Have You Got The Shed That You Want, A Few Tips To Help You Get The Right Space.

When considering building a shed in your back garden you have to first consider where you are placing it and what size it is going to be. In the United Kingdom as long as the footprint of the shed is no larger than 15 square meters, and that a pitched roof is not over 4 metres high (A flat roof cannot exceed 3 metres high) you should be all right. Speak to or email your local planning office about the placement of your shed as there may be some issue with the placement of a shed within a certain distance from the boundary.

Once you have decided upon the placement of your shed you have a few options available to you for the foundations. You can either dig out the footprint and lay a concrete footprint (allow for cement, sand and skip hire to get rid of the waste) or you can opt for the pier foundation route this is where you rest the shed on concrete blocks. The weight is distributed between each pier and the wooden structure is then lifted off the damp ground reducing the amount of rot that will occur (ecological and quicker).

Once you have the pads in place you should think about the frame work of the shed. What are you going to insulate the shed with and consider where you are going to place the openings for your windows and doors. Covering the inside of your shed with plyboard with an internal sandwich of high tech insulation that is only a few centimetres thick covered externally by wooden cladding. This is great if you want to squeeze the most out of your space but if you want a more organic feel I would consider straw bale with a lime render (great insulation for sound and warmth). For the structure itself using either well treated beams or hardwood’s such as oak beams will help you maintain your building.

To ensure that your roof is completely sealed you can either use felting over battoning or a chipboard (just make sure that this is sealed properly). The other option is to scrounge some old tiles from either your local reclamation yard or speak to a roofer that might have some that he is removing from an old house. Make sure that you have a good layer of waterproofing down under the roof tiles. Another option for the more adventurous is shingle roofing tiles which will need to be maintained but look fantastic.

A shed can be as basic or beautiful as you like and the only real restriction is time and money. You can often keep your costs right down if you are good at scavenging around for things. Your local garden centre could provide you with a shed that you can adapt to match your exact needs. Hope this has been of help and happy shed building.