Posts Tagged ‘garden sheds’

How The Whole Family Can Benefit From Wooden Sheds

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

When it comes to wooden sheds, how do you know how valuable one will be until you actually have one of your own. They are simply one of those items that once you have, you wonder how you got along without it in the first place. A simple shed can be used for many things and each member of the family can enjoy its benefits.

The Kids

How about starting with the children of the family. Most people think of storage when it comes to wooden sheds – and they are right. But, there are so many more things that a shed can be used for. For kids, a wooden shed can be converted into a nice playhouse. Simply apply some brightly colored paint, add a couple of windows (no glass required) and possibly even some fancy trim. Playhouses are great for young kids – both the girls and the boys.

Woman Of The House

Women that like to plant gardens can benefit greatly out in the garden by building a wooden shed right next to or right in it. Storing your garden tools or potting plants is what garden sheds are commonly used for. The biggest benefit, by far, is the close proximity to the garden so you won’t need to go back and forth to the garage every time you need a tool.

Mini retreats are also a wonderful conversion for wooden sheds. Set them up away from the main house for seclusion. Read a magazine and relax by adding a new chair or two. Sheds are also usually big enough to accommodate a couple of mats for yoga.

Husband

Most sheds are used to store lawn equipment, which makes perfect sense. But for men, a shed can be turned into a woodworking shop or, better yet, a man cave. A true man cave requires electricity for a refrigerator and flat screen TV, of course.

Everyone in the Family

The whole family is able to benefit from wooden sheds as well. One way is to set your shed up as a pool cabana (if you have a pool) and use it for storing toys and supplies. You can even add a refrigerator and bar to entertain guests.

And, there you have it. Its up to you and your family to find your own ways to enjoy and benefit from wooden sheds.

You can find a lot more on wooden sheds at BestWoodenSheds.com, the most comprehensive site on the web for sheds. The site includes FREE shed plans, wooden shed kits, a FREE ebook, and lots of information, tips and ideas for your own wooden shed.

Get Your Wooden Shed Organized

Saturday, April 10th, 2010

Not long ago, I started my search for a certain saw that I needed. I had a general idea of where it was – kind of. It was somewhere out in my wooden shed. I’ve been slowly and steadily storing too many thing for my shed to hold over the past year and now its time to reorganize.

I made sure to give myself plenty of time to unload everything, organize it into piles, and finally, put it all back nice and safe. If I woke up early enough, I figured I could do the whole thing in one day. If you are doing the same with your wooden shed, make sure you give yourself enough time.

Pulling everything out of the shed marks the beginning of all the fun. I made sure to wake up and start at the crack of dawn. By pulling everything out, I mean everything. Even the old shelves that I’ve been using for years had to go. I went and purchased some cabinets and pegboard to hang – it pays to plan ahead.

Sorting through all the things I didn’t need anymore was a lot easier once I had everything taken out of the shed. What wasn’t to be tossed, was placed in piles of similarity. That means that the gardening tools were put into one such pile, pool equipment in another pile, etc.

Use containers to store all the small items you intend to keep. Label the top and one side to make it easier for when you go searching for them.

Its important to clean up everything as much as possible before putting anything back. I could now hang up the cabinets and pegboard that I previously purchased, as well as a few new shelves.

I can now finish putting what’s left outside back in the shed. A good practice is to take items that aren’t used very often up higher in the shed and more out of the way. Some items, like ladders, fit perfectly up in the rafters if your shed has them.

Take your piles of like items and put them back that way. So all the gardening tools will be in the same area, for instance. Try to have as many items labeled as you can. Anything you can do to make it easier on yourself later is a good thing.

My wooden shed was now cleaner and so much more organized and I didn’t take long at all. Now comes the biggest challenge – keeping it that way.

Before you decide on a wooden shed kit, make sure you visit BestWoodenSheds.com for more tips, information and products. Garden sheds should be attainable for everyone who wants to increase their storage or workshop needs.

The Basics of Wooden Sheds

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

Wooden sheds come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and are used for as many different purposes as there people who have them. With this in mind, let’s explore in more detail what wooden sheds are all about and how they are made.

Purpose

So why would someone want a wooden shed in the first place? You may have noticed that all your storage space has eroded over time. So if your garage is overflowing, a shed is the perfect place for your extra storage needs.

Wooden sheds are more common than you might think and they are built for a lot of purposes (and not just storage). As an example, you can build or convert a shed to use as a mini retreat or guest house. Some people have their sheds hooked up with plumbing and electricity so they can have a refrigerator and television added to their shed. The possibilities are limitless.

Wooden sheds built next to the garden as garden sheds is another common use for sheds. You won’t have to go back and forth between the garden and the garage to get your tools anymore.

