It seems as soon as people learned to put a roof over their heads, they started creating places to fill with work, life and play. Archaeologists have evidence that humans living in caves used smaller caves or alcoves. In early Europe people built them from mammoth tusks and skins. Even Eskimos built shed-like structures from blocks of snow and ice. Yes, the humble shed has been part of everyday life ever since we started living in houses.

So what makes the shed such an ingrained part of the human experience? Let’s take a look psychology behind shed ownership and explore what makes this building unlike any other.

A family tradition

For some, owning a shed is a rite of passage. As kids we grow up watching dad tinker away and we automatically know that one day, we too will build our own. It’s an unspoken tradition and – like marriage and the first child – the building of a shed is a signal that the family tree has a solid new branch.

A place of your own:

These days there are very few places that are truly yours alone. We work in shared offices, drive in shared lanes and share our living space. The so called Man Cave (and its close relative the She Shed) gives you a little corner to be your own boss. Studies have shown that your own space helps regulate your emotions and positively affects your emotional well being. Whether we’re building something, playing computer games, reading or listening to our own music on full it’s a place free of judgement, where you make the rules.

A place of refuge

The world is a noisy busy place. With phones, traffic, pets and crying kids everywhere there are few places you can go to escape the din. A shed is a place to escape, to recharge and to find some space to think. It’s a retreat from daily life. There is many a couple who can attribute their happy marriage to the space, peace and quiet afforded by a little alone time. And there’s a reason many famous writers did their best work in a shed.

An outlet

Everyone needs an outlet and some feel the itch to create very strongly. For people like gardeners, metalworkers, woodworkers, artists and mechanics the shed is a realm where magic happens. Where things transform and appear from thin air. Where rusty objects are resurrected and given second life, and imagination gives birth to new creations. With the right tools, you’ll never be bored in a shed.

For many reasons, there’s little doubt that the shed is part of the human story. Whether it’s a tradition passed down from generation to generation, or somewhere you can just be yourself, at ShedBoss we’re proud to build places for the story to go on. We can do that for you.

It’s a new year, which means some of us are resolving to do things like lose weight and get in shape. It’s also a good time to think about a few ways to keep your shed in great condition, so you’ll get more out of it for years to come. We’ve put together a little check list of simple things to do to get your shed ready for a great 2017.

Pest control

Critters make a home in sheds. Especially if you have a very cluttered shed, there’s no knowing what could be lurking under junk or behind packing boxes. From mice to spiders and snakes, you don’t want unwelcome guests living rent-free in your outbuilding. If you have any telltale signs such as droppings, spider webs, snake skins or insect eggs is a good sign that you have a problem. Even with no such signs in evidence, it’s a good idea to get the pest inspectors in to spray and make sure no creepy crawlies decide to take up residence.

Check fire extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are a great thing, but you’ll be amazed how many people never check them. They need yearly inspections to make sure they are properly pressurized and working correctly. A fire is the worst time to discover that your extinguisher needs a service so get it done now and you’ll be set for the year.

Test automatic door

Garage door motors are expensive to replace and they wear out faster if your garage door isn’t running smoothly. Does your door make any unexplained creaking or screeching sound? If your door runs slowly or moves at an inconsistent speed that is a sign of a sticky door. Inspect the rails for scuffing and any signs of friction or wear. Check the rollers for worn bearings. The door should roll easily and not require grease or oil to move freely.

A word of warning. Never attempt to adjust the spring tension of your garage doors yourself. Although they look harmless, some door springs store massive amounts of energy and can cause serious injury or even death if adjusted improperly. Leave it for the trained, professional installers.

Gutter cleaning

We usually pay attention to the gutters on our houses, but the shed is often overlooked when it comes to keeping things clear. This is a bad idea. Collections of leaves can clog gutters and do more than cause them to overflow. They can cause pooling of water which – besides smelling bad – also attracts insects who lay eggs leading to epidemics of flying creepy crawlies.

Clear bushes and foliage from around the exterior

Plants that have managed to grow up around your shed not only look untidy, they can be bad for its structural condition. Overhanging trees drop leaves and berries in the gutters. Falling branches can damage your roof. Plants crowding the sides create spots for dirt to build up. It’s simple to avoid these problems by simply keeping your shed clear of creepers, shrubbery, trimming the grass back away from the walls and cutting any encroaching branches.

Replace light bulbs / florescent tubes if required.

It sounds obvious, but light bulbs are the easiest way to improve your enjoyment of your shed. Replace dull or flickering ones with new white light bulbs. Low energy bulbs are a great option. Although they are more expensive, they outlast conventional bulbs by a big margin, which means less time spent on the step ladder in future and because they use less energy, they save money in the long run.

