Whether you use it for potting your plants, storing equipment, or even for a bit of peace and quiet, the garden shed is indispensable.

Shed types are as varied as their uses - some resemble luxurious garden rooms, others can be used as greenhouses and potting sheds, while at the basic end of the scale, there are windowless lock-ups ideal for keeping your mower or your bike safe.

Sainsbury's has sheds in a range of sizes, shapes and finishes, so you can find exactly the right one for you.

Sheds come in a range of standard sizes and are still measured in feet. Our smallest shed measures 6 x 4ft and they go up in size in one foot increments, with our largest shed measuring 9 x 12ft.

Our sheds are available with Apex or Pent shaped roofs. The height of the roof ridge should let you stand comfortably.

• Apex roof: has a central ridge and sloping sides. Robust and attractive.

• Pent roof: is flat, and higher at the front than the back. The gentle pitch allows the water to run off, and creates headroom.

Sainsbury's timber sheds have a shiplap or loglap finish: 

Sainsbury's metal sheds are made from electro-galvanised steel which is  strong, fire retardant and rodent damage resistant:

Sheds are delivered to customers' homes on a pallet and will arrive flat packed. Assembling a shed is straightforward and all sheds are supplied with an instruction manual, which is clear and easy to understand. Anyone with a reasonable level of DIY expertise should cope without too much difficulty - but it is a job for two people.

All Sainsbury’s timber sheds come complete with a timber tongue and groove base. Depending on a metal shed's position, a base may not be required. Optional bases can be purchased separately for our range of metal sheds.

For sheds to stay dry and rot-free they need a level, dry foundation. They can stand directly on a patio, concrete foundation or on a base of paving slabs. The foundation should be at least 100mm larger than the base of your shed, and if possible, bevel the edges downwards so that water runs away.

All metal sheds must be anchored to their foundation to give them stability, but whether they need a base will depend on their position.

Because shed bases are made of wood, they will rot if they are placed directly on a foundation. For your shed guarantee to be valid, timber sheds must be positioned on top of pressure treated bearers that ensure air circulation under the shed floor, preventing the shed floor battens from coming into direct contact with the foundation.

Bearers should be cut to the shortest base dimension e.g. a 6 x 4ft shed would require 6 x 4ft bearers.

Sheds don’t usually require planning permission unless you live in a listed building or conservation area. However, it's a good idea to check with your local authority's planning office as there may be restrictions on shed size or how closely it can be positioned to the house or boundary.

Timber: to keep your shed looking its best (and to validate the guarantee), treat it annually with an external wood preserver. The shed base should be treated top and bottom before the shed is erected, then annually with the shed timbers.

Metal:  these are supplied rust proofed, but we recommend they are positioned in a dry spot with good drainage.

Yes.

All of them have a 10 year manufacturer’s guarantee against rot.

They are pre-treated, but to validate the guarantee, they must be properly treated with a recognised external wood-preserver within 3 months of assembly, and re-treated annually thereafter.

Wooden sheds must be erected on treated wooden, or similar, bearers and ground contact must be avoided.