Been having a little think about a shed – and how I’ll make it. This is my first attempt at modelling it. I’ll probably not model what ends up getting made – it’ll probably just be the result of screwing lots of bits of wood together on-site – with no real plan. That’s how I usually do things.
My thoughts are that the shed should have a secret door (ie no visible handle or hinges) and that the windows will look out over the neighbouring compost heap so that it gets the sun but cannot be peered into. I have also been playing with the idea of having it so that the doors open out and can be fixed open – making the space seem twice as large – using all of the decked area outside (made of pallets).
Got some timber bits today that may go some way towards making a shed structure.
I saw on freegle (my local version of freecycle) that someone was having some work done on their garden and had taken lots of old fencing down. This was all being thrown in a skip unless anyone wanted it – so I went along this morning (luckily I had the day off of work) and there was quite a lot of fencing posts which were still fairly chunky and robust, lots of fairly good quality gravel boarding which should be fine to clad my future shed (if not – it will make excellent side panels for a compost heap), and lots of fairly crumbly old trellis.
I have used the one intact bit of the trellis in my own garden as we had recently bought a Honeysuckle that needed support – and I have taken lots of the gravel boarding down to the allotment for use at the weekend (today was really not an outdoors day).
I have also recently found a couple of old sash windows – that I will probably strip the paint off of. I think a homemade shed is fine – but the parts should all probably be the same material (not a white window with a green door in a new pine structure with old weatherboard). That’s the plan anyway.
I’d like to strip the paint off of any old bits that I find in skips. Also – I know the allotment society frown upon home-made sheds made out of old doors etc.
Mine will not just be made out of old doors – but it will be made out of old, found and donated parts as I cannot afford a new £300 shed from a DIY store – I do not want one of these either. I’d much rather make my own and enjoy learning something as I do it. Not sure my girlfriend would agree though.
The gardener that I met this morning (Pete the Pond his name was) told me he is always taking timber and paving slabs to the dump – so I gave him my number and am looking forward to a delivery of old paving slabs soon. I could probably do with another 30 or so slabs to replace the path that my neighbouring allotment holder has borrowed to re-create some sort of gravestone art installation.
So – get looking on freecycle if you need to stretch your budget for such things. Gumtree and Friday ad are 2 other places where free stuff can be found.
Home-made shed updates (including pictures) will follow soon – once we get some pleasant weekend weather.
It seems that despite our plans to dig over the plot, leave it for a few weeks, and then dig it over again – have been scuppered by the very kind offer of 3 rhubarb plants from a neighboring allotmenteer. Here is a pic of the donation. It has since been planted and will hopefully produce enough stalks this year to keep us stocked up in rhubarb crumble. I love crumble.
Hi
I have just been given the keys to a 5 rod allotment plot after being on the waiting list for nearly 4 years.
The plot has been left in fairly good order (no brambles anyway) and is mostly covered in short grass and weeds, abandoned compost heap and a large Cherry tree.
I am hoping that the frosts have finished now so I should be able to get on top of things before it all runs away with itself.
I’ll try to take regular pictures of progress as it gets dug over and as I get a shed built out of found materials.
