If you need extra storage space in your garden, having a garden shed is an ideal solution. Once you’ve chosen your garden shed, all that remains to do is put it up where you want it. We’ve put together a handy step-by-step guide to help make the process as simple as possible.
What you’ll need:
- Hammer
- Nails
- Step ladder
- Drill
- Tape measure
- Spirit level
- Someone to help you
1. Prepare your shed base
Wherever in your garden you’ve decided to position your shed, you will need to clear the area and create a hard, level base. Never place your garden shed directly on grass, bark or any other kind of soft ground, as the moisture will eventually cause your shed to warp and rot.
Instead, use any of the following methods to create a level base for your shed:
- Concrete base – this can come in the form of concrete slabs laid on a level bed of sand, or concrete laid on hardcore.
- Paving slabs – when laid level, paving slabs can also make an excellent base for your garden shed.
- Interlocking plastic base – quick and simple to install, these interlocking plastic tiles are free-draining and self-ventilating, so your shed floor will stay dry whatever the weather.
- Timber base – a timber base is a series of timber pieces that create a frame for your shed to be placed on top of. They elevate your shed, creating space for air circulation and helping to protect your shed from moisture damage. In addition to a timber base, it's also a good idea to lay a piece of ground cover surrounding your shed, followed by 150mm of clean stone. This will let any rain soak away effectively.
2. Lay your shed base and put up the walls
Once you’ve chosen your shed base, you’ll need to lay it and ensure that it is completely level.
You’ll also need to assemble the shed’s floor on your base. Some sheds come with wooden joists already attached to the floor sheet. On other sheds, you will need to lay out the joists underneath the floor sheet and fix them to it using nails. Once the floor is down, you’re ready to put up the walls of your shed.
Some useful tips for this stage:
- You’ll want at least one other person to help you by holding up the walls as you fix them together.
- If you have the space to do so, it can be helpful to layout the wall sections of your shed on the ground in their relevant positions before you erect them.
- It’s important to keep checking throughout the installation that the walls of your shed are square both horizontally and vertically. Use a spirit level to do this.
- Do not fix any wall panels to the floor until you’ve fitted the roof (in the next stage).
Carefully put up your shed’s walls in the following order:
- First, lift one side panel and the back panel onto the base and screw the two together, whilst your helper supports each panel. On a pent shed – such as our Sun Pent potting shed – the back wall is the shorter panel.
- Next, your helper needs to lift the other side panel onto the base and hold it whilst you attach it to the back panel.
- Finally, attach the front panel (which will also contain the shed door).
3. Fit and felt the shed roof
Once all four walls are in place, you’re ready to attach your shed’s roof and apply felt to it. The method for doing this differs depending on the type of roof your shed has.
Apex roof
- If your shed has a pointed apex roof – like our Standard Apex Shed – you should first fit the central roof support bar between the back and front walls of your shed.
- Next, nail the roof panels in place, ensuring there is a small and equal amount of overlap left at either end. Once the roof is in place, you can then attach your wall panels to the floor.
- Measure out your felt, leaving an overlap of about 5cm to the front, back and sides.
- Apply the felt from the bottom of the roof to the top, overlapping both sides of the apex.
Pent roof
- If your shed has a sloping pent roof – like our Standard Pent Shed – you can lift the roof onto the walls as one unit.
- Attach the roof to the shed and then attach the walls to your shed floor.
- Measure out your felt and apply it from back to front.
4. Treat and maintain your shed
Once you have erected your shed, it’s important to look after it. If treated and maintained correctly, you’ll be able to enjoy use of your shed for many years to come.
Apply wood preserver to your shed to help prevent moisture seeping in, ensuring it’s a treatment suitable for use on planed wood – not one designed for use on sawn timber. We stock Protek Decking Stain, a sustainable, specially formulated treatment that waterproofs and protects external timber. It will also give your shed an enriched, rustic colour.
You could brighten up your shed with a coat of paint, which will also protect it from weathering and help prolong the life of the wood.
If you need help with shed installation, Somerlap have got you covered
Whatever kind of garden shed you’re in the market for, our impressive range is built to order right here at our site in Somerset using quality timber and materials. We can even install your brand-new garden shed for you within a 50-mile radius of our site – so if any of the steps above seem daunting, there’s no reason to delay getting your perfect garden shed from us.
Take the hassle out of getting a new garden shed and contact us today to find out more.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8.00am – 4.30pm | Saturday: 8.00am – 12.30pm | Closed all bank holidays