Palram Skylight Shed

Shed was delivered ok and all bits were labelled and complete. Some of the part numbers which were stamped on the aluminium rails were not at all distinct. The shed panels would not even compare with baco foil for thickness, so flimsy extreme care and two persons needed to prevent damage.

The floor also was very insubstantial. This shed should not be considered if any modicum of security is needed as the panels would not prevent a five year old from breaking in.

Overall the completed shed looks ok aesthetically but in my opinion is very poor value for money and a good wooden shed is a better choice every time.

Palram Skylight Shed, also sold as "own label" by Waltons garden Buildings in pale green. These are overall a good idea and perfect for a zero maintenance garden but I can't help thinking that we have been guinea pigs to some extent and are doing somebody's job for them. It seems they have been released in a "beta" version with some design faults, some of which are pretty basic.

1. The first page of the instructions has a section headed "Attention" that we could not fathom at all as there is no clue as to what it refers - drill what screws at the top of what panel ridge?? Still no idea having built two! If it is a specific instruction for a page it should be identified as such

2. The roof bar needs an awful lot of silicone applied in order to prevent leakage and we thought some kind of joint sleeve should be supplied. They have now sent out a “fix” that is impossible to fit without breaking your neck and also needs free access to both sides which we don’t have.

3. The screws are all mixed up in one big bag and yet they are numbered in the instructions. In which case they should be packed in numbered packets to ensure the right ones are used and not leave it to guesswork. The only way to help with identification is to spend ages sorting them all and counting them to match with the parts list before starting, then number them yourself in order to follow the instructions.

4. There is no way to hold the doors open or hook them back so we have two good old-fashioned house bricks to stand in front of each!

5. The floor may be "non-slip" but the joins are a trip hazard and also a dirt trap as they are not fixed, just overlapped and when the shed is bolted to the ground the lip rises slightly so we have had to duck tape them for safety. A double slanted cover strip for each joint that can be fitted before screwing the side panels to the base would be a good addition.

6. The air vents allow water to pour straight in every time it rains! Having straight slots to the outside is really not very clever and there should be overlapping slanted covers outside to allow air in but not water. Something needs to be done as a fix for this as the sheds allow in far too much water and you cannot position anything on the back wall that you are not prepared to get a soaking. Covering them is not really an option and I have found some reviewers with similar issues but there needs to be some kind of mesh plate that we can fit from the inside that will allow air circulation without water ingress.

7. In general there are far too many gaps around the panels at the sides and especially around the base and if there is daylight showing then water and cold can get in.

8. The sliding latches at the top and bottom of the closed door are not very effective, in particular the one at the top which jiggles down with any movement. This not only affects security but makes it more difficult to slide the bolt across.

9. The diagram showing the roof bar assembly at the gable end (p29 small, p30 large) does not make it completely clear as to the position of the ridge bar in relation to the gable bars and on the first shed we had it wrong and didn't realise until we tried to fit the vertical bracer bar and it wouldn't reach the bolt at the bottom.

10. It is advertised in places as having a "free floor" but without the floor it would most certainly allow water to pass under the side panels so I would say that far from being a "free" floor it is a necessary component for construction and performance and as such part of the kit as standard. As it is packed in with the panels it is obviously meant to be inclusive so should not be singled out as a freebie.

11. There were self-tapping screws missing so I had to spend over an hour chasing around town to find some ending up the other side of the river at Toolstation. With so little daylight available that is something I could have done without. There should have been ample plus spares but there weren't.

Now in the middle of a section 75 claim via the bank.