Garden Buildings

Buying guide

Garden buildings give a garden structure and somewhere to put things: a shed for tools and bikes, a pergola to frame a dining area, a log store to keep firewood dry. They all depend on the same basics: the right size, a proper base, the right position and regular treatment. This guide covers those basics and links to the detailed guide for each.

What we sell

Storage

Sheds

Shire 6x4 and 8x6 timber sheds in shiplap and overlap, plus the Sun Pent potting shed with a full-length bench.

Shop sheds

Structure and shade

Pergolas

The Grange Apollo dome and Contemporary Urban, the Shire Ivy 8x8 and the large Shire Uma.

Shop pergolas

Dry firewood

Log stores

Shire timber log stores and boxes, and Firepits UK steel log stores.

Shop log stores

How to choose

• What is it for? Storage points to a shed; shade, structure and climbing plants to a pergola; dry firewood to a log store.
• How much space? Measure the base footprint and the overall size including roof overhangs, and leave room around it to build and maintain it.
• How close to the boundary? Within 2 metres of a boundary, keep to 2.5 metres high to stay within permitted development in England.
• How long should it last? Choose interlocking shiplap or tongue and groove cladding and pressure treated timber where you can, and plan to treat it every year.

Sheds

We sell four Shire sheds. The Bute 6x4 and Warwick 8x6 are apex sheds in tongue and groove shiplap with double doors in the gable end; the Value Overlap 8x6 is a budget apex shed in rough sawn overlap boards; and the Sun Pent 8x6 is a pent-roofed potting shed with a full-length bench and horticultural glass. Shiplap and tongue and groove boards interlock and shed water better than overlap. See our shed guide.

Pergolas

A pergola frames a space rather than enclosing it. The Shire Ivy is a simple 2.4m square frame with optional sides and decking; the Grange Contemporary Urban has a slatted back screen; the Grange Apollo is a dome-shaped garden feature; and the Shire Uma is a large 4m x 4m roofed pergola for a full dining or lounge area. See our pergola guide.

Log stores

A log store keeps rain off firewood while letting air through, so logs stay dry and fresh wood keeps seasoning. Shire makes open-fronted stores with slatted sides and raised floors, triangular stores with kindling shelves, the compact Woodlowe Cross with a cross partition, the Country with a lockable side store and lidded log boxes. Firepits UK makes steel stores that sit close to a wall. See our log store guide.

Planning and building regulations

In England, outbuildings and garden structures are usually permitted development, so no planning application is needed, as long as they stay within limits: single storey, no more than 2.5 metres high within 2 metres of a boundary, not in front of the house, and covering no more than half the garden. Listed buildings and designated land such as conservation areas, National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have tighter rules. Flats and maisonettes need planning permission, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

In England and Wales, building regulations do not normally apply to a detached outbuilding under 15 square metres with no sleeping accommodation; between 15 and 30 square metres they usually do not either, if the building is at least 1 metre from any boundary or built substantially of non-combustible materials. Our sheds are well under 15 square metres. The Planning Portal has the full rules and your council has the final say.

Understanding the sizes

Garden buildings are often sold by a nominal size in feet, such as 6x4 or 8x6, but you need three real measurements. The base footprint is what the building stands on, and the size to make your base. The overall size includes roof overhangs, and tells you how much space it takes up. The internal size is what you can actually use. For example, the Shire Bute 6x4 stands on a 1.83 x 1.20m footprint and is 1.99 x 1.26m overall, and the Shire Ivy pergola stands on about 2.4m square but its roof reaches about 2.69m each way. Each listing gives the figures.

Get the base right

Shire says its buildings need a flat, firm and level base, such as concrete, paving slabs, pressure treated bearers or a Shire frame base with levelling spikes. Bare grass, soil or loose gravel is not suitable on its own. For sheds, Shire also asks for a damp proof membrane between the floor joists and the base, and about 450mm clear all round for assembly. Pergola posts need anchoring securely, with bolt-down supports on a patio or posts set in concrete on soil, as each kit's instructions describe.

Choosing the position

• Sheds: on high, well-drained ground, with doors facing a path and space behind to re-treat the timber. Shire says buildings should not touch walls, trees or bushes.
• Pergolas: over the area you want to frame, with the 2.5m height rule in mind near boundaries, and well away from fire pits and chimineas.
• Log stores: somewhere sunny and breezy to season wood, close enough to the house or fire to fetch logs easily, but away from any lit fire.

Timber, treatment and guarantees

Shire sheds arrive with a dip treated base coat for transit; most Shire log stores and the Ivy pergola are pressure treated. Shire's 10-year anti-rot guarantee depends on treating the timber with a good spirit-based preservative before or soon after assembly, then at least once every 12 months. Pressure treated timber starts with a light green tint that weathers to silver grey. Grange says the roofs of its Apollo and Contemporary Urban pergolas are not load bearing, so never stand or lean on them.

Dip treated or pressure treated?

Dip treated timber has been dipped in a preservative that coats the surface. It protects the timber in transit and for a short while after, but needs a proper preservative soon after assembly. Pressure treated timber has preservative forced deep into the wood under pressure, which gives longer protection, and is usually tinted green at first. Either way, Shire asks for a spirit-based preservative before or soon after assembly and every 12 months to keep its 10-year anti-rot guarantee. The Shire heavy duty log store is dip treated; most other Shire log stores and the Ivy pergola are pressure treated.

Steel log stores

Firepits UK makes log stores by hand in Wales from 3mm steel: a circular store (90cm or 120cm across, 25cm deep, for indoors or out), a half circular store (145cm wide), a pyramid store (110cm high) and a log store seat with a hardwood top. Bare steel weathers to a rusty patina, which Firepits UK says does not affect use, and needs no yearly treatment.

Delivery and assembly

1. Garden buildings are delivered free to England and Wales at the kerbside, flat-packed or as kits. Tell us about narrow access, steps or restricted parking before dispatch.
2. Prepare the base before delivery so panels are not left on wet ground.
3. Assemble with two people. Grange advises pre-drilling screw holes on its pergolas.
4. Treat the timber as soon as it is up, and fit your own padlock to shed doors.

Year-round care

• Every 12 months. Re-treat timber with a spirit-based preservative to keep Shire's guarantee.
• Every autumn. Check roof felt on sheds and log boxes, and clear leaves from roofs and around bases.
• Every spring. Check pergola fixings and anchors after winter storms, and ease shed hinges and locks.
• All year. Keep plants and soil away from timber, and ventilate sheds on dry days.

Why buy from Glowing Flames

We are an independent UK online retailer. Our garden buildings come from Shire, Grange and Firepits UK, and we can help you check sizes, heights and bases before you order: contact us with a photo of your garden. Delivery to England and Wales is free, and if you change your mind you can return unused items within 30 days; see our returns policy for how collection of large items works.