Garden Sheds in Northern Ireland

If you’re in the market for a new shed in one of the six counties in Northern Ireland, you’re in the right place. Today we’ll be looking at all your options, what you need to know before, during and after assembly and we’ll also look at some often overlooked points relating to garden sheds.

So whether you’re looking to buy a shed from us in Armagh, or anyone else, here is some no-nonsense advice that’ll stand to you regardless of who you get your shed from.

• Shed Material (and associated benefits and considerations)
• Shed Location
• Assembly
• Shed Care

 

Shed Material

When it comes to sheds, you’re not stuck for options when it comes to what they’re made of. Steel and Wood are by far the most popular options, so we’ll focus on those primarily today. There are other options, which we’ll come to, but these generally aren’t suited to the Northern Irish climate.

Wooden Sheds in Northern Ireland

   

Wooden Sheds are the most popular option currently. These sheds are dependable, long-lasting, usually built to spec and they’re easy on the eye, too. Wooden Sheds tend to last between 10-30+ years, depending on how they’re cared for. If you want to get the most out of your wooden sheds, here are some pints that’ll stand to you:

Wooden Shed Benefits

• Traditional appearance that compliments most gardens
• Locally sourced materials
• Can be made to almost any size and customisation is available (within reason!)

Wooden Shed Considerations

• Get a treated wood. If you opt for untreated wood, you’ll need to manually treat your shed every year or so. Treated timber is hands off for at least 10 years. After that, you might consider applying an exterior treatment to add some longevity to it.
• Replace the felt on the roof as soon as it looks worn. The felt roof is the first thing to go on a wooden shed. It’s said that you’ll get 10-12 years out of a torched-on felt roof. As soon as it starts to go however, get it sorted. If it becomes compromised, the inside of the shed will be exposed to the elements, causing the internal wood to break down much more quickly.
• Don’t build it flush to the ground. All of our wooden sheds are built up on blocks for a reason. The climate here is, well, damp at best. If a wooden shed is constantly in touch with wet ground, it will break down considerably quicker than a shed that’s raised up on blocks. Doesn’t have to be huge blocks, anything for 2″-4″ is sufficient.

 

Steel Sheds in Northern Ireland

Steel Sheds are growing massively in popularity, outpacing wood in many European countries. There is more variety in steel sheds and these can last anywhere from 10-40+ years, again, depending on how they’re treated.

Steel Shed Benefits

• Can be supplied flat-packed or with assembly; this allows you to save on assembly if you know what you’re doing, or take a totally hands-off approach.
  • Side note: Do not assemble these alone, or do not assemble these if you have no prior experience with large, flat-packed builds.
• Virtually maintenance-free. Wooden sheds require annual varnishing if they’re not pressure treated, as well as routine inspections of the felt roof. Steel Sheds require minimal care – treat any scratches (which should be few and far-between) and clear the gutters on them twice a year, if your shed has gutters.
• No felt roof. These sheds are entirely made of steel, so you don’t have to worry about the roof decomposing on these over time. Basic upkeep will give you years of life with your shed.

 

Steel Shed Considerations

• Steel Sheds require a totally solid and level base. You cannot assemble these on grass, muck etc.
• Don’t opt for a steel shed if you’re on the coast. The salt-content in the sea air can cut through even galvanised steel considerably quicker than elsewhere in-land.
• Steel sheds are liable to condensation, if you’ve not prepared them properly, or if you are storing anything inside them that generates heat.

 

Shed Location

The location of the shed in your garden is important. There’s no point in putting a shed in your garden in a way that will be detrimental to the longevity of it. Here are some considerations for the position of your shed in your garden:

• Do not build your shed under a tree. The reason is two-fold: The branches above will damage it, and the roots below can become problematic. Let’s start with the branches. These will sway in winds and this can puncture felt-roofs leaving them exposed to the elements, or it can scratch the protective layer off a steel roof causing similar problems. The roots is a less immediate issue – this will only potentially cause a problem over decades, but it should be avoided where possible.
• Don’t build your shed flush to the wall. You should be able to get in and around the back of your shed. This will prevent problems with unwanted growths, rodents or other pests. Similarly, steel sheds have vents to allow air to flow through them; if the air-flow is not possible, you may experience condensation. While you might see from some of the customer images above that they have done so, we don’t recommend it.
• Don’t build on a slope. This should do without saying, but level off your base before you build your shed onto it.

 

Garden Shed Assembly

Our Wooden Garden Sheds are all supplied and fitted; the price of assembly is included within the price. However, our Steel Garden Sheds are available flat-packed or with assembly. To be totally up-front and transparent, these are not sheds than any Tom, Dick or Harry could build. The instructions will state that it may take ‘up to 3 hours’, but this is for very experienced flat-packed builders and we’ve found that it can take the average assembly about 2-3 times as long.

Two good rules of thumb are:

• However long you think it’s going to take, give yourself double that amount of time.
• Paying for the assembly service is considerably cheaper than a divorce.

 

Shed Care

Caring for your shed is not a full time job. Here are some (but not all) the most common examples of shed care:

Wooden Shed Care

• A treated shed will not need to be painted or varnished for about 10-12 years. However an untreated shed will need to be treated at least once every two years. For a hands off option, get a treated wooden shed
• The felt roof should be monitored once or twice a year. If you see any nicks or tears, fix them up there and then. It’ll prevent needing to replace the whole roof.

Steel Shed Care

•  If you see any scratches on your shed, you’ll need to evaluate this. Surface level scratches are not necessarily anything to worry about. However, deeper scratches should be treated as soon as possible. Give them a gentle wash down with a wet sponge and dry it up with a towel. Apply an epoxy sealant to the area, smoothing it out so that there are no bubbles or lumps. Allow this to dry and check it over the week to ensure it’s still standing.
• Remember to not put anything that generates heat inside a steel shed, or you’ll get a lot of condensation. Treat condensation by airing out the shed regularly – or following our guide to condensation here.

 

General Garden Shed Care

• Don’t store food in your shed unless it’s tightly air-locked. Open food can attract rodents, which may make a home out of your shed.
• Don’t powerwash your shed.
• Check the roof with the aid of a ladder at least once a year – check for damages, scratches, or any growths. The instances of any of these happening are quite remote, however a quick check once a year can save a lot of hassle down the line.
• Don’t block up the vents or other airflows into the shed.

 

Any questions?

This is a big subject to cover, so we may have overlooked something. Get in touch with us if you’ve any questions and we’ll get it all cleared up for you!