Turning a garden shed into an office?
I would like to buy a basic wooden garden shed with a wood floor and turn it into a art studio or office.
How much should I plan to spend? Do wooden garden sheds come insulated? If I don’t put windows in the garden shed is that wrong?
I would have electricity inside and plug in a portable heater. Inside would also be a small bed or cott for naps. One of the garden sheds I’m looking at has a woodpanel wall and the door is unpainted wood. I would like to paint the inside and paint the inside of the door.
Any suggestions?
A cement slb floor would also be okay. I could put a rug or two over the cement slab floor.
For the reasons Sheri mentioned having no window is a good idea.
One thing that my bother me but I could get over it is closing the door to the shed while inside.
I guess I could paint the door with a design or color to look at so while its closed I can have something nice to look at.
Anyone have any ideas?
i have a small nursery business and purchased a pre-fab shed for our office. You can spend as much as you want. They are not insultated. Heat issues can be overcome with a heater of any kind. We use a portable kersone. It is the summer heat that is the main concern. Put in plenty of windows and doors so you get cross ventilation, and make sure you get a roof vent. Depending on where you live, you may want to install an exhaust fan. It gets as much as 20 degrees hotter inside the shed than outdoor temp.
once you are in it, you’ll think of lots of ways to improve the decor to you taste. that’s easy.
We painted the floor with floor paint, and by the time we put shelves, desks, bulletin boards, there was no worry about decorating blank wall space.
definitely check your local ordinances. Call it a shed and use it for what you want. Don’t fill out a form and say its an ‘office’ or whatever, that will kick in a new set of ordinances.
You could spend anything from a few hundred to well over a thousand. How large of a shed are you thinking? That will affect the price as well. Garden sheds aren’t usually insulated, though you could insulate it yourself. Are you planning to buy one that’s already built or buy a kit and build it yourself? As far as windows go, it is your own personal preference. If you don’t care if you have natural daylight, then that’s okay. I can think of several reasons not to have a window. If there is no window, no one can peer in to see what kind of art/office equipment you have or if you happen to be napping when others think you should be working.
I think for your purposes, a wooden floor would be best because a concrete floor is quite a bit colder than a wooden floor. My husband’s "workshop" has no windows and a concrete floor. One benefit of a concrete floor is that in the summer, it stays much cooler in there when it’s hot outside. One of the downfalls is that in the winter, it’s still much cooler in there, even with a space heater. Up to you though.
Happy napping!
Just have a look at this link, there are 20 really great and wacky sheds for offices or studio. It may give you some ideas.
http://www.cartridgesave.co.uk/news/20-creatively-hacked-urban-garden-shed-offices/
Concrete floor will be very cold in the winter. I would go for a timber floor and insulate with foam and chipboard which is standard in house construction. You would need to draught seal the door as standard shed doors are far from well fitting. Make sure you can easily exit in case of fire. If you catnap with the heater on you should fit a smoke alarm! You can get roof insulation that is self supporting if you mock up some rafters, or glue it with gap filling adhesive. Don’t forget to install a small drinks cooler for the warm weather, if we get any.
What it costs is entirely up to you and it will probably need insulating. If you use it for office / business you may need to get planning permission .
I, too, am thinking about a shed for an art studio. The sheds I am looking at don’t come with insulation, but they do have room for it. I would put insulation in and drywall over it. I also want windows. Natural light is best for painting. I also want to install skylights that can open to allow heat out in the summer. I would also get a window air conditioner and a heater for my studio.
In Illinois, our homeowners insurance covers sheds, but sheds that are on slabs are discounted, whereas sheds that are just on the ground are a liability. The zoning laws in your state may be different.
City and state ordinances vary but in most municipalities buidling an office that has a foundation and/or electricity and water will require a building permit.
Most sheds are built to prevent water leakage and air circulation, so a shed can be hot in the summer and cold in the winter, even when insulated. This may get uncomfortable in extreme weather.
Sheds vary in price. For something of your need, ie an office, you would need a strong shed. something that won’t blow away in a strong wind.
Contact your city council for more information so that you don’t get fined for an illegal construction. Some city council members can get rather fickle about fines.