to pass over, so it's high time I got a bit more organised! I am sure the other part of your mind map, also allows you to share the bounty. I often see stuff and get it for various mates. It's a problem, this mindset, but it makes us happy and to be honest, others too. I have a similar problem, in that I am screwed financially, but at least live in a home I like. (Well, the garage and space) My mate that gave me the shed that sparked this whole thing off has been building a combined shed and summerhouse in his garden, and I have been keeping Karma at bay by ferrying stuff about for him with the Land-Rover and helping out a bit. I got 300-odd block pavers from him the other day, as well as a few other bits he wants cleared away from his daughter's garden, so yes the whole swap/trade/store-and-pass-on thing is alive and well in deepest east Kent! Got a little more done today. Trimmed the uprights so they are all the same length, then notched the back faces to clear the horizontal bracket hook-doo-dahs on the racking frame, and the top where the horizontal timber will sit, so the uprights fit tight to the frame. Then screwed them into place. I was going to coach-bolt them on, but I couldn't find the box of leftover bolts in the garage, and I'm not buying another box for the sake of a dozen bolts. Access should be possible to allow me to do it at a later date if I think it needs it, but to be honest, with half a dozen 6x50mm screws holding each upright in place I don't think it's going anywhere... I then mucked about a bit replacing the guttering on the garage roof above the frame, whilst it was there to use as a clear working platform to stand on, and replacing a couple of knackered slates on the edge of the roof. The whole garage roof really needs replacing, but that's a job for another day - I'm hoping to keep patching it until I can start work extending it properly. The rest of the afternoon was spent head-scratching and working out how best to do the end panel nearest the fence, as it's going to need making and fitting before the roof structure goes on, and it will be inaccessible, pretty much, once it's done, so I need to get it right, and I'll need to get some creosote to coat it with before it goes on as I won't be able to get its there afterwards to do it. Doesn't look much, but I spent most of my time trying to bloody find things, which is sort of the reason behind getting it done I suppose. Had most of the guttering bits, and all the screws etc., but had to buy a stop end outlet, so spend is up to £70.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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May 11, 2017 22:41:13 GMT
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Got a bit more done today. Continued my head-scratching about the end panel. Normally, I'd make some kind of framework first, and clad the results with a removable panel to allow for future repairs, but the more I looked at it, the more it became clear that there just wasn't room to make it that way. So, I made a framework section that I could lift into place and, once in, would form the end part of the roof as well as the wall. Not really happy at doing it that way, because if it ever needs repair I'll have to do some serious dismantling, but it will be very sheltered so shouldn't see any amount of weather, and there's enough room for air to circulate around and stop things getting damp. Anyway, here we are, mid think: I'm pitching the roof at the same 36º as the garage so, once it's finished and weathered in, it should look like it's always been there. This bit will sit on top of the wall, as well as being screwed into the framework, and will carry some of the weight of the roof, which is why it's so substantial. Once I'd finally made my mind up and got on with sorting angles etc. we are left with this: Next bit involved a bit of a spend. A roll of cheap roofing membrane from Screwfix (£15). Not absolutely necessary, but it's cheap, stops draughts and dust getting blown about, and is a second line of defence against water ingress so it got a layer: The batten laid across the top is to give me a dimension for fixing a fascia board to. With that done, I began gleefully smashing up one of the walls of the donor shed. Very therapeutic! Armed with some slightly used shiplap I fitted the end fascia board and started to clad the panel: After discovering the reclaimed boards were a bit dry and "splitty" I decided to break out Aldi's finest £20 air nailer, which did a splendid job of stitching it all together. The finished panel looks like this: I need to give it a once-over with something in the morning to get the flaky remains of the shed paint off, prior to dousing it (and the fence panel) with creosote before it gets screwed into place. Here it is offered up: I'm hoping that the slates for the lean-to roof will be high enough up under the eaves of the garage roof that I will be able to get away without any flashing. I shall see what it looks like once slated, and make a decision then. And here's a shot end on to show how close it is to the fence panel: Hopefully I can get the creosote on in the morning, and get the panel fixed into place before I go to work. If I'm really lucky I'll get a bit more done on the roof structure too, but it depends how the time goes. Spend is up today (sorry Mark). £15 for the roofing membrane roll, £16 for creosote and £54 for two more 4.8m lengths of 4 x 2 and a bundle of 2 x 1 roofing battens. Brings the total to £155. :eek:
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Update time. Work, weather and my obsessive nature has meant things have progressed slowly, however they have progressed. I've secured the end panel into place, after liberally creosoting both it and the fence panel behind it (and me, and the wall, and the Land-Rover!). The next step from where we were when we last spoke was to chop out the joints on the front "lintel" and fit it into place. I also set out four uprights, fixed to the wall and also bearing onto the racking frame uprights to support a wall plate. With that done, I duly fitted another length of 4 x 2 along the wall. Next job was to cut out another ten rafters and fit them. Bit awkward to photograph as some fool has parked a lorry in the way... With that done, a period of intense head-scratching ensued as I decided how best to attack the end "wall" panel. This bit is going to be the most visible bit, and needs to be both structurally sound and visually attractive. Well, maybe not "attractive", but not rubbish looking. After a good deal of thought, I started carving lumps out of a length of 4 x 2, first rebating one edge to wrap around the outer end upright, and then chopping out joints for four crossmembers. The other side was a little easier as it just needed the joints cut. With that all done, the end frame could be screwed together, then into position on the racking. The two lower holes will be panelled in with some of my reclaimed shiplap from the free shed - that's the next job. The one at the top will have a door in it, so I can utilise the long "eaves" space for storing lengths of timber, pipe, etc.. It's nearly four metres long, so a useful space and easily accessible that way. You can also see the tongue and groove board (also reclaimed shed), which I've used to weather in the overhanging eaves. Spend is up. I have had to buy a bit more 4 x 2, some 2 x 1 batten for the roof and some 6 x 1 to use as fascia board. Another £79 worth. Total now stands at £234. Well, that's me up to date as of close of play this evening. Hopefully I'll get a bit more done tomorrow.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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Looking good - lots of useful storage there.