Artist studio, woodworking shop, home office, mini retreat, playhouse, guesthouse: these are all common uses for wooden sheds. Use your imagination and you’ll be surprised at how many other uses you can think of.

Construction

Now let’s discuss how wooden sheds are made. Perhaps the easiest method is to build one from a kit. There are several companies that offer many different styles of shed. Some of these kits come with the walls and roof components already made so all you have to do is bolt them together. Others come with all the pieces cut to size so you’ll have some more assembly to do for yourself.

Another option is to build from scratch. The best starting point is to look online for a good set of shed plans. Once you find the set of plans that fit your requirements, you’ll need to take the materials list to the supply store and purchase all the pieces for your wooden shed.

You can build your shed on a concrete slab or build a wooden frame for your foundation. Wooden frames have the advantage of being able to move the location of your shed easily. They also come as an option that you can purchase from the wooden shed kit manufacturer.

We’ve only just scratched the surface to help get you started. Hopefully, this article has inspired you enough to take the next step closer to building your own backyard shed. You won’t regret it.

You can find a lot more on garden sheds at BestWoodenSheds.com, the most comprehensive site on the web for sheds. The site includes FREE shed plans, wooden shed kits, a FREE ebook, and lots of information, tips and ideas for your own wooden shed.

Turn Your Garden Shed Into A Man Cave

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

Man Cave – a space reserved for males (without female influence) to be used as his sanctuary from household work.

OK, ideally this would be an entertainment room in the house. But if you already have a garden shed out back – why not? Sure, you may have to build another (smaller one) for some of your odds and ends that just won’t fit anymore but its well worth that sacrifice.

Everyone has their own reasons for making their own cave but for our purposes here, this will be for solitude and relaxation since garden sheds are usually pretty small. You’ll have to have electricity – this is a MUST. I would recommend hiring this out to a licensed electrician (if it isn’t already wired).

The best way to visualize your space is to plan it on paper. Drawing it to scale will save you some headaches when you actually start moving things in. Start by placing your flat screen TV in a good spot that doesn’t reflect direct sunlight. Placement of your viewing chair should be an easy next step. Even though they take up more room, recliners are my personal favorite.

Once you have it all down on paper (the necessities, at least), take everything out of the shed so you can start with a clean slate. Its still a shed so fold up work benches and shelving are perfectly acceptable. In order to save space, add shelving between studs for all your smaller items.

Putting down an area rug, for me, is a MUST. You might even actually spend time in your shed if it has a more comfortable finished look to it, and the rug will help dampen sounds. Measure the floor (which you should have already done for your planning schematic) and try to find a rug that comes close to these measurement. This helps give the room a carpeted look.

Don’t forget the lighting if your shed wasn’t already wired. Hang lights from the rafters if you can to keep as many items off the floor as possible.

You shouldn’t go overboard with decorations since function is so important in small spaces. Once you have you’re flat screen up and your recliner and space saving refrigerator put in, there might not be room for much else.

Now you can enjoy that game (I mean, shed). So sit back, relax and enjoy some solitude.

Darren Reeves has been constructing wooden sheds for over 25 years. Be sure to visit his web site: BestWoodenSheds.com for information on plans, materials and construction tips.

Wooden Shed Kit – Choosing The Right One

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

If you are about to spend your hard earned money on a wooden shed kit, there are a few important considerations to be aware of that can help you determine what kit would be best suited for your needs. Shed kits are a great way to have the extra storage space you are looking for without breaking your bank account.

Size

You should start by accessing your storage needs. A small wooden shed isn’t going to work well for you if you fill it completely full just so you can make room for the car to fit into the garage. Try to buy a wooden shed kit that will be large enough to grow into. The amount of space your shed will take up out of your property is also an important consideration.

Location of Your Shed

If you don’t intend on using your wooden shed as a work shed, playhouse, pool cabana, etc., then you should locate your shed in a less visible location since it is probably going to be used strictly for storage. Storage sheds aren’t as attractive because they don’t usually have any windows or fancy details. You don’t want to make it easy for someone to break into.

Now, if you have a different purpose for your shed, like a garden shed that you will be using for potting and gardening, then, of course you’ll want to show it off to any visitor that comes over so you should locate it near the garden in plain view.

Foundation

The type of foundation or base you build your shed on is another important consideration you’ll have to take into account. A base made as a frame from wood is the typical type and is usually available to purchase separately from the shed kit manufacturer. There are several advantages to building a wooden base (or skid). They are easy to make and very easy to move locations if you have to.

If you know that the location of where you put your shed is permanent, then a great option for you is to pour a concrete slab for your wooden shed. This is a nice alternative to the wood frame, or “skid” base.

If you have a few basic construction skills, about one weekend of time and the desire to have an attractive wooden shed in your own backyard, then a wooden shed kit is the perfect solution for you.

