If you’ve got rudimentary carpentry skills and sufficient motivation — like a garage so cluttered with gardening equipment and indispensable odds and ends that you dread the thought of trying to squeeze an automobile into it — you may find yourself heading to the lumber yard and preparing to construct a little out-building behind your house. Yes, a storage shed — one that serves a multitude of purposes for your every need.
It’s a sensible idea for many homeowners. As a way of gaining storage space, it’s much easier than tacking a new room onto the house. A sturdy, reasonably attractive shed may even raise the property value of the home it adorns and help you make enough room in your garage for what it was intended — your car. A skilled builder can complete the project in one day, working solo. And if designed properly, a backyard shed can even serve as a potting shed, home office annex or secret clubhouse. Besides, conveniently storing one’s lawn and garden supplies so near to where they’re used may make outdoor work seem much more appealing.
Buying and assembling a prefabricated storage shed is an option, but the prefab structures out of a kit tend to be drab in appearance and limited in durability [source: Truini]. Building your own shed offers more options. A great variety of plans are available to choose from, some of which are free; more experienced builders can also design custom sheds. That way, as the architectural adage goes, form can follow function. If the main reason for building a shed is to house an extra-wide lawn tractor, for example, it may be appropriate to build a shed with a vertical-lift garage door and perhaps a ramp [source: Carter]. The possibilities are endless.
This article will not attempt to describe every step and all the materials needed to build every kind of shed, but just give a quick overview of the process and some of the factors to consider in preparing to build, as there are almost limitless options. Ready to move on? Let’s first take a look at the tools and materials you will need.
Storage Shed Building Tools and Materials
One of the very first steps in preparing for your storage-shed project is to research the building and zoning codes of your local jurisdiction. You may need a permit in order to build on your property, or to build a structure greater than a certain square footage. You also may need to set back the structure a certain distance from the property line. Find out about the specific requirements and restrictions you must follow in order for the work to be permitted before you select a plan. Then submit the plan to the building department with your permit application. Another important source to check is your Homeowners Association (HOA) — some HOAs ban detached outbuildings such as storage sheds. Other key decisions in the planning process are the size and exact location of the building. The principal factor — determining the best size for your storage shed — should be what you intend to store in it. Consider taking all the things you plan storing in the shed and haul them into a square on the lawn; then use the dimensions of that square for selecting a plan. Bear in mind the equipment you may own in the future. Ideally, sheds should be sited on level turf, in a location that combines relative proximity to the lawn or garden and distance from the sight lines of neighbors. You may want to let your neighbors know about your project. Some communities require that you obtain your neighbors’ signatures, showing approval your project.
Now let’s talk about foundations. A strong foundation like concrete will most likely ensure a longer life for the shed. In colder climates, buildings must be adequately protected from frost heaves, which can cause tremendous shifts in frozen soil. A shed employing a wood-post foundation can be frost-protected by using concrete padding around the posts, rather than a full concrete slab.
Move ahead to the next page to learn how to put together that storage shed you’ve been planning to build.
