# Forum Home Renovation Brickwork  Need help justifying besser block shed to wife

## Rip it up

Hey forum followers.  
I have a new house to be built on a 950sqm flat block. And the key feature is to have a besser block shed built in the back corner boundaries.  
The basic design scope  
The benefits of the besser blocks is obvious to me. But the wife is counting every dollar on the house build and wants to save money by putting up a steel shed.  
I'll explain my argument for block shed. I do a lot of fibreglass boat rebuilds as a hobby/ cashie work from home. I currently work out of a 6x9m steel shed with 2.4m gutters. Height of the roller doors limit me getting larger boats in the shed.  
The work creates bulk itchy dust which collects in the purlins and cross members of a tin shed. Not much fun on a windy day! But Besser blocks would create a smooth wall surface to eliminate the dust collection. The roof ceiling will be lined with either plaster or cement sheeting.  
Thermal insulation working in summer is sauna inside a tin shed. Besser blocks is cooler. Enough said. Whirly birds and vent fans would be used as well.  
Cosmetic. Besser block will be rendered to match new house colours. Tin shed is limited to colour bond colours.  
Noise. Imagine a 15amp triple cyl air compressor running for 6hrs straight! The noise generated by the grinding and sanding activities are huge. Besser blocks fully core filled will eliminate a large majority of the noise.  
Now I have had two builders quote the block work shed. Two very different prices. $80,000 and $110,000 plus earthworks.  
Now I have calculated a rough material price to justify / dismiss the quotes.  
1930 blocks in the two rooms 
$3/block (local brick sales) 
$4.50/block (price from local block layer). 
$14500 blocks.  
Slab. 
19 cube. @$250/cube. $4750+ mesh.  
Core fill. 
0.8cube per 100 blocks. 
16cub @ $250 + pump. 
$4000 
Items still needing prices. 
Steel roof structure. 
Roller door 5m x 3m cyclone proof (council) 
Roof insulation & lining. 
Plumbing works and earthworks. 
Pedestrian doorway and windows. 
Power connection. And fit out. 3 phase available. 
Scaffold for block layers   
So materials are roughly $24,000. 
Do you all think I could get the rest completed for another $20,000?  
This is drastically different to the quotes I already have. And a steel shed is about $30,000 fully constructed so the extra 10k I could get past the wife.  
Thanks for reading guys/girls. 
Let me know what you think.     
Damo's dodgy boat building factory.

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## JB1

I don't think you could get the rest completed for $20k to be honest. 
Question, can you comfortably afford to do it if it went to $50-60k? 
Secondly, I'm assuming you're owner building it but getting tradies to do the bare minimum?  
If yes to both, just tell the wife it will cost approximately $40k. Once it starts, you can't turn back, or you can just grow a set! PS, I take no responsibility for your marriage lol.

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## chalkyt

Hmm, just like justifying a new toy (sorry, tool) but a bit bigger. Taking the dark view... how much will you make from the repairs and what is the payback for the difference in shed costs (i.e. if there is say, $30K difference, how long before the volume of repairs covers this difference.) Then the killer blow, "without a 'soundproof' besser shed, Dear, the neighbours/council might shut down the repair activities and we will have spent the money on a tin shed for nothing AND lost the income!" Seems to me that the line has to be that the tin shed will cost, but the Besser will be "free" because the repairs will eventually pay for it (and without the repairs to keep you busy, you will be hanging around the house drinking beer, watching TV and getting in the way!)  :Biggrin:  :Biggrin:  :Biggrin:   
Disclaimer: "I am not a marriage counsellor!"

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## goldie1

Isn't it mandatory to have an emergency brick cyclone shelter in your area?

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## Rip it up

Thanks everyone. This house will be built by local builders. No owner builder. But the shed was originally going to be included in the builder scope.  
Would prefer to have the shed built prior to the housed it storage.  
I will probably project manage the shed and enlist trades to do the bulk of it. I will do the parts I can like earthworks, ceiling, roller door etc.  
The cashie work is a small time operation at the moment but is considered to be a business venture in the future, if my current employment dries up.   
Damo's dodgy boat building factory.

