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How to Assemble the Perfect Garden Shed with Ease

If you never done it before, assembling even small sheds can be tricky. Garden sheds arrive in pieces, and when it’s all laid out before you it can seem more than little daunting. So where to you start?

Fortunately, Duratuf provides more than just the best garden sheds NZ has to offer – we also offer provide detailed assembly instructions for all our sheds, available for free. New Zealand’s Building code does not require building consent for single-storey detached buildings, so long as they do not exceed 10 square meters in floor area. So once you have your shed and your instructions, all you need to do is round up the necessary tools and dive in!

1. Lay a solid foundation 

The foundation upon which your garden shed will rest is the first and most essential part of the structure. A shoddy foundation risks settling or cracking, thus weakening your shed. 

Timber and concrete foundations for your shed are both possible. Duratuf can supply you with a timber floor kit, or you can pour your own concrete pad. Either way, you’ll need to first make sure that your foundation area is perfectly level. If it isn’t you’ll need to dig it out. Concrete foundations can be laid before the rest of your shed has arrived, so long as you know the shed’s dimensions. We advise to make your pad 15mm smaller in both width and depth to allow the cladding to extend down past the floor level, and your pad should be at least 80mm thick in the centre and 100mm around the edges. Once you have a solid foundation, you’re ready to turn your attention to your shed and begin assembly.

2. Assemble the panels and door

Your garden shed’s assembly instructions will provide plenty of detail regarding the assembly of each individual panel on your garden shed, so follow those instructions closely. Assemble your side, rear, and front panels before erecting anything. You’ll need each panel to hold each other up as you begin to fasten everything in place. Walls for wooden sheds will be a little more labour intensive than for steel or aluminium sheds, and certainly for plastic sheds.

Lay your wall pieces out on a flat surface (preferably not on the foundation itself) and begin by attaching the wall sheets to the top and bottom timber plates. The plates provide a core framework for your shed. The bottom frame will help support the shed atop its foundation and the top plate will help to support the roof.  Once you’ve assembled all four sides of your shed, assemble the roof panels, the door, and any window structures that might be included.

3. Erect and secure

Once your sides have been assembled, it’s time to erect your shed. Begin by securing two adjacent walls to create a standalone structure (include the back panel in these first two). This might require some assistance, particularly with large sheds, but once two walls are standing on their own, erecting the remaining two will be much easier.

Secure your walls with the screws and rivets recommended in your assembly instructions. Once your four walls have been assembled, lift your roof panels into place and secure them, then fix your door. Finally, secure your shed by attaching it to the foundation. A bolt down kit can be used for concrete foundations, or use the hardware supplied in your timber floor kit. 

The final step: Fill it, use it, love it 

The assembly of your shed will not be complete until you’ve stocked it with all your gear. Move in, get settled, and make your garden shed another part of your home. For the perfect garden shed to fit your home, contact Duratuf today!