Hi All
I am looking to build two sheds, one for general storage and one for our rabbit (soon to be rabbits) to live in. The second one therefore needs to be fox proof, and rat and mouse proof as far as possible too. We know there is a local fox that has snooped around previous rabbits, and we've had problems with mice and rats looking for rabbit food before too.
I already have one 6x4’ timber shed (B&Q shiplap, apex roof) which has been treated and is ready to go up. We purchased this in a hurry to use as a temporary solution but changed our minds and decided to finish the whole project in one hit, but this shed will need to be used somewhere.
I am intending to use the timber shed for storage and build a block work shed for the rabbits. I propose to lay a concrete slab for both to give the best longevity and mouse proofing. I also want to make an aviary style enclosure for the rabbits to be outdoors in safety when unsupervised. There is another much larger fenced area which will be attached to this enclosure so the rabbits can run freely when there’s someone around in the garden.
My preferred layout is as below, although I’m open to other suggestions. I have drawn the block shed as 6x4’ also but may extend it. We've got a 5x2' two story hutch to go in it, so a bigger shed might make life easier for cleaning out and so on.
I am undecided about the roof style and therefore the door location for the block shed. I think I would prefer an apex roof, but I would also prefer the door to be inside the aviary, so perhaps it will have to be a pent roof. Does anyone have any designs/drawings/pictures of small block sheds to inspire me? What sort of roof construction would you advise? The previous wooden shed had a pent roof and this allowed leaves and dirt to collect on the roof thus shortening its life. I will also want to insulate the roof, although the hutch will be insulated, the rabbits wont be closed in the hutch so they may not have the sense to stay where it's warm!
I have never done any brick work or construction before so I have quite a big project before me. I do have a mechanical engineering background and am alright at general DIY so hopefully it’s not beyond me. I can call upon my old man for assistance if needs be, he has a bit more experience with these sorts of projects.
For the foundations, I know I will need a concrete slab for the block shed so I think I might as well also do one for the timber shed to aid its longevity. I also need to lay something under the turf to prevent the rabbits digging out/fox digging in to the aviary. I’ve probably got enough paving slabs lying around to do this. I should probably lay concrete foundations for the aviary sides to prevent their timber frames from rotting too.
How far should the foundations be oversized for both the block work and timber sheds? Should I make two independent slabs or should they merge at the adjacent corner? Should I even go the whole hog and make one big L shaped slab going under the aviary too? I'd have to think carefully about how the turf meets the timber shed side if so. How much depth of soil does turf require to grow well?
The soil in this area of the garden is well compacted and supported as it is quite close to a retaining wall (which runs along the back of the rabbit shed and compost bin). Any one know how to specify concrete type and thickness for this application?
Sorry for the long post and all the questions, thanks for reading!
I am looking to build two sheds, one for general storage and one for our rabbit (soon to be rabbits) to live in. The second one therefore needs to be fox proof, and rat and mouse proof as far as possible too. We know there is a local fox that has snooped around previous rabbits, and we've had problems with mice and rats looking for rabbit food before too.
I already have one 6x4’ timber shed (B&Q shiplap, apex roof) which has been treated and is ready to go up. We purchased this in a hurry to use as a temporary solution but changed our minds and decided to finish the whole project in one hit, but this shed will need to be used somewhere.
I am intending to use the timber shed for storage and build a block work shed for the rabbits. I propose to lay a concrete slab for both to give the best longevity and mouse proofing. I also want to make an aviary style enclosure for the rabbits to be outdoors in safety when unsupervised. There is another much larger fenced area which will be attached to this enclosure so the rabbits can run freely when there’s someone around in the garden.
My preferred layout is as below, although I’m open to other suggestions. I have drawn the block shed as 6x4’ also but may extend it. We've got a 5x2' two story hutch to go in it, so a bigger shed might make life easier for cleaning out and so on.
I am undecided about the roof style and therefore the door location for the block shed. I think I would prefer an apex roof, but I would also prefer the door to be inside the aviary, so perhaps it will have to be a pent roof. Does anyone have any designs/drawings/pictures of small block sheds to inspire me? What sort of roof construction would you advise? The previous wooden shed had a pent roof and this allowed leaves and dirt to collect on the roof thus shortening its life. I will also want to insulate the roof, although the hutch will be insulated, the rabbits wont be closed in the hutch so they may not have the sense to stay where it's warm!
I have never done any brick work or construction before so I have quite a big project before me. I do have a mechanical engineering background and am alright at general DIY so hopefully it’s not beyond me. I can call upon my old man for assistance if needs be, he has a bit more experience with these sorts of projects.
For the foundations, I know I will need a concrete slab for the block shed so I think I might as well also do one for the timber shed to aid its longevity. I also need to lay something under the turf to prevent the rabbits digging out/fox digging in to the aviary. I’ve probably got enough paving slabs lying around to do this. I should probably lay concrete foundations for the aviary sides to prevent their timber frames from rotting too.
How far should the foundations be oversized for both the block work and timber sheds? Should I make two independent slabs or should they merge at the adjacent corner? Should I even go the whole hog and make one big L shaped slab going under the aviary too? I'd have to think carefully about how the turf meets the timber shed side if so. How much depth of soil does turf require to grow well?
The soil in this area of the garden is well compacted and supported as it is quite close to a retaining wall (which runs along the back of the rabbit shed and compost bin). Any one know how to specify concrete type and thickness for this application?
Sorry for the long post and all the questions, thanks for reading!
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