Custom built garden sheds are enjoying a bit of a renaissance. I'm not sure what the trigger was but we are being contacted regularly by customers t...
Custom built garden sheds are enjoying a bit of a renaissance. I’m not sure what the trigger was but we are being contacted regularly by customers that are looking something a little extra when it comes to their garden shed. The old ubiquitous stand by sheds that are sold by the dozens in hardware stores don’t seem to be cutting it this year.
Customization is in, and everyone wants their outdoor accessories, and this includes a storage shed in the backyard, to fit with their overall outdoor decorating scheme. Typically in the past there was a pretty big market for siting and constructing (if you could call it that) pre-built garden sheds that clients would buy at their building store. This year though people are looking for a totally unique design, and are looking for entirely custom built sheds to suit their decor.
The customizations that clients are looking for are not entirely aesthetic. There is a much greater awareness for the environment, so in fact many customers are requesting green and recycled materials for their garden sheds. Others are concerned about customizing the the roof pitch and gutter design to maximize rainwater collection. Other requests are for tricky shed placement so the new building fits in with the existing hard and soft landscaping.
One woman asked if I had seen a popular reality TV show featuring a family with eight children. I had not. She went on to explain that in a recent episode a carpenter built the children crooked houses as play houses. She wanted a crooked house theme for her garden shed. She said it was both practical and whimsical and it would make me the most famous shed builder in the area! She is trying to locate a copy of that episode for me.
The other clients that are looking for customized backyard sheds are concerned about functionality more than style. The green thumb house owners are looking for a place to store all their gardening tools and landscaping supplies, as well as provide a space to do some potting and start seedlings in the spring. There are many others with different hobbies that would like a custom built studio for such things as stained glass, pottery, and painting. All of these are ideal uses for a cute backyard garden shed.
Regardless of what you need a backyard shed for, whether it is to add a bit of extra outside storage space, or whether you need a garden workshop, remember that you shouldn’t be limited to a plain looking press board shed reminiscent of the 80’s. As people discover their outdoor spaces once again, backyard decor has become as important as interior design. Put some thought into the style of your garden shed and you will have a great focal point to base your garden design on.
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Adding a small garden shed to your lot or property is a great way to add value and convenience to your home. Having a shed to store outside yard equipment in is very convenient. You won’t have to clutter up your garage with the mower and various rakes and shovels hanging from the walls. For your garden shed to be functional you don’t have to make it elaborate. A simple but workable shed could be built for substantially less than $1000. Depending on the features, size and style you choose, you could of course spend much more.
There are a number of obvious benefits to adding a garden shed and a number of less obvious benefits. A primary and quite obvious purpose is that a shed provides some added security to your belongings. Your belongings are less likely to be stolen if they are properly stored in a shed. For even more security you can add a lock to the shed. A less obvious benefit of having a garden shed is that you can store your gardening equipment out of sight. Your backyard will appear less cluttered if bikes, hoses, etc are stored out of sight.
Another purpose served by a garden shed is to protect your belongings from the elements. When properly stored in the shed, your equipment is no longer exposed to the sun and rain. If you allow your garden equipment to be exposed to the elements you will decrease the life span of the belongings. Over time metal tools will rust and wooden handles will rot.
How do you go about adding a garden shed to your backyard? There are a number of decent answers to that question. The right answer depends on your budget and building experience. The easiest option would be to purchase a pre-fabricated garden shed from a building store and have it delivered. These pre-fab kits can be found at Home Depot , Lowes or Canadian Tire. Another option would be to buy a garden shed kit. These shed kits can be found through many online distributors or at the stores mentioned above. A third option would be to build the shed yourself from scratch.
Pre-fabricated garden sheds can be constructed from wood, metal, resin or a combination of materials. Garden shed kits tend to be made from wood or some type of metal like aluminum. In the event you are going to build the shed yourself, you will likely choose to have a wooden shed.
Garden sheds are quick and easy to construct, either from a kit or from scratch. Or consider buying a pre-fabricated garden shed. The addition of a shed to your back yard is a fairly inexpensive proposition. You and your family will yield the benefits and convenience of the garden shed for years to come.
You may think you know everything there is about sheds in order to make a good decision for your family. While that may be true, the reality is you don’t know everything there is to know. Buying the shed is easy but you better know a few things before you start your storage building search.
You have to know if you have the room to place the size shed you need and if you can legally do it in your town or neighborhood. That means you must have either enough level ground to build a simple foundation for the building or you will build or pour a foundation, if one doesn’t exist and you will check with your building code and neighborhood association to make sure you are within the law putting up an outdoor storage unit. Until this is done, don’t order anything!
Once you are clear and good to go, make a trip to the library or your favorite local hardware store and look through books and magazines that show you some wooden sheds you might like to build. You will have to make the assessments about this being within your skills set or not. If it is not, please don’t try it. You’ll be calling one of those TV rescue programs to help you get it finished. Just pass on this being a way to get the storage building of your dreams.
A lot of people like wooden sheds as they look really nice and come in many varieties and colors. They are also require the most maintenance so if you are up to painting every few years and making sure it is treated for termites, etc. go ahead with a wood shed. If you are looking for something that is more hands off, wood is not the way to go.
If you are like so many other people today and want a storage solution without a lot of maintenance or cost after your purchase, a vinyl shed might be the answer. These sheds can be bought as kits and they come by freight and are delivered to your home. Most people who can read plans and have basic do-it-yourself skills can put one of these together though you will need to have a foundation or level ground and buy the foundation kit and then purchase plywood to build the floor. Most handymen can also help you put this together though I know several women who have done it on their own or with other women friends. In other words don’t think you can’t put these together.
The most you should have to do from time to time is spray the shed off with a water hose. Since there is no need to treat for insects and water just runs off it, you have little to worry about as far as upkeep. They also list the snow load rating and the wind rating so you can make sure it will work in your area. Call your local codes department to find out what they recommend.
Another possibility is purchasing a metal shed. The best thing about the metal building is the price; they are normally the most inexpensive choices in sheds. However, there are times a metal shed is the perfect shed for other reasons. If you have level ground and don’t want to build a foundation, you can place a metal or tin shed directly on the ground without a problem. You will need to watch out for rust.
So to sum it up you will need to know you can have a storage building on your property, figure out the size, decide of the type based on cost, ease of maintenance and strength for snow and wind and make sure you have the ability to build or install it. Once you go through the list you should be good to go and ready to tackle that storage issue!
It’s easy to construct a by purchasing a kit. These come in a variety of sizes to fit almost any situation.
