Old and New Beast Site

The cleaner, easier to navigate website provides more ways than ever to fine-tune your perfect Beast shed and it rather brings shame on it’s competition. It’s hard to imagine how other online shed stores are coping because once you come across beastsheds.co.uk the only reason you would go elsewhere would be to find a cheaper alternative! And, like the old saying goes, “Buy Cheap, Buy Twice”.

Known for being one of the only shed companies online that truly offer the “whole shed package”. You just won’t beat the quality and the seemingly unlimited combinations of sizes, layouts, options and extras! At the last count, the web developers have informed me their database has some 8000 combinations of different sheds. And that’s even before the customer changes the windows, doors, shelving, partitions or even add a cat flap! Not only that, to complete the package, Beast Sheds deliver and install the shed themselves as part of the deal! They really make the process so easy.

If using the Shed Customizer, by some rarity, you can’t find a combination to match your dream shed, then all you need do is email the helpful office staff a picture of what you’re looking for. They have been sent pictures of other shed companies’ sheds and asked to build similar!

Check out the latest and greatest Beast Sheds, I challenge you to not be impressed!

A customer who’d bought one of our Tanalised Security sheds woke up to mixed emotions last week. One wood panel on his security shed door had been partly broken off due to a robbery attempt. Although angry at the resulting vandalism, he was rather pleased that spending a bit more money on a secure shed had foiled the thieves and kept the bikes & various tools inside, estimated to be valued at over £1,500, safe and sound! 

The customer said,

As you’ll see, they’ve tried to prise pieces of the shiplap away from the supporting framework of the door, then break the framework itself. Although they’ve made a bit of a mess they ultimately gave up, so the shed did its job.

Our Security sheds have bolts through the hinges and lock instead of screws. They also have a “ledge & brace” door where there is more framework than a standard type. Smaller or no windows are also the ideal option to stop those burglars.

There is something therapeutic about people coming together to do something, and that is why there are many health advantages associated with having a shed where people can go to tinker with a car or bikes, spending time in a meaningful way. People need some way of venting or opening up to other people who they can relate to. The problems they face in life can be discussed and experiences shared. Typically, the more familiar they are with each other, the more they stand to gain because people can freely associate with each other but they do so in an environment where they are doing something productive at the same time.

Men becoming more social

Men have these days started coming up with groups which acquire sheds and the members start to stock the sheds with tools. It has become a genius way for men who used to be isolated to come and learn new skills or share skills they already know. Each person therefore feels that he is learning something practical or he is letting his talent go to good use by teaching other members of society the same skills. The psychological benefits of it all are tremendous since there is a slight relief that someone is nearing self actualization. One good strategy is where the members of the shed movement come together and agree on a plan, separate duties and from that time on, each member builds a piece of something which will fit together into one masterpiece. With the right synergy, people can be able to make childrens toys, go-karts, repair or restore a classic car and in many cases, come up with something innovative for charity. Getting prefabricated kits and assembling them as a group has become a popular way to learn the basics of workshop craft. People learn how to use the new tools and basic processes like sanding and cutting.

Building a large group

A group should consider buying an outdoor shed so that they have a private place to meet and workshop. Even those who are associated with members of the group but were not involved from the beginning, might decide to join in who knows what DIY talent they might possess. Essentially, after getting the shed, people can combine wealth and purchase tools that will be used recurrently and someone who is new to the movement can then be taken through a short orientation of how the tools work and how to use them. By the time the orientation is done, he will have familiarized with the group members, their routine and the processes involved. He can learn the story behind everyone’s motivation and tap into the benefits of having an extra hobby.

Improving the community

When people spend their free time honing their skills and getting better at using their tools, society as a whole will benefit because there is less time to commit some idle vices. Some vices like hooliganism are merely misguided energy which could have been better used if someone spent time in a shed with friends. Someone can even stay in good shape because the processes involved in lifting, sawing, hammering down pieces and sanding a wooden item makes sure that the body muscles are put to their ideal use. People who are interested in this idea can simply call a business like Easy Shed / Beast Sheds who supply outdoor sheds for use as workshops and garages and more.

Is planning permission needed for garden sheds, log cabins and summer houses ?

Unfortunately we live in a bureaucratic state and the pencil pushing lot on local councils might throw their toys out their prams if they get the chance. Please make sure you’re in the clear when it comes to planning permissions, the vast majority of you will be absolutely fine..

A little planning permission story

I had a visit from a planning officer a few years back…

I had just finished constructing, to be fair, a mammoth sized shed. Someone commented they thought I had put up a church! It was 20 x 18 feet, huge double doors back and front, an apex roof and a partial 2nd floor for storing large wooden board etc. You might be thinking instantly I should have got planning permission, well let me tell you why I didn’t.

1. It was in a far corner of my garden, surrounded by a 6ft fence on the roadside and 8-10ft high conifers all other sides. My neighbours didn’t mind at all as they could hardly see it.

2. Was just for storing my tools, wood etc – usual garden shed storage.

3. I am capable of rational thought and I make my own decisions based upon common sense.

About 3 weeks later I recieved a knock on the door, it was our local planning officer,

[nasely, hoity toity voice] “Hello, I’m Mr.Pedantic from the local planning office. I’ve noticed you have constructed a large structure in your back garden. I could find no record of request for planning permission. Can we take a look at the structure please?”

He said he had seen it while he was driving by. (What he would have seen would have been the last 2 foot of the apex),

“The trouble is, it is quite a busy road behind and when on the approach people will be distracted by your structure and that could possibly cause an accident.”

! Okay.. Like I said to him, it was barely visable, it didn’t have huge flashing neon’s for God’s sake! It was astounding, but that’s the way it goes if they get a bee in their bonnet about someone not asking their permission to put up a shed.