Before you decide on a wooden shed kit, make sure you visit www.BestWoodenSheds.com for more tips, information and products. A wooden shed should be attainable for everyone who wants to increase their storage or workshop needs.

Need Shed Plans? A Brief Overview On Where To Acquire Some

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

A quick summary of several of the things you should think about before you choose what to build. Storage type, the style of base to make, what sort of lumber to employ? What size do you build? Along with where can you obtain shed plans?

Why not get going by looking at the different shed styles available. The most familiar will be the gable roof. Next we have additionally a barn style that is similar to a small barn. You as well have the lean-to shed, which is fantastic designed for tight or limited room. The lean-to shed looks terrific against walls or fences. There is additionally the salt box type. It pretty much resembles a gable, but one side will not be equal with the other. To get a better picture what these shed designs appear like you can search the web and look at pictures of the various designs.

The dimension you decide to make, can only be determined for the purpose you plan to use it. What do you intend to utilize it for, or else what do you plan to store up inside? By means of being aware of this you can develop an idea of what dimension of storage shed plans you are going to want to attain.

Where can you attain storage shed plans? Well you can search for plans on the web, there can be heaps of websites that have at no cost and very inexpensive plans. If you can’t come across any you ought to absolutely think about purchasing. It is a awfully minor investment that you are going to be making. I’m sure adding a gorgeous well made storage shed to your property is an exceptional asset to the home. An additional decision to take into account is sketching your own plans. Sheds can be pretty much very basic structures. If you do a little research, look at some how-to books on storages, I’m sure you’ll experience no trouble drawing up plans. When you acquire an idea of what you require, along with how to do it, you can construct an outstanding shed.

What variety of wood should you use to build? The wood you use will be the similar type you use to construct a house. The single exception I would think of will be the foundation. If you are making a wood foundation or skid foundation, pressure treated wood will be functional. Given that the base is resting on the ground, there will be extra moister, as a result pressure treated wood is a beneficial choice. Pressure treated lumber is treated to withstand rot and decay making it last more time than regular framing timber.

As with any new building project, you will need to be aware of any codes, or guideline that may be required. So check zoning laws, research and learn as much as possible, then in no time you will have the storage room you so much need.

You can acquire free of charge shed plans by searching the web. To make this easier it will be good to have plans to follow while building a shed. For a list of free plans visit my site.

The Best Natural Material For Building Wooden Sheds

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

There are a lot of different types of material you can use if you are considering building a garden shed for your backyard. Some popular choices include plastic (or vinyl), metal (usually aluminum), and wood. You could consider using pine and T1-11 siding for your shed, but arguably the best wood for the job is cedar. Here are a few reasons why:

Strength

Since its fibers are very straight, cedar is a very hard wood and therefore holds up extremely well in all types of weather. It will last for many years and its also lightweight. This also makes it a favorite choice for outdoor furniture makers. Its also great for siding, shingles and decks. As a matter of fact, you could actually build your entire shed out of cedar (with the exception of the nails and hardware).

Decay and Insect Resistance

A natural oil in the wood acts as a repellent to insects. This is one of the reasons clothes chests have been made from cedar for hundreds of years. These same oils resist the growth of fungus that decays other woods. Cedar is commonly used in saunas for this very same reason.

Aroma

When it comes to its distinct smell, there’s no mistaking cedar. And, there are actually therapeutic properties to its aroma.

Appearance

Cedar has coloring that goes anywhere from light amber to rich reds and deep browns. Left unprotected, cedar will darken but it accepts a wide variety of stains and coatings that help to enhance its natural beauty.

So, there are quite a few benefits to using cedar for building your own garden shed over other types of materials. And with just a small amount of research, you’ll find there are a lot of building plans available with photos of the finished product which is a great way to find out what your shed will ultimately look like. You may like the look of cedar shingles but prefer T1-11 that’s painted. Or, you love asphalt shingles but have a preference for cedar siding. You can’t go wrong either way with using cedar for your backyard shed.

Mark Strauss has been helping individuals build their own wooden sheds for years. To find out more information on plans, materials and construction, visit his web site: BestWoodenSheds.com.

How To Make Simple Shelving For The Small Spaces In Your Wooden Shed

Friday, March 5th, 2010

If your wooden shed has exposed studs on the inside walls, you can fill in all those spaces in between the studs with shelves. This is a simple and very inexpensive storage solution for your shed. A lot of people who put up shelving in their sheds attach them to the front of the studs. This leaves a gap between the exterior siding and the back edge of the shelf. Here’s how you make the shelving (and its fully adjustable, as well):

The first step is to remove any existing shelving. By doing this, you will have room to work which will make the project go a lot quicker. Make sure you don’t throw anything away since you will be taking them down only temporarily. Now, attach lengths of shelf standards between two of the studs. Shelf standards are rolled metal that are available in brass, zinc, or coated with colored epoxy (such as white). There are horizontal slots cut into the strips every half inch for positioning.

