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I'm moving to a new house and need some outside storage- current house has an 8x16 ft brick garage and would like something similar or a little larger. It'll house bikes, camping gear and some musical equipment so must be as secure as possible!
As far as I can see the options are;
Build a brick one- probs the best solution but can't really afford it.
One of the Asguard/ alternative steel buildings- pretty concerned about the music gear.. do they get a lot of condensation and temp change?
Prefab concrete thing- How's the security with these? seems like it might be the best bang for buck option. WHY OH WHY do they all come pebble-dashed as standard?!?!
Have I missed anything?
I've been looking at the big Asgard sheds and they do seem to have vents which might aid ventilation.
Had a motorbike Asgard shed for years at my old house, you do get a bit of condensation, as in a very slight bit on the roof, but that could be easily sorted with some insulation fixed to the walls/ceiling. Never enough to cause any issues or drip anywhere.
They're not tall enough to fit bikes (well, any proper sized MTB) upright though, something to be aware of.
I've got a 9x7 Asgard shed, plenty of head height to stand up, but even with the vent slots it does suffer from condensation on the roof during the winter.
I've got electrics in mine so run a small fan on a timer to circulate the air and stick a load of silica traps in it.
They're very solid, easy to build and I rate it highly.
Seems like the Asgard are popular.. only thing is I'm not sure they make one quite big enough for me. anyone got anything to say about concrete prefab?
Last time we moved my wife informed the estate agent that any new house must have a garage. Not for bikes, but to keep me out of the house!
https://www.costco.co.uk/Garden-Sheds-Patio/Garden-Structures/Log-Cabins/c/cos_9.3.4
We build several of these a year, easy to put up 2 men 1 day type of time if you have a Base to put it on.
Bikes, music and camping gear? I'd want something substantial such as block, or the log cabin style. Sturdy options that are not prone to damp and condensation/extremes of temperature. My FiL has got a massive timber garage but it's shed style so security would not be it's strong point.
Another negative for prefab is you can't really put fixings into them for shelves and stuff.
I'd be wary about putting anything mildew prone or mouse edible in an unheated out building of any kind. Ventilation is important but it also depends a lot on your local environment - a wind swept hillside in Argyll or deepest Surrey.
Current house has a very good quality timber shed left by previous owner - no damp issues at all even storing garden furniture and timber over winter as it's very watertight and ventilated. In contrast the brick built external garage is a damp prone mess due it being down a slope and prone to water ingress in heavy rain. I've added a fan on timer and fixed drainage as best as I can but still not great.
Our local mice certainly enjoy thermarests in particular, which I've learned to great cost.
We went down the concrete prefab route at our previous house to avoid planning permission etc
It always leaked from the bottom in heavy rain despite being sealed, stuff got damp / rusted due to condensation, despite plenty of ventilation. Because of the ventilation it was always cold !
IMO only go brick which means planning regs.
Sounds like you have bought the wrong house for your needs
We went down the concrete prefab route at our previous house to avoid planning permission etc
IMO only go brick which means planning regs.
What it's made of makes no difference to whether it needs planning. Planning requirements mostly relate to height, and to a lesser extent size and style.
I'd still go for brick over prefab, but for other reasons.
Under permitted development rights it’s unlikely that your going to need planning if your looking to build an out building in your back garden at the sort of size your talking about, regs only come into play when looking at at a floor area over a certain size / building usage
What’s your budget OP as that will give a steer on options
I’ve had smaller Asgard sheds for bike storage, but wouldn’t want a larger walk in one - would be noisy and hot to work in if using it for anything other than just storage.
If security is a key consideration remember to budget for good quality security doors (Latham steel doors are great), laminated glass in windows, window grills etc - which all adds up
100mm concrete block works out about £25 per square metre and are as easy as lego to build with as long as you follow a simple design and don't try and build an unsupported single skin 2m high wall.
A timber roof across the top can be a simple slope so 1 course of bricks higher at 1 side, timber across the slop and ply for the roof with EPDM rubber top.
I would check the cost of a self build garage. I was quoted £28,000 for a garden cabin which I built for £8,000. I did an integral garage conversion in the other house which was basically bricking up the garage door and putting a window in. I think it was something like £6,000 for a builder and £2,000 for me and a big chunk of the was the plasterer who made all the inside walls good.
