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• Carefully evaluate the planned location.
  • What is the space of the area
  • Are there any potential impediments that may impact on the door opening / access or shed height?
  • Is the site level or will ground work be required?
  • When it rains does the area remain drained or does water pool or accumulate which may require drainage?
  • Are there any local planning regulations or body corporate issues that need considered (Colour, Size, etc)?
• Plan and measure what will be stored in the shed?
  • You should measure the dimensions of the larger items you are planning on storing to determine minimum size shed to locate your items, door openings are critical to check before you purchase your shed to ensure you can gain access for the items.

Most standard garden sheds sold in Australia are designed to provide protection & shelter from the environment, in most cases the garden sheds do not come standard with water management systems meaning that some minimal moisture may enter the shed usually from water running down the wall sheeting and entering underneath where the walls sit on the base surface. Site selection is important to minimising the potential quantity of moisture, in addition some manufacturers provide recommendations on site preparation if pouring a slab to minimise any impacts of ground water.

Can you help me with any tips on Site preparation?

Site Preparation tips and Recommendations

Sheds of every kind need a solid foundation. Site selection & preparation are critical. In order to achieve the quality finished product that will last and give the years of service it is designed to deliver, the structure needs a firm and level place to sit.

1. Notice where the water runs after a rainstorm. Include in your evaluation the direction of downspouts and gutters on your home. A good hard rain can leave an area under water. Choose a place where the water does not stand or puddle.

2. Clear the shed site. Ideally the site should be level. If not you may have work the area to ready it for construction. After the site is level, ideally gravel should be laid. We recommend that you rake the gravel to a consistent depth of at least 50mm or to any specification recommended by your local authority. You should also consider extending the gravel for at least 300mm past the edge of the shed foundation or base. This helps to encourage water to run away from the building.

Concrete Slab

If planning to pour a cement pad, we would recommend you continue to utilise the 300mm wide gravel barrier around the edge of the foundation and increase the depth of the gravel to 100mm.

Although not specifically required we also recommend that you cast a rebate into the slab to further protect against potential water penetration from ground water. The slab should be at least 75mm thick, reinforced with SL62 mesh (minimum) using the dimensions detailed by the manufacturer.

Flooring Kits

If you don’t want to pour a concrete slab some manufacturers do provide flooring kits as an additional accessory.

These vary from treated timber framing and panels through to heavy duty steel framing material with the option of attaching a flooring surface that you prefer. Ensure you consider your local environment when selecting a flooring option particularly accounting for the potential of termite damage and dampness of the ground surface.

If you purchase from a reputable Australian manufacturer you can have confidence that the product has been designed and tested to meet the unique and challenging environment that Australia possesses.

• Check the manufacturer / shed complies with and is certified in Australia to C2 cyclonic wind rating standard, this involves the materials passing low high low testing in an independent testing facility. Most local authorities in cyclonic areas will require engineering certification that includes passing minimum standards through this procedure.
• Reputable Australian manufactures will test their materials to ensure they can withstand the harsh Australian environment.
• If you have an issue or a defect you can deal directly with the manufacturer to get assistance and resolution.

Wind regions are a method of classifying regions of Australia based on the average speed of the wind in that area. Categories are on a continual scale and take into account topography (level of ground) and shielding (obstructions). The majority of Australia is covered by buildings designed to a wind rating of Region B TC2, however there are areas (particularly coastal and in the Northern regions of Australia) that require a building designed to Region C (Cyclonic) rating. Most quality garden sheds should be manufactured to engineering standards suitable for Region B, and a cyclonic upgrade kit can be purchased to comply with most Region C requirements. It is strongly recommended to check with your local authority prior to purchasing a shed to confirm the wind zone rating for your area and check the manufacturer has appropriate certification for Low High Low testing in Region C areas.

How long is a piece of string? Many manufacturers make claims as to build times but the truth is it can vary by the obvious size of the shed, experience of the persons assembling the shed (with the specific assembly system), conditions on the day and the amount of help you have on hand.

A full time installer can erect a 9m square shed probably in a regular day if they are familiar with the manufacture’s shed and assembly system.

The vast majority of these sheds are erected by the DIY “weekend warrior” and we would recommend that they take their time to read the instructions thoroughly as they assemble the shed, regularly checking their progress with the details in the booklet to minimise any mistakes. We would also strongly recommend you have at least one other person (ideally 3 for the larger sheds) to assist.

The most common mistake and accompanying frustrations are usually identified by the erectors rushing through the assembly steps and not checking instructions in detail as they go, if you take your time read and plan well the assembly will invariably go a lot faster, be a lot easier and more satisfying.

This is a question of personal preference and purpose, typically a colour shed will be aesthetically better than zinc. In some cases colour sheds can cost considerably more than zinc but if you do your research you can find some high quality colour sheds for a similar price to zinc.

In most areas buildings less than 10 meters squared do not require council approval, however this is not the case in cyclonic areas where local authority approval is essential. We recommend regardless of your area you should research your local regulations as they do vary state by state and shire by shire, if you are in a body corporate you should also check with what limitations may be in place.

Typically garden shed kitsets are a fixed design and do not allow for any structural modifications or customisation, if you do make any customisations you could void your warranty. We would recommend that you contact the manufacturer directly before making any modifications to seek clarification.

Garden sheds are typically available for purchase through a number of local Hardware Retailers, Shed Specialists, and various online retailers. Be sure that you are dealing with a credible retailer that supports better known Australian manufactured brands to ensure that you have the security of a locally based manufacturer should something go wrong and the support of local customer service to help you through the construction should you need it.