I Need Another Shed

I have to build another shed, a garden shed. I’m building this one in two parts, Part I is the actual garden tool shed, for tools and compost, plant pots and seed trays; It’s important I be ready for the new gardening season. Part II is a compact lean-to greenhouse for starting my vegetable plants from seed, but not to actually grow in (though I could). Part I and II are 4’ by 8’ each with the greenhouse butting up against long side of the shed. The shed proper will have a single-side sloping roof across the four foot part as per drawing. I will gutter this and add elevated water collection for gravity drip feed as needed in the greenhouse. The floor in the shed is plywood on a 2×6 frame while the greenhouse floor is elevated six inches and made from compacted soil.

I may film and vlog on this build, not sure yet, though it will likely be just the shed to start as the shed will be the anchor for the greenhouse addition, and then of course blog on it too. I am hoping for a couple of sunny days between Christmas and New year. but there are no guarantees. Anyway, I have been stockpiling my supplies in readiness and hope, weather permitting, to get this shed built over a couple of days.

Sheds and greenhouses are what make home home for me. There is a sense of future about both because growing and establishing a garden for fruit and veg takes a while to get things established and a shed, well a shed should be a part of every household to put the awkward stuff that doesn’t fit into or suit a house. You only build or install sheds and greenhouses if you are planning to establish yourself. They have little by of increasing the value of your property. In my case of course they make me feel good, that’s enough.

The greenhouse side works as a potting shed too and I plan on trying some solar heat absorption for slow-release heat after the sun goes down. Undecided whether to use 3mm horticultural glass or 3mm dual wall polycarbon sheeting – latter being safer.

27 Comments

  1. You must have 48 hours in a day. Either that, or we really got so used to our 32 hours a week work-life balance thing, we can’t imagine how you get so much work done. Most people I know with that many projects usually never finish any of them. You do and on top of that, you find the time to write about it. Not only are you a great teacher, but you also set an example for others. Note to self: get off your lazy bottom and get things done.

    1. I gained by not watching TV since 1986 — about 35% of my life back! That’s the average working week for Brits these days. If I worked less than 12 hours a day and a 35 hour week I would be at exactly 50% of my current production level.

      1. Please Please film the build for us subscribers I am desperate to build my own shed workshop. Could you tell us the exact sized wood for framing, the you tube stuff is generally poor or for the U.S I need to keep my costs to a minimum but at the same time do a proper job. Please film it Paul even if you use some power tools. I know it will be done properly which counts for everything.

          1. Wow! That’s very intriguing! How does your body and mind get to recover from your daily activity in just 5h? You should be very tired at the end of the day, from the body exercise at the workbench, not to mention the other activities. You must sleep very well 🙂

  2. Greetings! I certainly get it -sheds that is- and I am personally a very shed-wealthy man. We get to design for our needs/wants and enjoy their practicality. About eight yrs. ago, I began a building phase that would start with my lawnmower/garden/greenhouse shed and ended with a deluxe workshop. Yes, there was another materials shed between the two. I keep up a six-acre site, heat with wood, and enjoy the outdoors here immensely.
    My point/tip in response- there’s a concrete block plant not far away and I chose to buy some “seconds” to put a 3-1/2” thick floor in the storage half (8’x8’) as well as the greenhouse half (also 8’x8’). These blocks are commonly called “half solids” and they Measure 3-1/2” by 7-5/8” by 15-5/8”. They are solid concrete and made a wonderful floor as well as a huge heat sink for mass in the greenhouse. They can be cut, if need be, with an abrasive wheel on a skil saw. I highly recommend building a jig to contain and control the block if you need to cut any. They are easily laid in place over a level sand bed and sand or mortar swept between them.
    I look forward to seeing your build, Paul, and know how much pleasure this brings you.

  3. My first job out of high school was at a lumber yard primarily building mini barns and storage sheds. Apart from building furniture over the years (I’m in my fifties now) building the sheds ranked right up there on the enjoyment scale.
    Sheds and their storage space is much like project assembly clamps… you can never have too much/many. ?

  4. I don’t know your availability of different sizes of the poly-carbonate dual wall greenhouse panels, but I’d recommend the 6mm at minimum for walls and if budget allows, the 8mm on the roof. A nice little wax filled piston for the temperature activated vent and you’ll be growing stuff all year.

    1. 3mm is good for a greenhouse and I don’t plan to grow in this greenhouse., just starts to the season

  5. I NEED ANOTHER SHED…..Don’t we all !! LoL
    This was the first thing I thought even before reading this article from you Paul.

    I’m lucky to have a 10×7 metre “shed” and still have trouble at times finding enough space for something else. I’m sure there must be a formula stating that “The amount of stuff I have is twice (maybe more) the area of the shed/garage”.

    1. 10 x 7 metre shed! That’s a house not a shed. Think about reducing your footprint or taking someone in.

      1. Depends… if one is a wood machinist, 10×7 metres is rather small…. Need that Powermatic Jet drum sanderSTOP machine for my end grain chess board epoxy slab fingerjoint pockethole jewelry box, you know… Made from the 10 things I need to know free plans.

