How to winter-proof your shed/home office in Sussex

A family-run firm which has been supplying and building sheds in Sussex for over 36 years wants to do its bit to help with the cost of living crisis.
Ad Feature by Elfords Sheds (Chichester) Ltd
Published 23rd Sep 2022, 07:50 BST
Weather, security and cost-of-living – is your shed up to the job?Weather, security and cost-of-living – is your shed up to the job?
Weather, security and cost-of-living – is your shed up to the job?

Over more than three decades, director Tony Harris and his team have built over 55,000 sheds, so they know their stuff.

Whether you need your shed to be wind and watertight for tool storage, as secure storage for valuable goods or as a state-of-the-art office, you’ll want to keep your prices down in these tough economic times.

Tony said: “Autumn is a good time of year to take an honest look at your existing shed and ask yourself three crucial questions.

How secure will your garden tools be this winter? Over more than three decades, director Tony Harris and his team have built over 55,000 sheds, so they know their stuff.How secure will your garden tools be this winter? Over more than three decades, director Tony Harris and his team have built over 55,000 sheds, so they know their stuff.
How secure will your garden tools be this winter? Over more than three decades, director Tony Harris and his team have built over 55,000 sheds, so they know their stuff.

“Firstly, is it properly secure, with a decent lock and solid doors and window frames to keep out a casual burglar?

“Secondly, is it structurally strong enough to cope with the wind and rain coming this winter? Is the roof secure, are the joints holding up, and is the floor warped or beginning to rot?

“And finally, if you are using your shed as a home office, is it insulated well enough to stop you wasting costly energy?”

Despite escalating costs in many other parts of life, Elfords Sheds at Oving Road, Chichester, is keeping its current price drop on throughout autumn.

And Tony and the team also have some crucial top tips for the season ahead.

Security

Many of us will be putting our lawnmowers, strimmers etc away till spring shortly. To deter burglars, there are some steps it is worth exploring. Where possible, site your shed behind a lockable gate, ideally where it is out of sight of casual passers-by.

Always install the best lock you can, not one with a ‘cloned’ master key. Consider installing a burglar alarm on the shed, so that it sets off a loud alert if the door is forced open.

Put motion sensor lights around the shed, to keep those criminals from choosing your shed.

Handy hint: Check your household insurance covers the as new replacement costs of what’s in the shed and make sure your security matches what is required on your policy.

Winter proofing

Even if you are not in the market for a new shed, there are still steps you can take to keep what you have got in good condition.

Ensure the shed wood has been treated recently to allow for maximum weather resistance. Do a visual inspection of the felt on the roof, and repair or replace where necessary.

A decent, modern Shiplap shed should keep out most of the water ingress naturally, but consider lagging high value or electrical items – large covers for motorbikes, cycles and barbecues help keep the frost at bay and will keep the rain off if a leak does occur in your old shed.

Handy hint: Damp and mould cause the most risks of damage in a shed over winter. Make sure you keep warm air inside, and keep the cold air out, with window covers.

Keeping costs down

There’s an old saying that we lose most of our heat through our head … sheds are similar, and if you are using your shed as a home office all year round you want to keep as much of your heating inside as possible.

When choosing a shed, opt for one with as much insulation as you can afford, and avoid designs which skimp on wood thickness etc

A firm like Elford Sheds can customise any design to match your requirements.. Models like the Surrey Workshop is a good starting point, with plenty of doors and windows to make it a pleasant space, then adapt to suit.

Top tip: When choosing a new shed think of the safest kind of heating to service the space and usage – solar heaters might be the most eco-friendly approach.

Tony added: “Every shed we build is made to order and nothing is off the shelf. We don’t claim to be the cheapest but we are proud to offer the best value-for-money buildings. By using the highest quality materials and careful construction methods, and with a free delivery and free erecting service in our coverage area, our customers agree.”

The firm covers a huge area on the south coast, and can deliver and erect garden buildings for free in Angmering, Arundel, Billingshurst, Bognor Regis, Bosham, Brighton, Chichester, Emsworth, Haslemere, Havant, Hove, Littlehampton, Midhurst, Petersfield, Petworth, Pulborough, Selsey, Shoreham, Storrington, Worthing.

Reduced prices and showrooms

For reduced prices and more information see www.elfords.biz, call 01243 787721 or email [email protected]

To see for yourself and choose from the wide range of sheds on offer, visit Elfords Sheds indoor and outdoor showrooms at the Ben Turner Industrial Estate, Oving Road, Chichester PO19 7ET.

They are open Monday to Thursday from 8am-4pm, Friday 8am-3.30pm and Saturday 9am-2pm.

Related topics:Tony HarrisSussexAutumnChichester