Getting shed-ready: A guide to choosing, installing and maintaining a garden shed

You’ve decided it’s time to install a garden shed. Great move! If you’re like most people, you’ve probably got a lot of stuff that needs to be stored.

And when we say ‘stuff’, we’re referring to those household and garden items that you don’t necessarily use every day, but equally, things you don’t want to part with and just need somewhere to store.

If you lack the excess space in your house or garage, things may be starting to feel a little cluttered and messy.

Installing a garden shed offers a means of solving this problem.

From BBQs and bikes to outdoor furniture, paddling pools and kids’ toys, a garden shed offers the perfect space to store away belongings that don’t have an all-year-round use.

More than just a shed

Whilst storage tends to be the primary or preferred use for a shed, it’s not the only thing a shed can be used for.

In fact, a shed provides a purpose for a variety of reasons.

Maybe you’re looking for a potting shed where you can nurture plants and store garden tools or plant feed.

Perhaps you’re a DIY lover or have a hobby that requires a workshop space.

The artists and creative amongst you may just be looking for a quiet, contained space of your own to let the paintbrush or pen run wild.

Or maybe you just want your own quiet space away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, in the convenience and comfort of your home, in the form of a man-cave or she-shed.

Getting ready for the arrival of your new shed

Whilst installing a shed is a relatively easy and simple process, there are a few things you need to consider.

Once you’ve clicked ‘purchase’ on your shed, you’ll want it to last for as long as possible to get the best out of your shed investment.

We’re here to give you the ultimate guide for installing a new shed.

We’ll run through how to choose the best shed, tips on how to prepare for the arrival of your shed, how to install and personalise, and how to maintain and care for your shed.

So if you’re thinking about adding a garden shed to your garden, you might just want to keep reading!

The first question that may be on your mind:

Which shed should I buy?

If you haven’t already rushed out to buy a shed, you may still be working out which type of shed to buy.

When it comes to buying a shed, there are many things to consider:

Which style is right for me?
Think about what you want to use it for and how you may need to adapt the shed.

What size do I need?
Consider the space you have to play with and what you’d like to use it for.

How much should I spend?
Factor in your budget in addition to the expected lifespan of the shed.

Which shed lasts the longest?
This will largely depend on how well you maintain your shed. Timber sheds need a little love from time to time, but with just a small amount of maintenance, most sheds can last for up to 20 years. All of our sheds are Britsh-built with a 15-year ‘treat right’ warranty.

We’ll provide some shed maintenance tips later on in this blog.

Luckily for you, here at Equestrian Fencing, we’ve got a range of flat-pack, easy-to-install sheds available in a range of sizes and styles.

Small sheds

First up, compact, quality sheds are ideal for smaller spaces and corners of the garden. Take a look at these 6×4’ Apex shed and 7×5’ Pent shed.

Large sheds

To size up, you might want to consider 10×8’ or an 8×6’ Apex shed. There is more room for storing away bigger items such as bikes and furniture.

Extra security sheds

If extra security is your main concern, there’s a shed designed specifically just for you. With smaller 4ft Perspex windows and a robust door with a continuous security hinge, the security shed works to keep intruders out and your belongings safely stored.

Getting ready for installation

Once you’ve chosen a shed and are awaiting the delivery, it’s time to prepare for its arrival. There are a few things you’re going to need to do:

Clear the area

Get rid of any bushes, old garden furniture, and weeds to make room for your new shed. Have a de-weeding session, and remove anything that’s likely to use your shed as a climbing frame.

How much shed space do I need?

You don’t want your shed to be squashed up against bushes that could climb against the timber and cause issues further down the line.

So, allow more space than the shed size. Add on a 50-80cm parameter to the shed area.

This will also enable you to easily move around the shed, whilst you’ll need to do when providing a spot of maintenance in the future.

Prepare the surface

What shed base do I need?

Building your shed directly onto grass or muddy surface will mean that the timber is more susceptible to water damage and rot in the future.

In the long run, your shed just won’t last. Once rot gets into the base of floor timber, it has the ability to spread.

There are a few different ways you can create a drainable base for your shed, avoiding this issue:

Concrete base – create a concrete base with a small slope to ensure drainage

Shingle base – shingle will also help you to create a base that enables water to drain away. Don’t forget to use a weed control cover to keep unwanted weeds from growing through the bottom of your shed.

A raised timber base – you could create a raised frame to put your shed on, but be sure to use strong graded, class 3 treated timber such as C16, which is suitable for outdoor use, or even sleepers.

