Wooden sheds seems to have picked up an old-man tag. There?s nothing wrong with that, of course ? we were really fond of Arthur Fowler in Eastenders; and if a guy wants to smoke his pipe away from the kids, why not? But, old men is not all that sheds are about. In fact, if you?re looking for a shed, there are lots of different sizes and designs to choose from nowadays. And people use them for all sorts ? including home offices.
So, what should you be thinking about if you?re looking for the right construction? Here are a few pointers to set you on your way.
How much space have you got for your new wooden shed?
This might seem obvious?but it?s also easy to forget. How much space have you got in your garden or yard? And you need to think about height as well as ground space.
Where will it go? Are you going to hide the wooden shed away or use it as a focal point? Wherever you?re putting it, you should make sure the ground is level and dry. A gravel or concrete base is ideal ? never straight onto grass, because the wood will most likely rot.
What size shed? The size of shed will obviously depend on the amount of space you?ll need and what you want to use it for. Are you wanting it for storing gardening equipment? Do you need space for small-scale gardening work, like potting plants? Or, will you be spending more time in there ? if it?s going to be a home office space, for instance?
Will you need windows? Again, the longer you?re going to spend in there, the more likely you?ll want to get something with windows. If you?re only storing equipment, windows are not necessary ? in fact, in terms of security, you?re probably better with a shed you can?t see into. Bear in mind, the quality of windows will differ between models ? some will open and others will be fixed.
How secure does it need to be? Wooden sheds can resemble anything from a large cupboard to a miniture house. The larger versions tend to have stronger frames, use thicker wood and incorporate a sturdier door.
Do you want internal tables or shelves? Again, this will depend if you want to store certain equipment, or if you want to work in the shed.
How easy is it to assemble? You might want to ask how easy the shed you?re eyeing will be to assemble. They look great in a shop, but not so great in flat-packs. The easiest ones to assemble are the those already constructed into panels ? it means you don?t have to do any cutting, installation of windows, or covering of the roof. Be honest, how good are your DIY skills?
Should you coat your wooden shed? Your shed should come with a guarantee, but you might still want to think about giving it a protective coating. If you?re going to do this, it might be worth doing the work before you construct?