Route out grooves for the tracks if you wish to have them flush with the surface of the studs. Otherwise, surface mount them by simply screwing them in. Install two tracks up the sides of each stud. Put them in about three to three and a half inches apart for added stability. To make sure your shelves will be level, the slots on each side should be the same distance from the floor.

Now you can take the support clips (four for each shelf) and insert them into the slots at the desired height for the shelf. Measure the distance between the tracks from one stud to the other. Now, cut 1×4s to this length for your shelves. Since the 1×4s match the width of the 3×4 studs, there will be no need to rip any boards down to size.

Now you can reattach your existing shelves right back where they were. Put in as many shelves as you want. They are perfect for all those small items you have laying around.

For more about wooden sheds and detailed drawings of this project, visit Don Roth’s web site: BestWoodenSheds.com

Why Hire A Pro To Build A Wooden Shed When Its So Easy To Do Yourself?

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

In order to build your own wooden shed in your backyard, just what skills do you need? Well, this is certainly the perfect project to learn basic carpentry skills if you don’t consider yourself handy with tools. By far, the easiest way is to purchase a precut wooden shed kit. A precut kit comes with instructions and all the pieces necessary to simplify and speed up the process. And because all the pieces are already cut, assembly is as simple as laying the sections out flat on the ground and putting them together.

Since sheds are relatively small in size, making the foundation, setting the walls and adding the roof can all be done by yourself (if necessary). As an example, when you set the walls, simply nail on temporary braces to hold up the walls while you attach them to each other.

For the most part, you will only need basic tools to get the job done such as, a hammer, a drill, a level, a saw (even though kits are precut, it will still be necessary to make a few cuts) and a tape measure. You will use the tape to measure walls to make them square. This is done by measuring the distance of opposite corners (such as bottom left to top right). Then measure the other two corners. If square, the measurements will be the same.

Screwing all the boards together instead of hammering them with nails would be my recommendation. Its not only easier to screw together but its also makes the connections much stronger and if you mess up simply put the drill in reverse and back the screws out.

One of the most important tools you can use is a level. Usually, the longer the level is the better your results will be. But for this project, a 12-inch level should be fine. First, check to make sure the foundation is level horizontally. If not, you will have to add or subtract dirt or sand under the cinder block(s) that need adjusting. Check for level both ways – North/South and East/West.

When you start adding the walls, you will also need to check that the walls are level vertically (or plumb). Its really important to have all the walls plumb, level and square or you will have noticeable problems when you start assembling the roof.

Remember, building your shed should be fun as well as a great learning experience. The reward comes in knowing that you built it with your own two hands.

Dan Reiling has built garden sheds for over 20 years and consults other with how to build their own. Before you start building your own shed, make sure to visit his wooden shed web site for information on plans, materials and construction tips.

Why Build Wooden Sheds For Your Backyard?

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Its obvious that wooden sheds are great for storing any small to medium sized object. But they can really be used for so much more than just storage. So, even though you can call them “sheds”, they can just as easily be used as a pool cabana, workshop, playhouse for the kids, artist studio, guesthouse, etc.

Converting your shed from a storage shed to, say, a garden shed, or some other purpose is fairly easy. You can even use a wooden shed for a couple of purposes at the same time, if done correctly. As an example, you could use your shed as a garden shed with a potting bench as a place to pot your plants and also to store any chemicals that should be stored away from the main house.

So, why build one? Besides their versatility and storage capabilities, wooden sheds are fun to build and they can be a great starter project if you aren’t that handy with tools. And, it should only require a weekend’s worth of time to complete.

Aside from WHAT the shed will be used for is WHY a wooden shed? Sheds made from wood may cost more than a metal or plastic shed, but the real value is the long-term satisfaction you get from having a shed made from natural materials. Not only are they more pleasing to the eye, you have more options from a shed that is custom built from a set of shed plans.

Metal or plastic sheds are not as easy to modify or add on to as it is to wooden sheds. And, if repairs are required, they are quicker and less expensive to make on a wooden shed. You’ll know what I mean if you have ever tried to fix a dented metal shed.

The best wood to use for sheds is cedar. Cedar contains oil that occurs naturally. This oil is what gives the wood its distinct aroma and also protects it from insects and rot.

Buying a wooden shed kit is another great option. Some kits already come with the walls pre-assembled so all you have to do is bolt them together. This makes it super fast to build a shed for your backyard – and super easy!

You’ll find more information and tips on construction and how to use garden sheds to their fullest potential at: BestWoodenSheds.com. Also included are shed plans, wooden shed kits, and more!