I'm planning to make a timber frame and flooring for a 3 x 2.3m (10 x 8ft) prefabricated garden shed. The construction method I had in mind is similar to the following image from Flickr:
For the floor I was planning to use 190 x 35mm (approx 7 x 1.5") H3 treated pine but something I'm not sure of is whether I should leave a small gap between each piece of timber to allow for expansion because of moisture / temperature? Below freezing temperatures are extremely rare here the normal temperature range is about 5 – 38C (40 – 100F).
Best Answer
There is no need to leave a expansion joint cause treated lumber has a tendency to shrink when it gets warm due to the moisture leaving the lumber. In my experience nail everything tight cause when it does shrink you will have perfect joints.