garden shed

Pep

I know Xmas break is not the best time for garden work but nevertheless ...

I'm going to buy a garden shed and install it. How much hassle is it?
Also, many advice to erect it on solid ground. Is it really so? What if I erect it just on grass?
To make solid ground of course it would be more labour and material...

Advice welcome!

markos1963

What size are you thinking of? Anything smallish, 6x 4 or smaller can be layed on runners or well placed bricks as long as there isn't going to be a lot of weight in the shed or it's on a slope. Any bigger and imho it needs to be on something more solid.

I fitted a 12 x 8 in my garden this year, At that size I decided to put it on a concrete base, you'll need about 2tons of concrete for a 4 inch depth. I used my old shed slates as shuttering for the concrete and mixed it myself with a hired mixer. I put in the electrics myself with my electrician neighbour checking things over as I did them. I spent £500 on the shed, £200 on the concrete and hire, and about £100 on electrics. With some old carpet tiles and other bits I had to make a bench it's a great place to store my bikes, work on them and ride my turbo. Well worth the investment.

Pep

markos1963 wrote:

What size are you thinking of? Anything smallish, 6x 4 or smaller can be layed on runners or well placed bricks as long as there isn't going to be a lot of weight in the shed or it's on a slope. Any bigger and imho it needs to be on something more solid.

I guess prob 6x4 inches or thereabout, maybe slightly bigger.

Where do you take the electric from and how do you take it to the shed? Through underground??

Planning to store ordinary garden staff, lawnmower, and prob old bike + turbo.

Yossie

Just as an aside, haven't a load of posts disappeared from this thread? One of mine, two from other people?

cornerblock

Yossie wrote:

Just as an aside, haven't a load of posts disappeared from this thread? One of mine, two from other people?

I think he's building two sheds.

Yossie

Cornerblock wrote:

Yossie wrote:

Just as an aside, haven't a load of posts disappeared from this thread? One of mine, two from other people?

I think he's building two sheds.

So, like an estate of sheds? Cul de sac?

McBain_v1

There is another thread of the same title, posted two hours earlier by the same person :roll:

nevman

In that case heres the following tips again,

one person should be enough to erect the sides
dont bother with power tools-a multi tool will do it
see if you can back it into a tight space first-possibly build it from the back outwards
I used a pile of bricks to stand on
stand back and enjoy-bit like Kirsty`s Handmade crafts.

Yossie

And so should these. Especially McBain's first line



Don't buy a garden shed - buy a builder's shed: better construction, less flimsy.

Buy as big as you can - preferably with double opening doors to gets in and out easier without scratching. You'll also need room for a workbench , setaing area and drawers/boxes of bikle bits.

Bear in mind hanging space as well: it saves space to hang bikes rather than have them on the floor.

Don't build it yourself: chuck the dude at the shed shop some wedge to do it for you (£40 or so will do it) then either have it delivered or throw it on a flat bed trailer (when empty these things weigh nothing at all - four blokes (two either side) will pick it up easy as): much less hassle.

When you get it home, it needs to go on a level surface: either concrete slab or levelled and hardcored surface. Throw some thick planks underneath to raise it off the ground (6'' gap between the planking) - this will allow the area underneath to keep dry and not get damp. If you're not going to do this, then you'll need to put damp proof matting underneath unless you want it to rot away in no time.

Either way, just on plain grass is a big no - no: it'll just go all lopsided and fall over while you're in there and your mates are outside.

Fit 'leccy, a couple of strip lights, some carpet in there to keep things warm. Small heater, radio, comfy chair and a beer fridge are essentials. Line the roof as well. Baby monitors are also a good idea if you have anything valuable in there as you can set them up to hear what's going while you're in bed.

If you want a locking post in there, put it in place, drill through the floor where you want your locking post. Then get a couple of mates to pick it up while you dig a hole and fill it with concrete. Drop the shed down down, drop locking post through hole into the concrete. This way no one can nick stuff attached to the locking post by picking the post out of the ground because its held in place by the shed and the concrete. If you put the post in the corner as well it makes bolt cropping the chain a pain as well.

Fit curtains if you are having windows so nosey buggers can't look in and see whats in there.

Big lock on the ouside, then fit the hinges with security bolts (the ones that are round on the outside so you can't undo them) so people can't just take the hinges off to steal everything, If you don't want to get security bolts, just round off the normal screws/bolts so you have to drill them out.

Erect it (oooeeerrrr) out of sight of the road so passing thieves can't see what you have.

Don't let the wife/kids/their associated tat go near it.

HTH

Y

McBain_v1 wrote:

Is Yossie the "Garden Shed Guru" for whom we have all been waiting?

I would also suggest getting it made out of tanalized timber so you don't have to keep painting the damn thing every year to stop the boards rotting. Also, if you are putting a valuable bike in there (and what bike that you own isn't valuable?!) then consider one of those shed security brackets that you can anchor your bike to.

