I want to put a worktop in my shed for general bike maintenance etc but err, I'm not really into DIY so need some advice on what's the best material to go for for the worktop?! Needs to be strong enough for tools, stereo and a bit of junk slung on top.

Any other advice greatfully recieved! 🙂

a worktop from B&Q et al?

I want to put drawers underneath my worktop, theres enough space under and not enough space on top.

i bought a kitchen worktop from a kitchen supply company (hewdens or something) as it was a second. got it for buttons and then borrowed a big a$$ 110v circular saw to chop it into two nice bits for the shed.

building my shed atm (literally building – started yesterday morning with the frame) – couldnt believe what these "shed" companys were charging for shite …

16mm ship lap shed with 16mm ply floor , 8mm ply roof and a frame built out of 4 x 2. no windows , and no return screws on all external screws , assembled with screws from the inside to allow it to be taken to bits in panels and moved to a new house. – roughly half the cost of an 8mm ship lap shed that looked like it would blow over if i farted inside 😉 –

back to the op – my worktop is made from the offcuts of the third sheet of 16mm ply from the floor , plenty strong – my old garage had one made of 12mm ply – held the vice well and took plenty weight !

Use old kitchen worktop and some 4x4ish for legs – or fit on top of old kitcenen units so you have a storage base

Re drawers – can you use linn bins (and make/buy hangers for them) or get an old kitchen cabinet/bookcase/chest of drawers without legs etc from junkyard etc – go down local dump and haggle

Have root about in skips/outside houses that are being done up for a bit of old kitchen worktop (free option), or B+Q etc for an off-cut piece. Shouldn't cost too much, and be pretty tough. For extra toughness you could put a 3mm sheet of steel or similar on top, especially good if you're just using ply or chipboard.

yeah I just use a worktop. If you want a wooden surface (longer wearing than a cheap kitchen one), ikea do a thin one for about £30, thicker ones for something like £50.

IF you have an IKEA handy their wooden worktops are really cost effective then mount with some brackets and a couple of poles to support the front.

THey also sell draws that sit in steel frames and fit under nicely.

I have the same setup in my workshop with a vice mounted too.

A 30 quid 28mm kitchen worktop will take pretty much any abuse you can throw at it

My dad made his out of an old kitchen he took out 🙂

I used a firedoor from Wickes – about £30. Much stronger and more solid than a worktop. It's also deeper which helps with storage etc.

Sheet of marine ply on mine. I have a sink in the shed for washing bits and standard kitchen chipboard worktop just swelled up and died after a while with water running into the cut edges – I though fully sealing it in a shed was a bit OTT at the time 😉

Wickes cheapest white worktop is £25 for a 2m length. Screw a couple of bits of timber lengthways to stiffen it. Stand that on a couple of cheap adjustable metal supports/sawhorses that you can raise/lower to fit you best. Mine is solid and has loads of useable storage space underneath.

albino

I want a shed like yours – I'm gonna start building very soon I hope 😉

I thought about building my own but in the end, got one of these from Argos:

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500002451&langId=-1&searchTerms=7000704

Ah cheers guys, some helpful suggestions there! Nearest Ikea is 150 miles away but got a Wickes and B&Q nearby so will take a trip over and see what they've got. Hhopefully give it a go this weekend (and most probably make a right hash of it…but have fun trying no doubt):D

If you have a Howdens local to you, pop in and see whats in the skip as there is nearly always a length or two thats been damaged and slung in. I was given a 3m length of 44mm all I had to do was get it home and cut it to fit. Fix a piece of 100x50mm timber to the wall at the height you require minus the worktop thickness (anywhere between 850 and 900mm if you plan on fitting kitchen units underneath)sort yourself out a couple of 100×100 for the legs and fit a brace to each as Albino has at say every 800mm. Screw direct through the worktop into the rear rail and the legs. Sorted and more than strong enough.

Well finally got round to sorting the shed aka bike workshop this weekend. Decided in the end my DIY skills wouldn't do it justice so opted for the workbench CXI mentioned above from Argos. Quite impressed with it tbh, plenty of room on the peg board for my small array of bike tools and obviously the STW calendar too! Just need to get some wall brackets for the stereo and a fluorescent tube for lighting and the 'workshop' will be complete!