Metal Sheds

Has anyone got a metal shed? I am toying with the idea of one of these fellows; looks quite good, but are they?

 

Hmmmm - there is a reason that they are quite cheap then.

I was intending on building a base from 4 x 2, then run damp proof course around the top of the 4 x 2 frame before screwing OSB or ply sheets on top to make a floor. Then I was going to mount the shed on that floor (I see one of the recommendations is to seal round it on the inside with a silicon sealant).

However, if they get that much hotter than a wooden one in the summer, then I might have to go back to the drawing board. Its mostly for tools and stuff, but inevitably there will be some paint etc in there which wouldn't do well in the heat.

@"M" - I was thinking of mounting the brackets by drilling a small pilot hole through the metal, then screwing through the bracket and the pilot hole whilst getting someone to hold a wooden block (inch to inch and a half square); my theory being that the block would pull up to the inside of the metal spreading the load from the bracket across a larger part of the surface without the need for bolts etc?

 

I've got one like that and really wish I had paid a bit more and got a wooden shed. For a start the metal is extremely thin and very easy to accidentally dent. Also as others have said the condensation problem during the winter is a real issue, water builds up and drips/runs down the insides, it's OK for a lawnmower and big tools, anything else gets damp and/or rusty. Finally it was a pain to erect, it's like a big meccano set with no tolerances built in, you have to get your base exactly level and square, I didn't (it was only a couple of mm out) and I ended up drilling new holes in the final few roof sections.

It does get hot inside during the summer, but that's not a problem for me, it's just for storage, it's not a place where I'd want to spend any time.

 

That is the thing - I wouldn't be working in it at all, it is purely for storing a couple of bikes, the gas barbie over winter, lawnmower and a few tools (which will be on shelves or in cupboards); the wooden overlap shed we have currently was £400, and it is leaking like a sieve now - in fairness, it was literally thrown up over a couple of days with no thought given to a level base - the net result being that it has slowly leaned back more and more toward the greenhouse (which it is now nearly touching); the overlap wood is thin and despite being treated with wood preservative, it is anything but sealed at the moment as it is bowing and leaving gaps you can get a hand through (literally).

The equivalent in a good tongue and groove wooden shed will cost around £1000, which I simply do not have - - this option, for a few hundred quid, should hopefully resolve a few issues:

- Current shed is oriented wrongly, the plan is to have the new one the same orientation as the greenhouse
- the 2ft of space created to the side of the shed gives enough room to fit Little C's trampoline into the corner on the patio, giving her shelter from the wind (next to the gable end of next doors house) and solves the dying grass problem
- the current shed was supplied with screws that were a fraction too long, so if you open the door and it then swings in the breeze or you brush against it, you get big scratches from the protruding screw tips.

I have a plan that I will post back shortly, that I think might just help keep the dampness/condensation at bay - bear with.

 

Right, here is the plan.

Construct a frame of 38x63mm (2.4m long) studwork timber, in a fashion similar to this:


Wrap the stud work in damp proof course (stapled on), then lay a further layer of damp proof course on top of the four external sides to allow it to be wrapped around the edge of the flooring when it is then screwed on top:


The pink around the blocks represents a wrap of damp proof course, with the red representing further damp proof course wrapped over the ends of the flooring (9mm OSB3); then the walls screw down onto the floor edge with the damp proof course in between.

Once construction is complete, trim the damp proof course so that it is level with the edge of the wall lip, and then run a bead of weatherproof silicone around the inner edge of the lip to double ensure that there is no water ingress.

What do you reckon ladies and gents?

 

Metal shed - ordered!
Wood, screws, damp proof course - ordered!

I simply cannot afford to spend around (or over) £1000 on a shed, much as I would love a really nice wooden one made of thick tongue and groove. I also need a relatively quick fix - I don't have the time to build my own from scratch, the elder tree is driving Little C up the wall with all the mess it drops on her trampoline, and the trampoline is driving me up the wall with the mess it makes of the grass.

 

I've read you can stop condensation by lining the roof/sides with thin insulation sheets, such as polystyrene.

 

Too late mate - all ordered, and the wood for the base/floor is due to be delivered tomorrow.