DIY SIPs

I have a need to build a shed within my workshop. It's been fecking cold in there this winter - also, my tolerance to the cold has dropped somewhat (oddly enough, not on the bike so much). Anyway, I have a workshop space of ~24'x30' and propose to build a

16'x16' single-storey inner workshop. There's no need for weatherproofing obviously, and two of the walls are there already (they will simply be clad in foam). That leaves a 16'x8'high wall to be built, which would be tedious and back-breaking doing it with block (I have the blocks, but f*ck'em) then insulating that. The idea of SIPs appeals, but nobody around here does them and anyway I don't need all that many, so not worthwhile travelling very far to collect.

So, this leaves the notion of making my own. Looking at SIPs online, there's not much to them. Two outer faces of OSB, a core of EPS and glue between. I can get all of that locally, and reasonably cheaply too. I'm thinking of standardising on 8x4 sheets, which give a reasonable ceiling height of 8' and lay them up on end, each one slotted into its neighbour, then bolted up as necessary. A top plate recessed into the row of them and joists resting/nailed to that. They'd all be sitting on a footplate of 4"x2" timber.

I'm thinking of using canned expafoam as the glue, as I had some large degree of success with that last year, sticking EPS panels to the walls and inside of the roof structure during my back room conversion.

Clamping them down while the glue sets is a challenge - initially I supposed I could just lay a deadweight of concrete blocks on them but that's a lot of backbreaking bollocks and exactly what I want to avoid, so I thought of literally clamping them to the floor with a transverse type of clamp, bolted down at either end for a couple of hours /days, whatever.

Any thoughts anyone? Anyone done it?

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon
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I have a need to build a shed within my workshop. It's been fecking cold in there this winter - also, my tolerance to the cold has dropped somewhat (oddly enough, not on the bike so much). Anyway, I have a workshop space of ~24'x30' and propose to build a

16'x16' single-storey inner workshop. There's no need for weatherproofing obviously, and two of the walls are there already (they will simply be clad in foam). That leaves a 16'x8'high wall to be built, which would be tedious and back-breaking doing it with block (I have the blocks, but f*ck'em) then insulating that. The idea of SIPs appeals, but nobody around here does them and anyway I don't need all that many, so not worthwhile travelling very far to collect.

So, this leaves the notion of making my own. Looking at SIPs online, there's not much to them. Two outer faces of OSB, a core of EPS and glue between. I can get all of that locally, and reasonably cheaply too. I'm thinking of standardising on 8x4 sheets, which give a reasonable ceiling height of 8' and lay them up on end, each one slotted into its neighbour, then bolted up as necessary. A top plate recessed into the row of them and joists resting/nailed to that. They'd all be sitting on a footplate of 4"x2" timber.

I'm thinking of using canned expafoam as the glue, as I had some large degree of success with that last year, sticking EPS panels to the walls and inside of the roof structure during my back room conversion.

Clamping them down while the glue sets is a challenge - initially I supposed I could just lay a deadweight of concrete blocks on them but that's a lot of backbreaking bollocks and exactly what I want to avoid, so I thought of literally clamping them to the floor with a transverse type of clamp, bolted down at either end for a couple of hours /days, whatever.

Personally I'd just insulate with 4" foam panels where required. Build a stud wall to suit at the wanted distance. Plasterboard the lot and paint in white for light reflective qualities. As for the ceiling, same applies unless you're going to hang from it by a rope, whereby it won't have much support for any dead weight. Batten the floor, lay a simple board floor with or without insulation as is your want,

Why make it complicated

Reply to
Nthkentman

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