Top Ways to Upgrade and Improve Your Garden Shed

 

 

 

 

Sheds can be a beneficial addition to your garden, whether or not you are a gardener. They can be a great place to store all your garden tools, and anything else that you can’t or don’t want to store inside the house, especially if you don’t have a garage at your home. However, even though your shed might be a very practical addition to your garden, they do still need to look good too. The good news is that if your shed is looking a bit worse for wear these days, there are lots of things that you can do to improve it. Keep reading for some useful ideas for improving your shed that you might like. 

Paint the Shed

Painting your shed is a great way to give it a new lease of life on a budget. Not only will painting give your shed a whole new look and feel, but it can also protect the materials, especially if you have a wooden shed. There are lots of different paint types available, so no matter what material your shed is made from, you should be able to easily find a paint that will work in a colour of your choosing. Pick a bright colour if you want to add some more vibrancy to your garden, or a neutral shade if you want your shed to blend in more rather than stand out. A dark colour can be an ideal choice if you want to make your small garden appear larger, as this will create a visual illusion of the shed being further away. 

Upgrade the Roof

If your shed is quite old, or you’ve noticed that it’s leaking a bit and it’s putting you off the idea of storing anything that might get ruined in there, then the good news is that you don’t always have to get a brand-new replacement shed. Adding a new roof to your shed can be a fairly straightforward job as long as you have the right tools and materials. Consider corrugated roofing as a durable and waterproof option that is sure to extend the life of your shed and offer more protection to the items inside. You can easily make and fit a new roof to your existing shed using corrugated roofing sheets. Corrugated roofing is available in a range of colours to suit your garden. 

Turn it Into a Garden Room

If your shed is in good condition but is barely getting much use in terms of storage, then you might want to transform it into something else. If you have kids, then a shed can easily become a playroom for them when they are in the garden, or something seriously imaginative like a castle or pirate’s ship. Or for a garden room that can be used by the whole family, consider adding some soft furnishings and décor to create a room that you can go and relax in whenever you like, right in your garden. 

Add Insulation

Many sheds can get warm in the summer, and cold and damp in the winter. Adding insulation to your shed can be an ideal way to keep it at the right temperature all year round, which is a great idea if you plan to use it for more than simply storing your stuff. If you want to use your shed as a garden room, for example, then there are several options to consider when it comes to insulating it. You can get insulating paints, for example, that you can use on your shed to reflect the heat from the sun in the summer, preventing your shed from getting too hot inside. 

Make a Feature of It

If you need your shed, but hate how it looks in your garden, then the good news is that there are lots of things that you can do to turn it into a feature. If you’re going with giving your shed a new coat of paint, then come up with something that will make your shed stand out for all the right reasons instead of the wrong ones. For example, painting the roof, doors, and walls in different contrasting colours can add some interest to your shed and turn it into a stunning focal point in your garden. 

Add a Green Roof

No matter how small your shed roof is, it’s a great opportunity for planting new plants and flowers in your garden. This can be an especially good idea if you have quite a small garden without a lot of room for planting. Covering the roof with plants or using climbing plants up the walls of your shed will soften its appearance along with providing insulation for inside the shed and attracting local wildlife. To do this without damaging the shed, start by creating a shallow-edged wooden frame that you can lay on the existing roof. Line it with plastic before filling it with soil and planting. 

Collect Water

Recycling rainwater is always a good idea if you want to be more eco-conscious at home, and you can use the water for lots of things including gardening and outdoor cleaning, so you don’t have to use the hose during heatwaves when there isn’t a lot of rainfall. You can use the roof of your shed to collect water by attaching a water butt to it. To do this, fix guttering to just below the roof of your shed, and then add a drainpipe that leads into a water butt, where the rain will be collected. 

Attract More Wildlife

The side walls of a shed can be a great place for lots of smaller garden wildlife to find shelter. If you love attracting local wildlife to your garden, then there are lots of ways that you can do this using your shed. For example, you could hang bird feeders from the roof of your shed or create bug ‘hotels’ for bees and other pollinating insects. These can be made yourself if you’re feeling creative, or you can buy ready-made options to simply attach to your shed using screws and fixings. 

Add Shelving

If you mainly use your shed for storing garden items and all those other items that can’t go inside the house, then you will want to upgrade it by adding a good storage system. If trying to find something that you know you have put in the shed at some point has become a nightmare, then it’s a good idea to have a big clear-out, tidy up the shed and add labelled shelves and drawers making it easier to find what you need. 

Clothes Drying Space

If your shed is mostly sitting empty, is well-insulated and has a good, watertight roof, then you can save on your energy bills throughout the winter by hanging your clothes to dry in the shed instead of putting them in the tumble dryer. To set your shed up for this, you’re going to need to make sure that it’s not damp inside as, otherwise, it won’t be much use. You can also get dehumidifier boxes that you can put in your shed to collect moisture and help your clothes dry quicker or use an electric dehumidifier if your shed is connected to the mains. 

No matter how big or small your garden shed, turn it into a main part of your garden with these upgrades.