Sheds.

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

15 minutes ago, Broithe said:

I was once asked to get into a shed, after the owner had clicked the padlock with the keys still inside.

I suggested that he go and put the kettle on, whilst I pondered the matter - when he came out with the tea, I handed him the keys - he searched for the 'damage that I might have done', in order to get in, but could find none.

I had just unscrewed the hinges, opened the door, using the lock side as the hinge, retrieved the keys and put the hinge screws back in. He was a bit 'security conscious' and was horrified by the ease of this method. I went back later and put a bolt through the hinges, with lock-nuts on the inside, after I persuaded him to get a second key. This made him happy again, so I didn't point out all the other ways I could have got in - the windows, for example, were fitted from the outside and just held in with a few panel pins, etc...

I had to help a neighbour years ago, she locked herself out of the house, it was shortly after she got new PVC windows and doors so the front door needed a key to open which was inside, I got a strap off a bale of briquettes and she was horrified at how I opened the window from the outside with the strap

[Broithe]

Talk of security matters reminds me of an almost accidental feature which has turned out to be very useful.

When we drew up the plans for the house here, there was a bathroom and an adjacent shower room, both had toilets in and, with my father being an obsessive gardener, I suggested that the shower room could have a door to the outside as well. This would avoid him dragging mud all through the every all day. This proved to be a good idea, but he developed a wish to keep the door locked, as the garden was quite large and the door wouldn't always be under surveillance, especially after the shed was built. This meant that he started carrying a key, which, if dropped, would disappear for ever.

I picked up a push-button combination lock and fitted that, so a physical key was no longer necessary.

It has actually become apparent that it is an even better idea than I thought.

If I'm leaving the premises without the car or an intention to lock the bike somewhere, than I have no need to take any keys at all, and have no likelihood of losing them...

The code can even be entered in the dark, as long as you can remember it and the button layout.

It also means that, should I be away, I have a simple means of giving someone the means to get in on my behalf.

 

I did fit a few key-boxes for people over the years. They would almost always want their birthday as the code. I would point out that, if they wanted other people to get in, neighbours, etc., then expecting people to remember that had an element of risk. Most of these boxes are ten-figure panels and I would suggest they actually used a 'shape' - 1560 (the corners), 1267(the top four), etc. this makes it much easier for different people to enter the code, and it can be done in the pitch dark, if you can find the box.

[murrayec]

@Broithe yes I had a similar situation once, the hinges had a removable pivot pins, on one of the hinges the pin could be pulled out by ones fingers.

A lot of old style aluminium windows are easy to get through- the section that holds the glass in was on the outside, after pulling out the rubber seal there was enough play to pop this alu section off and then the glass could be removed......

Eoin

[Broithe]

2 minutes ago, murrayec said:

@Broithe yes I had a similar situation once, the hinges had a removable pivot pins, on one of the hinges the pin could be pulled out by ones fingers.

A lot of old style aluminium windows are easy to get through- the section that holds the glass in was on the outside, after pulling out the rubber seal there was enough play to pop this alu section off and then the glass could be removed......

Eoin

That situation also exists on some early uPVC frames.

 

You can get bolt-pins which will stop the door coming out with the hinge pin removed - and interlocking hinges that have the same function.

Edited March 4 by Broithe

[WRENNEIRE]

"I was once asked to get into a shed, after the owner had clicked the padlock with the keys still inside."
Looks to me like it wasn't the first shed you weren't asked to get into......  

[Mayner]

I went through a shed building phase about 5 years ago, the idea was to free up space in the house and my model railway room/workshop, but ended up even more clutter

Original plans were to build a 'modern" contemporary design of buildings but ended up buying proprietary sheds because of the lower cost.

Went for timber piled foundations on our largest building the traditional house foundation in this part of the World. 

Piles installed the heavy duty polythene is to prevent air-borne moisture rising through the building, a standard detail for this form of construction.

Treated joists laid on treated 4X3 bearers,  this building was intended to carry a heavy load! mainly storage.

