Home Home Garden Garden Sheds: Organise Your Backyard in One Simple Step

Garden Sheds: Organise Your Backyard in One Simple Step

Although not a new concept, backyard garden sheds have gained great popularity in the last decade. Smaller home designs and the need for more storage space explain the fact why more and more homeowners are adding a garden shed to their backyard. While a lot of Aussies are wasting money every month on self-storage   fees, others have realized that garden sheds are a much smarter alternative.

What Is The Purpose of a Garden Shed?

A garden shed is a small building used for storage. It can be simple or more complex, small or large, store-bought or a DIY project and it can be made from different materials to match your house’s exterior. It can be used for various purposes, including:

  • Storing gardening tools, a lawnmower, and other miscellaneous items;
  • Storing bikes and winter sports equipment;
  • Greenhouse or potting shed;
  • A child’s playhouse;
  • An office or a gym room, separated from the main house.

playhouse

But aside from having a place to put bikes, tools and other stuff away, sheds are not a merely clearing-backyard-clutter innovation. They are primarily designed to protect your stuff from the elements. In other words, investing in a quality shed will save you from making other investments, hence the importance to choose it right. Today, there is a wide range of materials, sizes and styles to choose from which means you will need to consider your needs and preferences and choose accordingly.

Material

Garden sheds can be made from wood, metal or plastic. Many would say that wooden sheds are the most durable as they have been used for centuries. They are also considered the most attractive. However, wood is a natural product that is subject to warping. It is just a natural consequence of the material being exposed to different weather conditions. While it can be nice to have a natural-looking shed in your garden, make sure you are ready to treat it annually with paint or preservative to keep its good look.

garden-sheds

Metal backyard garden sheds offer a number of advantages over their wooden counterparts. They feature an integrated locking system which prevents the door from being prised open. Some models don’t have windows to keep valuable items out of the sight of potential burglars. Metal sheds also give homeowners peace of mind that pests will be kept at bay, so the shed and its contents will remain unaffected. These units are also covered in a powder coat paint that makes them weatherproof and very durable.

Plastic sheds are the cheapest type of storage space you will come across on the market. Aside from the damp-proof membrane needed when installing them, plastic sheds require very little maintenance. However, these units are not very stylish and they can’t be repainted.

Size

When buying, you should also consider how you plan to use the shed and what you’ll store in it. If you want to keep your garden essentials in it, such as a lawnmower, rakes and small garden tools, then a small shed will provide just the right storage space you need. If you need enough room to store a BBQ and small garden furniture, a medium-size shed would be more suitable. For multi-uses, large sheds are the ideal choice as they enable you to store a wide array of goods. With a large shed, you might have enough room to create your own workshop.

The size of your yard will also be a determining factor when it comes to the size of the shed you can fit into your space. For small gardens and patios, a small shed (4×6 or 4×8) will provide much valuable outdoor space. Medium-sized gardens can make great use of medium-sized sheds for keeping gardening tools and medium-sized furniture. If you have a large garden, you can benefit from the extra storage space that large sheds offer.

Style

Don’t worry if your garden doesn’t have much space to offer. With the diverse range of shed styles on the market today, you are bound to find one that suits your garden. Pent or lean-to sheds, for example, are designed to be positioned on the side of a property, which means you don’t have to compromise on garden space. Corner sheds are also a great choice for small gardens. When style and size are important factors, metal sheds that feature sliding doors keep the unique compactness and tidiness while maximizing the space where they are placed.

Store-Bought or DIY Sheds?

diy-wooden-shed
Although building a backyard garden shed is not Quantum Science, buying a finished product is most certainly the easiest way.
But if you are interested in how to make a backyard shed by yourself, here’s a short tutorial  to help you out in the process.