Professional Builder visits regular reviewer and skilled carpenter and joiner Ollie Allen, who is building a studio in his back garden, with a little help from us, of course.
It’s surely the dream of Professional Builder readers across the country, to build a space in your own garden where you can unleash your creative potential, get hands on with some raw materials and while away the hours with a tool in your hand, the radio on and maybe even a mug or two of tea on the side. Sure, some of the more jaded of our readers may see no difference between that dream and their normal working day, but there can be no doubting that Ollie Allen will be putting the studio to good use, stretching his imagination to the limit to craft ever more beautiful objects. With that in mind, we decided to get in on the action, rounding up some of our favourite manufacturers to chip in some products to help. We even got a chance to dig out the tool belt from the back of the cupboard and lend a helping hand. Here’s what Ollie had to say about the various products.
Norbord SterlingOSB Zero
Using Norbord’s SterlingOSB Zero was the first thought when it came to designing a modular and easy-to-build timber framed building. Compared to other sheet products on the market, it stands up to weather and humidity really well, it’s lightweight and even better on a typical build budget.
Norbord use UK grown timber and process and manufacture everything here in UK, which is really good to know it’s not clocking up air miles – that makes for a more sustainable future for the building industry.
OSB has long been a favourite of mine for building with, it cuts great without chipping and splintering, it’s uniform and it doesn’t move after installation, which is perfect for timber framing projects.
We are using 11mm to skin the exterior before cladding in shingles and 18mm board as the interior face. These two boards combined with timber studs or PIR boards make for a really fast and strong method of wall construction.
Norbord CaberShieldPlus
I knew I would have periods of time when weather would affect the build schedule, being in Yorkshire where it’s wet approximately 95 per cent of the time, and this build has been no different! So I turned once more to Norbord and their CaberShieldPlus system, once installed with their D4 adhesive, it’s rated for 60 days of bad weather. It’s perfect for those ‘roof off renovations’ or the first floor of an extension, especially when customers change roof window designs every other week!
The flooring is super easy to install and has a tough and durable outer coating of melamine, similar to a kitchen workshop but textured for grip. Using the Polyurethane glue in the joints, it gives extra waterproof protection and keeps out the elements whilst you build the rest of the structure. I have found the boards easy to clean, which helps keep the dust levels down compared to typical dry chipboard flooring products.
Quickslide Flush Windows and Doors
The moment I saw Quickslide’s range of Flush casement windows and doors I knew they were serious about design, architecture and functionality. Sleek and modern, perfect for a new build or renovation project, these doors and windows have integrated perfectly into our build and will look great paired with the modern Cedar shingles we are using for the exterior cladding. Quickslide are another great example of British manufacturing and have invested in new plant to manufacture this new ‘Flush’ range of products, we were lucky to have one of the first products off the new line, all built in Yorkshire too! I went for the standard multi-point locking system in Matte Black for that ultra-modern look. The units arrive fully built up, have protective corner packaging and are delivered by the company’s own team, so no worries about anyone on site smashing loose double glazed units which is always a worry when receiving uPVC windows from suppliers.
Werner Ladders
We have given the Werner 72006 ladder a good run on our timber framing project and it’s proven an invaluable tool. There’s a lot of talk about ladders and concern with health and safety these days, which I think Werner have addressed nicely with the large and sturdy ‘basket/cockpit’ design. This allows you to stand at the top and reach at full arm’s length, whilst still being securely stood within a protective area on top of the ladder.
It’s worked out really well for high impact work such as nailing/screwing and sawing whilst at height. It’s pretty lightweight and easy to move, slightly heavier than the aluminium counterpart but does have that extra material for the standing area.
Rockwool Insulation
I chose 75mm Rockwool RW45A insulation because it’s specifically designed for timber frame applications and fits between 600mm studs perfectly. It has a ‘soft edge technology’ which allows for snug fitting – you simply pack it neatly into the stud pocket and it expands to fill out the gap in its own time. It’s packed in easy to handle bales and has been really simple to install, with great sound insulating properties which is ideal for standalone buildings like this project.
Ollie was confident that the project would be completed in time for the May bank holiday. Needless to say we will be heading up North again to check out the finished studio and find out what this human whirlwind of creativity has up his sleeve next.
There’s a huge choice out there for off the shelf garden rooms and offices but I wanted to build something from scratch which was not only of everyday benefit to me and my family but could then be offered as a package to other potential customers .Key to this is using standard size timber products to reduce cutting and materials which are all easily to access via my local merchant. Its mostly been a weekend and spare evening project for me but working flat out, two men could complete a building of this size comfortably in a week. And at a finished price that would put seriously undercut those you see offered in the glossy brochures. Ollie Allen.