If you do need to put flashing on, as it's fairly well protected, you could try flashing tape. Between 6 & 12 quid from Screwfix if the budget stretches to it.
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Looking good - lots of useful storage there. If you do need to put flashing on, as it's fairly well protected, you could try flashing tape. Between 6 & 12 quid from Screwfix if the budget stretches to it. Ta. 😃 I'm hoping that the top of the slates on the lean-to will is high enough up under the garage eaves to get away without any flashing. A six metre roll of lead is going to be the best part of £70, and as I only need 4.5 metres there'd be nearly £20 wasted. I might see if I can get a roll end from a proper roofing place near me, rather than Jewsons. Flashing tape, as you suggest, is another option, particularly as it's so sheltered up there. Oh, and I realised this morning that I've counted the roof battens twice in my accounting. So spend is actually £214 😃
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Jun 14, 2017 22:32:22 GMT
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Had a couple of days off this week, so have got a bit more done... First off, some of the battens from the donor shed to make a framework inside the openings on the end panel: Then some membrane, and the reclaimed shiplap over the top. Artfully cut at 36º to follow the roof profile. Next, I went to this cunningly camouflaged bit of my current outside storage area (the front lawn): Which has been sat there a couple of years. I unwrapped it to discover these hidden gems: I managed to salvage enough to make two 4' x 3' shelves for the racking, and chopped the rest up for the log-burner. Now I can point to a cleared bit and state "progress" when challenged! Next bit, back to the lean-to, was the bottom layer of membrane on the roof, and a strip of felt as a "drip": Then the upper layer and battens: Next a board along the front as a fascia: I put a barge board up the pitch of the roof too, but forgot to take a picture. I'll get one next time. Then I had to start thinking about slates. I have a huge stack of salvaged slates left over from when we re-roofed the house. A previous owner had covered the entire roof with hessian sacking, stuck down with bitumen, as a cheap and nasty quick fix. This, the age of the slates, and the height and size of the house, meant that we decided to replace all of them with nice new ones. This means, unfortunately, that all the recovered ones have varied amounts of black bitumen on them - so a happy few hours has been spent so far, cleaning and sorting slates for this project, and a few more hours are still to go. Fortunately, I like slating roofs, I find it very therapeutic. More by luck than judgement, the lean-to is 22 slates long, with a 3" overhang each end. Couldn't have done it better if I'd tried. At the end of play today I had got this far: It's pretty tight between the lorry and the lean-to to reach up much further than that, and the shortness of the pitch, the slope and the overhanging garage eaves (not to mention my knees), mean working on the roof isn't really safe or comfortable. When work recommences I shall pull the Austin out of the way and work off a ladder properly. Spend is up by £14 for screws and roofing nails - total now £228. TTFN, G.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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Jun 17, 2017 13:49:43 GMT
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Hmmm, reminds me... I've got some offcuts of galvanised roofing profile from when we converted the carport to a timber 'garage' (sounds awful but actually weathers down well & works for rural area). Add to that some spare 4 x 2s & a space behind said 'garage' & I think you've just convinced me of the need to add some outside covered storage space for odds & sods as well as making a bigger log-store. Dammit, another project - but it will clear some space for "The Boss"!
Thanks for the inspiration. I think...
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Last Edit: Jun 17, 2017 13:59:43 GMT by moosevan
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Jun 17, 2017 20:15:10 GMT
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Bit more done. Here's the barge board I forgot to show you last time **: Had a bit of a tidy, and pulled the Austin forwards out of the way. A side-on shot to show the size of the construction. Each of the doorways is about 7' 10" by 4'. A ladder laid up the roof pitch and braced against the sleeper wall is way safer than perching on top of it under the eaves of the garage... And, after another afternoon scraping slates I'm a bit over half-way... ** The use of professional building terms is intended solely to convey an impression I know what I'm doing. Please, if they're incorrect, help me maintain this thin veneer of competency by not telling everyone.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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Jun 19, 2017 12:33:37 GMT
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Very Very Smart mate !!
Really liking that
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Finished the roof. I bedded the very top layer of slates in with some black gutter mastic. Hopefully that, and the fact the join with the garage wall is so sheltered under the garage eaves, will mean I can get away without any further flashing. If not, I'll have to make a decision whether to go the cheap route with tape, or bite the bullet and do it with lead. To be honest, tape looks favourite if I'm going to need it, but with luck it'll be dry without. Next job: tidy up.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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mattiwagon
Part of things
Just got a work truck
Posts: 445
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Thats looking a very smart job chap, regarding the flashing ' flashband' is very durable. Hope the better half appreciates your craftmanship.
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If they cant be nice f**k em!
84 low t25 panel 1.9td beige and rust combo 97 Goped Bigfoot G260RC with clutch conversion 97 Impreza turbo 2000 builders wagon 76k sold 04 Fabia vRs 50mpg pocket rocket 04 battered T5 pickup in blue! Chainsaws lotsa Chainsaws
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Aug 28, 2017 15:01:27 GMT
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Any progress over the summer?
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Ich habe kein Geld!
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,072
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Aug 28, 2017 20:01:20 GMT
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Any progress over the summer? A bit. I've got all that lot creosoted, and the guttering up. Sorted a soakaway to address an awkward puddle issue, and made a start on the doors. Summer family stuff has largely intervened, but I'll update soon.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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