A Guide To Building Your Garden Shed

It is often a married man's haven, a fortress of solitude to which escapes the hustle

and bustle of daily life, but to most it's a handy place to store tools, equipment and the lawnmower. You can buy one pre-built but where's the fun in that? Besides if you can't build one then you don't deserve it in the first place!

Your first step is to choose a location, its best not to stuff it up against the hedge but don't be stupid and put it in the middle of your garden. Mark out an area just larger than the size of the shed on the ground. Although you won't need to build foundations, a hard standing is quite important to keep the shed sturdy. Begin by stripping the topsoil of your marked area and pour a couple of inches of sand which will compress over time. Then place a series of paving slabs onto the area, hammer them down with a rubber mallet and use a spirit level to make sure they are level.

Assuming you understand what a shed is supposed to look like you can go ahead and design that yourself, make it as big or as small as you want but remember that extra large structures need more support. Build each panel with a diagonal support beam for strength and to avoid twisting and warping.

Make your base up from planks of timber and protect it from dampness by applying an additional coat of wood preservative. Place it centrally on the hard standing while taking into account the location of the door.

When you set up the first wall, you will probably need a helping hand unless you can find something to balance it against, nail the bottom of the wall to the floor and position the adjacent wall, ensure the corners are securely joined.

When constructing the roof, keep in mind that it will drain water so do not position the lowest point above the door. You will need to waterproof your roof which is easily done using felt; this can be securely fastened to the roof of the shed but will need replacing every few years.

Use preservatives to treat all the wood so it will cope with weather and moisture many wood paints are pre-mixed with treatments. Finally, watertight your shed with silicone around all the internal joints.

Complete the shed with a sturdy door that won't be blown open with the wind and is secure. Depending on the size of the shed and your budget you may want to include windows but these aren't vital. Now just enjoy it, use it to escape life and all its troubles or just store stuff in it, whatever floats your boat.

by: Tom Doerr

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