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When I bought my house, the lean to was a bit of a bonus - a space I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with but I was just grateful for all the storage space I could get after small space living in a flat in Brighton. But the survey said it was a ramshackle structure and needed pulling down so I resolved myself to it just being a dumping ground while I renovated the house.

In the months after moving into the house and starting the makeover, I quickly realised that apart from a bit of a leaky roof and some rotten bottoms of the frame timber, it was actually decent enough to think about doing something with. But it was full of junk from the tenants who lived here before I bought it and it was rat and spider infested. Made worse by piling up more of my crap on top of it all.

I can’t quite pinpoint where the idea of turning it into a gym came into play but sometime around August last year I started the process of clearing out the space and thinking about doing something with it, I cleared 5 vans worth of stuff - everything from rotting deckchairs and old worktops - that was clearly home to some big spiders and unidentified rodents. The main catalyst came when I bought a spin bike but because of the gaps in the lean to walls and where water leaked in onto the floor the air was damp and the rats were still getting in. So I decided to do it properly and make over my rattly old lean to into a lovely, fresh gym that I could prioritise my exercise in as I hurtle towards menopause. But I also needed to think about retaining some of the storage for some DIY stuff and the second fridge freezer that houses Monty’s raw food.

The before pics - before and after the numerous tip runs

The sealing and prep.

After getting very well acquainted with the folk at my local tip I was able to access all the makeshift shelving built all around the lean to. I removed it all to strip it all back to a blank canvas and then got started on repairing bit of rotten timber and sealing up any holes. Where the timber frame was bowing due to wood that had started to break down I cut out stud timber to carefully knock into place to start giving the frame some proper structure again. Then when it was sound all round I turned my focus to sealing holes which were letting water in or, indeed, rodents. I used scrap wood I found laying around using weather proof sealant and using battens to secure into place. In the corners, I made peace with using some expanding foam but I quickly found out rats and mice will chew right through it so I had to rethink - the next course of action was to stuff wire wool into any gaps I couldn’t get to to board up but then found a way to board up the wider area.

Where the frame of the lean to has lost integrity the door area was surrounded by gaps and the door needed shaving to open again. So I took the door off and took an inch off the bottom with my circular saw. Then all around the door I framed up the outside and created almost an overlapping border so no wind or moisture could get through. I then installed a rubber seal all around the outside edge of the door to stop drafts and reduce escaping heat.

Insulating and plastering.

After leaving everything for a few weeks to check it was watertight and all was sealed and free from unwanted visitors, I got started on the insulation by first foil insulating the timber walls. It was at this point I really started to feel the effects of all my hard work because the drafts ceased to be so noticable and I could play music without it being heard by all my neighbours.

It was then time to get the plasterboard up which was a much easier job than I had imagined, the main issue was that I regretted not creating more batons to fit it on to as the lean to frame wasn't sufficient for a snug fit. I ended up winging it by driving through screws to the exterior shed wall panels but this wasn't ideal. Working with the plasterboard was easy enough - you can just score plasterboard and then break with your hands so any awkward shapes are easily solved.

Finishing and filling.

Using scrim tape on the joins of the plasterboard I used Easifill to smooth over all gaps and then once dried sanded down. It’s not perfect but as a converted lean to it does the job! Getting the walls plastered wasn't a consideration as I could place that money elsewhere if I had it on other priorities like a new oven. But plaster boarding did the job and it felt excessive to go to that level! I didn’t extend the plasterboard to the floor as was going to fitting laminate and wanted to keep an eye on the bottom frame of the lean to so instead fitted some furniture board as a high skirting/kickboard which would be easily removable to check for rotting frames periodically.

Fitting the laminate.

I used laminate that was in my upstairs bedrooms to the gym - it was coming out anyway and it provided an excellent solution to keep costs down and reuse materials. But having used the gym for a few months if budget wasn’t a thing a better solution for it would be rubber floor tiles because it can make a noise when using a slam ball/jumping on it. But I’m happy with it, it does the job! I just using my jigsaw to cut the laminate to size as knew I was going to be fitting moulding to the edge so that would hide any unnest cuts. It just kept the job quick and hassle free.

Painting.

Love it when a project gets to this stage! I worked with Fresh Lick on this project - they helped advise me what paint could be an allrounder for my needs. Given this is a space within a wooden structure and built onto the side of my house half of the surfaces to paint were brick. Being as it’s the actual outside of my house it would need to be a breathable paint and one that supported my wellbeing using the space so water to go for something very natural. In the end I settled on Earthborn claypaint in Marbles - a creamy white that is warm and inviting and bounces light around. I really wanted this space to be airy and welcoming. The beams and upvc door are painted in some paint I had left over from another project.

Storage.

One side of the gym was to be kept as storage from some DIY stuff I have and then also my second fridge freezer. So I bought some PAX wardrobes that I fitted a curtain over (I also got lucky and got a free door for the main cupboard that was sitting outside in the freebie bin when collecting the frames).

The finishing touches.

I am really ramping up my exercise this year so wanted to make sure the space was efficient and supported me with this intention. I added hooks for hanging equipment and fitted some wooden poles to act as an exercise ball rack. I used an old Kallax I had hanging around to houses weights. I then researched which plants are good in cold spaces and picked up a spider plant, maidenhead fern and snake plant aka mother in laws tongue (always makes me laugh!). They are in their infancy at the moment but hopefully through Spring they will flourish and add some lovely green to the space. Everything has been thought out including where my iPad sits when I’m on the spin bike and also that I’m facing the door so I can look out to the beautiful hills and castle that can be so epic on a morning. The space is wide enough to move from side to side with ease during HIIT classes and then also that there is enough room for travelling around the mat flowing through yoga poses.

The lighting is designed up for different exercises, the LED lighting chain that is fitting to the top of the kickboard provides flattering light for workouts and then the gently pulsing diffuser light both fills the air with essentials oils and provides a soft light for yoga sessions.

While the sides of the lean to were fixable and will probably now stand for at least another 5 years, the roof of the lean to needs completely replacing as it’s rotten and water is getting through the felt. The OSB will need to be removed and new ones fitted and then new felt or rubber laid on top and water sealed. I have decided this is beyond where I want to take my DIY capabilities and am going to get someone to do it when I have the budget so I made the decision to see it out until the end of summer and instead fixed up some old thermal curtains and covered with linen tablecloths. It is doing a great job at keeping heat in.

I really love my gym and am in there pretty much every morning. It has provided me a safe space at home to workout (plus size folk will know how important this is!) and it means I have been able to prioritise my fitness among a busy work life, trying to establish a social life in a new place and juggling all the family stuff that comes from having a parent with Alzheimer’s.