If you are not up against a deadline then you can save a lot of money and it is not too difficult to do.
We had our integral garage converted a couple of years ago. We got a large replacement 'shed' built in the garden. 4m x 4m, 4x2 timber frame with osb zero (dual skinned) walls and roof. External walls clad in feather edge fence board and roof covered in rubberoid skin. All on 200mm concrete base. No problems here after 2 years, ventilation is 6no. 75mm passive vents only at roof level and it's been fine, no damp (I was nervous). Not sure of individual cost as was included in the £12k all in cost.
We all have it wrong... What we need to buy is a garage with accommodation above.
This was was bought and turned into apartments, but you get the point.
My 1930's house garage is full of bikes (now one in, one out policy), so needed a workshop and secure store for power tools and garden machinery. I searched and searched to get the best cheapest solution. In the end I bought a 'log cabin' no windows and double door. the logs are 30mm thick. I then added 2x thickness of 20-25mm OSB boards and put a rubber roof on with full gutters etc. I then painted it in a sludgy green colour and it looks brilliant.
Its ceiling height was a disappointment, but the rest of it is excellent. Its alarmed off of the house which sets on the Home setting. I have a good stainless lock and then a massive bar across the front with a massive combination lock on it. Its cost about £1500 all in a few years back.
My mate, who didnt have a garage put this in his back garden. I should have done this to be honest...
https://dunsterhouse.co.uk/premium-trent-lo-roof-w3-0m-x-d5-5m
I'd go timber but on a couple of courses of brick like this: https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/build-a-shed-mikes-way.39389/
For all of these a big chunk of the cost is doing a proper concrete base.
Shipping container? ready made secure, can get the inside sprayed to stop condensation
Surprising where they can be Hiabed into.
Shipping container?
I was going to suggest that too, once insulated they're absolutely fine. Even then, if they're just ventilated they don't get too sweaty unless you are flinging loads of moisture in.
I'd thought about a shipping container actually, and cladding it in wood so it didn't look awful. Wrote the idea off after searching on here and finding people saying it was a bit shit due to condensation etc.
Budget at the moment is about 4.5k as that's what I can accumulate in a reasonable amount of time, with 2k already saved. If getting a brick one built is the best way to go, maybe I'll look for some quotes and put the gear in self store for a year or so.
I'd love to build one myself, but not sure I really have the time/chops to do it.
We inherited a prefab garage from last owners and brought our asgard bike storage from the other house so now if they get in the garage which wouldn’t bd that hard, they’ll make an almighty noise tackling the Asgard.
Outside they do condensate in the winter, suggestion is likely insulation to try to avoid drastic changes in temp
I like my Asgard but it does get condensation in winter. They suggest having at least a metre around it to maintain airflow and that's not possible on two sides for me. If it's a windy day it'll be dry as a bone though so if you live in top of a hill and have space it would be dry.
I insulated the roof but didn't take physics into account and used garage door insulation sheets with a foil outer. It's slightly better but obviously the foil is cold and gets condensation on it. Also the condensation just 'finds' the next coldest bit, which is now the tops of the walls and the internal struts. I also tried a small solar fan but it broke. It's not been my finest project.
Having said that nothing in the shed ever gets mildewed or rusty, and it is solid as a rock.
I have the biggest Asgaard and have been very impressed. No damp or anything. Very secure. The only downside is the doors are too low/small, so I have to duck to get in.
I've ply lined it, fitted bike hooks, laid rubber flooring, and setup internal battery lights.
We built a 14.5m2 concrete block shed 10 years ago - i think it cost me about £4k all up.
However, i did everything except the blockwork, which a friend from works husband did for £500.
I dug the base out and had the concrete delivered by one of those mix-it-at-the-roadside trucks.
It has a wooden roof clad in corrugated steel sheet and is fully insulated/ply lined.
It has a steel security door (£280 new from ebay).
I've never had any condensation/damp issues - its so well insulated its pretty much the same temperature all year round!
You'd be surprised how cheaply you can buy materials if you shop around, and are not in a hurry. I bought 20 sheets of PIR insulation material for silly money as they were damaged/scratched.
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Steel portal...
Miles cheaper.