They are often damp, cold and home to a rich variety of creepy crawlies.
But for a growing number of men the once-humble shed is fast becoming a home-from-home.
And what's more, new research claims the solitude it provides at the bottom of the garden could actually be good for their health.
A study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that the peaceful retreat may help lower blood pressure.
Its author, Professor Alan White, of Leeds Metropolitan University, said
“There's a sense of achievement that men get from starting a task to seeing it through to completion. Men know what a shed means and they feel comfortable.”
Professor White's study found that working men in Britain were almost twice as likely to die prematurely as their female counterparts.
He claims that sheds and the solitude they provide could actually turn the tide.
The “Men's Shed”s' initiative has its roots in Australia. But 20 communal shed have already sprung up in the UK from the Lake District to Greenwich.