Sheds fit for purpose
Sheds have been a cornerstone of the Great British garden for many years now. Love them or hate them they have their uses, some more appropriate than others and some quite simply ingenious. To some sheds are a second home and others a necessity for storing things that would otherwise clutter up the garage.
With Britain enjoying rather indifferent summers over the last couple of years times are changing and many of us are looking at starting the arduous yearly clean-out. Top of the list is usually the garden and with that comes your shed. Aside from mowing the lawn and cutting the hedges your shed is often in need of repair having been subjected to all that rain sodden winter weather. Whether you see fit to repair or replace it altogether your shed often takes pride of place in your garden.
Choice is a given for anything these days and sheds are no different. So depending on your budget and need you can find what you want by simply searching on the internet. So what is the general rule of thumb for those of us who have or want a shed? Choosing a shed in relation to the size of your garden, well most of us anyway, sheds are bought on a proviso of what we intend to use them for. As alluded to the enthusiasts among us spend a rather considerable amount of time either occupying or modifying the sheds structure so that it feels like a home from home. Naturally then, you would think a spacious and well built shed would fit the bill for the rest of us, allowing room to move around without bumping your head on a truss support as well as keeping out the winter weather.
Ah but there is so much choice and everyone has different tastes. Something like a tongue and groove apex wooden shed with double doors is a good place to start looking then as this typifies most people’s image of a shed with its pointed roofing. Traditionally tongue and groove apex sheds are more structurally secure and better finished than the equally established overlap style shed. Tongue and groove apex sheds are rigid structures, include extra roof trusses if necessary, offer spatial interior especially in the height, allow easy run off for rain and can bought invariably with a breadth long window feature to filter in the light demonstrating that these wooden sheds have stood the test of time. All needed then is the addition of a few personal touches like a workbench if you’re into DIY and furniture making or a comfy sofa if all you want to do is chill-out in your own space.
If your interest in sheds goes no further than using it as a storage space then security is likely to be one of your most important requirements. And as long as it can store all that is needed, whether it’s the tools and supplies for your allotment, somewhere to store the kid’s toys as the colder months set in or as a temporary storage space until the extension to your house is made. In this case a basic looking shed such as a pent shed (flat roofed) or storage unit that could be used to store bikes. Pent sheds and storage units are available in metal, wood and plastic so it really depends on your outdoor setting and which suits best. Some people are of the view that one material is more secure than another but that is questionable with many established methods of shed construction these days.
With sheds as popular as ever due to their varied use, materials used and construction methods there really is an overwhelming choice. So as a rule of thumb, take a step back, and say to yourself what do I need it for and does it fit into the garden adequately?
