before I embark on this post...I will say that it will probably be the wordiest post I have ever done and apologise in advance for ... no punctuation..poor spelling and lack of technical wording...
As I have had many a question regarding the practicalities of shed working and tips on staying warm etc I have compiled a list for anyone thinking of taking up residence in their garden for regular crafting activity...I'm no expert on garden buildings so here are just some tips from my short time in there :)
- type of shed -
If you are starting from scratch things to think about are size, headroom and light....sheds have a tendancy to be dark so I picked a 6' x 8' potting shed style that had 4 windows which you could fit on any side, you could also choose where the door went. Also my shed has a pent roof... higher on one side which means more headroom where you work :)
Also worth mentioning is that mine is a tongue and groove type (not shiplap)
- exterior -
whatever your shed type the best way to protect it is to paint it with an outdoor paint...I slapped on 4 coats of this before we built it as sometimes you can't always get to all 4 sides once it's up! I shall be re- coating again before the winter too....as according to my builder friend you can never have too much paint on a shed!
The roof is made from the normal roofing felt but has 2 layers just for extra protection and also in the future I may put one of those lovely corrugated tin roofs on :) (apologies for the overuse of the word roof there)
- position -
if you already have a shed this won't apply but if you are picking a spot a good point is that it's not too far away from the house....saving you from those long dashes to and from in the rain..a sunny spot is always a bonus but sometimes a bit of shade can be good too
- inside -
to keep warm and dry I insulated my shed with plasterboard and polystyrene boards...these were attached to the batons on the inside walls..but you have to let the walls have some room to breathe and not overinsulate as that can cause damp too....
I left some walls 'open' with gaps at the top so there is some ventilation...you might also want to insulate the floor...I didn't as I liked the look of my floor boards and it didn't feel too cold in the winter as I just had lots of rugs :)
the ceiling inside is insulated with silver bubble stuff ( the type you can put in lofts ) it really worked to keep the heat in ...this was attached with a heavy duty staple gun...once you have all your walls and serious interior stuff done then you do the fun bit and decorate :)
- electricity -
if you are going to work in there a lot I really recommend getting power put in....I had budgeted for an electrician so I had 3 double sockets and a fuse box installed as well as a very practical wall light ...
I struggle with functional lighting and was hoping to avoid it, most of the time I use my table light but I have to say the 'big' light is a big bonus when you go into your shed in the middle of the night looking for something and all you have to do is flick a switch!
if you are putting power sockets in think about where you will need them most..where you will sit...need light etc ....it might be worth noting here that I decorated before the electrian did his stuff...I figured he would make a better job of working through my walls of plasterboard than I would working round his plug sockets..
- filling it -
once its all powered up and decorated its nice to just get your stuff and move in...my little shed is short on space so there wasn't a lot of choice where things went....wall shelves are a big bonus as are drawers that can fit under your desk....plastic boxes are perfect for storing fabrics and anything you need to keep clean and dry also I use vintage suitcases as they are great for transporting things in and out in the rain :)
don't forget your heater...I use a small oil filled electric heater it heated up the shed in about ten minutes and I was toasty warm all winter....even now if it has been a bit cold or damp I put the heater on low for an hour to keep it dry. I think the reason it doesn't feel damp or musty in there is because I'm in there most days ...even at weekends I pop in to get away from the chaos air it :)
- other stuff -
a door curtain was brilliant for keeping the cold out in the winter and now in the 'summer' it's good for keeping out buzzy things...oh and it looks pretty :)
if we do get any nice weather it does get a bit warm in there...so I made blackout blinds which just go up with velcro when I need them..this stops a lot of the heat/sun coming in through the windows...otherwise I just have little curtains (mainly for security...imagine a burglar peeking in and spotting my stash of sheets!)
...bunting is always handy as it stops me banging my head a lot...I'm 5'9 so parts of the shed are lower than my height...when I first went in there I was seeing stars most days :)...other things to remember are a good padlock...fairy lights for the outside...possibly a small chair for visitors...( I do love having visitors in there )
.....so there we go...I hope this has been of some help to any who are thinking of doing this...like I said I'm no expert but these are things I learnt along the way ....my little shed is my favourite place to be....when it's sunny it's like working outside..when it's raining the sound on the roof reminds me of caravan holidays...when I'm busy it gets me away from distractions.....when I'm not busy I can sit in there and dream...
...have a lovely weekend
x x x x x x x