11 Best Garden Sheds 2018: Buying Advice + Best Sheds RANKED

December 27, 2017

So you want to buy a new garden shed? Congratulations. It’s an exciting time. Below you’ll find buying advice regarding features to look out for when making your purchase. We’ve also listed what we consider to be the 11 best garden sheds of 2018.

Best Garden Sheds 2018: Buying advice

Wood: Look for a wood that has been pressure treated. This is the most effective way to prevent your shed from rot and insect damage. Pressure treatment works by placing the timber in an industrial vacuum, which then floods with chemicals before a hydraulic press is used to maximise wood penetration.

Wood that has been pressure treated prevents decay from the inside, sealant protects the wood externally. Some sheds will come with sealant already applied, however, if you see one you like that hasn’t been treated with sealant, don’t panic. Quality sealants can be bought from your local DIY shop and applied manually. See also: Best Electric Fireplaces 2018.

Size: Spent five minutes with a tape measure and work out how big you want your shed to be and where you want it to sit in your garden. This isn’t a job that can be done by eye. You need to be exact. Also, consider how tall you want your shed to be, if you want to use it as a workshop, then you’re going to need it to be at least 8 feet tall, for example.

Cladding: There are two main types of cladding. Overlapping or tongue and groove. Overlapping is the cheaper of the two and is great if you want a budget shed that keeps the rain out.

Tongue and groove sheds are also waterproof, but provide a more solid structure, meaning you can hang heavier tools from its walls. Tongue and groove sheds need to be made from thicker woods, which inevitably drives the price up. If you’re serious about your shed, we recommend looking for one that has tongue and groove cladding. Buy one with a thickness of at least 8mm, but 12mm is preferred.

Installation: If you’re investing several hundreds of pounds in your shed, then its worth looking for a retailer that offers free installation as well as delivery. Unfortunately, shed’s bought via Amazon don’t offer this. But they are cheap. Other retailers, such as ShedStore.co.uk do with certain brands.

Windows: A shed wouldn’t be a shed without a window. Choose a shed with toughened glass, for security reasons. The rest is personal preference. More windows mean more natural daylight, but less space to hang tools remember.

Lock: You’re, presumably, going to be storing a lot of valuable equipment and tools in your shed. The lock shouldn’t be overlooked. Choosing a lock for a shed is no different to any other item. You want one that’s tough and secure.