Building Your Own Garden Shed

Building your own shed can be a very rewarding task and those who enjoy a bit of DIY will find it a very enjoyable challenge. Sheds, summer houses and and similar outbuildings are considered as temporary structures so you do not need to obtain planning permission to erect such a structure. Outdoor buildings such as garden sheds are fairly straight forward to erect but must be erected on a firm and flat surface.

You may want to consider the following issues when considering building a shed in hour garden:

How big will the shed be - you should chose a size that will compliment your garden, not overwhelm it by choosing a building that is too large.

Accessibility - ensure the doorway is placed adjacent to a pathway so ensure access regardless of the weather conditions.

Does it require an electricity supply - if so, make sure it is located where adequate power supply can be provided.

Building the shed

A shed is a lot simpler to build than people first expect. Naturally, some sheds are more complex to build when more elaborate buildings are selected with additional features (e.g. Extra windows or double doors).

1. The slab should be approx 25mm shorter than the floor of your shed in order to ensure adequate drainage. The slab should also be slightly tilted to improve drainage flow during bad weather.

2. Next you need to centre the shed floor on your newly-placed slab. The centre points of the side panels and the floor should all be marked so they will line up correctly in step 3.

3. Lift the rear gable panel and put it in the correct position using poles to prop it up. Now you can lift any of the side panels onto the base. Dont forget, the gable end and the side panel need to be connected using the framing battens where they meet. Next, you need to drill three pilot holes and fit 50mm countersunk screws to join the gable panel and the side panel at the top, middle and bottom.

4. tighten the screws, then the other side panel can be fixed in the same manner.

5. The front gable is next but do not attach the Walls to the floor as the rest of the shed frame is not rigid yet.

6. The roof support beam is next - there should be pre-cut grooves for the beam to slot into.

7. When fixing the beam to the gables be sure that the shed structure is evenly set on the floor and that the door opens smoothly without any hookups. Use L-shape brackets and screws to fix the beam to the gables.

8. the roof panels on the ground before putting the roof on. Measure and Mark six evenly spaced positions on the eave section. Drill some pilot holes and then you can hammer in nails to attach the eaves to the roof panels,

9. Lift the roof panels into place one at a time. Line them up with the shed frame on the base using the centre markings. Secure the roof panels with 30mm screws along the roof support beam.

10. Fix the shed to the floor using 50 mm nails.



Felting the roof

1. You will need to cut the felt to size with a sharp blade. Cut three pieces, two of them should be slightly longer then the roof panels(+50mm) and one of the pieces should be cut to cover the gap at the apex and extend at least 75mm over each roof panel.

2. Lay one of the pieces over one of the roof panels and nail it, using felt nails, at the top of the panel, there should be a 50mm overhang at the eave. Neatly fix the gable ends and eave ends with closely spaced (100mm) felt nails.

3. Repeat the process on the other side of the roof.

4. Put the third piece of felt over the gap at the apex and nail it using closely spaced felt nails.

5. Tidy up the felt at the corners and hammer in the fascia board on the front and back gables using 4 40mm nails per strip.

Windows

Nowadays, shed windows are Perspex or acrylic, which are very easy to install. They slide easily into their housing in the window frame.

1. You need to be outside to begin installing the windows, slide the metal window sill into the grooves provided at the bottom of the window frame.

2. Nail in the short strips of wood known as window cloaks, using four 40mm nails in each. This will secure the sill.

3. Now from inside you will be able to slide the Perspex into the frame so that it is resting on the sill. Secure the beading with 25 mm nails. Position the beading over the perspex sheet at the top and sides of the frame and hammer them fully home.

Advice is generously provided by experienced shed maker Peter Crawley of Heron Garden Buildings who provides Northwich Sheds and Sheds Cheshire with a service that you are sure to be delighted with.