It is week 4 of lockdown and Duncan has the week off work so we are going to start the Shed to Man Cave project. So we start the week on isolation day 22 Monday 13th April and it is Easter Monday.

We start with the changing of the roof. The basic Shed roof isn’t going to cut it so Duncan got himself some Felt shingles and had prior to this week back in March.

  • From old shed roofing
  • To adding the shingles
  • Nearly done
  • Finished roof complete with it’s stylish shingles

Everything on hold as Pandemic hits

Unfortunately, we started the roof when we ordered the same shed from the same company. we started at the beginning of March expecting the new shed to arrive within two weeks. However lockdown postponed the new shed’s arrival which held us up. It looked like the shed to man cave project would have to stop.

However, Duncan had booked time off in advance for it. When the insulation and boarding etc all turned up as expected. We decided to continue the new Man Cave anyway where the shed was and put all the sheds contents into storage until the new shed eventually shows up.

The walls and roof were all covered in the following:

  • Vapour barrier
  • Silver insulation boards
  • Plaster board
  • Primer
  • Paint

The Floor was also covered in:

  • Insulation
  • OSB
  • Laminate flooring
  • Insulation (silver stuff)
  • Then plasterboard
  • Cutting the last plaster board
  • Shed fully plaster boarded
  • Then to fill in the gaps between the boards and the screw holes
  • Nearly ready for Painting and floor laying
  • All finished ready for him to fill with all his junk.

I would like to say it ended there. However, when the new shed arrived and it wasn’t the same size or even the same type as the one we ordered. It was meant to match the one that became the Man cave as it was meant to be the Man cave. But lockdown meant hold ups so we decided to use the one we had.

What we forgot is when the new base came and got put down. We would actually have to move the finished Man cave without taking it apart!

Rolling Rolling Rolling Man cave

So after much stress and a lot of curse words after the delivery driver left. We were left with a MUCH cheaper shed than the one ordered and paid for. Never easy is it! However, after negotiations and a date well into 2021 for the next chance of a replacement shed we decide to keep the one we have. BIG Mistake 🤦‍♀️.

So Now we have everything we set about laying the new base…

  • Picture of the dug out shed base
    Bye bye mound from last shed base all moved to level off a dip and eventually create a raised seating area.
  • Picture of where the soil was moved too
    All ready to be levelled and turned into a seating area with fire pit
  • Picture of finished area with first membrane down
    First membrane down, First signs of new shed being the wrong size as well as the wrong sort oh dear
  • A picture of jess demonstrating the difference in base size and shed size!
    ERM the shed is bigger than the base
  • Picture of second membrane being laid
    second membrane to stop weeds this time
  • Picture of Duncan connecting the black base mats together
    Next is the base mats, definitely a much better base if it was the right size!
  • Picture of the finished base with a wheel barrow on it
    Finished and 2 foot too small so laid in the middle of the space
  • Picture of the stone filled base matting
    I liked this view so took the picture
  • a Picture of the long awaited new shed pieces
    So the picture sent to company to complain about the wrong type of shed.

So now we were aware that either they had sent a shed that was not only the wrong type but also the wrong size or the wrong sized base we turn our minds to how we plan to move the shed.

My idea round fence posts or telegraph pole cut in half (couldn’t source that so had to make do with what we eventually used)

Duncans wrap a winch tape around it and pull.

Safe to say my idea won.

  • Picture of shed being lifted onto beams ready to put the rolling posts under and to start the move onto the new base (taken from the new base side)
    Preparing the move
  • Picture of shed lifted onto beams ready to put the rolling posts under and to start the move onto the new base (taken from the new base side with view of the whole side)
    She’s on the beams the posts will roll along
  • Picture of shed lifted onto beams ready to put the rolling posts under and to start the move onto the new base (taken from the new base side at an angle looking along the shed)
    different angle pre first move
  • Picture of shed lifted onto beams after first push (taken from the old base side)
    First push and 1/3 of way onto new base!
  • Picture of shed on rolling posts after first push (taken from the new base side)
    and from the other side
  • Picture of shed lifted onto beams after second push (taken from the front)
    second push and she is almost there.
  • Picture of shed after fully onto the new base
    So she is on the new base but she needs squaring up. really shows how small the new base is though to what it should be!
  • Picture showing the inside of the shed
    without one crack in the plaster board or paint work!
  • Picture of both new shed and the old one.
    New shed up oh my days what a difference in quality! shed floor and roof panels too small had to go and buy more!
  • felt was knackered so had to buy more of that too!

Now baring in mind we ordered and was expecting a shed Identical to the old one except without windows. what we got was a series of headaches. First a far cheaper shed, broken and we had to actually fix many of the pieces, Finish hammering in many of the nails and generally it was disgusting condition.

However, due to Covid if we hadn’t accepted it. we would either have to store all our bikes indoors or continue to pay storage for months before anywhere could give us a replacement. The cost of storage would be more than the reduced cost of the shed so we kept it. That concludes our Shed to Man cave project.

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