Garden Sheds, types and uses
A garden shed is, in my opinion, an essential part of any household. But why do I believe it is so essential? Well, I found myself in the position of having a garage that I could no longer get my car into - the space was filled with articles that could so easily be put into a garden shed - lawnmower, weed eater, spades, forks, pots, tools of all sorts, pieces of wood - well, the list goes on and on. So I started looking around for a garden shed.
I was amazed by the huge variety of sheds available - they come in various materials - metal, plastic and wood. In my opinion by far the most appealing are those made out of wood - its only disadvantage is eliminated if care is taken not to allow the wood to come in contact with the surrounding ground - wet wood eventually goes rotten so the sides of the shed must be raised. Wooden sheds can be bought in kit form, but the suppliers will often erect the shed for you providing you have a prepared level surface for them to erect it upon.
Before deciding exactly which shed you want, you must give some thought as to where you want to put it. If you are going to spend some time working in the shed, then it is best to place it somewhere in the sun - there is nothing worse than trying to work while you are shivering. Though most garden sheds are considered to be portable buildings, it is worth getting in touch with the local council to establish whether there are any ground rules - typically you may find that you can not erect a shed within one metre of a boundary wall or less than 50ft of a main road. There may be a limit on the size you are allowed to erect. Establish any possible restrictions before purchasing the item.
Make sure that you have a truly level base - the base may be a concrete slab, paving, wood (old railway sleepers are a good idea) or gravel. Many sheds come with a wooden floor but, as I mentioned earlier, care should be taken to ensure it is raised from any possible damp or wet ground. I value a place where I can work in peace on various things, and the main item in my garden shed is my workbench. Having given it some thought I built a 6ft x 4ft workbench over a weekend - it is a solid item which is invaluable to me. I store several of my power tools on a shelf beneath it and keep all my tools on a panel I have attached to one of the walls. That takes up one corner of the shed. On another wall I have placed several large hooks and nails and all my garden tools are there - spades, forks etc. The mower now goes into its own space and I have put shelving down one wall for storage. Best of all - my car now fits in the garage.
One final tip - ensure that you have a good lock on your shed, or even two! Many of the items you keep there will be very desirable to others.