Side Storage Bike Shed Add-Ons

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I have a wildflower roof instead of sedum?

  We can increase the substrate depth to 100mm, to allow for wildflower roof mats. In order to achieve this we have to increase the loading capacity of the shed, as this adds a lot of weight. Also we need to increase the retaining elements and fascia heights. We usually quote to switch from sedum to wildflower case by case, so please make an enquiry if you would prefer a wildflower roof.

  We think sedum is a better solution for our sheds as it only grows to a maximum of 150-180mm in the summer, whereas wildflower can grow much taller (up to 450-500mm in summer) and we think this is disproportionate to the scale of the shed. Also, wildflower roofs tend to brown off in summer after flowering, and never fully recover until spring. Sedum flowers in summer and new growth follows and it looks green all year around. It is much easier to maintain than wildflower.

• Do you offer bike sheds for kids bikes, scooters or foldable bikes?

  Our Wood Shed range can be adapted by simply adding a lock to cart after configuring. The M or L sizes (108cm wide and 144cm wide) are like mini Classic bike sheds. Instead of logs just add small bikes!

• Can I have a door on the side of my Classic shed instead of two larger doors on the front?
  Yes, you can, but the access is very much limited and the bikes can’t ‘stack’ as they do via the normal front doors. More below.

  The Classic is designed to stack bikes into, one by one. This means the bikes are compactly stored in a relatively small space. The door opening is 1.5m wide (2x doors at 750mm each) and this allows for easy access. If the front of the shed has no doors and the access is through the side wall then the access is very much limited and the bikes can’t ‘stack’ as they do via the normal front doors. 

   

  This is where the Slot-in design takes over, because it uses the 2m depth of the shed to slot the bikes into a wheel rack at the back. However, to get the bikes to roll inside the depth, they must be separated from each other, which means that the shed requires greater width. So for example, a 3-bike Classic shed is 1m Depth x 2m Width, and a 3-bike Slot-in gains an extra 40cm of surface areas to be 2m Depth x 1.4m Width. The Slot-in design requires a greater footprint but has the advantage of allowing the bikes inside to be accessed individually. 
• Can I add shelving to my shed?

  Yes. You can add shelving to our Classic or Vertical Shed designs as a custom extra.

  We charge £25-£85 per shelf installed depending on the size. Specify your shelving needs in an email to us and we will work out any extra costs. We include a full width shelf as standard in our Plus Height Classic (2000x400mm).

  Here are the most popular places in a shed to add shelving:

  • • • • Classic. One small shelf at the side for bike oil, lights or pumps. W: 130mm x D of shed.
        • Vertical. 2-4 full depth shelves on one side, taking up the space of one bike.
        • Add–on side storage. Side storage in a Classic or Vertical is an ideal place for 2-4 shelves. Full width and around 400m depth works well for general storage.
        • Bin storage. Recycling boxes can be efficiently stored on and under a mid-height shelf. This would take the place of one bin.
• Plus height or shelving added to Slot-in Sheds?

  Unlike the Classic, we can’t add Plus Height to the Slot-in design as the space over the bikes is inaccessible – meaning there will be little point to having any storage or a shelf there. For similar reasons, we don’t add shelving.

  One idea that does work however, is to use one side of a Slot-in to store car top-boxes or lawnmowers. If you plan on doing this, you can always order a 6 bike Slot-in for bikes (for example).

• How do I make a bespoke order?

  If you require non-standard or bespoke sizes or finishes, use our bespoke enquiry form. Or email us at info@brightonbikesheds.co.uk  with an image or two of the space. Please also include a description of your storage needs, dimensions (WxDxH), and your postcode. If you send a photo or a quick sketch of the layout, that really helps.

  We’ll reply with a free detailed quotation. If you’re happy to proceed, just reply to confirm your order and we’ll send you an invoice for the agreed cost. Once we have received your payment, you will receive an installation date. Your shed will be built in our workshop and delivered and installed typically within 8 weeks.

   

• What finishes do you offer?

  We have a range of finishes designed to meet most budgets and aesthetic requirements. Our untreated Scottish Larch cladding, Pressure Treated European Pine slatted cladding or Pressure Treated European Pine tongue and groove (T&G) all offer great looks, resilience and value. Please see Cladding Options for more information.

  The premium cladding options we offer are Western Red Cedar (WRC), either vertical slatted or T&G. The quality of the Western Red Cedar is reflected in the price and in addition to its BS EN 350 Class 2 durability rating, it also looks great.

  We now offer a painted option, Painted Slats, in Black or Obsidian Grey. If you would like solid panels (T&G) with a painted finish the Treated Pine T&G and the Larch options can both be painted. We recommend that you order the shed for self-assembly and paint the panels before you or your builder assemble it. If there is good access to all sides of the shed and you select our Premium Installation service, you can paint the shed after our team have installed it for you.

• I have a bay window, can you fit around it?

  We have built many ‘bay’ sheds, which are a five sided version of our Classic. We offer a Bay Window option in Optional Extras – the additional cost can be seen alongside various Classic Sheds.

  If think your bay window will obstruct our standard Classic bike shed download the BAY GUIDE PDF 2024 and record these dimensions so that you have them to hand when you are ready to purchase.

• Do you make bin sheds?

  We offer standalone bin sheds and recycling storage. Choose your standalone bin shed here.

  We also offer bin units as optional extra to bolt-on to your bike shed order. Just add a bin shed add-on when you are designing your shed . Read more about bin shed add-ons here.

  A recycling unit can easily be incorporated and usually consists of a mid-height shelf that the boxes sit on/under lengthways. If you would like a recycling unit or a variation on the standard just send us an email as a bespoke enquiry.

• Do you build anything else?

  Yes, so long as it can be built from timber! We build to order bespoke solutions such as planters, herb beds, log stores, vegetable box stores, seating, trellises, pergolas and screens etc., usually as add-ons to our bike sheds, and featuring matching cladding and roofing. We also build bike sheds that are designed to house surf-boards, car boxes, BBQs, tools, mowers, garden furniture… Contact us with your ideas and we’ll be happy to make them a reality!

• Can you build a narrower or lower version of the Classic (eg 1.9m wide or 1.25m high)?

  The width and height of the Classic are dictated by the thickness of the timbers used in the walls, roof and floor construction. The width is determined by the length of a bike, plus a little wriggle room. The height by a standard bike and the clearance needed above it. We use 1.83m as a standard bike length and 1.15m as a benchmark bike height.

  However, if you have a tighter space to fit your shed into (eg <2m wide), or if all of your bikes are 1m or less (all road bikes or kids bikes) then we can shave anything from 50mm to 150mm off the width/height. If you would like us to do this just order your Classic online as normal – and then send us a separate covering email requesting that we reduce the width or height by …..mm. There is no extra cost for this small type of alteration as we build to order.

  Our shop has two of the most common alterations added – as simple check boxes, and these don’t add any cost to the build. These are either to reduce the height or reduce the width by 100mm.

  Bear in mind that any reduction in height or width will lower clearances inside the shed.