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## Random Username

Tin shed, add stud internals + resilient mounting for plasterboard, rockwool insulation.  It would have the advantage of not heat-soaking you through the night, assuming your nights are colder than daytime temperatures.  If you really want heat and sound insulation, look at something like the timbercrete bricks.  Super Insulator | Bricks Pavers Cladding Timbercrete

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## phild01

> Tin shed, add stud internals + resilient mounting for plasterboard, rockwool insulation.  It would have the advantage of not heat-soaking you through the night, assuming your nights are colder than daytime temperatures.  If you really want heat and sound insulation, look at something like the timbercrete bricks.  Super Insulator | Bricks Pavers Cladding Timbercrete

  If the stud internal, in itself, is a separate structure then the resilient mounts would serve no purpose.

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## Random Username

See also: Gyprock Noise Solutions for Homes - Gyprock 
(from a comment on a much earlier thread, I think that two layers of plasterboard is both as efficient as, and cheaper than, soundchek board).

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## phild01

> See also: Gyprock Noise Solutions for Homes - Gyprock 
> (from a comment on a much earlier thread, I think that two layers of plasterboard is both as efficient as, and cheaper than, soundchek board).

  3 sheets of 16mm Fire rated plasterboard will give a reasonable result;
also: http://www.bgc.com.au/plasterboard/m..._F&A_LR_FA.pdf

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## Random Username

Aha!  Here's the post I was thinking of (gee, all the way back in 2007) http://www.renovateforum.com/f208/do...85/#post615464

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## phild01

> Aha!  Here's the post I was thinking of (gee, all the way back in 2007) http://www.renovateforum.com/f208/do...85/#post615464

  I read that thread only last week.  Unfortunately Rod's link didn't work.  Generally fire rated sheets are used as the sound ones are hardly any better.  Read through the link I posted above.  I have been doing a couple of walls and find the biggest improvement comes from increased air gap in isolated walls.

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## Bros

> I have a new house to be built on a 950sqm flat block.

  Didn't know such a thing existed in Gladstone   

> I'll explain my argument for block shed. I do a lot of fibreglass boat rebuilds as a hobby/ cashie work from home. I currently work out of a 6x9m steel shed with 2.4m gutters. Height of the roller doors limit me getting larger boats in the shed.  
> The work creates bulk itchy dust which collects in the purlins and cross members of a tin shed. Not much fun on a windy day! But Besser blocks would create a smooth wall surface to eliminate the dust collection.

  Gee with the air compressor and dust and the smell of fibre glass resin one neighbour could shut you down then would it be worth it. I think to cover yourself you should think of getting a permit first as you could end up wasting your money.

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## Rip it up

Hey broz  
The flat 950 block don't exist in gladstone. But they do in calliope.  
The council is aware of my intentions and it's not different to my current operation. Albeit in a tin shed at the moment.  
The fibreglass dust is contained inside the shed. Regular clean up of the dust is done. Just trying to stop the collection on horizontal surfaces.  
The air compressor is getting its own external sound proof house.  
And finally I don't have any Neighbours at the new block.    
Damo's dodgy boat building factory.

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## Bros

Well Calliope is different. No neighbours now but if you did and you are on a residential block they could make things difficult. One of my neighbours is in a long running dispute with another neighbour about having a shed and their son collects cars and repairs and sells them and the other neighbour doesn't like it and the council has been out many times.

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## Rip it up

So an update about this shed.  
My preferred house builder has come back with a price on the original scope of the shed. Besser block main section, timber frame and weatherboard to the 3m x 3m room. 
All power, water and earthworks included. Insulation, timber truss and colourblind roof. Roller doors and windows, the steel lifting beam even was included.  
$64,500.  
What's the general thoughts on that price?  
Considering that a steel shed similar setup is $38,000, but has no electrical fitout or water etc.    
Damo's dodgy boat building factory.

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