Bud Wiser UK
This Bud's for you!
Outdoor, indoor? ... where's shed-growing go?
For my second post ... not so much a guide as a 'this-is-how-far-I've-got' project-still-under-construction, and I'm splitting it into parts. I wanted to start growing indoors under lights, but I don't have a useable attic or cellar and I didn't fancy a tent in the corner of my living room, so the only option open to me was the garden shed. It's been mainly a carpentry affair so far .. so enjoy the ride, the renovations have been made with growing weed in mind.
Also, I've never done this before, in fact, I've never even grown under lights before, so this is a bold step for me .. and there will be blood! I'm working with theories, forums, books, basic physics and Google, along with a smattering of engineering and outdoor-growing experience. My plan is to grow some autos and photos in the greenhouse May-Oct and grow autos-only in the shed under lights Nov-April .. winter's best because in the summer the shed gets too hot to grow, and it's much easier to heat a room up than to cool one down.
You'll need: a garden shed, carpentry skills or a mate with some, a shitload of timber, OSB boarding and nails (don't forget the nails like I did!), a reliable tape-measure (important), another mate with some power-tools you can borrow if you don't own any, and a few days of good weather. Oh, and some bucks! Well, actually, more than some, because you've got electrics, equipment and insulation to add to the total bill further down the road, that's if you're serious.
Anyway, back to the build. Part one, the roof.
This was the starting point:
The roof was leaking, the walls were damp and the floor sloped. But it was a solid timber-frame construction and with a little love, she could be saved. The roof was the main issue, because that was what was causing all the other problems, so I set about fixing it with a completely new roof, with enough strength to support lights of all types and a bit more water-proof than the last one (hopefully).
As the shed was warped and parts were rotten, and with the UK weather being as reliable as a politician's promises, I decided to build my roof on the ground first, then just lift it on. This allowed me to build a solid well-constructed nice-and-true roof that weighed a fucking ton!:
The sheeting isn't fixed by the way, just cut to size so it can easily be added later. I nailed guide batons to the sheeting when it was all laid out on the floor to make it easier to line stuff up. They came off when it was all nailed in place.
Leaving the old roof on until the last minute proved useful too, because it then took me a few days to find some mates to help me get it on:
Roof now on, and it fits (that's why I mentioned a reliable tape measure earlier):
The gaps needed to be filled now, and the roof felted:
I undertook this project because it made me feel 14 again, building a 'den'! I've had so much fun with wood and power-tools this summer, even if the whole thing fails, I can put her up on AirBnB at $100 a night ... complete with LED lighting!
If growing outside in a shed interests you, then stick along, you can learn from my mistakes if nothing else!
More carpentry to follow ...
Bud the Builder
For my second post ... not so much a guide as a 'this-is-how-far-I've-got' project-still-under-construction, and I'm splitting it into parts. I wanted to start growing indoors under lights, but I don't have a useable attic or cellar and I didn't fancy a tent in the corner of my living room, so the only option open to me was the garden shed. It's been mainly a carpentry affair so far .. so enjoy the ride, the renovations have been made with growing weed in mind.
Also, I've never done this before, in fact, I've never even grown under lights before, so this is a bold step for me .. and there will be blood! I'm working with theories, forums, books, basic physics and Google, along with a smattering of engineering and outdoor-growing experience. My plan is to grow some autos and photos in the greenhouse May-Oct and grow autos-only in the shed under lights Nov-April .. winter's best because in the summer the shed gets too hot to grow, and it's much easier to heat a room up than to cool one down.
You'll need: a garden shed, carpentry skills or a mate with some, a shitload of timber, OSB boarding and nails (don't forget the nails like I did!), a reliable tape-measure (important), another mate with some power-tools you can borrow if you don't own any, and a few days of good weather. Oh, and some bucks! Well, actually, more than some, because you've got electrics, equipment and insulation to add to the total bill further down the road, that's if you're serious.
Anyway, back to the build. Part one, the roof.
This was the starting point:
The roof was leaking, the walls were damp and the floor sloped. But it was a solid timber-frame construction and with a little love, she could be saved. The roof was the main issue, because that was what was causing all the other problems, so I set about fixing it with a completely new roof, with enough strength to support lights of all types and a bit more water-proof than the last one (hopefully).
As the shed was warped and parts were rotten, and with the UK weather being as reliable as a politician's promises, I decided to build my roof on the ground first, then just lift it on. This allowed me to build a solid well-constructed nice-and-true roof that weighed a fucking ton!:
The sheeting isn't fixed by the way, just cut to size so it can easily be added later. I nailed guide batons to the sheeting when it was all laid out on the floor to make it easier to line stuff up. They came off when it was all nailed in place.
Leaving the old roof on until the last minute proved useful too, because it then took me a few days to find some mates to help me get it on:
Roof now on, and it fits (that's why I mentioned a reliable tape measure earlier):
The gaps needed to be filled now, and the roof felted:
I undertook this project because it made me feel 14 again, building a 'den'! I've had so much fun with wood and power-tools this summer, even if the whole thing fails, I can put her up on AirBnB at $100 a night ... complete with LED lighting!
If growing outside in a shed interests you, then stick along, you can learn from my mistakes if nothing else!
More carpentry to follow ...
Bud the Builder
