To help guide you through the building of your shed, Ranbuild supply an extremely detailed assembly guide that is a specific to the shed you are building. Fully indexed for ease of usability, the Ranbuild assembly guides provide thorough step by step instructions from laying the concrete slab through to building assembly check list and maintenance notes.
Take time to check all of your shed parts off against the bill of materials (BOM) as soon as possible after your shed arrives. In the unlikely event there are any parts damaged or missing, advise the dealer ASAP and they can log an order for replacements or missing pieces. You don’t want to be partway through erection when you discover something is missing and the sooner you spot a problem, the easier it is to fix.
- Read all the way through the assembly instructions before you begin, then refer to them regularly throughout the build. Getting things wrong can be expensive, and shed kits are a lot less intuitive to build than your standard flat pack.
- Work place safety is very important so wear heavy work boots, gloves, eye protection and other safety gear as required, and apply sunblock regularly. Although this seems obvious, most shed-building injuries come about through people forgetting basic precautions.
- Don’t try to build on a windy or wet day. Ideally, wait for a cool, still weekend for maximum safety and comfort.
- Assemble the first frame and then use this as a template for other frames, which can be assembled on top of it, making sure they are all identical.
- Tailors have an adage: ‘measure twice, cut once’. The same idea is important in building. Every bit of extra time you spend measuring or checking your alignment before fixing any screws, bolts or fittings is time well spent: you can’t undo holes made in steel or concrete and mistakes will show as a poor finish.
Begin with the framework, attaching to the footings or brackets embedded in the slab. Then proceed to erect one wall at a time, bracing as required and following the assembly instructions, especially where bolt tensions, stiffeners and bracers are concerned. Leave roller doors until the end, and make sure that you have your frame inspected before cladding. Finish up with the guttering and other trades, such as electrical and plumbing (see Call in the professionals, below).
For a small shed, double garage or carport, this is a reasonably easy job for two people if you’re capable and experienced at large DIY jobs or come from a trade background. If you’re tackling a bigger job or are not an experienced builder, it’s not too late to hire someone who is.
