Shed extension #4

Just finished the NE shed roof extension #4. It is about 8 x 13 ft in area. The sturdy frame ran directly off the low workshop roof and 3 good sized corrugated sheets covered it. Tek screwed every 2nd corrugation to fasten.

Extension # 4 framework. 

The beam is recycled hardwood 5"x 2" about 14 ft long. The purlins are recycled and new galvanized steel top hat.

Framework from north roof

Cyclone Dylan was heading for us on the 30th Jan, so battened down the wyloyard and home in preparation for it. (Astronomical King tides of about 4 m were happening too, so any storm surge would have had a big effect if the timing was coincident) The port of Townsville was cleared with all big ships steaming out to sea before it reached land. However overnight Dylan changed course, intensified to Category 2 and veered southwards to cross near Bowen on a low tide. It hammered in from seaward and Hamilton Island in the WhitSundays experienced 120 km/hr winds plus some damage. At Airlie Beach a few yachts broke off their moorings, with one 28 footer becoming a total loss. As Townsville was were north of the eye, we were in the navigable semi-circle, and experienced only 25-40 knot winds coming from the SW and minimal rain..the wind had to cross hundreds of km of land mass to reach us so got weakened by that.


After the cyclone all clear, i returned to make a hinged shutter window on the wall below extension #4. It is simply a corrugated iron sheet set horizontally, with two hardwood beams 3 x 1" across at each end. Two pivots were made of 10 mm threaded rod going through 12 mm holes drilled through the upright poles. 60 cm rods hold it up at each end in the open position to let the breeze into the workshop area. A fern garden just outside helps the natural cooling effect, it felt like having about 2 fans going. It drops down quickly to control temperature, if the winds too strong, at night or in driving rain squalls. It is tek screwed onto the upright posts to hold it fast in cyclones.

Finished extension with ventilation shutter and irrigated fern garden

Ventilation shutter from inside shed's workshop area

I first came across horizontal shutters on Manihiki Atoll in the Cook Islands in the 1970s, Many houses there had wide eves, lower walls about 1 m high then horizontal shutters above these. (no glass windows at all) The shutters were made of 3" x 2" pine frames, galvanized nails and masonite, then painted. A bolt each side for the pivots which were placed about 1/3 down from the top to give some balance. Inexpensive but quite effective.