Exterior Paint Options

Inspired by nature and taken from the National Trust paint range, our colour range gives long lasting protection for exterior timber. This colour chart is designed to provide an indication of the colours in our palette. It cannot be taken as an exact replication of colour. However, we are happy to send out colour samples.

Base

All our National Trust Blickling Sheds require a level, solid base of the correct size with either:

A concrete base
A timber base, or
Timber bearers

The single most important part of installing a garden building is the base. Bases must be:

Level within a 6mm tolerance to ensure the longevity of your building
Of the correct size (please follow the base plan we send you)
Square i.e. have right angled corners

Concrete Base

This is our preference because of the durability and strength of concrete.

A concrete base supports your building in the best possible way, adding longevity, as well as creating a substantial distance between your building and surface water.

Concrete base in a garden We offer an in-house base laying service that can supply a 100mm deep reinforced concrete base ready for your building, laid by our professionals, in advance of your building being installed by us. The site must be clear and level within 100mm for us to do this.

The base should always be a minimum of 50mm out of the ground to prevent surface water or puddles affecting your building i.e. rotting it.

The size of the base needs to be the metric size of your building. For example, if you order an 8' x 10' building, the metric size is 2.4 x 3.0 metres and this should be the size of the base. If the base is not built to the metric size then you will see the base around the building, which can lead to water pooling.

Timber Base

This is a cheaper alternative to our concrete bases, and it can be a good option if you don't want to have a permanent slab of concrete in your garden. National Trust shed on concrete base

We would only recommend this solution with small shed sizes as a timber base is not able to carry the same weight as a concrete base.

Timber Bearers

This is the cheapest option for supporting your new shed: timber bearers are essential for longevity in lifting the shed away from surface water and damp.

You don't need bearers as well as a base, but if you already have a base in place that is bigger than the building you intend to put on it, we recommend having timber bearers to lift the building up from any water that will sit on the base.

Please note: If you intend to fully or partially surround the building base with hard paving we strongly suggest the installation of a French drain between the paving and base to prevent rain bouncing off the hard surface and driving up under the building, which in turn could cause damp and rot. A French drain is a simple small trench, dug around your building and filled with aggregate that will allow surface water to drain away

Always get your garden building base laid by a professional, whether that is us, or a local builder you trust.