gardening equipment storage problems

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Karen Butler, May 10, 2010.

  1. Karen Butler

    Karen Butler Apprentice Gardener

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    Hello everyone!

    Iâ??m quite a keen gardener, with quite a large lawn. Iâ??ve just bought myself a new ride on lawnmower and am wondering about whther I should also get myself a dedicated outdoor metal storage shed as theres no space in my garage! Had a look online, and seen the metal garden shed at which looks great, but wanted to know how easy it would be to install? Has anyone got one of these?

    Thanks!

    Karen
    :mwlwn:
     
  2. Larkshall

    Larkshall Gardener

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    Hi Karen

    It may be worth reading my article about my metal shed.
     
  3. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Head Gardener

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    I'd advise getting something. But even a something like a garage might not be enough.
    I'm sure several have experienced that situation where in September you've cleaned and put away an all metal lawnmower in the garage at the end of September and found it's been replaced by this rusty apology for a mower come next April.
    It's the damp which does the damage and without any heat you can't avoid it in conventional storage facilities.
     
  4. Larkshall

    Larkshall Gardener

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    Providing heat is expensive to your pocket and the environment.

    There are other ways to prevent rust, Finnigans Waxoil or dilute gear oil with paraffin (not engine oil which contains detergent and allows water to mix with it). The dilute gear oil is also useful for all hand tools (forks, spades, shears, trowels etc.). Keep some in a container with a 1" paint brush to apply it.
     
  5. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    I bought a metal shed from B&Q, I don't know if its the same as your link but whilst it does the job I wish I had gone for a more expensive wooden one. Why? Because the metal is very flimsy - it all came in two boxes which I could lift with not much trouble which for a 8X10 shed shows how little metal they used. It was like a big meccano set, they said it could be assembled in 4 hours, well it took 2 of us at least twice as long. Just make sure you start with an absoultely square and level base. Once it's up it has been OK for storage but in the winter the metal suffers from lots of condensation inside, it really needs insulating - so things inside there get damp. I don't have this problem with my old wooden shed. Finally being so flimsy the slightest knock will dent the panels, so don't put it anywhere near where kids play with balls!
     
  6. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Head Gardener

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    I'm with you there with wood.

    My self-built wooden shed backs onto my garage, it probably benefits from the fact that my "fish room" is on the other side of the wall and the large quantity of water in the filters, will always be at a higher temperature than the ambient. So I don't have rust problems with my garden equipment.
    My tea-house is also wood, dry and draught-proofed and to prevent damp affecting my jukeboxes I have a 60w bulb in an inspection lamp sat on the floor of each, which come on between midnight and 9.00am so provide some heat. I also have one of those boxes of crystals which absorb moisture in both and they still absorb some moisture.

    As for "the environmental concerns" I'm too old to â??take responsibility for saving the planet."
    Just take a drive past any large office building complex around 10.00pm and see how many are ablaze with light.

    They can't all be call centres.
     
  7. EEF

    EEF Apprentice Gardener

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    Hi Karen - Did you get one in the end?? I have also thought about one of these - but was a little put off by the price - £400 for a garden shed seems rather a lot, secure metal or not!
     
  8. EddieJ

    EddieJ gardener & Sculptor

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    Storage doesn't have to cost money.

    I constructed the shed below which is 11' x 9' for approx £70.00
    The £70.00 was the cost of of materials for the base. The rest of the materials were scrounged for free.

    [​IMG]

    In case you were wondering, no the guttering wasn't finished when this shot was taken.

    [​IMG]

    The logstore behind the shed was also free. The tin roof section came from an industrial unit that was being dismantled.

    Another free way of getting storage, which okay isn't very attractive is to use the front end of luton type van bodies. They have no scrap value, so scrap yards are more than willing to get rid of them for free.

    This is one that I have just put on my veg plot, but have still to finish it with doors and shelving. I have a spare roof section going free if anyone is interested.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. EddieJ

    EddieJ gardener & Sculptor

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  10. Alice

    Alice Gardener

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    I'm impressed Eddie. Very impressed.
    My 6 x 8 garden shed cost me £800 - delivered and erected.
    The quality is lovely, you could just about live in there but that's some difference in the price.
     
  11. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    #

    Blimey Eddie, where do you do you scrounging:D
     
  12. Larkshall

    Larkshall Gardener

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    I went for metal sheds as I've had problems before with wood sheds where the rats, mice and tree rats gnaw through. I had none of these problems with the metal sheds.
     
  13. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    Lovely piece of craftsmanship, and I like the way the arch complements
     
  14. wiseowl

    wiseowl Admin Staff Member

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    Hi Eddie a cracking job,first rate build:)
     
  15. EddieJ

    EddieJ gardener & Sculptor

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    The following frame is the one that I'm proud of.:)

    [​IMG]

    I finished it a month or so ago, and I'm pretty sure that its my 100th frame!! Not a bad considering that I work on my own.:)
     
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