Garden Sheds

[Rob]

Time has come to put a shed in our small garden for storage and occasional whittling. 8x6 should do it nicely and this style looks just the job:

of questions:

There seems to be quite a range in price and specification. Local garden centres (Derbyshire) are roughly double, for example, although these include assembly. On which:

How difficult are these to assemble? All looks quite straightforward to me from the guides.

Thanks, Rob

[TMC]

Shed is a doddle to erect about an hour for two people should do it easily

felting easy from a pair of stepss for this size

creating a suitable base is generally more time consuming and harder work

I have gone for a 4" concrete slab for the 2 I have just done but both a bit bigger that the one you are looking at

level slabbed area would work well

an arrangement of bricks or blocks with timber bearers the opposite way to the floor support on the shed works

getting this level can be a bit of a faff

However the joy of dropping the new shed floor onto a nice level surface cannot be underestimated

[Rob]

Excellent, thanks. It'll be on an existing paved area, should be OK, I'll check level and 'smoothness'.

Rob

[Nightjar]

You do need to look at the specifications carefully. I have one 6' x 8' shed that is quite lightly made, with the thinnest of timber and roof sheets and lightweight roofing felt. It usually feels damp inside and any breeze passes through the gaps.

I have another 2.4m x 4.8m shed that uses substantial, well braced, timber and heavyweight roofing felt, which results in a very good weather and wind resistant interior. Size for size, that shed range cost about three times as much as the other shed.

It is quite straightforward with two people. For a small shed, it is probably possible to bodge it with one person and temporary braces, but two people make life a lot easier, as does choosing a day without a lot of wind.

Make sure it has a good base and that it is well secured to it. Strong winds can move surprisingly heavy sheds. My small shed has a 4inch concrete slab. The larger one is built on a waterproof 22mm chipboard floor, which is mounted on 6" x 2" joists, joined by 3/8" thick galvanised brackets and heavy carriage bolts, the whole being kept off the existing paved area by surplus industrial grade 15mm thick UV resistant plastic grid matting.

Colin Bignell

[Dave Liquorice]

I'd still use cross bearers but smaller than 3 x 3 maybe 2 x 2 and some form of DPM at the crosspoints.