Declutter

Give your shed space to breathe. We’re already well into summer, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still do a spring clean. Get ruthless with the build-up of junk in your shed. Once you start getting rid of stuff you’ll be amazed how liberated you will feel.

If you make one resolution this year, spend more time in the shed. Performing these simple checks will ensure yours stays in great condition and gives you maximum enjoyment in 2017. If you do find anything that needs attention, remember we’re always here to offer assistance, advice and great service.

If you’re an animal lover, you probably feel a little guilty when you leave them at home. We’d all like to spend more time with our pets. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could take them for walks, go hiking or take them for a romp on the beach every day of the week? Unfortunately, most of the time life takes over. Between work commitments, family gatherings and taking the kids to the endless sporting activities there’s not a lot of time for our furry friends. Sometimes its unavoidable that they get cooped up at home.

That got us thinking. What if you could create a playful place for pets to explore that makes home feel like a pet paradise? What if you could make a few changes that would let them climb, jump, hunt and run around while you’re away?

We searched the internet for just that kind of thing. It didn’t take us long to stumble on this little gem of a video, featuring a guy who has transformed his house into a literal theme park for cats.

Take a look at the video here: https://youtu.be/okOVxfuSYPk

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He’s weaved cat walks through every level of the home. Going mad with arches, bridges, ramps and geometric shapes, turning it into a maze of feline fantasy. It’s fantastic! You’ll find the cats darting along the ceiling, disappearing into secret doors and emerging to descend from winding spiral staircases. He says the cats make the house feel alive and we have to agree.

He’s not the only one. A quick YouTube search turns up loads of other examples of people who have created playgrounds for pets to varying degrees. From 6’ “cat trees” in the corner of rumpus rooms to full-on outdoor pet enclosures that look like adventure camp obstacle courses. There’s people out there creating amazing places for pets to have a ball.

Admittedly, turning your entire home into Disney world for pets is a bit extreme, but there’s no reason you couldn’t do it in your shed. In fact, what better place to create walkways, runs, ladders, little doors, tunnels and little mini mazes? You could even trick them into doing exercise with a fun oversized hamster-wheel. Or what about constructing simple contraptions that will reward your pets with treats and turn feeding into fun? With a little imagination you can give them somewhere to play while you’re away.

If you’re a pet person, maybe you’ve been inspired to create a safe pet-friendly place that will keep them busy for hours. If you’ve made something like this, why not let us know. We’d love to see what you’ve done. And of course, if you need a well-built weatherproof place to turn into your animal paradise, you can always give the pet-friendly team at ShedBoss a call.

Like many of us, a lot of my childhood memories played out on the living room carpet. We didn’t have a dedicated play room, but nevertheless we entertained ourselves building pillow forts and conducting elaborate battles with Lego weaponry. It was terrific fun, but I also spent a fair bit of time picturing my own ultimate games room. I always dreamed of building a place that would be the envy of all my friends. I had big ideas.

Of course, as we get older these dreams are usually set aside to make way for more sensible things, but what if we stopped being grown-ups for a second and looked back? What would happen if we rummaged around in the memory banks and pulled out some of those ideas? What would the ultimate games room look like? What would your 12-year-old self build? What would happen if we threw practicality to the wind, tossed the budget out the window and allow the imagination run wild. Here’s a few of the ideas I found lurking back there.

The skateboard room.

Imagine a whole room filled with quarter pipes, rails and ramps all laid out for the perfect run. Made from perfectly smooth, curving, sweeping, sculpted ready-to-skate wood sheeting. How many days would be spent executing perfect variable heel flips, hard flips, backside kick flips, grinds, wall rides and tail slides? For 12-year-old me, this would have been a gnarly nirvana, dude.

The trampoline room.

Imagine a place where bouncing knows no limits. Take a large room with a high ceiling and cover the floor with trampolines. Put padding everywhere and prepare for bouncing mayhem. Then take it a step further and put them at different levels. Create ledges to drop down and gain extra altitude. Perhaps angle some of them against the wall for more ambitious moves. Crazy? Maybe. Crazy awesome? Undoubtedly!

The Scalextric race room.

Slot car racing is still as much of a hit with kids as it was in the 80’s. To this day there’s something special about racing your mates around a twisting track in a tiny plastic sportcar. In my day we had simple figure 8 tracks, but as a kid I imagined a 3 dimensional multi-level behemoth of track with loops and interchanges. I imagined racing against several friends as our cars jostled for position on fantastic fantasy raceways with bridges, bends, tunnels and twisting spirals. Anything is possible when you take the brakes off the imagination.

As a company who builds recreational sheds, a lot of ideas come through our doors. Many customers fill their man caves and she-sheds with everything from pool tables to foosball tables and beyond. There really is no limit to how far you can take it. You could even build a place your inner child would love. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be inspired to talk to ShedBoss about making that 12-year-old’s dreams come true.