We installed a proprietary 'undeflooor' insulation before fixing the flooring (Joists and Flooring was supplied as a kit with the shed.

The other shed was built off an existing concrete slab. I again used plastic as a damp proof membrane laying the bearers on bricks with felt damproof course between timber and the bricks.

Used expanded 50mm polystyrene insulation in walls and ceilings lined with ply.

Shed waiting treatment with cedar oil, we went for a shingle roof for its rustic appearance.

Five years on I have not quite completed our 100 year old garage into a railway room, I still have to replace the current roller shutter with a set  of1920s style garage doors. It was re-roofed a couple of years ago potentially good for another 20-30 years.

The outdoor work area does not get much use, I still have to finish repairs to the large scale loco shed.

The Surprise-----play house re-located to an out-of the way position during the 1st Covid lock down.

The top provides useful (long term storage) or large scale model railway stuff.

I need to add a timber rack to the bottom section, lseeon you cannot have too much storage.

 

Edited March 5 by Mayner

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

5 hours ago, Mayner said:

I went through a shed building phase about 5 years ago, the idea was to free up space in the house and my model railway room/workshop, but ended up even more clutter

Original plans were to build a 'modern" contemporary design of buildings but ended up buying proprietary sheds because of the lower cost.

Went for timber piled foundations on our largest building the traditional house foundation in this part of the World. 

Piles installed the heavy duty polythene is to prevent air-borne moisture rising through the building, a standard detail for this form of construction.

Treated joists laid on treated 4X3 bearers,  this building was intended to carry a heavy load! mainly storage.

We installed a proprietary 'undeflooor' insulation before fixing the flooring (Joists and Flooring was supplied as a kit with the shed.

The other shed was built off an existing concrete slab. I again used plastic as a damp proof membrane laying the bearers on bricks with felt damproof course between timber and the bricks.

Used expanded 50mm polystyrene insulation in walls and ceilings lined with ply.

Shed waiting treatment with cedar oil, we went for a shingle roof for its rustic appearance.

Five years on I have not quite completed our 100 year old garage into a railway room, I still have to replace the current roller shutter with a set  of1920s style garage doors. It was re-roofed a couple of years ago potentially good for another 20-30 years.

The outdoor work area does not get much use, I still have to finish repairs to the large scale loco shed.

The Surprise-----play house re-located to an out-of the way position during the 1st Covid lock down.

The top provides useful (long term storage) or large scale model railway stuff.

I need to add a timber rack to the bottom section, lseeon you cannot have too much storage.

 

Lovely working environment there lad.

[Mayner]

10 hours ago, Gabhal Luimnigh said:

Lovely working environment there lad.

We more or less bought the place on gut instinct after a day visiting Open Home. Climate is a bit like the West of Ireland bit warmer without the snow, Spring tends to be dry, get lashed by gales (tail end of tropical Cyclones) during high Summer (Jan-Feb)

Unfortunately little time to play trains as a result of family commitments these days, though I did manage to tidy up the workbench to complete some unfinished projects and finish a (dead) tree felling/chipping exercise that will leave me with mulch for the garden next Spring (Sep-Nov)

Inside what was originally intended to be Wifes arts studio, I need to set up steel racking down the centre for more boxes of stuff from inside the house.

Grass had grown about 4" since mowed 2 weeks ago, the Waikato is good cattle rearing country, not great for cropping.

Small workshop the curse of finding storage space for electric/battery garden power tools

Not a good idea for using the workshop for 3D Resin Printing challenging to maintain temperature and humidity at adequate levels for successful 3D printing +25ºC  45%RH despite room heater and de-humidifier. Flame proof electrical and ventilation (Intrinsically Safe) system required using and post print cleaning of solvent based resins. (Large volumes of IPO used as a clean up agent.) 

Railway room/workshop, baseboards and backscene for 'permanent' layout set up 10 years ago, used mainly for storage!

Cleared the workbench for the 1st time since May 2023. Need to finish the ex-MGWR 2-4-0 for a customer and a J15 for myself, which should help keep me occupied for a few months.