Spec me a Man Shed

[TW]Taggart · 27 Feb 2012 at 12:36

Moving house on Friday and the garden is big enough for a good sized man shed. Been to BnQ and this is about the right size for my needs:

http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/garde...-double_door_sheds/10X7-Shiplap-Shed-11987586

So I'm looking for around 10/7 foot with double doored entrance. budget max is £500 excluding base materials

Has anyone got any good advice about buying sheds or building your own sheds?

I've always gone the bnq route in the past but as this is a larger one Id like to see what people think before go the same old BnQ route

moss · 27 Feb 2012 at 12:44

Cant recommend an actual shed, but I bought my last one from:
http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/
Service was great.

clv101 · 27 Feb 2012 at 12:47

A real man would build his own shed. It's not exactly rocket science - will work out similar cost, but it's so much cooler spending a weekend building it yourself from scratch.

Mark A · 27 Feb 2012 at 12:55

I'd go and have a good look at it and make sure its made out of decent materials. I'd imagine at that size and price it'll be very thin shiplap cladding. My neighbour bought a cheap shed and its already falling apart. Its not been there for even 6 months.

I'm going to be doing the same this summer and will be building my own. Draw it all out on paper and get an idea of the materials you will need then ring round a few local timber yards to get the best price possible.

EDIT: Yep it's 12mm shiplap cladding and 34mmx 34mm framing, it'll be really weak and flimsy.

bazaarboy · 27 Feb 2012 at 13:57

[TW]Taggart;21353369 said:
Moving house on Friday and the garden is big enough for a good sized man shed. Been to BnQ and this is about the right size for my needs:

http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/garde...-double_door_sheds/10X7-Shiplap-Shed-11987586

I bought almost the same one (just 1/3 smaller) from B&Q, v easy to put together, good quality too
My main piece of advice is make sure you have a flat and solid base
I dug, put a 10cm layer of hardcore and 16 x 60cm paving slabs

realBabelfish · 27 Feb 2012 at 14:23

moss said:
Cant recommend an actual shed, but I bought my last one from:
http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/
Service was great.

odd, i bought my 10x12 XXL from there and its crap. badly made and they didnt send me enough felt, which i only realised when i was roofing it. so i had half a roof for 2 weeks while the rest came to me. i would NOT recommend them!

OP: make sure you get a really level base. concrete would be easiest. we tried to do ours on timber bearers and it was a pain in the backside.

mp260767 · 27 Feb 2012 at 14:32

currently set to put one up at my new place, on "dad" advice got slabs going down then concrete fence posts to support the floor, no over hang from the posts, so the waterflows off the shed and underneath it without soaking into the base.

moss · 27 Feb 2012 at 14:40

realBabelfish said:
odd, i bought my 10x12 XXL from there and its crap. badly made and they didnt send me enough felt, which i only realised when i was roofing it. so i had half a roof for 2 weeks while the rest came to me. i would NOT recommend them!

I bought mine in the mid 00's, just looked now and the manufacturer of my shed is no longer on their site. Mine is great quality even now after 7 years.
Maybe the quality/service has reduced since.

Mark A · 27 Feb 2012 at 14:43

mp260767 said:
currently set to put one up at my new place, on "dad" advice got slabs going down then concrete fence posts to support the floor, no over hang from the posts, so the waterflows off the shed and underneath it without soaking into the base.

So just paving slabs onto the soil?

The base is the one thing I cant decide on. I don't want to lay a full slab of concrete as that's just overkill. I was thinking of digging 6 holes and filling them with concrete, then laying concrete blocks on top to raise the shed slightly above ground level. Then use 4" x 2" timbers.

I'll be using 3" x 2" timbers for the frame, with 20mm shiplap cladding. External ply for the roof, covered with felt.

I am also going to stain each board individually before nailing it to the shed, that way when they inevitably shrink you wont see white lines where there is no stain.

For anyone building their own i'd recommend borrowing or renting a nailgun. I have built a few sheds and the amount of nails you use is mental. My wrists are always sore after the build. I am going to buy a dewalt 18v one as I'll be using it at work as well.

Jay794 · 27 Feb 2012 at 14:45

I'm currently trawling eBay for a decent shed design, some people man-caves on there, cheap too!

Thinking of getting a shed and adding an outdoor kennel for the dog

[TW]Taggart · 27 Feb 2012 at 14:51

as much as id like to build a shed... I need somewhere to store my tools first. I will however be building the car port and doing all the fencing/gates

http://www.buildeazy.com/carport.html

I did find this: http://buildeazy.com/shed_1.html

Mark A · 27 Feb 2012 at 14:55

Well just make sure you buy one that is a bit better than 12mm shiplap. A kid could kick a hole through that quite easily. I guess you are limited by your budget though. You might not even find anything better for that size.

Jay794 · 27 Feb 2012 at 14:56

I never understood the point of a car port, it's hardly secure is it, just build a garage instead, it's only bricks and morter

alexthecheese · 27 Feb 2012 at 14:57

moss said:
Cant recommend an actual shed, but I bought my last one from:
http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/
Service was great.

We ordered one from here last Wednesday/Thursday and it's due tomorrow. It's a 12'x6' 'BillyOh Lincoln 4000 Popular Tongue and Groove Double Door Apex Garden Shed'.

£365 inc. base. Pretty cheap really considering it's size and uncommon shape.

Gotta dig the footings tonight and pour the concrete in so we can start building it sometime this week. :cool:

alexthecheese · 27 Feb 2012 at 15:01

Jay794 said:
I never understood the point of a car port, it's hardly secure is it, just build a garage instead, it's only bricks and morter

Err... possibly because bricks and mortar is collossaly expensive compared to a car port?!!?!

Jay794 · 27 Feb 2012 at 15:03

Yeah but surely a car port does exactly what a car cover would do anyway

and car covers are significantly cheaper, you might as well park in a tent lol

mp260767 · 27 Feb 2012 at 15:23

Mark A said:
So just paving slabs onto the soil?

sry , should have been clearer.

hired a whacker for a day, compacted the soil, then hardcore, will spot the slabs, then put the fence posts on top of the slabs.

Mark A said:
The base is the one thing I cant decide on. I don't want to lay a full slab of concrete as that's just overkill. I was thinking of digging 6 holes and filling them with concrete, then laying concrete blocks on top to raise the shed slightly above ground level. Then use 4" x 2" timbers.

depending on the length/width of the shed 6 or 8 holes should do long as there solid.

would have thought 2x2 timbers would be, as long you brace the framework properly.

[TW]Taggart · 27 Feb 2012 at 15:32

Jay794 said:
Yeah but surely a car port does exactly what a car cover would do anyway

and car covers are significantly cheaper, you might as well park in a tent lol

its mainly for the car, and to do maintance on it. but also for the rainy bbqs and such like

Tom0 · 27 Feb 2012 at 15:33

Once you get a good solid build get some good electrics in before doing the final touches.

Nothing worse than having to faf about with cabling imo.

Admiral Huddy · 27 Feb 2012 at 16:22

Sorry, I have posted this before but might give you some idea.

I bought my workshop from southern sheds how erected on delivery..:

after:

Sheet fiting plasterboard throughout, heavily lined with some kind of foil insulation plus electrical work which is behind it's own RCD.

Cost me about £800 for the shed, £500 to fit out.. Still looking decent today.