Sheds - lighting, insulation and colour!
Almost a year ago we ordered a new shed - we expected it to arrive by October at the latest, but as every man and their dogs bought sheds at the same time, it actually arrived in December! It means we haven’t actually done anything to it at all. As spring is coming, we now need to get on with sorting things out. My questions. - what kind of lighting do people have? (Internal and external). Secondly - do you recommend having it insulated? And thirdly, any colour recommendations?! (Fence on the right is a mid-dark grey. Please don’t ask what the shed is for - we’re still arguing over it!!!! Husband believes that he will use it a lot - I’m more realistic, and know that he won’t!! I want it to look nice - and to keep our options open. Thanks in hope!
Comments (19)
Sarah U-S
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Straw insulated walls and wall mounted taps
Comments (4)I am currently renovating a house and have hit many snags along the way. As my dad always tells me 'Anything is possible'. We had problems fitting the shower to the wall as there was nothing behind the plaster board and tiles for the screws to affix to (I imagine that's the same problem you will have with straw). So, we left it, went away and had a think, came back, tried a few thinks, till Ureka! All it took were a few specialist rawl plugs and screws. It took a few days to sort out, but we are just DIYers and were not in a particular rush. If you're paying someone to do it, it should be a doodle, as OnePlan says....See MoreNarrow area in front of shed.!
Comments (10)id do this; make the trough into a bench and put some outdoor cushions on it, paint the neighbouring extension a light colour, get someone to make a wall hung 'table' that drops flat to the wall on the side of the house (useful for those coffee mornings) that is painted the same colour-above the 'table' put up a trellis also painted the same colour-there are some great hanging planters that could be hung here and you wouldn't have to stick to filling them with only plants. we have a narrow path similar to this-wasted space is what I call it-and thought of putting a shed within its confines. after seeing your picture its made me decide to do something similar. cheers, thanks for putting on the picture and making a light bulb go on in my head.x...See MoreGarden shed
Comments (4)First instinct is to put shed in front of the fence. The brick wall is a nice feature and would be a great sun trap for plants but like Carolina said you'd need to think about sight lines from the house and what you'd like to look at from the windows. Another thing to consider especially if the shed is used regularly and you've got kids trampling on wet grass to get bikes, toys etc. is it will soon get pretty muddy. So a path will be needed or you could place the shed nearer to the patio/yard although this might block light coming into the house....See MoreWhy wait to Insulate?
Comments (0)Why Wait to Insulate? Summer is almost over. The world cup is a distant memory, Wimbledon flew by like a Djokovic back hand and having a BBQ for breakfast, lunch and dinner is no longer acceptable. Sun light is gradually fading along with your tan and as the temperature tumbles we reluctantly spend more time indoors. During the summer heatwave the idea of doing some DIY might not have been that appealing to some of us. Why ponder that plumbing problem when you can have another glass of Pimms? Why would you re-tile the bathroom when you can lie in the paddling pool in the garden? Why paint the spare room when you can get a bit of colour on your chalk white legs? You might not have wanted to work up a sweat inside when you’re busy sweating outside but now could be the time to switch your focus from the garden to the house. We’ve tried to keep cool all summer but as we wave good bye to the sunshine it will be autumn giving us the cold shoulder. So it might be time to consider how to keep your house warm. Around half of all your heat can escape if your home is not properly insulated! Insulation reduces the exchange of heat through a surface such as a wall, attic, floor, duct or roof. In a well-insulated home less warm air escapes from the house in the winter and less cool air escapes during the summer, reducing the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling. So it can keep your energy bills down, reducing your carbon foot print whilst saving you a bit of money. In fact, the Energy Saving Trust estimates that in one year a typical three bedroom semi-detached house can save up to £310 on energy bills by installing loft and cavity wall insulation. Think of your home as the human body, the more layers we have on the warmer we are. We lose body heat from our head, hands and feet so we put on hats, gloves and socks. So what winter