Following a house move I’m looking to build, or have built, a workshop in my back garden. I’ve mulled over some options before but now that I’m actually planning to do it I’m discovering there are more options available than I’d realised. I’m having trouble comparing the various options though.
I’ve struggled to find information online comparing some of the options, hence this thread. I outline below some of the options I’ve considered and some of what I perceive, rightly or wrongly, to be the pros and cons of each. I’d be very interested, and grateful, to hear other peoples’ views on them.
I realise there are many variations on some of the options below - I’ve not even looked into options for the roof (pitched, flat, choice of material, etc.) as yet, for example - right now I’m stalled on the question of what to use for the basic shell. I’d welcome all suggestions though.
I’m looking at a space which is about 5m x 4m, external dimensions, this should still leave some usable garden for my 6yr old and also not require planning permission. In terms of floor I’m leaning towards painted concrete, I may cover it with something later if I find the need. I’m also thinking that I’ll line it internally with 12mm or 18mm ply to give me solid walls to hang things from. I want some amount of insulation to avoid condensation and just to make it a comfortable place to spend a few hours at a time at any time of year.
1) Block-built cavity wall shed
Pros:
* Can be fairly well insulated as part of the build, via insulation in cavity.
* Provides several options for external finish - render, paint, etc.
* Could be converted into an outdoor room if selling the house later, so could add value.
Cons:
* Expensive - I was quoted about 20,000euro by a builder though I’m not sure whether that is really representative.
* Thicker walls eat up valuable space inside.
2) Cavity-block built shed
Pros:
* Can be easily insulated as part of the build, via insulation on inner face of blocks
* Same flexible external finish options as above.
* Could be converted into an outdoor room if selling the house later, so could add value.
Cons:
* Perhaps an inner layer of insulation is not adequate? Then again, I won’t be living in the space so maybe it’ll be “enough”?
3) Insulated (with Kingspan) steel shed
Pros:
* Quick to put up, can be done in a day once the foundations are in place.
* Fairly economical - from initial checks it looks like 6,000euro could cover the shed plus foundations, for a shed with a solid PVC door plus two double-glazed windows.
* The shell itself should resist break-in attempts fairly well, I’m guessing.
* Walls eat less into the internal space.
* External finish requires no maintenance, or so the manufacturers claim.
Cons:
* Condensation might be an issue perhaps? One vendor told me I’d need to fire up a 6kW heater in the shed “every now and again” to keep dampness and condensation at bay, but perhaps this need would apply to the other build options too?
* It looks like what it is, a steel shed. There are alternative finish options available such as woodgrain-effect steel, but that doesn’t disguise it much, or PVC woodgrain effect but that is more fragile and significantly more costly.
4) Wooden shed - self build
Pros:
* As I’d be doing it myself I can choose my own design (that could prove to be a con, of course!).
* Cheapest option, probably, though I’ve not looked into this properly yet.
* Flexible options for insulation - I could just go with a wooden frame and slab it with insulated (SIP) panels perhaps, with render on the outside, though that could be a costly option in terms of materials and labour.
* Might be easier on the eye in the garden, depending on finish.
Cons:
* I’ve never built a shed, one of many reasons why this task could take me a long time.
* I could end up with an external finish which requires regular maintenance.
I’ve struggled to find information online comparing some of the options, hence this thread. I outline below some of the options I’ve considered and some of what I perceive, rightly or wrongly, to be the pros and cons of each. I’d be very interested, and grateful, to hear other peoples’ views on them.
I realise there are many variations on some of the options below - I’ve not even looked into options for the roof (pitched, flat, choice of material, etc.) as yet, for example - right now I’m stalled on the question of what to use for the basic shell. I’d welcome all suggestions though.
I’m looking at a space which is about 5m x 4m, external dimensions, this should still leave some usable garden for my 6yr old and also not require planning permission. In terms of floor I’m leaning towards painted concrete, I may cover it with something later if I find the need. I’m also thinking that I’ll line it internally with 12mm or 18mm ply to give me solid walls to hang things from. I want some amount of insulation to avoid condensation and just to make it a comfortable place to spend a few hours at a time at any time of year.
1) Block-built cavity wall shed
Pros:
* Can be fairly well insulated as part of the build, via insulation in cavity.
* Provides several options for external finish - render, paint, etc.
* Could be converted into an outdoor room if selling the house later, so could add value.
Cons:
* Expensive - I was quoted about 20,000euro by a builder though I’m not sure whether that is really representative.
* Thicker walls eat up valuable space inside.
2) Cavity-block built shed
Pros:
* Can be easily insulated as part of the build, via insulation on inner face of blocks
* Same flexible external finish options as above.
* Could be converted into an outdoor room if selling the house later, so could add value.
Cons:
* Perhaps an inner layer of insulation is not adequate? Then again, I won’t be living in the space so maybe it’ll be “enough”?
3) Insulated (with Kingspan) steel shed
Pros:
* Quick to put up, can be done in a day once the foundations are in place.
* Fairly economical - from initial checks it looks like 6,000euro could cover the shed plus foundations, for a shed with a solid PVC door plus two double-glazed windows.
* The shell itself should resist break-in attempts fairly well, I’m guessing.
* Walls eat less into the internal space.
* External finish requires no maintenance, or so the manufacturers claim.
Cons:
* Condensation might be an issue perhaps? One vendor told me I’d need to fire up a 6kW heater in the shed “every now and again” to keep dampness and condensation at bay, but perhaps this need would apply to the other build options too?
* It looks like what it is, a steel shed. There are alternative finish options available such as woodgrain-effect steel, but that doesn’t disguise it much, or PVC woodgrain effect but that is more fragile and significantly more costly.
4) Wooden shed - self build
Pros:
* As I’d be doing it myself I can choose my own design (that could prove to be a con, of course!).
* Cheapest option, probably, though I’ve not looked into this properly yet.
* Flexible options for insulation - I could just go with a wooden frame and slab it with insulated (SIP) panels perhaps, with render on the outside, though that could be a costly option in terms of materials and labour.
* Might be easier on the eye in the garden, depending on finish.
Cons:
* I’ve never built a shed, one of many reasons why this task could take me a long time.
* I could end up with an external finish which requires regular maintenance.
)