There really was no talking him round, so I had to apply for retrospective planning permission, and eventually I was lucky that someone higher up than him saw sense and gave me the all clear.

Take a deep breath and be nice!

I’m not advocating any abuse of any sort aimed at planning officers. They are just the front end of political rulings. I can laugh about my ordeal now, it was frustrating at the time, but getting angry at the planning officer really wouldn’t have helped in the slightest.

And that brings me onto a news video I found of a planning officer who was shot dead by the man who had built his house without planning permission. It might be quite shocking for some, and I debated whether I should post a link to it at all, but hopefully it will help people realise getting angry is just rediculous, in the long run it’s best to be nice! BBC news article & video of a planning row that led to a shooting

The Golden Rules

Follow these rules to avoid requiring planning permission:

• Single-storey with floor area of below 30 square metres.
• Flat roof under 3 meters in height and apex of a pitched roof under 4 meters.
• Can be for use as a home office but not to run a business.
• Should be at least 1 metre away from any boundary.
• Can not take up more than half the size of a garden

For full details and advice on planning and security from Saga, see this site: planning rules for garden sheds.

Paul continued: “Sadly wooden sheds with no additional security measures do not provide protection against anything more than the weather. We are urging residents to look carefully at the way they store their bike and ask them to consider taking action …

Luckily for you, the shed shopping reader, our security shed range removes the need to worry about this news. So if you have expensive items, such as push bikes, to store, think about getting one of them.

Original news article, taken from Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard by can be found here: Cirencester cyclists warned after spate of bike thefts.

UPDATE 05/03/12:
A similar story from This is Gloucestershire

POLICE are warning Prestbury residents to lock up their sheds after a series of break-ins. Garden stores along Prestbury Road have been targeted by thieves in recent weeks. PC Kirsty Johnson said villagers need to be extra vigilant and ensure their sheds are securely locked …

The article’s advice is make sure the garden is well lit and to use strong, hard to ‘crop’ padlocks.

The full news article can be found here: Shed break-ins warning.

Metal Sheds
Most metals are extracted from their ores using a chemical reaction. Metals are rarely used in their pure form, and are usually mixed with other metals to improve their properties. This is called an alloy. Majority of metal sheds will be aluminium.

Plastic Sheds
Can either be pure plastic or plastic coated.

Wooden Sheds
Here on Beast Sheds we have chosen wood to build all our sheds, and for good reasons…

Strength & Durability
If a material withstands wear and tear, the weather and corrosion it is durable (long lasting). It usually is noticed by a change in appearance when it starts to wear out. Corrosion is the main area affecting durability and can often be overlooked which can have serious effects on metallic sheds whose durability can be affected by rust. Ultra violet light can affect materials, particularly plastics which can become very brittle with the effects of the sun. In general though, plastics are less likely to corrode than most materials but strength is not usually associated with plastics.

Sustainable
Perhaps it’s an obvious point but worth bringing to mind that wood is a completely natural material. And as long as it has the FSC certificate (organisation supported by NGOs including WWF, Greenpeace and the Woodland Trust http://www.fsc.org/) then it is also a sustainable product, making it better to use for the enviroment than other materials.

Stability
Materials which are stable resist changes in size and shape, which can often be caused by weather, particularly wet or dry conditions. Wood tends to warp and twist if it gets too wet or dry. This won’t be a problem with proper wood treatment to waterproof it. Plastic tends to bend and stay bent if it is subject to constant force. This stretching due to force is called ‘creep’.

Apperance
Perhaps a personal opinion, but a wooden shed is much more eye catching than plastic or metal, it sits quietly within its natural outdoor environment, whereas metallic and plastic sheds reflect the sun and become rather noisy when it rains!

DIY Customisation
A wooden building allows customisation even when constructed. Most people have some wood working tools & supplies in their possession, such as wood drills, screws and spare bits of wood laying around. These can all easily be used on a wooden shed to improve and customise it – such as a shelf or overhang / lean-to for storing large timber planks etc.

Update 06/03/12:

Problems with self build plastic sheds
I’ve read a few customer reviews that highlight common issues with B&Q plastic sheds

1 reviewer:

The main problem is the doors, they don’t line up and shut properly. I’ve dismantle some of it to try rectify it but still no luck. I will make the doors shut but not sure how yet. Only thing I can think of is to drill new holes and move the hinges, but I’m not 100% on this.

Another reviewer:

bought this shed ,and the holes are pre drilled so when erected the doors arent level ,couldnt close them,the locks didnt align together

See the reviews here

If you want our advice (and you possibly do as you’re reading this!) avoid shed retailers using third parties.

Example of a slimey 3rd party dealer some shed companies use

The reasons:
If you need help with a third-party product, you may not be supported by the retailer, you may have to contact the company who made the product instead.
Third parties will not be as concerned with the condition of your product as a company that doesn’t use any.

The solution:
Buy a shed from Beast Sheds! We are proud of our products and offer the full service you should expect from any retailer. Remember all our sheds are manufactured by us, delivered by us and fitted by us!

So this company is offering free delivery but requires your help unloading the shed and will leave it somewhere on your property for you to then construct or pass onto a third party company.

This company’s delivery information highlights an issue common among shed retailers. Nailing down a delivery time from the retailer you bought it from is made more difficult as a third party is supplying it. It will usually be a headache for you if delivery goes wrong.

The Solution
You can avoid headaches, like those above, by using us: we deliver the shed, unload it ourselves and construct it, all we ask from you is a cup of tea!

We keep things simple. Free fitting and delivery on everything! (The one and only restriction is for you to check your delivery address falls within our free area by viewing our map or typing in your postcode .)

We hide nothing so you don’t need to worry about extra expenses when you get to our checkout, all you should do is find the ideal shed!