Why Buy a Shed When you Can Make One?

If you’re thinking of buying a new shed this year, why not consider building one yourself? Off the shelf shed and summer houses are often only available in a few standard sizes which can limit where you can fit them and what you can fit inside them. With a little imagination and some advice from our staff you could build one that fits perfectly in your space and accommodates exactly what you want to put in it.

Whether you want a log cabin workshop, a contemporary garden office or just a place to store garden furniture, we’ve got versatile tongue and groove and overlap cladding products in a range of sizes and styles to suite every taste. The most popular shed cladding materials have historically been Shiplap and V groove cladding but in recent years the range of styles has grown enormously. Log lap has become a hugely popular cladding material which has a curved profile, giving the look of a log cabin. All of these products are available pressure treated for extra durability.

One of the most common problems with standard softwood cladding is its tendency to absorb moisture which can cause it to warp, twist and distort. The latest innovative solution to this problem is undoubtedly Thermowood, a cladding heat treated with steam to reduce its moisture content and prevent further moisture absorption, giving greater dimensional stability. This increase in stability offers an expected lifespan of up to 30 years, far greater than that of standard softwood products. Other benefits of this heat treatment are a colour change to a medium brown, similar to Oak, and a smooth, soft surface as if it’s been finely sanded. Thermowood is available in several profiles from traditional shiplap to modern feather edge designs.

Once you’ve chosen the outer ‘skin’ of your shed or garden building you’ll need to plan what timber you’re going to use to construct it. We stock everything from 50mm x 50mm all the way up to 225mm x 75mm timber so however robust you decide to build it there’s a timber size to suit your design. The most popular sizes tend to be 50mm x 75mm and 50mm x 100mm for studwork with 50mm x 150mm for floor and ceiling joists. All of these are available pressure treated to give the greatest possible lifespan.

Your shed can be as luxurious as you choose. For a more rustic look, clad the internal walls and floor with durable sheet materials such as OSB and plywood, or for a more high-end look use decorative panels such as our moisture resistant tongue and groove effect MDF panels which give a traditional tongue and groove look with the ease and speed of fixing a large single sheet. Once painted it looks every bit as good as timber cladding. We stock a full range of trim beads and decorative mouldings to complete the interior of your shed or garden building.

With a full range of fixings and sealants we can also advise on how to fasten and seal all of your chosen materials together - just ask one of our experienced staff to help.

Don’t forget, with our unrivalled machining facilities all of the materials for your shed or garden building project can be cut to size in our in-house workshop, meaning all you need to do is build it. So, what are you waiting for? Get planning your new shed and call in for any advice you need along the way.