New Garden Shed Arrives

My new shed arrived today, which is pretty exciting when you're as sad as me! Before we moved I had a large shed in the garden and another fair-sized shed on the allotment but now I'm down to just one shed. However, it's 16' x 8' which is about the same space as the old couple put together. At least that's the argument I used to convince Val to let me have that size.

At the risk of offending my readers of the female persuasion, I reckon a man has a special relationship with his shed. Where else can a man tramp over the floor with muddy boots on and not fear his eardrums bursting from the scream? Where else can a man leave his junk wherever he wishes without being told to clear up that mess? No wonder we love our sheds.

Cheap Garden Sheds

Since people tend to move house every five to seven years on average, it can make sense to just buy a cheap shed. OK, they aren't going to last much longer than that but if you're not going to be there, why bother?

Since we don't intend to move from here, ever, I wanted a shed that last. That meant I had two options; to build my own shed from scratch or buy a quality shed.

Build Your Own Shed

The benefits of building your own shed are that you get a shed exactly as you want and to the quality you want. That assumes you're capable of doing the carpentry properly. Personally, I'm quite good at carpentry and enjoy it. There's something very satisfying about working with wood.

The drawbacks are time and cost. Unless you've things like a gas nailer, just fixing all the boards to the bearers is a lot of time hammering. The shed manufacturer obviously gets his wood wholesale and last time I costed building a shed, the materials alone were more expensive than buying one from the manufacturer.

Buying a Quality Shed – What to Look For.

The first thing to check is what the materials are. Particle board roofs are fine so long as the felt doesn't tear and let water in. Once water gets into the board it swells and rots in short order. So a proper wood roof is preferable.

With the floor, the same applies except that floors are even more vulnerable to water and damp. Also, unless the board is high-density and thick, board floors can't take the same weight. Reasonable quality of wood is a given and treated against rot so it will last.

We came across a local manufacturer who met all my requirements for construction quality and the design was just right for me, Gwynedd Garden Buildings. Not just the length and width but also the height. This one is eight foot to the apex and has a full height door. No more banging my head going in and an airy feel inside.

Because our site is subject to high winds, they added reinforcing metal bands across the panels and used a high-quality, thicker roofing felt than is usual in a shed. The roof trusses are well made as well, providing plenty of support and adding rigidity.

They also offered a reasonably priced erection service. A nice couple of lads who knew exactly what they were doing. It took them about three hours to get it up and they didn't cut any corners.

Even though the wood is treated and 15 year rot resistant, they suggested it was wise to treat the wood against the weather. Since water may get spilled on the floor when potting up, treating the floor is also a good idea. So a first coat of Cuprinol went on, which took me slightly longer than it took them to erect the whole shed! Another coat tomorrow.