Shed Advice Needed (Mould Intolerance + Midlife Crisis = Help)

So, the current shed is starting to rot, and since I have the immune system of a Victorian child when it comes to mould, this situation is far from ideal.

It’s officially New Shed Time—which is apparently code for wading through a minefield of flimsy, budget ‘garden coffins’. I’m after an 8×6-ish shed, preferably with a window so I can stare out and contemplate my life choices.

Found this Dunster House number that seems solid for the price, but maybe someone here knows the holy grail of midlife sheds at a reasonable price of less than 1k? Any tips or shed-spiration greatly appreciated.

Here’s the one I’m considering: https://dunsterhouse.co.uk/garden-sheds/pent-sheds/modular-reverse-pent-shed-w2-4m-x-d1-8m

Thoughts? Show us what ya got and why. Cheers :0)

It’s this particular configuration that seems to get my heart racing. Behold the double doors!

work out why the current one has rotted… then look to improve the base and maybe gutters etc. before you trash a new one.
if you are going to put wet stuff in it (mtbs) then plan for extra ventilation.  personally ive never got on with felt (superfelt?) and much prefer EDPM

I can’t help but I have serious shed envy as I lost my 12×8 one when we moved to were we’re currently renting. Hopefully buying our own place next year and a key need is for a space for a shed.

I was thinking something a long the lines of those ‘fake’ log cabin type summer houses for some both solid and good looking. A friend recently got one for a garden tool store etc as it was actually cheaper than getting a similar sized ‘normal’ shed.

From £1.2k…. https://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/log-cabins/billyoh-sasha-log-cabin-summerhouse/30328?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=surfaces_across_google&utm_content=surfaces_across_google

work out why the current one has rotted… then look to improve the base and maybe gutters etc. before you trash a new one.

Good advice. I think it’s the lack of front guttering and hard patio surface that is causing rain to splash back under the front of the shed and rot from below.

Those ‘fake’ log cabins are tempting—nothing says ‘I’ve made it’ like a garden tool palace

Just gone through the new shed search myself

Check out Nordic timber buildings. 19mm shinlap pressured treated cladding and 3×2 framing as standard for a similar price as the flimsier standard offering that seem to be 12mm cladding & 2×1 framing. They also do free installation

Nordic timber buildings << Lovely, thanks!

Where are you? Shipping could become a major part of the shed cost. You might have someone local who can build and install one.

For central belt Scotland I recommend Paterson Garden Buildings.

I got a 3mx2m version of these for my WFH shoffice

https://www.tigersheds.com/product/tiger-penthouse/?option=59&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD5oeCs0V05of-g-gJnNUE_tZew9K&gclid=CjwKCAjw3624BhBAEiwAkxgTOnp_NJr3pth-Q8pVf1J4vDm-7OBYA5zSEavnq6Byd6CLw4h1qv1KvBoCv2cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I’ve insulated and lined it out. Very nice place to be & work.  Would recommend

I recently built a shed out of wooden decking, decent thick stuff from Wickes.

The shed is narrow but the roof has a decent overhang so the sides hardly get wet. Floor is made from pallets that are off the ground on brick pavers. The walls are also off the ground and not fixed to the pallets so the pallets if needed can be lifted out.

I put a sliding door on it along the side which gives good access to both ends and does not slam shut when the wind blows. The sliding door is a good idea if space is limited.

Plenty of air blows through the shed as I left expansion gaps between the decking and there is also an unfilled area below the roof where a breeze can pass through.

Will it rot? Probably not for the next 20 years. Will it be repairable if it does rot near the base? Yes each deck board can be easily removed and replaced and the internal frame work could be swapped out with a bit more effort.

Would I sit inside it and contemplate my life choices? No, but at a push yes after I’d thrown the mower out of it.

You’ll always wish you’d got a bigger one.

Our original wooden shed was damp and mouldy (in a corner, under trees etc etc), so it got replaced with a keter plastic one, it’s been really good. (*not secure but just needs an annual wipe down and no other maintenance read) stuff inside it is ok, some condensation but it’s not that bad (no mould etc) and i have experimented and for not that much I can add a solar panel 12v controller and a small extractor fan.

Appreciate all the suggestions on the new shedquarters.

Some of the plastic shed options are actually looking quite feasible—definitely a win for my anti-mould battle! Would remove any concerns and be a bit of a save long-term. Thanks for that suggestion.

Good option here that would fit the space (8×6) but of course, it’s expensive. Naturally, as with all things in life, the budget is now defying gravity and heading into the stratosphere.

Search continues and I haven’t ruled out any particular material. Keep ’em coming! Cheers.

I’ve insulated and lined it out. Very nice place to be & work. Would recommend

Be interested how you did that and how much internal space you lost,  if any? There’s a shed here to be replaced next year

How about a metal shed with a 20 year guarantee, have a medium Europa one. It’s about 15 years old no rust. You can buy bike racks that just slot in .

https://www.biohort.com/gb-en/c/garden-sheds?mtm_campaign=GB%3A%20Brand&mtm_kwd=biohort%20garden%20shed&mtm_source=googleAds&mtm_medium=cpc&mtm_content=491758178535&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgrO4BhC2ARIsAKQ7zUmi_7QlKAQcACjlSqspgjsgrcGRAtpf75tRRsmBP2WoAQfdA-8TlDoaAle8EALw_wcB

We have a basic summer house. One thing I did was to line it with insulation, then ply line the whole shed and painted it. It looks nice, and the added benefit is there is no damp. Keeps cool in summer, and stays reasonable in winter, despite the front being plexi-glass.

I’ve added a home built storage shed to the side, but that’s un-insulated and has extra vents in just to keep air movement – seems to work OK.

How about a metal shed with a 20 year guarantee, have a medium Europa one. It’s about 15 years old no rust. You can buy bike racks that just slot in .

Yes, these look really good from my perspective. Might be too industrial for Mrs F as she has direct view of it from the back door window. Will apply pitch mode and see how far I get.

We ended up with a powersheds log cabin.

Not cheap but; 44mm thick wood walls and double glazing mean it stays pretty cosy even without insulating the roof. If I did it again I’d probably hide some ~20mm Celotex type insulation under the EPDM roof, and I would have used either some sort of breathable base or had a DPM between the treated base and the floorboards.

I’m now fantasising about a metal bike shed with a covered canopy bike wash attached – bicycle en suite?

Since we’re now talking metal sheds and the budget is up a bit. Can’t fault Asgard sheds – they seem to have nailed the ventilation aspect in particular.  https://www.asgardsss.co.uk/centurion-bike-shed-x4 or https://www.asgardsss.co.uk/5×7-metal-shed – have had four of the latter in our shared back garden for 10 years and they have been perfect.

Just a standard 6mx4m made from Colorbond. PITA to build!!! But it’s got through winter no dramas.