accessories do our homes need and where’s the best place to start? The most important thing is the walls, since for a typical house the walls will lose around 30 to 40 per cent of heat. The roof comes in second place, accounting for approximately 25% of heat loss. Then comes the windows and doors with 20% and finally, the floor. What makes a good insulator? Remember that woolly jumper you wear that keeps you warm but itches your neck? The same goes for your home, generally good insulators consist of products that have a structure similar to wool, that trap tiny pockets of air. Wood based products like hardboard and wooden doors are good insulators as are fabrics like cotton and hemp. So you might want to dig out that pair of heavy vintage curtains you inherited from your great aunt Sally. Polyurethane based spray foam solutions are good for filling gaps in roof tiles or the adhesive variant can be used around windows and doors. Any cold air creeping through cracks and gaps can be stopped with a simple sealant. What types of insulation are there? Wall insulation depends on what type of wall you have in your home. A cavity wall insulation means there is a gap between the inner and outer leaf so insulator can be inserted to the wall by drilling holes which are then refilled with cement. Then there’s solid wall insulation (no cavity inside them). If you have solid walls you can choose between internal or external insulation. So you either do the whole façade of the building or you apply the insulation internally to certain inner rooms. You’ve got two options when it comes to insulating your roof. Warm loft is insulating immediately under the roof or cold loft is insulating immediately above the ceiling of the top storey in your house. Warm loft is more expensive than cold loft but is usually a more effective way of insulating the space. It’s kind of like sticking a woolly hat on your head when it’s freezing outside. Double glazing in windows and doors is great if you can afford it, it will drown out the sound of that barking dog or busy road, keeping your house both warm and quiet! Floor insulation can be expensive, make sure if you really need it depending on the type of floor you have and how old your house is. An easy alternative to floor insulation is laying some carpet or sticking a few decent rugs all around. Sadly this might mean a bit more hoovering! One minute it’s too hot, the next it’s too cold! Complaining about the weather can be exhausting but don’t leave it too late to insulate your home and save some energy and money. If DIY has you questioning why you bothered or you simply don’t have the time, let Balma Building servicesgive you a helping hand....See More
pjdklm
3 years ago
Patrina
3 years agominnie101
3 years agominnie101
3 years agoColour depends if you want to stand it out... The first is lamp black by Little Greene and the second is Harley Green which would look nice against the brick
Sarah U-S
3 years agominnie101
3 years agoSarah U-S
3 years ago
Sonia
3 years agoGetting an electrician to add electricity to it would be good. Insulation would be good too. Now as to colour, the world is your oyster! Dark shades will make it recede, but if you want to pretty it up, the pastel shades would look great. Sage green is a classic as is cream. Here’s some ideas, I love a twee country look so please excuse me!
Sarah U-S
3 years agominnie101
3 years agoI would definitely add a light outside. Maybe have a practical light for showing the way in the dark and something really soft to light it up at night. If you want something pretty I’d go for sage, sorry it doesn’t let me paint wood very well (nor much else tbh!) 😂 Maybe white windows? Personally I’d also add a path or stepping stones down there, it’s not pleasant walking on a lawn in wet/cold months and dealing with muddy floors! Something that curves round like the bottom half of an S should make the garden feel wider (not that it’s narrow but you know what I mean!)
Sarah U-S
3 years agoThanks Minnie - definitely doing a curve thing at the bottom - I’m obsessed with this garden from Houzz and am aiming to do something fairly similar at the bottom, with some Yorkshire stone chippings edged with some old bricks that we have. We already have a lot of white hydrangeas in the borders...
minnie101
3 years agoSarah U-S
3 years agoSarah U-S
2 years agoWe have finally painted the shed!! We went with Tikkurila paint in their Mulberry colour (which is apparently identical to F&B Skimming Stone). Being outside it looks much lighter than it actually is - but it’s growing on me. We’re eventually making a seating area at that end too - so it’s very much a work in progress! (We put electricity in too, but haven’t insulated - that’s still something we are debating!!)
lspendl 828
2 years agoSarah U-S
2 years agoSonia
2 years ago
Patrina