Shed arrival – tools at the ready

All of our sheds are designed to offer the right balance between bespoke quality and flat pack installation ease.

Before diving into the instruction leaflet, you’re going to need to equip yourself with a few tools to get started.

This includes:

Screwdriver/drill
Spirit level
Claw hammer
Step ladder

With our shed range, screws are included.

You may also need to enlist the help of a family member, neighbour or friend to offer a spare pair of hands during the installation.

Shed installation

Installation shouldn’t take more than an hour (or two if you’re stopping for a cuppa in between!) if you’ve done the ground prep work and have your tools ready.

Whilst each shed will come with its own guide to installation, the basics are fairly similar.

Personalised to perfection

As we’ve well established, a shed really is what you make of it as it can be used for a great variety of purposes. Once your shed has been fully erected, you are left with a blank canvas of space ready for use.

It’s time to add the finishing touches.

Storage shed accessories

If you’re using your shed for storage, you may want to consider how shelves and hooks could come in handy for making the most of your space. These can be made using a range of CLS timber and a couple of screws.

DIY workbench for sheds

For those of you who are going to be turning your shed into a workshop, potting station or perhaps a studio, you may be looking to create a work bench for your shed time activities. Again, C16 timber is going to come in handy here, in addition to sheet material such as hard or softwood ply.

Decking for sheds

If you’re going all out, and doing something rather fancy or creative with your shed, such as building a DIY garden bar or perhaps a games room, you may wish to make the exterior look ultra-glam using decking.

The choice really is yours. And, the wonderful thing about a shed, is that you can always adapt and refurbish it later on down the line.

Taking care of your new shed

The sheds that we provide here at Equestrian Fencing are built to endure the harsh and vastly fluctuating weather conditions that we all know to love (or hate) here in the UK.

Whilst they are built to a high-quality standard, like anything made from natural timber, they still need a little care from time to time.

Our sheds are made from a shiplap exterior that has been Tanalith E treated.

A combination of using latest generation Tanalith wood preservative, careful pre-treatment timber preparations, the use of high quality pine timbers and approved treatment procedures allow us to offer a 15 year TREAT-RIGHT performance warranty.

This warranty is available on Hutton garden and landscaping products and also on the Severn Valley range of decking and cladding products.

This helps to protect the timber from moisture, fungi, and insect damage – all of which are well known for causes of rotting.

Whilst this treatment offers a 15 years guarantee, there are things you can do to keep your shed looking great, and holding up strong for years to come:

1 – Clean the shed

Every summer, grab out a hose and bristle brush and give your shed a clean down. Get rid of any moss and fungi, keeping your shed looking fresh and good as new.

2 – Weeding

If your garden is prone to weeds, you’ll notice that the pesky plants love to encroach on your shed. You should remove any weeds that start doing this before they cause structural damage to your shed.

3 – Stain or treat

Just because the timber has already been treated, there is no harm in adding an extra barrier of protection. Think of it like topping up on suncream.

Re-stain or treat once a year, and you’ll be helping the shed timber to stay strong and resistant to those rot-inducing natural elements.

4 – Have a clear out

If you’re using your shed for storage purposes, it’s good housekeeping to have a good clear-through and tidy out from time to time.

We all have that space, whether it’s the loft, garage or shed, that becomes a dumping ground of things.

To get the best out of your shed, be sure to check in and chuck out every now and then. And, it goes without saying, try not to over-cram your shed so much that the door is bursting open.

5 – Keep the shed door shut

It’s an easy one, but a really simple way to stop the inside of your shed from becoming damp. There’s felt on the roof for a reason, and that’s to help protect the inside from moisture damage. So keep the door shut and the moisture out.

6 – Refelting

Continual sunlight, rain and wind will eventually age the roof. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s time to replace the entire shed. Sheds roofs can be replaced, which not only keeps your shed looking clean and tidy, but it also helps to extend the longevity of the entire shed structure.

The question – ‘How often should I re-felt my roof?’ is one that commonly crops up.

The answer? It’s a case of keeping an eye on the roof, checking for visible signs of wear and tear.

Can you see worn-down felt, holes, loose flaps and splits?

It’s time to re-felt. If you leave it, your shed will no longer be water-tight, and you may end up having to replace or repair the roof panels or even the panels. Plus, your belongings are going to be exposed to the elements, defeating the object of dry storage.

Shop online for all your shedding needs