Driveways and boat storage

[Ozzie]

Mate, we got all the topsoil and grass stripped back down to the clay and put down about 2 inches of 20mm river gravel. This was about twenty years ago when the kids were finished needing lawn to play on and I was finished with mowing the bloody stuff.

Now we have zero grass, other than the footpath. As there is hard clay under and solid rock below that it’s great to park cars, caravans boats and Motorhomes on and work on them. For the odd weed we use a gadget called a hot devil weed wand. Powered by the same butane cylinders you use in the stove. No bending over, no weeds to dispose of. And. Instant gratification. Also great for weeding our paved areas. My wife actually enjoys weeding now. Finds it quite meditative

https://www.mitre10.com.au/hot-devil-we ... lsrc=aw.ds

[Peter T]

Awesome !
Love it, how would it go with weeds in white river stones? Would it burn black or can you adjust it so that it doesn't leave the stones looking burnt ? And at $45 , it's a bargain.
Thanks

Peter

[Ozzie]

Never had problems with discolouration of the brick pavers or gravel. When I do it I usually just boil the top of the weeds which mostly kills the root as well, but might take a few days to fall over. This is fairly quick. Mr wife however likes the “ charcoal chicken “ roast version where the weeds are gone immediately.

It does not always work and you can get regrowth from serial pests like onion weed. But as my late father used to say the only way to remove onion weed is with a D9 bulldozer.

[Peter T]

Thanks Ozzie, think I might have to get one.
As for the onion weed, your dad was right. I know of a case where the roots of it were dug up to a good depth and it was placed at the bottom of a 4 to 5 meter square and deep hole in solid clay. It all reamerged about two years later and you could pick out the exact location of the square by it. My dad did get rid of the onion weed that he had when younger, fenced it off and ran chooks on it for 10 years. Every time it showed itself, the chooks chopped it off and it eventually died.

Regards Peter T

[Raya]

My Investigator spent many years parked in the backyard. I used various covers to protect it but they all either fell to pieces eventually or managed to hold pockets of water. In the end, I gave up with covers and left it to the elements. The boat stood up pretty well notwithstanding the rain water that the find a way inside nor the deteriation of the woodwork. When my retirement was pending, I decided that a large shed was a necessity to occupy my spare time and, of course, the shed would have to house my Investigator as well as leave room for a workshop.

I settled on a shed measuring 8 X 10 metres with 3.8 metre wall height. The 8 metre length was derived from the length of the mast plus a bit. I've had the shed for about 4 years now and am pretty happy with it. If I had a chance to design it again, I'd make it a little wider so that when the boat is in the shed with the outboard on the back, there was a bit more room to walk around it. I'd say the 8 metres is the minimum length to house the boat. Also, I would install a roller door that was wider than the standard 2.7m doors that came with the shed. You don't have much room either side when backing the boat in so some extra width would be an advantage. I'm very happy with the height. It allow me to walk around on the deck without having to stoop. The skylight is very effective and I'd recommend one to any would be shed designer.

It really is good having the Investigator under cover. The only issue now is that it gets a little dusty if I don't take it out for awhile.

My Investigator's mooring

[Peter T]

Great looking shed. It's really nice to be able to have them under caver and yes David, that's also a great idea. My lifting frame is the best part of my shed I reckon. Makes life so easy and you just need a little bit longer ladder to be able to get into the boat when it's on the lift. Also, when the boat is on the trailer, it can still be parked within the lift. I made it wide enough to be able to do that with ease. Also, the lift was not that expensive, just two full lengths of 90 x 90 x 3.6 RHS as well as a few scraps

[Andrew]

That a great shed Ray, thanks for the specs especially the length minimum of 8m.

I've been mulling over the idea of just a covered car-port type with open sides and corner posts (that could get some shade-cloth covering below roofline ). with the side open it would give more access and allow wind to blow through the high structure in a cyclone/reduces side wind loading and cost. A standard height car garage next to that for workshop perhaps. The higher we go up here with cyclone building regulations, the price escalates dramatically.

[Raya]

A carport type would be nearly as good as a full shed. Keeping the rain and sun off the boat is the aim. If the boat is under cover, you can also leave the hatchs open so that you don't get the high humidity and condensation in the cabin. I lived in Townsville for ten years and know all about the mould that grows over everything during a decent wet season.

The Gold Coast is in Reg B wind zone, Townsville is one higher (ie Reg C) so more bracing needed than mine. The cost of my shed (including installation) in 2016 was $23,000 which included the slab. I thought that wasn't too bad. The shed was bigger than council allowed so I had to apply for a "relaxation" of the code. No problem to get one, just give the council $2000.

[Peter T]

Yeah we a think that councils are there with a purpose for the people. Build a new house and find out just how wrong that is. The only purpose of any council is to rake money off the people. They are legalised thieves, nothing more than that.
And why do they do that ?
Because they can

[Watto]

Got a carport in front of a garage. However he garage is stepped up into. Works perfectly for the boat, don’t need a ladder to access as the boat clear the steps on the trailer.

Ignore the pics of me sucking in my COVID belly.