Garden sheds can often be a big financial investment for a growing family, the space they offer for essential tools and maintenance equipment can be valuable. Whilst sheds originated as very simplistic "four walls and a roof" structure and were initially designed just to keep things safe and dry, our understanding of the materials and processes involved has developed to make them more complex affairs. To build a shed that will stand the test of time, it needs to be constructed from quality materials and built with the correct procedures.
The practice of building sheds on a level sand bed has all but disappeared in the modern construction. It is rare to see sheds built on a base made from anything but set concrete or paving slabs. If you’re going to mix and pour the concrete yourself, be absolutely certain that it is level before you leave it to set. Utilise the sand bed to create an initial level platform and once the concrete is poured on, rake over it with a flat implement as many times as possible. Check for its level by gently holding a spirit level on its surface. Keep checking on its progress as it can continue to sink slowly and may need added attention throughout the drying process.
Aside from the fact that your shed might be lopsided, an inferior base will allow moisture to seep in between the floorboard and the ground. Once this floorboard begins to rot, it will sag and eventually break apart leaving you with the difficult and irritating task of trying to reinstall the flooring of your shed beneath four walls and a roof.
Try to ascertain the integrity of the materials that you’ll be working with. The most important is going to be the timber, if you’re building a wooden shed. Try and opt for something like Red Cedar which is resistant to rot and doesn’t suffer from the flex and bend of some other softer woods. Consider whether the wood has been finished or treated and try to preserve the integrity of this whilst working with the material.
The roof of your shed must be finished in a suitable material to make it weatherproof. Your roof will withstand most of the rain and snow and, no matter how well designed, will eventually be the victim of some standing water at one location or another. Having your roof finished in heavy-duty felt is essential to it being able to cope with the stresses of permanent exposure. Poor quality roofing can lead to the sag and eventual collapse of the shed itself.
Ensure that windows are seated and secured within their frames. A lot of budget sheds simply hand their glass or PVC panes in the gaps of the wall panels. Without a frame you will likely wake up to find your window has slipped one morning, which is not only irritating but potentially very dangerous. Installing glass is becoming less and less common as it is much heavier than its PVC or Perspex competitors, which puts unnecessary strain on the walls of the shed.
If in doubt it is always advisable to contact the experts, whether to get advice or to ask for a quote on installing the shed for you. Whilst you might save money in the short term by building the shed yourself, you might suffer from some financial blowbacks later to repair it if you haven’t quite done it correctly.
Author Resource:
For further details on the topics mentioned in this article and other gardening issues, such as finding sheds suppliers, visit GardeningBirmingham.co.uk . For instance, take a look at the choices for garden shedding for more details on developing your outdoor space.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")