Outdoor kitchens: Outdoor kitchens are becoming more and more popular as the trend to take dining to the backyard increases. Timber pergolas are a perfect way to give your kitchen shelter from the blistering summer heat, and yet still allow the breeze to blow on through. Pair your outdoor kitchen with an outdoor fireplace and you have a place to gather and have your own backyard campfire!

Timber Frame Decks: Timber framed decks are majestic and beautiful. They exhibit a beauty that is hard to beat. You can take an average suburban home and give the look of a million dollar home. Not only that, but timber framed decks are extremely durable and strong. The advances in stains and coatings mean that you won’t have to do maintenance for many years. If you choose to use a composite deck surface then you have a virtually maintenance free deck for even longer.

Pergolas, Archways, the Works! Using any of these three timber structures in your backyard designing will go a long way to creating the look you want. A gazebo is ideal for a more secluded ‘outdoor front room’. Have a pergola to create some extra shade (they’re also beautiful for an outdoor wedding!) A timber frame archway will go a long way when you need a ‘dividing’ point on your lawn. If you want to go all out, get all three! The wonderful thing about timber framing is that because it looks so natural with the outdoors already, it’s difficult to overdo your decorating.

Don’t forget that timber costs will inevitably vary from state to state. Many timber contractors will do work in several different states. Usually, but not always of course, these are the ones that offer the most competitive rates. Also, there are some timber contractors that will ship complete timber arbor, or pergola kits right to your door! Make sure to get at least three different bids on your project. Accepting the first bid you get is asking to loose your money. Another vital step to remember is to get references from past customers from your potential contractors.

Make sure to consider timber frame construction in your upcoming landscaping project. Timber frame construction is both durable and beautiful. A well made pergola will last for years and years, and will more than likely add value to your home. More importantly, it will help create an environment where you and your family can congregate for years and years to come.

For a complimentary in home quote on gazebos, arbors, or pergolas, visit Nevada’s Timber frame experts today. Western Timber Frame also offers the highest quality pergola kits available, and we ship to anywhere in the U.S.

There was initially some confusion as to what these new shade products ought to be called, but the terms “shade sails” and “sail shades” are currently applied interchangeably and commonly throughout Australia, New Zealand as well as the USA. The new solution has been slower to achieve popularity in Europe, but the signs are that Spain and France will certainly discover a rapid development in the adoption of shade sails as they become much more widely known and available in the market.

Shade Sail Systems

Initially, the new shade fabric wasn’t sufficiently tolerant towards the results of the sun and experienced UV degradation. Current production processes now make use of UV inhibitors to overcome this problem.

All shade sails supplied through Shade Sails France come with a 10 year warranty against UV damage.

The shade cloth is manufactured from a variety of knitted fabric, which provides the shade sail a natural amount of stretch and means that to be mounted properly the sail shade should be correctly installed and tensioned. This enables for interesting architectural 3d effects to be achieved with shade sails.

Shade Sail Benefits

A further benefit from the knitted material is that it makes it possible for the sail shade to “breathe”, permitting warm air from below the fabric to escape rather than be trapped underneath. This gives a particularly “cool shade” effect.

Modern day shade sails vary in shape, dimensions and colour and there’s a trend towards setting up multiple sails, in some cases overlapping, thereby adding some form and style to its function. Shade sails are tensioned commonly by means of a stainless turnbuckle fixed at every corner on the sail. For permanently fixed sails, the turnbuckle provides the ideal means of fixing the canopy because it usually allows a lot more tension to be applied. A snap hook is also employed at each corner to enable simple removal of the sail in the winter or in high wind conditions.

To find out more about the advantages of Sail Shades and view a selection of many different sail shade types available for purchase on-line and with free shipping throughout France, pay a visit to Shade Sails France.

No wonder that, during the summer time, the local DIY centres are stacked out with “shade solutions” – pergolas, parasols and awnings to assist in generating shade The majority of of us don’t have the years of patience required to grow an old vine or wisteria which would provide the “ideal shade solution” – no we need a quicker, man-made solution – but still one that has plenty of style…

The use of large pieces of fabric or cloth to offer shade from the sun dates back to Egyptian times. The Romans apparently employed huge pieces of sail canvas to shade the Coliseum. The sail cloth in the time was rather heavy and inflexible but performed remarkably well in the duty of providing shade. In much more recent times a new shade cloth fabric was developed, initially in Australia which was lighter and extra flexible, but still provided an excellent level of protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays. It was as recently as the Nineties that shade cloth started to be available on a commercial scale and began to discover acceptance in households as an alternative to parasols or gazebos.

What’s really strange is that these new shade structures have gained broad acceptance in Australia, but are virtually unheard of in France. But then the French really do not have much that can match the Sydney Opera House either!

The best, high quality Shade Sails are produced in Australia and exports to Europe are growing fast. Sail Shade World is the world’s largest manufacturer with over 24,000 satisfied consumers. Their sales are of the highest quality and come with a 10 year guarantee.

Sail Shade Benefits

Unlike the early Shade Sails made from sail canvas, modern Sail Shades are manufactured from a form of knitted material, which provides the Sail Shade a natural level of expansion and means that Sail Shade should be correctly mounted and tensioned. This enables for interesting architectural three dimensional results to be achieved with Sail Shades.

