Father & Son: Bonds of steel

The bonds we have with our kids and parents can be the most important a person can have. But in today’s digital age, with so many ways to distract us and our children, it is not always easy to find quality time. This is why Mark from Alice Springs has cherished building his most recent Wide Span Sheds project. Sure, the 20m x 10m storage shed is impressive. And it may be the third steel building that Mark has bought from Wide Span Sheds; a top-quality kit made from Australian steel. But none of those things are why this build has been so special. This build is special because of who Mark was able to build it with: his 10-year-old son Ben.

Mark told us it all started when he decided that he needed an extra pair of hands to help erect the shed while he was operating his crane. He reckons Ben is old enough now to learn the ropes. The teaching process started off simple; learning which bits of steel went where, measuring diagonals and learning all the names of the bolts. By the end the process, Ben was a natural at getting things square, knowing which tools to use, and how the eaves, purlins, and columns all fit together. But practicalities of the build aside, it has been the unique bonding time between father and son that is treasured most. With more than half of the build completed, we asked what he would say to anyone considering the owner/builder approach to erecting a shed like he has. He said it may seem a little daunting at first, when six and a half tons of steel gets dropped off at your build site, but he reckons the instructions are well laid out and all the bits and pieces are well labelled. Wide Span Sheds customer service is also just a phone call away if you get stuck. With a bit of basic geometry knowledge, a can-do attitude and an eager young helper, he reckons even a first-timer can manage. Ben was a first-timer and Mark is proud to say that he did just fine.

Just as Mark doesn’t compromise on the quality time he spends with his boy, Wide Span Sheds doesn’t compromise on the quality of our buildings. We reckon the memories will last as long as the shed.