I'd advise against having curtains on the windows though because humidity changes will eventually make them go mouldy, instead go for blinds - easier to adjust and clean!

cornerblock

I wonder which shed will be built first? Shed 1 did start 2 hours earlier but he seems to have given up on it, so my money is on Shed 2.

secretsqizz

WIll his missus catch him up to something in shed 1 or shed 2?

markos1963

Pep wrote:

markos1963 wrote:

What size are you thinking of? Anything smallish, 6x 4 or smaller can be layed on runners or well placed bricks as long as there isn't going to be a lot of weight in the shed or it's on a slope. Any bigger and imho it needs to be on something more solid.

I guess prob 6x4 inches or thereabout, maybe slightly bigger.

Where do you take the electric from and how do you take it to the shed? Through underground??

Planning to store ordinary garden staff, lawnmower, and prob old bike + turbo.

If the shed is on grass then put it on bricks to stop water being drawn up and rotting the shed base. I took the electrics from the socket for my washing machine as it was closest to the shed and I could leave the washing machine on a permanant live and have the shed on a switched live. The steel reinforced cable needs to be buried at least 18 inches under the soil and I wired it into a garage fuse unit in the shed. If you are at all unsure about any of this in any way then get an electrician to do it for you(should cost about £100) I buy my electrical parts from a factors rather than a retailler as the difference in cost is massive.

nevman

Iv`e heard that he`s started Garden shed 3-he calling them Tom Dick and Harry

cornerblock

Ahh, maybe shed 1 is for the lawnmower etc.. and shed 2 is for the other stuff, nudge nudge.

secretsqizz

nevman wrote:

Iv`e heard that he`s started Garden shed 3-he calling them Tom Dick and Harry

Maybe he's like Danny 'Tunnel King' - builds sheds but can never go in them when they is finished.

cornerblock

This is like shed tennis.

nevman

secretsqizz wrote:

nevman wrote:

Iv`e heard that he`s started Garden shed 3-he calling them Tom Dick and Harry

Maybe he's like Danny 'Tunnel King' - builds sheds but can never go in them when they is finished.

that must be the opposite of cabin fever-shed flu?

Deuce

t.m.h.n.e.t

He doesn't have 2 sheds, he was one modestly sized but it has a secret trap door in the floor leading to NARNIA!

Ben6899

If he builds even more sheds, will #7 be the one where he listens to his Britpop music collection?

LeicesterLad

Shed #2 is for his wife to read her new Kindle in.

Cleat Eastwood

maybe he's related to josef fritzl.

McBain_v1

I bet shed #2 contains the entrance to his secret super-hero lair. Shed one is the 'public shed' that he shows people around.

lemoncurd

sorry please delete this shed

Yossie

Blimey - he's like an arboreal John Prescott with all these sheds.

garrynolan

Pep wrote:

markos1963 wrote:

What size are you thinking of? Anything smallish, 6x 4 or smaller can be layed on runners or well placed bricks as long as there isn't going to be a lot of weight in the shed or it's on a slope. Any bigger and imho it needs to be on something more solid.

I guess prob 6x4 inches or thereabout, maybe slightly bigger.

Where do you take the electric from and how do you take it to the shed? Through underground??

Planning to store ordinary garden staff, lawnmower, and prob old bike + turbo.

Is it just me, but does this not seem a bit on the small side..?

Gizmodo

garrynolan wrote:

Pep wrote:

markos1963 wrote:

What size are you thinking of? Anything smallish, 6x 4 or smaller can be layed on runners or well placed bricks as long as there isn't going to be a lot of weight in the shed or it's on a slope. Any bigger and imho it needs to be on something more solid.

I guess prob 6x4 inches or thereabout, maybe slightly bigger.

Where do you take the electric from and how do you take it to the shed? Through underground??

Planning to store ordinary garden staff, lawnmower, and prob old bike + turbo.

Is it just me, but does this not seem a bit on the small side..?

I did think that at the time but didn't like to say anything, but his garden "staff" are going to be pretty cramped in 6 inch by 4 inch. I wander how many people he employs?

nevman

I think he`s very considerate in providing shelter for them-must be quite cold fishing outdoors at this time of the year.

Mr Wood

This is a very nice idea you got there i must say. But i suggest building it using some plans because then it saves you alot of time. I suggest you to google some plans. Also there is a one blog about it that posts Shed Plans. I suggest you to check it out before you start building.
http://www.squidoo.com/my-shed-plan-review

Good Luck !
Mr Wood

Yossie

Mr Wood wrote:

This is a very nice idea you got there i must say. But i suggest building it using some plans because then it saves you alot of time. I suggest you to google some plans. Also there is a one blog about it that posts Shed Plans. I suggest you to check it out before you start building.
http://www.squidoo.com/my-shed-plan-review

Good Luck !
Mr Wood

Mr Wood .......................Garden shed.

Love it

nevman

if you need furniture for the shed,he`s got a French cousin,M.Bricolage.

Mr Wood

Yossie wrote:

Mr Wood wrote:

This is a very nice idea you got there i must say. But i suggest building it using some plans because then it saves you alot of time. I suggest you to google some plans. Also there is a one blog about it that posts Shed Plans. I suggest you to check it out before you start building.
http://www.squidoo.com/my-shed-plan-review

Good Luck !
Mr Wood

Mr Wood .......................Garden shed.

Love it

Im glad you love it