[cotterpot]

Someone tell why it is unsafe to pull the 100A main fuses - they are shrouded and no way can you stick your fingers inside. So you have to break the wire seals, but so what....my house, my rules.

From a revenue protection perspective the supply companies take a very dim view. If you break the seals and pull the fuse you can "safely" by pass the meter. The penalty for abstraction can be quite high and having a prepayment meter is inconvenient to say the least.

Easiest way to get safe isolation is to call your energy supplier and ask for a 100A double pole isolator to be installed downstream of your meter. Some suppliers will even do this FOC (npower)

I have never had a supply company check my meter/fuse otherwise they would have noted the seals are not complete - the fuse was pulled some years ago when I had a new fusebox, and armoured cable run out to the shed. All they are interested in is collecting my money, and they have someone come and read the gas/elec meters every 6 months for that.

[bibendum]

Where do you live?

[Peter Pan]

Do you get more blokey shed points for the amount of illegality or potential fire-hazards in your shed?

[stevelup]

Yes, but only if your shed is close enough to your house that it would take it out during the explosion.

[Peter Pan]

Sorry to resurrect the Shed Topic again (and why not!) but I am having a Blokey Shed Night with a chum to discuss the construction of a Winter Shed for Henry the Royal Enfield motorbike. Anyone done this? Security isn't a requirement, protection from the winter is and smallness is desirable. I was thinking of buying an off-the-shelf shed and butchering it to size as I don't think I can buy the materials even at trade staff prices cheaper!

[Propwash]

I was thinking of buying an off-the-shelf shed and butchering it to size as I don't think I can buy the materials even at trade staff prices cheaper!

My old, self-built wooden shed gave up the ghost about 3 years ago after over 30 years of loyal service. Being much lazier these days, and with a wife who can't abide the swearing that is involved in my building projects, I decided to get an off-the-shelf wooden shed from a well known, large supplier. It was among the worst decisions I have ever made. It cost an arm and a leg, yet the wood, despite being treated from day one has already warped to the extent that you can see in from outside. The door has dropped on its hinges, and when I looked at it more closely than I obviously did when I put the shed together, I found that one of the "support" struts, between the lower and middle cross beam on the door was fitted the wrong way round when the door was constructed, hence absolutely no support at all; next summer I will have to build a new door. I may yet build a whole new shed to replace it, or if my wife has her way, get a plastic one!

PW

[Peter Pan]

Blokey Shed Night was delayed, however this evening armed with torches we have now come up with a plan. I am still looking at the cost of buying the timber vs a good quality off-the-shelf shed and butchering it, but need some advice on the floor - concrete or timber? The 'shed' will be a pent-roof big enough for a motorbike only, opening doors front and side and on a slight slope of maybe 6" at the far end of 3m.

We think concrete, but we could do wooden beams and marine ply on top of the soil giving an authentic 'sheddy' smell, especially when some petrol and oil have inevitably dropped onto it

[nallen]

Concrete. (And how much blokier can you get than mixing the stuff?) You can posh it up with some proper floor paint -- you'll still gather engine oozings and accompanying smells, but at least you'll be able to wash them off occasionally when it all gets too slippery!

[Sellbydate_Expired]

Concrete for sure, it's more rodent proof, a point worth mentioning if you lived anywhere similar to us.
There is the railway bank, river, an old reed-bed, and open fields behind so the Pied-Piper would be more than welcome here.
If your location is not dissimilar, the use of the expanded mesh that plasterers use to reinforce corners is very useful nailed to every corner or edge, it stops the little bu66ers getting a start.
They have great trouble on a flat panel, but the corners are easy peasy. It matters not that there may not be, from the rats point of view, food inside, they HAVE to gnaw on things.

[Flyin'Dutch']

Only use concrete if you are absolutely certain YOU are never going to have to take it up.

[PeteSpencer]

Concrete, then lay 2 x2 battens on the concrete and put a wooden floor over it= good ventilation and no rain ingress.

Block the gaps at the edge to stop rodents and voila a shed fit not so much for a bloke, but for a king.............

[nallen]

Only use concrete if you are absolutely certain YOU are never going to have to take it up.

Ah, but the only thing blokier than laying concrete is smashing it up with a large hammer...

[Keef]

Concrete removal is one of the most therapeutic activities I know. Those big drill thingies give you a real buzz!
This house was surrounded by concrete paths, which did a great job of holding water up against the structure. They've all gone, replaced by "French drains".

The first shed that I erected was put on concrete slabs (not a poured concrete base). It's still there, many years later. Mind you, in those days creosote was available and it was well soaked.

[harry remmington]

Check out a second hand half sized container - no floor needed or concrete. Just get it delivered with a hiab to drop it in position. Make sure the door is facing away from prevailing wind/rain.
Not as expensive as you think http://www.1stcontainers.co.uk/shipping ... zAodziDetw

And if you are feeling more expansive http://www.1stcontainers.co.uk/conversions.aspx

We have had a few in our time and you don't loose much when you sell on

[Peter Pan]

Check out a second hand half sized container - no floor needed or concrete. Just get it delivered with a hiab to drop it in position. Make sure the door is facing away from prevailing wind/rain

Hmm - I think Mrs Pan was hoping for something as inconspicuous as possible and this is not going at the bottom of the garden...

Thanks for the rat tips. We hadn't forgotten that as one of the reasons we had to rebuild the village pavillion was damage done by rats & bunnies.