Shed love - it's a man thing

Whilst at Cuprinol we've always been passionate about sheds - and actually any garden wood, for that matter - our sponsorship of National Shed Week and contact with 'sheddies' from around the country has made us curious to find out more about how the wider male British population uses their sheds and feels about them.

Here are some of the interesting facts!

• Between the ages of 30 and 76, blokes will spend a total of 11 months tinkering in their favourite manspace - an average of 3 hours and 20 minutes every week
• One in ten men admitted to seeking solace in the shed to listen to music away from the family.
• More than a third of men head to their shed as soon as they get home from a long day at work.
• 25% of men stated that their beloved shed is the only place in their home they really feel they can relax.
• More than half of all male respondents admitted they have used a project in their shed as an excuse to get away from the family and have some 'man-time'.
• Almost 47 per cent of blokes have spent the entire day hiding out in their shed, with one in ten admitting they do this a lot.
• 23 per cent have even slept in their outhouse, with eight per cent putting it down to having too many alcoholic drinks.
• Almost one in ten men have a sofa or armchair in their shed so they can sit back and chill out, while another seven per cent have a television set.

However, the majority of men and their families use their sheds for the everyday things of life, treating their sheds as an extension of the home.

The Top twenty uses of the shed are:

1. Store junk
2. Gardening
3. Play around with DIY tools
4. Clean things
5. Work on cars/bikes etc
6. Painting
7. Make/mend furniture
8. Listen to the radio/music
9. Catch up on some work
10. Have a beer
11. Have a sneaky cigarette
12. Exercise
13. Read the paper
14. Build models
15. Watch TV
16. Play darts/pool etc
17. Read a book/magazine
18. Make telephone calls
19. Go to sleep
20. Surf the internet/play computer games

What all these results show is that sheds play an integral part in the lives of many British men and their family relationships - what a good reason to take proper care of sheds and give them some regular TLC.

Want to take care of your shed?

See the Cuprinol range of products for sheds »

And if you're bored of browns and greens, why not check out our colourful ideas for garden wood, using Cuprinol Garden Shades colours.

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