We are now in our fifth year living in our house.
And in the garden, there is always something to redesign or create, which the years before didn’t allow time for.
Now I’ve been thinking about getting a small garden shed with a lean-to roof. The lean-to would be for firewood, and the shed for garden tools.
What do you think: minimum wood thickness? Is 19 mm (3/4 inch) enough?
Does it absolutely need a floor? We only want to store hand tools, fertilizer, buckets, and a wheelbarrow.
For the foundation, I’m thinking of using ground anchors that are set in concrete. The thought of digging 80 cm (31 inches) deep terrifies me...
My husband isn’t really the creative type. He can do the work, but designing a shed himself isn’t his thing. We lack the technical knowledge. So we would probably order one. Building it ourselves should be doable [emoji16]
Please show your sheds: where are they located in your garden? Did you build it yourselves or order it? Any challenges during assembly?
What would you have done differently? More windows? Different paint? Pressure-treated wood or not?
I need your input and ideas.
And in general: this topic is completely missing here.
And in the garden, there is always something to redesign or create, which the years before didn’t allow time for.
Now I’ve been thinking about getting a small garden shed with a lean-to roof. The lean-to would be for firewood, and the shed for garden tools.
What do you think: minimum wood thickness? Is 19 mm (3/4 inch) enough?
Does it absolutely need a floor? We only want to store hand tools, fertilizer, buckets, and a wheelbarrow.
For the foundation, I’m thinking of using ground anchors that are set in concrete. The thought of digging 80 cm (31 inches) deep terrifies me...
My husband isn’t really the creative type. He can do the work, but designing a shed himself isn’t his thing. We lack the technical knowledge. So we would probably order one. Building it ourselves should be doable [emoji16]
Please show your sheds: where are they located in your garden? Did you build it yourselves or order it? Any challenges during assembly?
What would you have done differently? More windows? Different paint? Pressure-treated wood or not?
I need your input and ideas.
And in general: this topic is completely missing here.
I have laid out an area with paving slabs and placed a simple gable-roofed shed measuring 290 x 290 cm (114 x 114 inches) on it, with an interior dimension of 270 x 270 cm (106 x 106 inches).
After the first storms with wind speeds of around Beaufort scale 9, I collected and patched the roofing felt. Since then, I have reinforced the house with additional storm battens; now it would at most be blown away as a whole.
Next, I plan to buy some angle brackets and partially screw down the nailed roof battens, as the wind is pulling the battens out along with the nails...
Price for the house is 699.00 without the floor (19 mm (0.75 inch)) plus about 150 euros for squared timber, nailer boards, carriage bolts, and Remmers wood preservative.
After the first storms with wind speeds of around Beaufort scale 9, I collected and patched the roofing felt. Since then, I have reinforced the house with additional storm battens; now it would at most be blown away as a whole.
Next, I plan to buy some angle brackets and partially screw down the nailed roof battens, as the wind is pulling the battens out along with the nails...
Price for the house is 699.00 without the floor (19 mm (0.75 inch)) plus about 150 euros for squared timber, nailer boards, carriage bolts, and Remmers wood preservative.
About 10 years ago, we had our garden shed delivered by a specialist retailer. It’s nothing special, but the assembly was very easy and every screw fit perfectly. Moving it to our new home also went quickly. All the boards were clearly labeled. ( )
For the foundation, we used exactly the ground sockets with concrete as you described in your initial post. Steel beams were fitted into these while pouring the concrete. To level the height, we had great experience using sandbags placed under the beams while the concrete set.
On top of the beams, we installed the substructure and then the rest of the shed. This setup is ventilated from below and the shed literally “floats.” Nothing has rotted after 10 years. At the front, we placed small L-shaped stones and installed a grass grid to create a level entrance.
To minimize the visibility of the pipes on the side, we covered them with as much soil as possible. The grass then grows over it naturally. However, you need to add more soil after a few weeks because it settles — something we have neglected so far.
You can also cover the pipes with cladding if you prefer. When I’m home, I’ll take some photos.
From a distance, the old little shed now looks like this:
As I said, nothing fancy, but everything you need.
In front of it grows my alternative Christmas tree, which of course gets its electricity from the shed during Advent.
For the foundation, we used exactly the ground sockets with concrete as you described in your initial post. Steel beams were fitted into these while pouring the concrete. To level the height, we had great experience using sandbags placed under the beams while the concrete set.
On top of the beams, we installed the substructure and then the rest of the shed. This setup is ventilated from below and the shed literally “floats.” Nothing has rotted after 10 years. At the front, we placed small L-shaped stones and installed a grass grid to create a level entrance.
To minimize the visibility of the pipes on the side, we covered them with as much soil as possible. The grass then grows over it naturally. However, you need to add more soil after a few weeks because it settles — something we have neglected so far.
You can also cover the pipes with cladding if you prefer. When I’m home, I’ll take some photos.
From a distance, the old little shed now looks like this:
As I said, nothing fancy, but everything you need.
In front of it grows my alternative Christmas tree, which of course gets its electricity from the shed during Advent.
Then I’ll make an exception and share a picture as well.
I built it this year together with my father-in-law; it took 4 days. It was entirely self-designed and constructed, with an asymmetrical floor plan. The facade is Siberian larch, the roof is covered with EPDM membrane, and the flashing is powder-coated.
I built it this year together with my father-in-law; it took 4 days. It was entirely self-designed and constructed, with an asymmetrical floor plan. The facade is Siberian larch, the roof is covered with EPDM membrane, and the flashing is powder-coated.
Yes, I initially planned to include windows as well.
My wise father-in-law advised me against it.
In practice, I don’t miss them.
During daylight, enough light comes through the door, and I have proper interior lighting.
Of course, it depends on the intended use—in my case, this is purely a tool shed with a workbench inside; I don’t receive guests there.
A whole side made of glass would definitely turn the place into a serious sauna.
Surprisingly, the shed doesn’t heat up much, despite the black flat roof.
My wise father-in-law advised me against it.
In practice, I don’t miss them.
During daylight, enough light comes through the door, and I have proper interior lighting.
Of course, it depends on the intended use—in my case, this is purely a tool shed with a workbench inside; I don’t receive guests there.
A whole side made of glass would definitely turn the place into a serious sauna.
Surprisingly, the shed doesn’t heat up much, despite the black flat roof.
I need to take a closer look; I was thinking about a cantilevered roof and things like that. I have to draw everything up and think it through first, but otherwise, the exterior design is exactly my style. Can you share some details about the structure and construction? I want to use it for garden furniture, tools, and similar items.
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