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Another question I gat asked is “what points should I consider when buying a Garden Shed?”Firstly I would say, think about your intended purpose for your garden shed and also consider how long you would like it to last.

It is important to look at the basic construction of your intended purchase. Unless you have a short term use in mind I would say avoid sheds with an overlap construction. These are the type of Garden sheds that look as if the four sides are made from the cheaper style Fence Panels. The material used to produce these tends to be very poor and have little strength. They also often use Oriented Strand Board also known as OSB, Waferboard or Sterling Board (a chipboard like material) in the roofs and floors. Although this has some water resistant properties it does not wear well and with use, particularly in wetter months soon start to fall apart. Typically I would not expect to get much more than two or three years use out of a garden shed like this.If you are looking for a more durable product, look for something with a tongue and groove or T&G construction. These are far superior to the overlap option. Initially they are more expensive to purchase but you can expect a far longer lifespan and you won’t have the expense of disposing of the garden shed after only a couple of years. Again try to avoid shed that use OSB. Most standard construction Garden Sheds use an ex 16 mm T&G (12mm finished after the planning and moulding process) and a 50mmx25mm framework (20mmx45mm after planning).

You can often upgrade to a more heavy duty construction with thicker T&G and heavier framework. Generally you will get a longer lifespan from a thicker T&G. However the life of the shed will depend on how and what you treat it with. See my previous article on “14″>Treating Garden Sheds”.You will also need to think about the style of your shed (Pent or Apex). Apex garden sheds generally have the doors in one of the gable ends although some manufacturers can position the door in any of the side panels to your requirements (see our Excel Apex for example). Pent sheds can usually have the door in any of the four sides to you liking (see our Excel Pent and Premium Pent garden shed). However the style of pent sheds may not suit everyone’s taste.Finally it may well be worth looking at pressure treated sheds. These are undoubtedly more expensive. However they will with minimal maintenance and careful positioning (as with any shed) outlast most of the other options. Look for products treated with E or Wolmanit.

Guide Information:
This is a guide only, if there is any part that you do not understand then sheds direct would recommend seek further advice.Sheds Direct takes no responsibility if injuries are caused using any of the guides, these are guides only and for information purposes only.

How to Treat My Garden Shed?

One of the most frequently asked questions is “how and with what should I treat my Garden Shed?”

Well there are lots of products that you can use ranging widely in price and effectiveness.

One of the best products is Creosote Substitute. This s often branded under different names such as Creotech or Creotreat.  In my experience mixing 5 parts Creosote Substitute with 1 part Clean Engine oil, makes an excellent preservative. The oil helps stop the wood from becoming brittle and cracking and imparts waterproofing qualities to the timber. This is also very easy to apply via a sprayer.  It may require a little thinning with turpentine or the like to make it pass through the sprayer readily. Avoid getting the mix onto your roofing felt. This is probably one of the cheapest and effective methods around. The only downside is colour choice is limited. Brown, brown or brown!

If you are going to paint your shed you should treat it first with a clear preservative. Personally I would go for a spirit based preservative as these seem to soak into the timber much better than the water based preservatives. Make sure that the product is over-paintable I f not when you come to apply the paint it will simply slide off onto the floor. You can use the preservative on all surfaces of the shed. However don’t paint the inside of the shed as this will trap moisture in the wood and it will cause it to rot from the inside out.

You may prefer to go for an all in one treatment that combines preservative, colour and waterproofer. Again I would go for a spirit based product. If you have to go for a water based treatment try going for the best you can afford. Some of the cheaper products really aren’t worth the time and effort of applying.  Check if you are using on planed timber that the product is suitable. A lot of the poorer quality treatments are designed for rough sawn timber. If you apply it to a planed timber surface it will tend to peel off in no time at all.

You should apply whatever product you choose on a regular basis. If you choose to use the creosote/oil mix or one of the spirit based product you will find they will generally go through a garden sprayer.  This makes a laborious task quick and simple. It’s quite easy this way to apply a couple of coats to an 8×6 shed in not much more than 15 minutes.

As with all treatments you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions safety precautions.     Guide Information:
This is a guide only, if there is any part that you do not understand then sheds direct would recommend you contact a local builder for advice Sheds Direct takes no responsibility if injuries are caused using any of the guides, these are guides only and for information purposes.

Shed style is a website that shows what can be done with architecture and ornamentation.

Take a look here this really does show what can be done to a garden shed.

http://www.shedstyle.com/2007/12/03/shed-design-tips/ 

This is impressive and well thought design.

Today while browsing some information websites for potting sheds, i came across a product that seems to be Eco friendly.

 The rice hull gardens are a complete container garden in natural, environmentally friendly pots made from renewable grain husks, primarily rice hulls, and organic pigments.

 The full blog post can be found here.

http://www.dailytomorrow.com/2008/01/23/organic-biodegradable-window-garden-from-potting-shed-creations/

Rice Hull Gardens celebrate gardening with a light footprint on the earth.

This is a fantastic product to go green, maybe we may see them in the UK.

Rice hull gardens and potting sheds

We have currently a new range of dog runs.

Webpage: http://www.shedsdirect.net/garden-dog-runs.htm

Information and pictures

Sheds Direct produce two styles of Kennel & Run, apex and pent.

Our runs are made from European timber felled from sustainable sources. Each building is divided into two sections, a kennel/sleeping area incorporating a timber floor and a run area open to the ground. The run area is meshed 3 sides on the apex model and meshed to the front panel on the pent model. We offer standard and heavy duty build options and have several standard sizes.

We are as a manufacturer also able to offer bespoke options on your dog kennel and dog run. For example different door positions to those seen in the photographs and we can change the size of the dog kennel area to your preference too. We use galvanised 3mm mesh in our open panels.

Each dog kennel has a bob hole to allow movement from one area to another. The flexibility in our building methods gives more choice in locating your building and adapting it too your breed of dog. If you don’t see the size you require we may even be able to build to you preferred size. These buildings provide flexible and sturdy solutions for you pet accommodation requirements

All our garden dog runs are at a very reasonable price, please see actual webpage for details

http://www.shedsdirect.net/garden-dog-runs.htm