If you are planning to have a garden shed or summer house put in, be sure to plan for the space well ahead of time. Whether it is for an allotment or a corner of your garden, planning sheds should be considered long before construction starts.
A garden shed can be built anywhere, as long as you have enough room to do it. Be mindful of your neighbours if it is going against the boundary wall. Make sure you have enough room for the shed or summer house by measuring the area that will be used for it and plan the shed size accordingly.
Choosing Your Site
Before you start building your shed, take a moment to consider what the site is going to look like in a couple of years.
Do you want it to be surrounded by trees and flowering shrubs? In front of a pond, or some landscaped garden?
It will make all the difference in how your garden looks when you are buying it. If you do decide on an area in the corner of the garden, then clear off any vegetation on the surrounding hedges that might get in the way of putting it in place. Have you thought about if you want a Gazebo with sides or a garden shed with an extension? How will you use your shed or gazebo? Is it for gardening, socialising, storage or even a home office space?
Clearing the Ground
The first step is to clear the ground of debris, so rocks, plants and roots. Next you want to think about a perimeter for the sheds base. This is to help keep the earth around the base stable.
Levelling the Ground
A shed is a very simple structure that you can use for years for many uses, and it will serve as a safe and stable base for your outdoor area so long as it’s placed level on the ground. You can use a spirit level or string and pegs to check how level your site is. You may need to hire a compactor for levelling.
Next, I would pop a membrane down to prevent weed growth and damaging the bottom of your shed.
Building the Shed’s Base
There are many options for your garden shed base including, concrete, paving stone, gravel or wood. For longevity I would go with a concrete base. It won’t sink or rot. A concrete base is easy to build. All you have to do is build a wood box frame for the concrete to go in, level and leave to dry. You can remove the wood box afterwards if you wish.
Roundup – Prepare your garden for a shed:
- Choose an area that is reasonably flat. Owning land with uneven terrain could make levelling difficult so you may need to get a professional in to help.
- Clear the ground
- Level the ground
- Build a shed base
I hope these points have helped you to prepare your garden for a shed, now all you have to do is build the shed!