Choose according to your needs
You choose your garden shed first in relation to the use you want to make. It is this parameter which then makes it possible to select the necessary area, the choice of the material, etc. Traditionally garden shelters meet some very specific uses, it is useful to ask the right questions before acquiring it. It solves various problems such as:
- A place to prepare your seedlings or tinker, where you can also store your bulky tools they are used in gardening or DIY.
- A storage place for garden equipment: lawn mower, deck chairs, table and chairs, armchair, bicycles, parasol …
- A technical room for the pool.
- A room that you can use in any season: guest room, summer kitchen, studio for your big teen who wants freedom, playroom for children, offices if you work at home …
What surface?
The surface you need obviously depends on how you use it, so it can vary considerably. But before speaking of surface, it is necessary to decipher the various terminologies:
- Inner dimension or useful areaThis is the space you really have to build your shelter or store your belongings.
- The external dimension or outer surfaceIt is useful to know the place you need to put your garden shed without disturbing the layout of your garden. These are the measurements of the outside of your walls of your shelter on the ground.
- The overall surface: this one takes into account the overhang of the roof with respect to the walls of the shelter. It is thus the maximum encumbrance of this one.
Garden shelters are categorized according to the different areas proposed. The latter being performed relative to the useful surfaces.
- A shelter with an area of less than 5 m² is perfect for storing cleaning products, lawn mowers, garden tools, bicycles. It can serve as a technical room for your pool.
- A shelter with an area between 5 and 10 m² is ideal for storing bulky garden furniture, DIY tools or gardening, it can be transformed into a DIY workshop very easily and you can put a table to sowing. It helps to unclutter the house by putting things that are only used very little.
- A shelter with an area of 10 to 20 m² offers the possibility to store a tractor plus other tools … It can also be used in office, in guest room.
- A shelter with an area greater than 20 m² actually offers one more room for the house, or even a studio for seasonal rental, for a big child or for visiting friends. If you work from home and receive customers, it is also a good option, avoiding the confusion of work and private life. It can also be used as a playroom, music room or summer kitchen. In these cases, the walls must be thick enough for this space to be comfortable.
Which material to choose?
The choice of materials obviously follows from the use.
- The wooden garden shelters are the ideal solution in terms of aesthetics and weather resistance, but also because it is durable and rot-proof. It is perfectly suited for one more room.
- The metal garden shed, usually galvanized or lacquered steel requires little maintenance, it is a solution for a workshop or to store his tools or garden equipment. It must be avoided at the seaside because it is very sensitive to corrosion under the effect of sea and salt air.
- Resin: it is an interesting option, because it is aesthetic, it resists perfectly to all climatic hazards, it mounts easily and is simply cleaned with water.
The choice of joinery
So that you can arrange your cabin as you wish according to what you will do, you have access to different windows and doors.
- The door is swinging or sliding.
Good to know : If you have large objects to store there, choose a double door.
- The window: she is either swinging, or rocking, is fixed or opening, and the glazing is glass or acrylic, the glass being appropriate, for double-glazed windows.
- The floor is needed from the moment you spend time in this place or it becomes a living room.
The price
The price varies according to the material and the surface, here are some indicative ranges:
- Shelter in resin or PVC: between 1,800 and 4,000 euros;
- Metal shelter: between 200 and 1500 euros;
- Wooden shelter: between 500 and 6,000
When buying your garden shed, do not hesitate to compare the prices of cabins corresponding to your expectations and your needs. You will consider in your comparison all the criteria presented by the different models available on the market.
Define the ideal location
There is no no ideal location strictly speakingr: it depends on the model you have chosen and the use you make of it. If it's a metal shelter, try to hide it behind the vegetation so that it does not disfigure the garden. Moreover if it is to store tools or equipment, it is not necessary that it is present near the house, but preferably not far from the kitchen garden.
A wood or resin shelter is aesthetic and finds its place everywhere. If it's for an office where you get the world, it's best to place it near a second entrance or main entrance, so visitors do not encroach on your living space and without vis- with your home.
For a game room or extra room, it can be near the house, it avoids back and forth. On the other hand, if it is a room that you wish to rent or dedicated to your friends of passage, it can be distant to maintain a certain intimacy on both sides.
A flat, however : choose a flat space to install it more easily.
The legislation
For a shelter not exceeding 4.9 m², you have no administrative steps to take.
For a shelter between 5 and 20 m² : it is necessary to make a preliminary request for authorization of works near your town hall. This approach is not very binding. You will need to use the document Cerfa N ° 13703-06. Once completed, you deposit it directly at the town hall or you send it by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt by enclosing all the necessary parts for your project to be validated. The authorization will generally be granted within one month. In case of refusal, you have two months to appeal.
Beyond 20 m², you must apply for a building permit. It is more restrictive because you have to fill out a complete and detailed technical file at your town hall which then has two months to give your consent or refuse your project. You must complete the file and the document Cerfa N ° 13406-06 and file it all or send it by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt to the town hall.
How to maintain your garden shed?
The maintenance of your garden shed changes according to the material you have chosen:
- Metal and resin are very simple to maintain since it is enough to clean it with a jet of water, rubbing a little with a brush if necessary.
- Raw woodIt must be treated before erection with a water repellent, fungicide and insecticide. After assembly, you glaze it and then repeat the operation every three years.
- The autoclaved woodIt is easy to maintain since it is already treated and requires only one layer of stain every 10 years.
- Painted woodIt will be washed regularly and repainted with a microporous paint dedicated to this material to give it a fresh boost if necessary and from time to time.
