Garden shed, to build or not to build!??

[rash_decision]

Hi, I'm looking to replace the garden shed I have at the moment. It's old, rotten, and too small anyway! I'm looking to replace it with a shed of 8' x 6' hopefully. I've been looking at some sheds on line and in some local DIY stores and they seem to be pretty flimsy for the price. I think it's maybe because I grew up with my Dad building sheds from reclaimed wood from his work (very LARGE packing crates 3x2 timber 19mm boards!) which was top notch stuff, I've always been around real solid and sturdy builds. So, on that, would I be better building my own? I've not had time to sit down and work out roughly how much it would cost against buying one, so was wondering if anyone on here has any idea how much an 8'x6' garden shed would cost to self build?? For something decent I've been looking at sheds in the region of £5-600.

[Chrisgr31]

I'd be suprised if you could get a decent shed for £500-£600. Ours a "malvern" was a lot more that that although is bigger.

A decent shed is worth spending money on, following a fire in gardens here myself and 2 neighbours all had to replace sheds at the same time. Mine was replaced with a quality shed and looks fine, another neighbour managed to get his insurnce cmpay to build a workshop! but the 3rd neighbour went cheap and the roof was sagging within a year.

I also tink you will struggle to build a shed for less than you can buy one, unless you have a very cheap source of timber!

[alex s]

If you are happy doing the work, go for it, you will end up with a far better shed than any prefab.

Use 3x2 pressure treated for the frame at 600mm centers and clad with feather edge. roof- 18mm osb and felt.

Here is a couple of pics of one I made for a client this summer.

Cost of materials around £350.

HTH

[rash_decision]

Thanks for the replies. have notice quite a few places are selling sheds a little cheaper than a couple of months ago, I guess it's due to it being September, end of the season for garden work maybe? I agree that building one would be better. I'm gonna have a look at timber prices next week. I'm stuck offshore just now so can't do much homework, and don't want to phone any timber merchants because I know I'll sound like a dummy not quite knowing what to ask for!! I'll know it when I see it!! Lol. My Dad used to work in a yard that built Oil Rigs, he could get packing crates stripped that were 4 metres cubed, I can't remember how many garden huts neighbours, friends and relatives got out of his old place!!! All the best of timber as well!! Shame he's retired now!! Lol.

[eps]

rash_decision said:

Thanks for the replies. have notice quite a few places are selling sheds a little cheaper than a couple of months ago, I guess it's due to it being September, end of the season for garden work maybe? I agree that building one would be better. I'm gonna have a look at timber prices next week. I'm stuck offshore just now so can't do much homework, and don't want to phone any timber merchants because I know I'll sound like a dummy not quite knowing what to ask for!! I'll know it when I see it!! Lol. My Dad used to work in a yard that built Oil Rigs, he could get packing crates stripped that were 4 metres cubed, I can't remember how many garden huts neighbours, friends and relatives got out of his old place!!! All the best of timber as well!! Shame he's retired now!! Lol.

They've got shedloads to shift...

[scorcher]

Try going to a timberyard /sawmill instead of your local diy shop.Usually the quality is alot better for not much more dosh.An example from my local sawmill..

http://www.somerlap.co.uk/cgi-bin/products.cgi?SUB...

[squicky]

scorcher said:

Try going to a timberyard /sawmill instead of your local diy shop.Usually the quality is alot better for not much more dosh.An example from my local sawmill..

http://www.somerlap.co.uk/cgi-bin/products.cgi?SUB...

I've been looking for a shed for a while now and came to the conclusion I might as well get one off ebay to keep the cost down - I've found a seller on ebay that's quoting about 460 including delivery and erection for a T+G 12x8 apex shed).

Comparing that to your local sawmill, they come to over double that price. Even though they're going to use better timber, I struggle to justify spending more that much more.

I did also ponder building one but doubt that I can get something of similar quality for that price (especially given some of my DIY skills

[HiRich]

alex s said:

If you are happy doing the work, go for it, you will end up with a far better shed than any prefab.

Use 3x2 pressure treated for the frame at 600mm centers and clad with feather edge. roof- 18mm osb and felt.

As you (the OP) are stuck away from home, why not sketch out a custom design on the PC?

• Use MS Word's drawing tools to draw a scaled design, based on alex's structural detail
• Draw up a table of timber types & sizes, cut lengths and quantities (plus extras like bolts, gripfill, etc.)
• Hand/email to a timber merchant for costing (and any recommendations)

With a custom-build you have the flexibility to have exactly what you want:

• Exact size
• Size & position of doors & windows
• Roof height & style
• Hanging rails & shelves
• Gutter for the water butt, etc.

