Shed Help

Buying a shed to store my bikes in in the next few days, the shed will be at the bottom of my garden facing my house.

These are my three options:

http://www.sheds.co.uk/garden-sheds/sheds-by-size/10-x-6-sheds/10-x-6-standard-overlap-pent-shed-37.html

http://www.sheds.co.uk/garden-sheds/sheds-by-size/10-x-6-sheds/10-x-6-windowless-overlap-apex-wooden-shed-522.html

http://www.sheds.co.uk/garden-sheds/pressure-treated-sheds/hartwood-10-x-8-fsc-overlap-apex-security-workshop.html

Torn between them, thinking it would be more secure to have a single door pointing towards the house, but does a pent shed restrict headroom? The third one is a security shed, but is quite a bit more expensive.

Also, what advice would you give for the base?

I’d opt for an apex roof for the extra headroom. The security shed will be dark if you want to work on the bikes or escape from the family. Radio on, cup of tea and peace, where else would you rather be?

I like double doors, I’ve got them on my shed. I’ve put bars on the windows, but it’s a wooden shed at the end of the day, not Fort Knox. Worth paying for one with proper roof and floors, not the strawboard offerings on many cheaper sheds.

I put another floor in mine (proper floor boards) as I have a motorbike in it as well as the pushbike and didn’t want the side stand punching a hole through the floor.

of the 3 I would go for the third bigger is always better with sheds but I would get a security strap that goes across both doors and mounts on to the frame .
base wise mine is rubble and random broken slabs with fence posts laid flat cross wise on top so the shed sits on the flat fence posts which were levelled and fixed with concrete and broken slates . This was cheap and easy to do and so far stable and durable (2 years.)

my pent has plenty of head room and more useable room for hanging stuff and shelves
link for an alternative and to show a door strap
http://www.tigersheds.com/product/tiger-security-apex-shed/?option=42&utm_source=Google_Products&utm_medium=Google_Products&utm_campaign=Google_Products&gclid=CKDgk9-piMkCFQoEwwodgasNSw

That’s great advice, just seen those security bars on ebay after you said it.

One other thing, I’ve got 2 massive ponds i’m filling in too, they’ve got huge liners in. Would you wrap the paving slabs in the liners under the shed for a layer of waterproof-ness?

Worth getting one of these if you’re using a shed for bike storage.

Shed Shackle

The only problem with wrapping the slabs is you may hinder the escape of standing water therefore immersing the base for longer than it need be. I always make a framework supported on blocks laif flat, but that’s because I like concrete and concreting things and I like to do it just the once.

” Would you wrap the paving slabs in the liners under the shed for a layer of waterproof-ness? “
no . shed off ground drainage below shed , my fear is your plan would create a water trap that the shed would sit in. That is why a concrete base and indeed my fence posts, should be slightly smaller than the shed so they are in its shelter when it rains.

I used my pond liners to make a waterproof base for the “green” roof for my wood shed.

Ah, makes sense. How about under the concrete slabs to stop damp rising?

I stood my shed on 2 inch treated fence post which I wrapped on 3 sides with a damp proof membrane. These were placed on paving stones on a compressed sand base.

The shed has been dry as a bone for 15 years. I treat it with a coat of wood treatment once a year and keep an eye on the roof felt. Replace it as soon as it becomes damaged.

I gave the roof and floor several coats of preservative before erecting the shed. I give the roof a coat whenever I replace the felt.

Damp will not rise as such through a pressed within an inch of its life concrete slab. Again you will get moisture between the joints of the slabs which if it’s unable to escape may pond on top.

We’ve got eco base around one shed, the other sits on top of an old concrete garage base.

I quite like the eco base as it acts a bit like a french drain.

Hmm. Eco bases are over £100 at that size. Worth the investment?

I’ve got a load of bricks and paving, a rubber lining and iot seems a waste to not use them as a base?

Ever looked at the Asgard Range?

http://www.asgardsss.co.uk/metal-garden-sheds-xl/metal-shed-gladiator-plus2

Bit pricey but so much more secure.

For the base I’d scrape off the loose soil, put down the pond liner, few bags of paving sand then the slabs. Make sure the liner doesn’t dip in the middle making a new pond, and give it a slight slope (1 in 40) to help drainage. As for the shed bigger is better.

Base for my shitty metal shed:

30cm x 15cm deep hole into clay around perimeter
20cm deep excavation in middle

Fill perimeter with large rocks to level of middle excavation, top up the lot with 10mm of chips (I used hideous red chip that was covering the garden, other varieties are available, usually free).

Walk over it and pack it down, the head of a sledge hammer will do, leave it a few days and it will do it pretty much on its own.

Cover with anti weed sheet.

Coat with builders sand, just enough to level it.

Lay council slabs over the top.

Has been dry as a bone since I laid it, I do get dampness around the edges as it’s not a sealed shed but using them as the floor has given me no issues, the middle is always dry. The clay around it likes making puddles so the soakaway obviously works. When I come to putting a proper shed on it I’ll just plonk it on top of a sacrificial layer of timber with DPC on top to be sure but thats probably overkill.

That Tiger shed, lol. Look at how its put together and it doesn’t matter what you use as materials, a pry bar will have it apart in minutes! So called security sheds just make me laught, taking away the window means just about sod all if a thief can just pull it apart at a seam.

I have a pent shed with a higher roof than the first one you posted.
It cost a little more but worth it..