Before the leaves start falling then the winter sets in, it’s time to organise your garden shed. But how do you start sorting and tidying?
With competitions such as Shed of the Year showing us how some people have created ingenious, charming and efficient sheds, perhaps it’s time for you to look at your outbuilding and put some time and effort into doing it up.
The main problem with sheds is often that they are used as junkyards for things which may never be needed or can’t be fixed, then when you want something out of them, you can’t find it. Your first step should be a good clear-out – hire a skip or a Hippo bag if necessary to make yourself some space to work in.
Then consider what you could do with your shed, and look at the fittings you’ll need to achieve your aims. For instance a shed could make a good garage for bicycles or motorbikes, a workshop for hobbyists or a potting area for gardeners; but you’ll need to think about your requirements for security, lighting, heating and power.
See also: Garden Furniture for Luxury Living Outdoors
Storage
One of the main uses for a shed is as a storage area for overflow from the house. So long as the building is waterproof, there’s little you can’t keep in a shed (particularly if it’s all sealed in airtight containers). But it’s no good just piling things in willy-nilly, you need to think about fittings such as shelves and benches.
If you have a wooden structure, it’s fairly easy to build DIY shelves by attaching them to the upright battens.
- Cut the shelf size you require from 12mm (1/2 inch) plywood and nail a piece of 2×4 to the underneath of the front, back and sides.
- Use vertical 2x4s for the supports at the front and back to form the support frame. Maximum span should be about 450mm (18inches) back to front. Maximum spacing of the vertical supports along the run of the shelves should be 1.2m (4 feet).
If you are storing relatively light items on these shelves then they will be stable using the screws/nails that you have used to fix the members together. If storing heavy tools etc, fix the shelving unit back to the shed wall or add some diagonal bracing for extra stability.
Shelves don’t need treating if they are inside, but painting or staining them will help to stop them gathering ingrained dirt.
Fixed shelves don’t give you much flexibility afterwards; maybe better to buy freestanding shelves which can be adjusted or even moved as your plans change.
Looks
You may be familiar with commercial shelving brands such as Dexion, a slotted steel system developed in the 1940s and still around today. Dexion isn’t known for its looks though, and you might want something a bit more aesthetic for your outbuildings.
The chrome wire shelving sold under various manufacturers’ names is very common, and is widely available in both light-duty and heavy-duty gauges. It has the advantage of being easy to put together and to modify, and has all sorts of accessories available from hooks to castors. Beware though that some similar looking products are not in fact compatible as they use different pole diameters, shelf widths and plastic connectors.
For something a bit sturdier, though, look to shelves from BigDug. Robust enough to hold 200kg per shelf, prices for the MD4B range seen below start at around £113.99 for three (including VAT), and of course you can specify more shelves or larger sizes. The powder-coated European steel frames support MDF shelves, and the boltless design is easy to assemble and adjust – BigDug will even give you a rubber mallet to knock things into shape! You can add bay connectors to fix bays in a run or back-to-back, and wall fixings for extra stability. The units are easy to maintain, though it’s worth varnishing or sealing the MDF shelves if they are in a humid environment; or go for the versions with galvanised steel shelving.
Martin Roberts’ Tips
“Much to my wife’s annoyance, I’m a great hoarder, I can’t throw anything away, not a nut or a screw! I’ve got eight sheds full of things that might come in useful – and during lockdown they did come in useful, I managed to make all sorts of things. We all need shelves, stuff to put stuff on – have a look around and see what you have to make them from. I’m a huge fan of reclaimed wood, such as pine floorboards – sand it off, oil it, and you’ll see the beauty that’s under the surface!”
BigDug also supplies some useful niche products such as a garage corner shelf kit – this makes sure you don’t waste any precious space between right-angled shelving – and shelving sets with storage boxes from Really Useful boxes, which are airtight, or economy Wham boxes. These are the best way to make good use of your shelf space and make it easier to empty a whole shelf or unit quickly when you want to move things around. You can also get systems with open boxes or bins for parts picking.
Extras
Another element of BigDug’s range is the selection of workbenches, ranging from a two-level workbench with chipboard shelves, to a garage drawer cabinet workbench, or a workstation with vertical tool storage. A half depth lower shelf is an option when you want to slide a chair underneath.
Steel cupboards are available with parts bins, or fitted with tambour (roller) doors to save space.
To finish the job, look for Perfo Panels, available in a range of sizes, and customised using hook accessories so you can hang larger items on the walls. And for the floors, modular floor mats made from recycled PVC are easy to cut to shape, lay, maintain and replace, have a non-slip surface and are resistant to moisture, oils, solvents and chemicals. They can be left loose or fixed in place with adhesive.
Once you have your shed fitted out, you’ll find it a joy to use, and an invaluable asset to your home and garden.
Hanging around
GearHooks has the solution to saving floor space by hanging large items like bicycles from the walls (seen above).
The company manufactures everything from a single bike hook to a wall bike rack for up to 6 bikes. All of them will take any bike frame size, from a child’s bike to an XL adult bike and even tandems.
The hooks hold the bike by the front wheel, and will accommodate any wheel size from 20” on commuter bikes to 29” on road bikes and mountain bikes.
GearHooks individual hooks and racks are designed so that bikes can be hung vertically on the wall – but you don’t have to lift them. You simply push the bike towards the wall, hold the brakes and step backwards, which pulls the bike up onto its back wheel. You then release the brakes and roll the bike forwards until it hits the wall, and you can then hook the front wheel. Just one more way to make the most of your shed! ■
This feature was originally published in Property & Home with Martin Roberts. See more here.