I would certainly be tempted when ours finally gives up the ghost. I'm currently tempted by a Goodwood/Scalextric pit garage replica...

[MrFlibbles]

www.rainhamsheds.co.uk

[eps]

alex s said:

If you are happy doing the work, go for it, you will end up with a far better shed than any prefab.

Use 3x2 pressure treated for the frame at 600mm centers and clad with feather edge. roof- 18mm osb and felt.

Here is a couple of pics of one I made for a client this summer.

Cost of materials around £350.

HTH

Like the look of that, I guess you can also make it the exact size you want as well... hmmm...

[Shaolin]

My late FIL who would rather start with a tree to get a plank than buy one ready cut eventually after much calculation decided it was cheaper and easier to buy a shed than build it from scratch - so I've taken that as a rule of thumb ever since.

Unless you have a source of very cheap or free timber I'm convinced a bought one is best - maybe if you need it to wihstand a Richter scale force 8 earthquake it won't quite do the job, but I'm not so fussy myself.

[Wacky Racer]

How about a log cabin?

We bought one of the "Eiger" ones two years ago, very heavy duty, should last for many years...not cheap though.....

http://www.cocklestorm.com/Garden%20Buildings%20Sh...

[PPPPPP]

On the same subject, I am planning to have a shed built. One wall will not be accessible for maintenance after the shed has been built. Although I will be using treated wood,any recomenndations for the best long tasting preservative?

Thanks.

Or use a concrete pre-fabricated wall?

[B19GRR]

If you can DIY then do it, as said you'll be a lot happier.

I bought 2 sheds from a company whose name was related to a certain '70s TV series (The everyday life of a family of 11 living in rural Virginia during the depression) as I needed storage asap. They are absolutely shyte (despite being their better offering), frames are something like 1.25", shiplap cladding feels paper thing, roofing felt is breaking down on one shed after less than a year and plastic windows make kwiksave shopping bags look sturdy.

I've also got another shed that I bought from a seller on Ebay that I had custom built (4'x4' pent) to fit in a little corner and that's rock solid, proper 2" frame timbers and decent cladding. From memory that was around £250 delivered and errected. This guy:
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/mark9880/m.html?_nkw=&_...

Oh and if you DIY it then you've got an excellent excuse to get a Paslode IM350!!

Cheers,
Rob

[dilbert]

Certainly not a DIY shop shed, it'll be over priced and lack quality.

I like wooden sheds, but think that you get the best value for money out of single leaf thermalite block construction. Use budget pre sized UPVC windows. Make your own roof trusses, and use artificial slates on the roof. Just render the exterior.

I've not got there yet with mine, I'm still saving up. One day, I'll do the full-on victorian pumphouse, with ornate brickwork!!!

[netherfield]

If you are going to have one,have a big one.

[Benny Saltstein]

Apologies for resurrecting/hijacking this thread but I'm currently building a wooden shed cum garage. Its approximately 5m x 3m and will be the home for my forthcoming kitcar project.

I've been fortunate to secure a free supply of timber as a friendly local manufacturing company have allowed me to relieve them of the shipping crates their steel rods come in. After much experimentation the FiL and I have devised a pretty efficient system for their dismantling. Suffice to say, the people who make these crates aren't shy in their use of nails and we've gone through our fair share of reciprocating saw blades.

I've now got to the roofing stage which hopefully will be going on this week. My dilemma is do I go corrigated bitumen sheet or boggo shed felt? If I go with the felt do I definitely need felt underlay?

[Tony 1234]

Hm, I'm replacing my existing shed didn't think about building my own, think I'll price materials up, problem with those sheds online you cannot see the quality (or lack of!)

[King Herald]

Shaolin said:

My late FIL who would rather start with a tree to get a plank than buy one ready cut eventually after much calculation decided it was cheaper and easier to buy a shed than build it from scratch - so I've taken that as a rule of thumb ever since.

Unless you have a source of very cheap or free timber I'm convinced a bought one is best - maybe if you need it to wihstand a Richter scale force 8 earthquake it won't quite do the job, but I'm not so fussy myself.

I'm much the same myself. But I've discovered that by the time you've done all the research, all the running around, sourced and transported all your wood, you will have been far better off just buying a cheap ready made, and having it delivered. They look flimsy, but put a few dozen extra screws in, and a few battens in the right place, and they are pretty sturdy.

[Fatboy]

I'd build it myself, mainly because I like doing stuff like that, but it depends very much on what you want out of it - just a storage shed, then you might as well have an inexpensive off the shelf job, but if you want to put up shelves, benches, hang stuff off the wall etc, then you might as well build it yourself and custmise it to your needs...