Men spend almost a year of their life just pottering around in their shed, a study has found.
The average bloke will retreat to their garden outbuilding for three hours and 20 minutes every week – or more than seven full days per year.
That means between the ages of 30 and 76, men will spend a total of 11 months tinkering in their favourite wooden shack.
But while the majority of men use their shed to do a spot of DIY or pot plants for the garden, one in ten admitted to seeking solace in the shed to escape from the wife or kids.
And more than one in 20 even escape there to have a quiet relaxing beer or a cheeky cigarette.
Other unusual uses of the shed include doing the laundry, exercising and making telephone calls.
A spokesman for Cuprinol Sprayable, sponsors of this year’s Shed of the Year competition, said: ”Men and sheds are a part of male folklore and there’s a whiff of mystery about what men get up to in their sheds.
”We now have the answer – a lot of the time they don’t do anything in particular but just like being in there.
”Whilst women use shopping as a form of escapism, our research shows that men use sheds as a means to get away from everything and enjoy a relaxing beer or something similarly rebellious.”
The study of 3,000 men revealed more than a third head to their shed as soon as they get home from a long day at work.
And another quarter says their beloved shed is the only place in their home they really feel they can relax.
Almost one in ten men even 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.
But more than half 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 in hiding out in their shed, with one in ten admitting they do this regularly.
And 23 per cent have even slept in their outhouse, with eight per cent putting it down to having too many beers.
So it’s not surprising that 26 per cent of guys have ended up rowing with their partner about the amount of time they spend out in their shed.
If you think your shed is worthy of this year’s coveted title of ‘Shed of the Year’ sponsored by Cuprinol Sprayable and be in with a chance of winning £1,000, or just to see what weird and wonderful sheds have been entered so far, visit www.readersheds.co.uk to check them out.
MEN’S TOP TEN SHED HABITS
1. Play around with DIY tools
2. Clean things
3. Work on bikes
4. Painting
5. Make/mend furniture
6. Listen to the radio/music
7. Catch up on work
8. Have a beer
9. Have a sneaky cigarette
10. Exercise
Martin, Its not too late to enter the Shed of the Year competition, you have until May 20th to add your shed over at http://www.readersheds.co.uk
Martin, Its not too late to enter the Shed of the Year competition, you have until May 20th to add your shed over at http://www.readersheds.co.uk
I'll definately be getting some shed time over the bank holiday, an escape from the pressure of work and life
I'll definately be getting some shed time over the bank holiday, an escape from the pressure of work and life
Fascinating to hear that so many go to their shed for a beer, a fact that I find so strange and hard to understand, unless they are relaxing in different types of sheds to those that I am thinking of. Nowadays probably come equipped with mini televisions and fridges for a man to get so much enjoyment from them!
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