Need your shed project complete within a strict time frame? Racing towards a deadline? Can’t afford your timeline blowing out? There are a number of ways to fast-track your shed project; from thorough planning to having the most efficient design and materials.
With over 5,000 completed projects around New Zealand, we have a team of in-house experts in design, consent and project management who have expertise and processes to ensure your project is completed in a timely manner.
In this blog we will delve into how you can speed up your shed project; from checking your site and design are feasible in the early planning stages to ensuring the design and materials will provide an efficient and speedy build time.
To create a realistic timeline there are many factors to consider with a shed project and you don’t want to make mistakes with the design and later wish you had taken the time to understand the options.
Find out more about common mistakes to avoid when building a shed in this article.
When planning your shed project, it’s crucial to do your due diligence to ensure you don’t run into anything that could cause delays or even cost blowouts with your project.
A huge part of this is in relation to your site, from the ground conditions to the council requirements, which vary dramatically from property to property.
We have an in-house consent team, who have a lot of experience working with the councils around NZ and up to date knowledge of what each of them typically require for shed projects. Additionally, our team can do a feasibility study on your site to ensure you are aware of any issues that may arise during the consenting process, and we can guide you through your options to mitigate any delays with this.
For example, some councils may require a Geotech report to be done on your site before you can start works. Knowing this could be needed beforehand saves time going back and forth with the council and ultimately assures your project moves swiftly through the council consenting process.
There are ways to save time with both the process of designing your shed and the design of the shed itself, as when the shed is designed efficiently there will be opportunities to save time with the construction of the shed.
Standard ‘off-the-shelf’ designs can be a time-saving option to go ahead with, as the plans are often already drawn, so there is very little time needed for that stage. However, if you are needing a custom designed building, some companies may need to get external contractors to design the shed you require and can be time consuming going back and forth with engineers. At Alpine we have an in-house design team that work closely with our engineers to ensure that your shed is designed quickly, efficiently, and accurately.
Further to the speed of the design process, the actual shed design has the potential to save you time, and the Alpine system includes several features and processes to ensure you have a quick and efficient build.
In a typical shed design, joist hangers are screwed onto the beam or rafter with 10-12 screws, and then the purlins are set in these joist hangers and screwed into place. However, the Alpine system uses a pre-welded J-cleat which the purlins simply slot in, and are bolted into place, saving copious amounts of time during the shed build.
See the difference between a J-cleat and a joist hanger here.
Time can often be wasted during construction when all the materials you need aren’t there or aren’t up to standard and need to be replaced. The Alpine process includes a triple checking system, which means three people check your kitset before it leaves the yard. This ensures all the materials are in your kitset ready for you to put your shed up quickly.
At Alpine we have a strict timber grading process to make sure the materials that turn up on your site are of the highest quality and you don’t have to waste time sourcing replacement materials at the last minute.
We also strip-stack the timber packs and allow them to dry over a few weeks which takes the water content from around 80% down to less than 20%. This means the timber that turns up on your site is light, straight and easy to work with, saving you time when building the shed and decreasing the risk of injury.
In summary, you can speed up your shed project by doing research into your site condition, council requirements and making smart choices with the design of your shed by using systems that have are designed with efficiency in mind.
Click here to find out more about the Alpine Process from plans to delivery.