Writing about a 3-Tier Workshop reminds me of one universal truth (thanks, Jane Austen.)
Most things are more complicated than they seem. When you start learning about timber garden buildings, this becomes obvious very quickly.
One of the reasons for this is that there seems to be five names for everything involved – even the buildings themselves.
Some people say shed when they mean summerhouse. Some people say summerhouse when they mean garden room. Then there’s the slightly more niche buildings like our 3-Tier Workshops. Why can’t we all just decide on one name and stick to it?
So let’s get this straight once and for all. What is a 3-Tier Workshop?
Is a 3-Tier Workshop the same as a 3-Tier Shed?
If this isn’t your first visit to our website, you may have noticed that we’ve written about 3-Tier buildings several times before. In the past, we’ve referred to them as 3-Tier Sheds. These buildings are indeed exactly the same product, but to provide some extra clarity, we’ve renamed them 3-Tier Workshops.
Other than the name, these buildings haven’t changed a bit. They’re still seriously reliable timber buildings that are guaranteed to keep the weather out.
Why have you changed the name to 3-Tier Workshops?
Well, first of all, we listen carefully to our customers. If you take the basic purpose of a Shed to be storage of garden equipment, then we don’t have very many of these buildings being used as Sheds.
“What are you going to use it for?” is one of the first questions that we ask at our no-obligation Consultations. If we don’t know what you want from your building, we can’t suggest the best solutions to help you achieve that.
If we look back over the past six months selling 3-Tier Sheds, we see that the vast majority of our 3-Tier customers are using these buildings as workshops, or studios, or craft rooms, or music rooms. They need the extra security provided by the 3-Tier specification to ensure that their tools, equipment and pursuits are perfectly protected from the elements.
Can I use a 3-Tier Workshop as a Shed?
Absolutely. If you do simply want extra protection for your garden equipment, old LPs and those extra chairs for Christmas dinner, then a 3-Tier Workshop can give you that.
But think of the potential that you have in a garden building that’s completely watertight. Mancave? Definitely. Private gallery for all your artwork? Oh yes. Space for that forge you’ve had your eye on to take your metalworking to the next level? DO IT!
Whether you’re running a business, enjoying your hobbies or planning a really special leisure space, a 3-Tier Workshop is a way to make these plans happen right there in your garden.
Yes, it’s a shed. But it’s also much more than a shed, so we’ve changed its name to reflect this.
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How is a 3-Tier Workshop made?
Our 3-Tier Workshops evolved from our Garage specification. Our Garage specification evolved out of the BIBLICAL amounts of rain that Scotland sees every few years. Eventually we had to concede that a large single-skinned building just wasn’t a match for our weather.
The solution was our Building Control-compliant 3-Tier specification. Because lots of water can seep through a single layer of timber cladding, we added an air cavity and damp proof membrane as our second layer of protection. The third tier – a layer of OSB – stabilises this and provides the internal finish of your 3-Tier Workshop.
The solid timber roof is topped with maintenance-free steel box profile sheets, guaranteed by the manufacturer for 20 years, and watertight for much longer than that.
What sizes of 3-Tier Workshop are available?
There’s no mucking about with this specification, so why would we save it just for Garages?
Large sheds can suffer from the same water ingress woes as single-skinned garages, but not if their walls are layered. So we introduced our 3-Tier specification as standard for buildings 14’ x 8’ and larger.
However, this specification is available in any size. Prices for the larger buildings are on our main page, and prices for upgrading a smaller Shed to 3-Tier are available on request.
So whether you want a whacking huge 3-Tier Workshop or a wee little 3-Tier Workshop, either is possible.
As with any other ancillary building, the largest size available without Building Control is 5m x 6m. However, 3-Tier Workshops are Building Control-compliant. If you’d like a building larger than this limit, we have plenty of information about how this works here.
How long does a 3-Tier Workshop last?
All of our buildings are guaranteed for 30 years, subject to our Aftercare Guide. They should last longer than that, but this is a good estimate. The layered walls and lack of water ingress mean that our Workshops aren’t going to turn into mouldy, saggy eyesores after just a few years. We’re in this for the long haul.
The outer cladding is pressure-treated to provide extra resistance to rot, fungi or insect damage, and the combination of the specification and our very exact base requirements mean that your building will stay safe, solid and waterproof for many decades to come.
Why does it still say 3-Tier Shed on your website?
This website is enormous. We’ve started the process of updating all the places where it says “3-Tier Shed” to now say “3-Tier Workshop,” but it is very much a process.
You know how you can scour your kitchen for all the dirty dishes, but somehow as soon as you empty the sink you realise there’s a teaspoon right in front of you? It’s a bit like that.
So please bear with us as we continue weeding out all the “3-Tier Sheds” and replace them with “3-Tier Workshops.” We’ll get there, and pretty much as soon as we do get there we’ll notice another couple lurking somewhere. But eventually all of our blog posts, all of our brochures, and all of our signs will be updated with this new, clearer term: 3-Tier Workshop.
Where can I see a 3-Tier Workshop?
We’ve got a beautiful 3-Tier Workshop right here in our Show Area just outside Errol. We deliver these buildings all over Scotland, so there may be one closer to you than this, but it would mean knocking on a stranger’s door and asking if you can have a rummage around in their garden. You might make a new friend, or you might get arrested!
It’s probably safer to come and see us and our buildings. We’re more than happy to answer your questions and show you around. You can check out the differences between our 3-Tier Workshops and our gorgeous Garages, as well as seeing what door and window options you have.
What is a 3-Tier Workshop?
So now that you know your Sheds from your Workshops from your Garages, you can consider your options for your perfect garden building. Whether it’s for casual garden storage, getting your projects on or storing a classic car, we’ve got a building for you.
