Building a garden shed in France: what materials to use

After completing the planning and preparation of a new shed, it is finally time to build it.

However you are going to do it, the first step is to lay down a floor. This usually takes the form of a fresh concrete slab, to the appropriate dimensions, sitting on decent foundations.

It can also be done with paving stones if you are not too fussy about the smoothness of the finish.

Metal and plastic sheds

Most people buy sheds in kit form, with all the components already measured and cut for ease of assembly.

The cheapest, most popular sheds are made of metal or even plastic, which are materials that have intrinsic advantages. They are maintenance-free; they do not rot with rain or rising damp; and they should not warp with the changes in humidity.

Nothing is perfect, of course, but a metal shed is a pretty good choice if appearance is not an obstacle.

Obviously, neither a metal nor a plastic shed is going to sit well with a traditional rural French building, but it won’t look so out of place in an urban garden or if screened behind trees or half-covered with a clematis, or similar.

Assembling a metal shed

I recently helped with the construction – I should say assembly – of such a metal garden shed.

It came in three improbably small flat-packed boxes bought over the internet.

The instructions were good but not perfect, and they were backed up by a video which demonstrated two skilled technicians erecting the thing without pause but without close-ups of key steps in the overall process.

You certainly need at least two people armed with electric screwdrivers to do the job.

You also need lots of space to lay out the components, and it helps to have a third person sifting through the various screws, washers, nuts and bolts.

The work has to be done on a dry, wind-free day because the metal panels are light enough to be blown away.

It took us time to work out some of the principles behind the joints involved, and occasionally we put in a screw before its time.

The finished shed has no windows and there is only just enough headroom for a tall person in the middle.

The construction – and advantages and disadvantages – of a plastic shed are similar, but something in me recoils from the oxymoron of an outdoor building made entirely of plastic.

Choosing a timber shed

A better bet if you want a respectable looking shed is to choose a timber kit.

Look carefully at its specifications to make sure the planks are thick enough and that the roof will resist the elements. You get what you pay for, and you will probably regret skimping on quality.

You should also be aware that a wooden shed will need maintenance, such as painting and repainting, if it is to last.

A friend of mine built a wooden shed next to his vegetable patch 20 years ago.

It is still standing but he had to replace the flat-roofing material with a corrugated alternative, and the acrylic panes in the windows of the door did not last long.

Otherwise, wood is much easier to adapt to your needs: you can use normal screws and hooks, and it will generally carry more weight.

With metal or plastic, you have to think more carefully about what you are attaching to the walls and beams.

Build your own shed

The alternative to all the above is to do exactly what you want, to meet your needs.

Either you make a customised shed out of timber to your own design or, planning permission permitting, erect an indestructible building of breeze blocks topped with a proper roof structure.

The finishing touches done, you will have the satisfaction of standing under a new roof as the rain patters down on it – before you fill up your new space with stuff.