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Grandads' shed

What sort of shed?

(23 Posts)
AshTree Tue 14-Apr-15 15:58:07

I need advice about buying a shed, so I thought, 'What better place to seek this advice, than in Grandads' Shed? smile
My daughter is expecting her first baby at the end of June. She will be a single mum and lives in a very small rented 2 bed property. Lovely place, but fitting stuff in is like doing a jigsaw. She has no room whatsoever to store the pram - no lobby, no understairs cupboard (open plan stairs in living room), no space, and she doesn't want to be wheeling a sometimes wet and/or dirty wheeled pram straight into the carpeted living room!
So, we thought, why not get her a small, lockable shed? She has a small front garden, edged by 6ft hedging on two sides, so a shed could tuck in the corner quite happily without looking out of place.
My question is this: what sort of shed would be best? A wooden one, a plastic one or a metal one? In terms of security, longevity and weather-proofing?
Any help would be very welcome smile

whitewave Tue 14-Apr-15 16:00:23

If it is to be kept in the front garden a very strong one with an excellent lock would be necessary I would think

AshTree Tue 14-Apr-15 16:15:51

The house is tucked away in a very quiet cul-de-sac, whitewave, with no passing traffic or even pedestrians, and you wouldn't be able to see the shed from the road. I think if it is sufficiently heavy, with a good strong padlock, there shouldn't be a problem.

whitewave Tue 14-Apr-15 16:17:11

Yes - haven't a clue what sort of shed though - over to someone else for that advice!!

Envious Tue 14-Apr-15 16:47:28

I would look at Amazon for an idea of variety and read their reviews till a knowledgeable granddad shows up on here.smile

merlotgran Tue 14-Apr-15 17:01:08

Don't get one of those metal yardmaster sheds unless you have a handy engineer to assemble it. We bought one last summer and it's very secure but took DH ages to assemble it (with help) and he's an agricultural engineer! hmm

Do you have a suitable base for the shed like a concrete pad?

annodomini Tue 14-Apr-15 17:16:17

Make it big enough to take bikes. It's surprising how soon they outgrow the pram and take to two wheels!

jinglbellsfrocks Tue 14-Apr-15 17:19:34

Go to a good garden centre and get some advice.

I would definitely say a wood one. You do need security no matter how tucked away the property is. Shed makers know about the security requirement and you can get some very secure ones these days. Get it as large as can be fitted in. Sheds become full surprisingly easily.

Make sure you ask which preservative you should use on it annually.

It can be on paving slabs, but must be raised up a bit so the damp can't penetrate.

AshTree Tue 14-Apr-15 17:37:52

Thanks for all the advice so far. No we don't have a concrete pad in place and as the property is rented I'm not keen to do something too permanent like that, not in a front garden. It'll have to be paving slabs. I was wondering if we could lay asphalt waterproof sheeting with the slabs on top, or maybe asphalt under and over. No idea how much this stuff costs, though hmm

AshTree Tue 14-Apr-15 17:39:58

Good advice about room for bikes, thanks annodomini. And I think you're probably right, jinglbells about having wood.

jinglbellsfrocks Tue 14-Apr-15 17:53:37

You wouldn't need the asphalt sheeting Ashtree.

pompa Tue 14-Apr-15 17:58:56

A good quality wooden one, providing it is treated with preservative every few years, will look good and last for years (mine is 40 years old now, although it has been re-roofed). Size - as big as you can fit in 8ft x 6ft is a good size. You will be surprised how quickly you fill it.
Fit a good padlock and a shed alarm.

loopylou Tue 14-Apr-15 18:11:31

I suggest covering the windows too with opaque sticky back stuff so no one can see in.
We've recently replaced secondhand (over 26 years old) 4x6 shed with a new 6x8, got it on line from Tigersheds and it's rather impressively sturdy. We fitted shelves down one side too, very useful, and DH put cross-braces in apex for odds and sods.
Oops! Sorry if advertising blush

jinglbellsfrocks Tue 14-Apr-15 18:17:10

And it's nice to hang coloured twirly plastic things in the doorway. And wind chimes. And put a weather vein on the roof.

Sheds are not just for storage. smile

shysal Tue 14-Apr-15 18:33:46

If you are thinking of something a bit more fancy, but expensive, try www.theposhshedcompany.co.uk/range/
I have a Gothic one, which was half price following their appearance on Alan Titchmarsh's Love Your Garden TV programme. It is very sturdy, and as it has to be near the house, a bit nicer to look at.

Marmight Tue 14-Apr-15 18:45:59

No, don't get a metal one. I have one to keep the numerous wheelie bins in and it gets very damp with condensation in cold weather. A good, as much as you can afford, cedar one with lockable doors on a base of paving slabs is the way to go. Look out for offers on-line. It can always be taken down and transported if your DD moves......

Riverwalk Tue 14-Apr-15 18:46:15

shysal I love the Gothic one!

AshTree I know nothing about garden sheds but are you sure this is the right solution? Babies go to sleep when they're out in the pram and will DD really want to taking a sleeping baby out of a snug pram? Also, the blankets might feel damp and chilly the next morning.

Without knowing the layout of the room, maybe a solution would be to buy a runner carpet that leads to where the pram could be parked.

AshTree Tue 14-Apr-15 18:48:34

shysal they are truly lovely! A tad over budget, though, I'm afraid. Shame, because I know my daughter would absolutely love one of them!

Nanabelle Wed 15-Apr-15 00:16:02

I agree with AshTree - I would get the see-through plastic runner to protect the carpet when she first comes in. My daughter's pram had the wheel base that stood up on its end and took up much less space. (she had a very small hall). And the baby stayed sleeping in the pram body part.
The other problem is what to do with the baby/toddler while you are trying to put the pram in the shed, especially on a rainy day, and manhandle all the shopping, and the huge changing bag they all seem to think so necessary these days! Once baby starts crawling, you can't just leave them, can you - unless she has a play pen/travel cot downstairs.
June is a lovely time for new babies so all good wishes to both you and your daughter - enjoy your new grandchild.

etheltbags1 Wed 15-Apr-15 08:27:40

Never put a pram that is being used in a shed, they get damp and creepy crawlies come living in anything that is in a shed. The baby may well get cold.
Try, as others have said a carpet runner where the wheels will go, or a dust sheet on the carpet.

pompa Wed 15-Apr-15 08:56:17

I think that the cause of damoness in a shed is lack of ventilation. We have a wooden summer house (Big shed !) with upholstered furniture, Tv, Hi Fi etc. in it year round. We do not get any problem with damp, but it does have vents at each end of the roof. (it is not heated)

pompa Wed 15-Apr-15 08:57:00

damoness ????? try dampness

AshTree Wed 15-Apr-15 09:19:34

The possibility of dampness, I agree, would be a problem. The plan is, though, that my DD can lift the pram off its base at the front door, with baby snug and sleeping inside (it is very easy to release), then she can carry the pram inside but put the wheel base in the shed. I don't think she intends to store the pram itself in the shed, just the base.

Riverwalk your idea of a carpet runner is exactly what I have suggested to my DD, but there really is no room to park the whole pram indoors. I've said she should wheel it in, take baby out, fold pram, lean up against a wall. But she doesn't want that, because it will look untidy, get in the way etc. and because she wouldn't want a carpet runner permanently in place (why not??) so she would have to keep rolling it up and unrolling it. She would soon find out that she won't, of course, keep doing that, but she doesn't realise this yet!