An additional advantage from the knitted material is that it allows the sail shade to “breathe”, permitting warm air from below the fabric to leak rather than be trapped underneath. This gives a particularly “cool shade” effect.

There are a variety of shape and colour choices available in modern Shade Sail designs – grey, beige and green are very popular. The shade sails need to be attached to secure fixing points and are secured with tensioning devices. The installation can easily be accomplished by two people. It is advisable to install a quick release clip at each corner to allow the Shade Sail to be taken down and stored in windy conditions.

Shade Sail Advantages

Porous sail fabric provides cool shade Guaranteed for 10 years against UV degradation Premium quality, durable sail material Sun block performance equivalent to SPF80. Perimeter re-enforcement. Instead of the usual turned and sewn hem which is used by other businesses, we use added strong seatbelt webbing around the perimeter of all our Shade Sails Attaches to existing secure mounting points or poles concreted into the ground. Corner fittings made from high quality stainless steel. Colourfast, will not rot, develop mildew, shrink, fray or tear

Shade Sails Available In Both Square And Triangular Designs

Shade Sails France – supplying the English market in France at lower than UK prices and with Free delivery. Our Premium Shade Sails are made from top quality sail cloth and come with a 10 year guarantee. They are available in both square and triangular designs and three colours – Architectural Grey, Porcelain and Coastal Sand.

Shade Sails offer a shade solution that is a lot more stylish than the usual parasol or awning. The unique Sail cloth material provides a high degree of shade whilst allowing warm air to pass through, providing really “cool shade”.

EASY INSTALLATION – no special tools required. ALL FITTINGS can be supplied in stainless steel No cost DELIVERY – We provide Totally free delivery to France PREMIUM High quality – All our Sail Shades have a 10 year guarantee 48h DELIVERY – On all our Shade Sails and Fitting

In order to find out more regarding the benefits of Shade sails and see a selection of different sail shade solutions available for purchase on-line and with totally free of cost delivery throughout France, go to Voile Solaire France.

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.

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

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.

Day 1 – Floor and Frame

First things first – preparing the site. The site should be fairly level. However it is best to have a slight pitch downward towards the back for optimum water runoff. Next, get rid of any large rocks or debris. You want the foundation to be as smooth as possible. And, since this is only a 2-day project, you will have to make your shed with a wood floor, preferably skids, instead of a concrete floor. If you do want a concrete foundation, allow a few extra days to your plan to allow for drying. The advantages of building a wooden floor are its faster, cheaper, easier and more portable. Now use patio (or cinder) blocks for which to rest the frame of the floor. Make sure they are level.

Next, start working on the actual building. You need to cut the floor joists at equal lengths by using the first on as a template for the rest. For added strength, use deck screws instead of nails. Using a power drill makes construction go very quickly and is actually easier than hammering. Once you are finished framing the floor, check for square by measuring opposite diagonal corners. If square, the measurements will be the same. If they are off, push on one of the corners with the longer measurement towards the opposite corner until the measurements are equal. Now you can nail the plywood subfloor to the frame making sure to stagger them (similar to a brick pattern). This will prevent you from having four corners of four different pieces of plywood meeting in the middle of your floor causing a weak spot.

Start building the walls by using the same process used for building the frame for the floor. Frame any desired windows at this time. Use T1-11 plywood for the siding. It has vertical grooves cut into it which gives the appearance of tongue and groove siding. But since it comes in sheets, it has a huge time advantage over nailing individual boards. Now place a piece of T1-11 (outside facing up) on top of one of the wall frames. Make the wall frame square by using the same method used to make the floor. Start nailing the siding to the frame by working from one side to the other. Trim down the siding to the outside of the frame by using a router. Now that you have all the walls put together, attach them to the floor and temporarily brace them with 2×4s to hold them up until you have them firmly screwed together. Take your level and check the walls for plumb. They should be perfectly straight up and down. Now rest up for tomorrow.

Day 2 – Roof, Door and Trim

You’ll start today off by building the trusses. Simply follow the plans and assemble all the pieces of the first truss. Don’t nail this together yet. If the pieces all fit correctly together, take each piece and use as a template for each of the corresponding pieces of the remaining trusses. Now you can screw (or nail) the trusses together and attach them to the top of the shed walls. Next, cut and nail plywood sheets for the roof. Just like a house, for installing asphalt shingles, you will first have to put down tar paper (roofing felt). Make sure you start from the bottom and overlap each row going up. For the top ridge, use a couple of layers for strength. To apply the shingles, offset the seams and work from the bottom up like you did with the tar paper. For the ridge cap, cut down a length of shingle (they come in a line of three) into a single shingle and nail them along the top. Don’t forget to overlap these as well.

You should use a door on your shed that is prefabricated which will save you a huge amount of time since all you need to do is attach it with hinges. You will want to finish off the door with trim.

A few details have been omitted from this short article as it is simply intended to show you how possible and simple it is to build a wooden shed in only one weekend.

Find out more on wooden sheds, wooden sheds and shed plans by visiting BestWoodenSheds.com. You can also download a free eBook: Getting the Most Out of Your Shed. It contains over 100 tips to help you maximize your shed’s potential.