        Sorrry, I could not resist! 😀

  6. Hi Paul. For me it is a bit confusing sometimes when you talk about the house full of furniture. I have some questions. Are you actually working in the garage of the house full of furniture or are you only referring to the “garage” as the studio where you are filming? Do you have a workbench at your home as well or do you keep the work at work? You seem to prepare the garden and other things like the sheds a lot. Are you planing to move to the house full of furniture or is it rather a big scale project?
    Would be nice if you could entagle it a bit. I hope i didnt ask to private things. Sorry, if i did.
    Greetings Stefan

    1. We film about 98% of the making at my garage in the studio. The filming and editing is as efficient as we can get that way and we have control over everything from light and lighting to sound, neighbour’s cars and so on. It’s surprising how loud the helicopters and planes are from the military base near hear too — we would never get anything done. That said, I have as near an identical set up at the house we’re building the furniture for, same tools, benches, equipment etc. Everything is in the same position pretty much. I do do the gardening and build the sheds etc and general house repairs too. My vlogs are filmed completely by me which is why they are not up to par all the time but they are the real me.

  7. Take a break between Christmas and New Year Paul. You’ll benefit from the rest, your family will see more of you, and more importantly, your new neighbours will appreciate the peace & quiet. They’ve already had a fair bit of renovation work to listen to. They’re not going to welcome your hammering and sawing a shed/greenhouse in your garden during their well-earned Christmas holiday. Type some Blog entries – with your feet up by the fire. Perhaps hint at planned projects for next year? Merry Christmas.

    1. But that would be you not me. And of course I find days off and resting the way you suggest very, very tiring too. Oh, and I have never neglected time with my family nor overstepped the mark with my neighbours.

      1. Cannot sit still, doing nothing? Yet finds time to sketch with pencils – a picture of a saw and a vice, photograph his tea mug & peanut brittle, write ‘poetry’: “…leaves falling, falling, turning, turning..”
        He just can’t stay away from the camera.
        Perhaps he’d like to show us how he sound-proofed his ‘studio’.
        We’re not multi-millionaires. We have to live here.

  8. My father advised me never to give advice to anyone over 16 years of age. You only get acerbic replies if you do even if the advice is well meant! The above exchanges prove he was right.

    The country song “always be humble and kind” comes to mind. The spirit of Christmas?

  9. A man cannot have enough shed space, although mine is know variously as “The Shed” (very workman like), “The Workshop” (a bit grand) or “The Man-Cave” (but lacking a beer fridge and a widescreen TV it is definitely not).

    1. “Mancave” I wouldn’t give credence to this, wouldn’t ever use it, but, surprisingly, men do.

    1. At lease TWO sheds!
      How else can you store; four Workbenches, Table saw, Band saw, Lathe, Drill press, Thickness Planer, Jointer, Dust extractor…?

  10. Hi Paul!
    I shall look forward to details on your next shed! Just wondering what you do for foundations – concrete slab, concrete blocks, compacted gravel or something else? Thanks again for sharing your wealth of experience!

  11. Hello Paul,

    Please could you make one of your excellent videos on shed building. I want to build a summer house – so a refined shed and would welcome your incisive input. Do I screw or nail studding? Shiplap? Pitch roof angle etc etc. Just the basics please to get me started. And by the way..if you can build a shed in two days do you still get time to drink tea?

  12. For glazing, you could try finding old greenhouse glass from the used market, perhaps from an installer of new greenhouses who also takes down older ones. I have a very similar project planned for the spring, and for glazing I am planning on doubling up the glass (heavy, yes, but longer lasting and better for the planet than plastic) to make it double walled glazing. For framing, I found some old redwood on the used market (from an old water storage tank). Most greenhouse glass is tempered glass (safety glass) that shatters into cute little bits instead of shards (not that you don’t already know all of this… just an idea).

  13. Hi Paul,

    I have just finished, or nearly finished, my very own half shed/greenhouse just like the one you’re planning to build.

    Admittedly it’s taken me a lot longer than first planned (I began in July and have only just about finished, working on it at the weekends and evenings). All of which though I’m proud to say was done by hand and hand tools only (with acceptance of a drill driver of course).

    The shed was the simplest part and went up fairly quickly, in a few days or so. The greenhouse half though I would like to say I could never have attempted without your teaching of how to use hand tools such as rebate planes. this was so integral to the window frames. The door too, I followed your recent shed door blog post in August, which came just at the right time, as I’ve never made a door before, and winter was drawing in fast.

    The shed part was needed like you say to free up my single garage woodworking space from the gardening clutter – lawnmower, spades, buckets, compost etc. And the greenhouse was needed to free up our windowsills in the house that end up lined with seed trays throughout the early months of the year.

    The only thing left to finish now is the staging in the greenhouse for the seed trays to sit on, and we’ll be ready for the growing season ahead!

    I’d just like to say though all of this could never have happened without your empowerment of hand tool woodworking and the transferable skills your videos teach, coupled with the diy attitude. The cost of a shed/greenhouse like this was well outside of our reach, but with the diy approach we now have an outbuilding that matches or maybe betters the ones from the garden centres.

    Thanks again Paul, and I look forward to the year ahead and the blogs and videos you and the team will post.

    Merry Christmas!

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