5 Advantages of Picking a Lean-to Shed Over a Freestanding Alternative

Home & Garden Blog

If you're thinking of putting a shed in your garden, one of the first things you'll have to decide upon is whether you want a freestanding shed or a lean-to. Both come with their own advantages and disadvantages, but lean-to sheds usually win out. Here are 5 simple reasons why.

1. Power

Any shed can be provided with electricity, whether via a hook-up to the mains or, more rarely, its own generator. However, lean-to sheds are easier to convert since they share a wall with your actual house. All you need to do is run an extra wire through the wall and you have power in the shed. This makes it ideal for people who want to use their shed for carpentry or some other craft involving power tools.

2. Anchoring

Sheds need plenty of storage options – they should be able to take anything from bikes to trowels. Since a lean-to shed will usually face a bare brick wall, you can anchor holders for much larger, heavier items on that side. Most freestanding sheds will be made of quite thin wood, so they will lack the strength to fix anything heavy.

3. Easy to Build

It should come as no surprise that lean-to sheds are the easiest to build. In fact, they can often be erected without the assistance of a professional if you have a bit of DIY knowledge. The fact that you're essentially attaching your shed to the side of your home means that you'll normally only need three sides and a single sloping roof.

4. Expense

Freestanding sheds are almost always going to be more expensive than lean-tos. For starters, you'll probably need to hire people to help erect it, and it's likely that the ground will be less even away from your house, so those hired hands may also need to level things out. Of course, you'll also need to consume more materials since you won't be using one of the walls of your house.

5. Space Management

If you only have a little bit of garden space, it makes sense to keep the shed against the house since it won't seem to take up too much space. A small extension out into your garden just isn't as noticeable as a whole new structure, and many homes will have a thinner amount of space along the side that is normally not used but is perfect for a shed.

Freestanding sheds can be made a little bigger than lean-to sheds, and they also keep the noise made by any work done inside away from your home. However, most people won't benefit from those advantages, and will instead find that a lean-to is the best option.

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12 April 2016

Custom Made Items For Your Home and Garden

Hello. My name is Dean and this is my home and garden blog. Last year, I decided I needed to improve the look of my home. I visited several home and garden centres and various different shops but I just couldn't find the items I wanted. I had this dream of creating a really cool and funky look based on an African design I had seen. My friend suggested that I customise the items to create the look I wanted and began to give me some lessons. I really enjoyed the process and I learnt a lot about how to improve your home and garden.