How to build a shed | Wickes.co.uk

Whether you’re looking for a place to do some DIY or you’re after a safe place to keep your tools, it’s hard to go wrong with a shed. Thankfully, putting a shed together is an easy task anyone can do with the right knowhow and basic knowledge of DIY.

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Step by step guide:

Before you begin, measure out the space you want to place your shed to ensure it fits, then, layout all your tools, materials, piles of screws and shed fittings.

Double check you have everything you need and don’t have any missing parts in your set.

It is imperative to make sure the base you situate your shed on is level, so no matter if you have a pro-shed base, concrete base, or timber base, use a spirit level to ensure its level before you begin building your shed.

First, bring your base materials over to your nominated space, then, carefully cut your materials free from the packaging using a utility knife and lay them out to create a large square ready for drilling.

Starting from the back corners, drill two screws through the face of one piece of timber into the end of another.

Repeat this process with the other three corners to form the overall outer frame. Make sure all the edges and faces of the timber are flush.

With the outer frame made, measure the longest sides to determine where the centre timber parts will be placed and mark the measurements.

Place the centre parts in line with your markings, then drill them into place from the outside of the frame and into the top of the centre parts.

With your base setup, bring over the shed’s floor part and place it over the base. Before you move on, ensure the floor part and base are flush.

Secure the floor part to the base in all four corners with your drill and screws.

Lay out all the side panels around the base.

Now it’s time to get the back, front and side panels fitted. Lift the back panel onto the base along with one side panel. Have one person hold these pieces together so the corners meet, then the other person can drill three pilot holes into the bottom middle and top. Make sure the pilot holes go through the side panel and into the back panel.

Drill screws into each of the pilot holes to secure the side to the back panel.

Place the next side panel next to the fixed one and drill your three pilot holes from the new panel into the fixed one before securing it with screws.

Repeat this process until all the side panels are secured together.

Secure the front panels to the side panels using the same application method used to secure the back panel to the side panels.

Lock the side, back and front panels into place by drilling into the bottom-middle of each panel, so that the screws fit securely into the base. This should eliminate that nervy swaying while you work on the other parts of the shed.

Now have one person position the apex roof arch part on top of the front-side panels so that it sits flush, then secure it in place by drilling a screw up into the top of the front-side panel on either side.

Repeat this step for the back apex roof arch and secure it in place with screws either side of the central beam.

Now it’s time to fit your window, to start with, use a tape measure to measure the length from the bottom of the shed to the bottom of the window cut out on both sides, then make your pencil markings. (Our measurement was 1002mm).

Line each L bracket up with your markings and make a pencil marking in the holes of the L bracket ready for drilling.

With your markings made, secure the L plates onto the bottom of the window cut out ready for your window.

Once the brackets are fitted have one person bring the window over and rest it within the window cut-out, then place and hold one of the window cover strips on the side of the window and drill your pilot holes before securing it with screws.

Repeat this step for the other side.

With your window fitted, it’s time to seal up those outside corners and keep those panels together.

Place and hold a seal panel on each of the corners then secure three screws, starting from the bottom then working your way to the top.

Repeat this step on all corners of the outside shed and on the inside where the panels join.

When you get round to sealing the window side panels, secure the seals onto the previously installed window cover strips using the same process.

Once you’ve sealed the panels and corners, it’s time to finish off working on the roof. Start by bringing a step ladder inside the shed and set it up.

Place the single ridge beam into the corresponding slots on the apex roof arches then one person climbs the step ladder to drill into the single ridge beam and roof arch slot on each side. The other person stays on the ground to hold and support the beam while it’s being drilled into.

Bring the roof panels over to your workspace along with the support basons, then lay the bason on the ground and place the roof panel over it and secure it to the edge. Repeat this step for the other bason and roof panel.

Lift one of the roof panels up onto the roof so the bason hangs over the side of the shed.

From a safe working height, drill pilot holes on the roof panel then secure it to the single ridge beam with a screw at the front, middle and back of the shed.

Repeat this step for the other side.

Now it’s time to get your roof felt measured and fitted. Start by measuring the length of one of the secured roof panels, then roll out the felt and use this measurement to mark out where to cut the felt and safely cut the felt using a utility knife.

Lift and place the cut felt over the roof panel and let some excess hang over the top of the panel and the side. Secure the felt to the roof panels using a hammer and nails.

Repeat this step for the other roof panel.

Next, it’s time to tidy up the felt on each side. Take a utility knife cut away the felt that hangs over where the roof panel bason sits and cut from the back of the shed towards the front. Once you’re happy with your cut, secure the felt to the roof panel bason with a hammer and nails.

Repeat this step on the other side.

With the roof felt fitted, it’s time to move onto fitting the door. First choose which side you would like to hinge your door, then secure the weather strip to the inside edge of that chosen side by drilling three screws through the weather strip and into the front-side panel, starting from the bottom and working your way up.

Secure the slamming strip to the opposite side using the same application method as the weather strip with three screws and a drill.

With the weather strip and slamming strip secured, bring the door over to your workspace along with the hinges and screws. Lay the door face down ready to fit the hinges.

Measure 175mm down from the top edge of the door using a tape measure and make a pencil mark.

Then, measure 202mm from the bottom of the door and make a pencil marking.

Now, use these measurements to lay the hinge in line with the marking and make pencil markings in the hinge holes ready for drilling. Drill screws into the hinge fixings to secure them to the door.

Once the hinges are secured to the door, lift the door into the opening and ensure the door is level. Now, open the hinge on the door and line it up with the weather strip face, then make pencil markings for where the hinges need to be secured.

Follow that up by drilling pilot holes into those markings and secure the door in place using a drill and screws.

With the door secured to the shed, now it’s time to fit the hasp and staple to keep everything stored inside secure with a padlock of your choice.

Line up the hasp and staple, then mark the edges with a pencil for extra guidance. Then mark the holes on the hasp and staple then secure them in place by drilling in 25mm screws.

Finally, all there’s left to do is to secure the facias and the finial to the front and rear of the shed. Line each fascia up at the front to where the roof panel meets the single ridge beam. Make three markings along the face of each fascia and use a drill and screws to secure it into place.