Shed buying advice!

[larkim]

SWMBO wants a new potting shed for her 40th birthday (shopping trips to New York, spa weekends, designer handbags are not her thing!) and we're getting tied up in knots trying to decide whether there are better options available to us by scouring the interweb.

There seem to be two areas of confusion for us - style of "cladding" and thickness of the cladding.

Some firms quote "overlap", some "shiplap", some "tongue & groove" and some "tongue & groove shiplap". I'm happy with "overlap" (plain boards, overlapping each other). I think I'm OK with shiplap (plain boards with a shallow section cut from opposite sides, so that whilst the boards can overlap the overall surface is more or less vertically flat). Its the "T&G shiplap" that I don't really understand. Can anyone enlighten me (and give me a good steer as to which is the most long lasting / preferable / sturdy).

Then timber thickness. There is a range (BillyOh) which appears to pride itself on the "strength" of the sheds. That uses 11mm timber (T&G apparently). Another local provider says it uses 16mm "T&G shiplap". Is it worth spending the extra on those 5mm?

Any other relevant info gratefully received!

Thanks

Matt

[John Rumm]

IIUC T&G and T&G shiplap are basically the same thing in this context - a T&G board with an outer face that is profiled with angles close to the tongue so that the water runs off rather than sitting in the corner of the profile.

The T&G probably gives a slightly more wind proof finish if using thin timber, so is often the choice of "budget" sheds.

Probably, but it depends a little on what you expect the shed to do and how sturdy you want it.

[Tim Watts]

I was just looking at the BillyOh sheds (need a couple of small pent-roofed sheds for garden and bike stores).

They *look* quite good and the prices are similar to the total crap the garden centre sell (just been round looking).

5mm will probably make it a good bit more solid, but 11mm T&G is still quite good compared to the regular crap most sheds are made of.

However, even a s**te shed can last a long time if you:

1) Fix the felt down well (I always puts loads of bitumen glue on as well as nailing - for my new ones, I might even try torch on just for the practise. The roofs are the weakest point, especially if the gales get a bit lifted.

2) Floor - if you can make sure this is free draining then that will help. Mine will go down on loose laid slabs onto a sand base (maybe sand+cement in a 1:7 ish mix) and I will leave the joints open for drainage.

3) Rain - paint it will a high quality finish.

[Piers Finlayson]

Last time a shed was required, SWMBO wasn't prepared to wait while I ammassed enough timber and got around to building from scratch. (To be fair, this is probably reasonable given how long some of my projects take.)

We bought a BillyOh - I think the 10x8 Lincoln T&G Apex.

Next time, I'll definitely build from scratch, with decent quality timber and make do with the wait. I don't have much to compare the BillyOh to, but I wasn't terribly impressed by its strength/robustness, and I don't expect it to last for more than 5 years (in tough Welsh weather). When it needs substantial fixing I expect I'll just build a new shed around the old one!

[NT]

A lot depends on the shed's dimensions. But whichever way I dont think I'd buy a shed kit, I'd build from scratch again. Re thicknesses, its like asking how long a piece of string do you want.

NT

[D.M.Chapman]

Dunno where about in the UK you are, but if you are around the south east try to get a look at

looked around a fair bit, and they were streets ahead of most other places we looked at. Decent pressure treated wood, all stainless fixings etc etc

No connection, just a very satisfied customer :-)

Darren

[brass monkey]

Loglap is another option -

Then timber thickness. There is a range (BillyOh) which appears to

[MuddyMike]

Build you own, I did and the result was a shed that will last and exactly fits the space available.

Mike

[Tim Watts]

How did the timber price work out compared to a kit shed?

[GB]

I don't know what cedar costs, but we had a cedar shed which was quite old when I was a child (or so it seemed to me!). We still own the house, and the shed is still there. The last time it was treated was when I was a child. I must admit that it's showing a bit of wear now. BTW, I'll be 60 next year.

[MuddyMike]

I never compared, I needed a shed of and exact size and design so building my own was the only way to go. Take a look at

for what I did.

Mike

[Tim Watts]

Nice!

But I fear I must fix your nomenclature: it's not a shed, it's a house!

Lucky bastard! ;->

[larkim]

Thanks, yes the "local supplier" option had occured to me. Its no difficulty for them to build standard panels etc to our spec I suppose. It did take us long enough to actually find a design that she was happy with

is the style she likes, with or without the glass roof option), but the price seems pretty steep, so she is contemplating a compromise!

Matt

[D.M.Chapman]

I'm sure buying the treated wood ourselves would have been cheaper but I didn't have the time to do it. Taking the time it would have taken me I'm not sure it would really have been a saving either - obviously, if time isn't taken into account then it alters things a bit.

Skinners delivered and erected the shed to our size within a few weeks. Took them 90 mins and a couple of cups of tea to put up. Well worth the extra to not have the hassle of building my own.

Darren

[sm_jamieson]

Sometimes its worth getting a cheapish slightly flimsy job, and bolstering = it up a bit with some 2x4s. That does not take long, and you have all the c= ladding and stuff done for you and a strong shed. Similar idea to buying some ikea furniture stuff just for the timber. Simon.