Garden sheds come in as great a range of styles and materials as anything else a

Garden sheds come in as great a range of styles and materials as anything else available on the internet, and build qualities are just as variable. Buying sight-unseen can add an element of gamble to a transaction, but careful scrutiny of descriptions and product information before handing over money can avoid most common problems. To make sure any one of the staggering range of sheds available is of good quality, it needs to be made of a material that can withstand the weather in your part of the world, it needs to be anchorable so it doesn’t fall over, and it needs to suit the purpose it’s being bought for.

First, the construction material. Low quality wood is particularly vulnerable to degradation by long term exposure to the elements, so make sure the shed isn’t just made of untreated pine that will rot after a few years. Worse still is sheet timber made of pressed wood fragments- it’s weak and a sign of poor quality so be sure to avoid it if at all possible.

Pressure-treated timber is much hardier than plain untreated wood, and less likely to fall prey to insects. The floor timbers are especially important in garden sheds, being the most likely to rot. Windows and doors should be well finished, and openable windows aid ventilation and help keep damp and mustiness at bay. Glass windows will stay clear over time, where plastics can cloud up, but consider breakages, especially if you have kids playing in the garden.

Some of the best indications of quality are in the guarantees. Many high quality garden sheds come with a 10 year guarantee, which implies a fairly high degree of manufacturer confidence in the product. Choose a reliable, well established supplier to ensure the guarantee is meaningful and you won’t go far wrong.