SkyShed Construction
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SkyShed Plans. (http://www.skyshed.com).
SkyShed Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com).
General thoughts and comments
This has turned out to be a multi year project, but I went into this knowing well that this project would require patience, a heck of a lot of time, effort, and the learning of a few trades I have never dabbled in before.
Before jumping into any observatory construction project, the most important thing is to PLAN PLAN and PLAN. After that, set aside a budget, and expect to run over. I estimated a budget, and assumed I could easily run 25% above that. I have.
I will limit my discussion to this specific project, and keep the detail somewhat limited. The SkyShed yahoo group has archives of my project as well as others, so feel free to check it out! I mostly want to share my construction photos here. Please FEEL FREE to contact me with questions, either direct, or through the Skyshed group. I am happy to share my experiences, provide suggestions, and if you live in the Massachusetts area and want to see a Skyshed up close and in person. By all means. Let me know. Prior to beginning the project (almost a year prior), I visited a Massachusetts Skyshed owner, and it proved to be invaluable for solidifying my decision to go with the project. Ask questions. Take pictures. Plan. Never hesitate to ask others for advice/help. It can save a LOT of frustration. Plus put some trust in your own instinct. :)
Wise Words:
-Check with your local building inspector, pull permit(s) as required. Your building inspector can provide a wealth of guidance. Don't be afraid of the 'man'. Different sized observatories may have different code requirements!
-Building codes aren't all that tough to adhere to.
-Measure twice, or even thrice. Cut once.
-Take it slow and easy. Building an observatory shouldn't be a marathon. Fast isn't safe. Fast fosters mistakes.
-Use the right tool for the job. Borrow or rent if you have to.
-Never hesitate to ask for help from friends. Don't break your back.
-A level/square foundation/deck is critical to success. As the saying goes, your house is only as strong as its foundation. If the floor/foundation is level, and of perfect dimensions for your observatory, the walls will go up square and level (still double check as you go along of course).
Another point:
-You can build the observatory like a regular old backyard shed.. right on the ground (refer to local building codes first!). But you WILL suffer from frost heaving/settling over time. This will throw level off on your observatory, requiring adjustment. Going this route will be cheaper initially, but -may- lead to tweaking/tuning and additional work. My suggestion. Build a real foundation. Either lay a concrete slab (hire someone if you need to), or build a concrete pier/post foundation. Make sure it is constructed properly to resist frost heaves.. i.e. putting concrete posts below your local frostline! Again, see your building inspector or local code for details. Do it the right way.
The Materials
The wood. PROTECT your materials! use high end heavy duty tarp. Raise them off the ground with pallets. Keep moisture out. CHECK the wood periodically to make sure Carpenter Ants are not invading! I luckily caught carpenter ants in the pile early on. I eradicated the colony by manually intervening (the foot and hammer method), and encircled the wood pile with ant killer pellets. Even better. If you have a garage or such storage area. Use it. Next year's project is a garage (yes, I will hire a contractor)... so no good for me this time. The damage.. a few 2x4's had paths chewed into them. Very very minor.
When purchasing wood.. try to purchase at least 10%-15% more than you need for the
project. Mistakes do happen. Wood is a natural material. Boards get
broken, cracked, or turn out to be too warped for proper use. To prevent interruption
to work, have the materials on hand, rather than forcing yourself to make multiple
trips to the lumber yard mid project. Wasting valuable daylight time when you could
be building :) I had to make a few trips for sheathing, and a trip at the very end
for extra siding (mildew got to a few 1x10's). AND I did purchase some 15%-20%
extra in material.
Fabral Grandrib 3 roofing. Not the same as the Skyshed plans, but this is available in my area. The stuff suggested by Skyshed was not. It works perfectly fine. Just make sure to plan ahead so you have enough materials to cover the roof properly and have a decent amount of overhang on the gable ends, as well as the front and rear (the sloping down side) of the building for proper water runoff. Get an extra sheet or two beyond what you need. Just in case one is bad.
Fabral roof ridge cap. This roofing material is basically sheet metal with a special coating added to prevent corrision. Its pretty good stuff. Very light weight. Very strong. It does the trick. But as I mentioned once. BE CAREFUL in its handling. Sheet metal is sharp along the edges. When installing follow the manufacturers instructions closely to make sure you prevent leaks. you don't necessarily have to use any sealant with this type of roof. It is optional. I use a suggested Butyl metal roofing/gutter sealant. It worked well.
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