Friday 8 August 2008

How To Build A Garden Shed

The sheds are simple constructions used for storing stuff in your garden or for small workshops. Some people even create a Summer office in their shed while others let their kids enjoy the shed like a mini house.
Building your garden shed yourself is pretty exciting but not an easy venture. You need basic knowledge, skills and a pretty good idea what are you going to build and where are you going to place it.
If you are keen on building a shed yourself, here are several steps you need to take:
1. Choosing the right material for your shed.
Most sheds are made of wood, metal or plastic. The wooden sheds are very beautiful and give a nice feeling when you are inside. Metal sheds usually have longer life and often are more sustainable and cheaper. Unfortunately they rare look as good as the wooden sheds. Most expensive are the plastic sheds, but they are very easy to maintain and pretty sustainable.
2. Picking the right location for your shed
There are few things you need to consider when deciding on your garden shed location:
- check the permit requirements with your local zoning department- situate the windows of the shed on the South side to bring more light- be careful about possible water falls over the shed, under it and around it- the view to your home or garden is also important, especially if you plan to spend time working in the shed
3. Building your shed using shed plans
If you have skills to work with wood, metal or plastic, if you like to construct things yourself and have enough free time you may decide it's best to build your garden shed from scratch. In this case all you need to buy is a shed plan and materials. Nowadays you can buy downloadable plans online and receive them immediately instead of waiting for shipment.
Building your shed with plans will require some patience, the right tools, a sense of geometry and a knowledge to read plans. It's not as easy as it may seem at first view.
4. Building a shed using a kit
If doing everything yourself sounds scary but you still don't want to just to take a ready pre-made shed, you can start with a kit. The kits contain sets of parts, detailed instructions and plans. All you need to do is to follow the instructions and carefully read the plans.
When choosing a shed kit try not to save from quality or size. Pick a good supplier and it will pay off in the long run.
Building a shed with a shed kit is very cost and time effective way to do it if you like to build things yourself. If you have never built a shed before, it's highly recommended to use a kit instead of trying to do it yourself with only plans.
This article gave you just a short introduction to the shed building process. You need to read the full How to build a shed course before you can start building. Visit Shed Builder - http://shedbuilder.info for more information and step-by-step tutorial.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Clifton

Garden Sheds - More Than Just Storage

You may already have a garage or shed in your garden or backyard and its possible that you haven't even considered the prospect of adding a garden shed at all. Any garden implements could easily be stored in the garage or utility area. However, a garden shed is so much more than just an every day storage area, as it can have a character all of its own. It can serve many purposes other than practical ones.
A garden shed can be used as a place to plan and plot your garden's development or just as a place of sanctuary and contemplation. A garden shed can also be used to add depth and character to a garden or even as the focal point with the garden designed to complement the shed. For the uninitiated a garden shed is just another shed. However, there are many different styles, which can add their own individual charm and character to your garden.
The first thing you have to do before adding a shed is to obviously decide its location. The location of the shed will help determine the size and style of the shed. You need to consider many different things such as ease of access, how the shed will look in the chosen area, security, practicality and so on. When the location has been decided and the size of the shed determined then the next thing to so is lay the base. You can use a layer of gravel or build a concrete base. Whatever the base though, it should be level. Do not contemplate adding a shed straight onto the grass. While this may seem obvious people will do it ! It is important that the wooden shed should not be contact with the ground to avoid the wood rotting. Another alternative is to lay the shed on timbers.
The type of shed is the important decision. The choices are simple metal, plastic or timber. Whatever the structure in your garden these are the three basic materials used and the characteristics remain the same for each. Wood provides the classical look, plastic is cheaper and metal is stronger. At the end of day, if the shed is in general view then wood is the preferred solution. An ugly looking plastic or metal shed can ruin he look of a garden.
Another important decision is whether to build the shed yourself or get a professional to do it. Although shed kits usually give you a substantial discount, they require much more time and energy. Some kits even require you to cut the timber to size before you can start building. Having said that the decision is relatively easy if your honest with yourself about your DIY capabilities.
Once, the shed is in place you need to give the wood some protection. While the materials will come with a gaurantee, you should still regularly add a protective coating. If you are putting together a kit, a good tip is to paint as much of the shed as possible before assembly, since it is much easier to paint some parts of the shed before assembly, rather than standing on a ladder to do it.
Unless you are getting a particularly large or unusual shed, it is unlikely you will need planning permission, but always check. You don't want to be moving a full sized shed several feet, so you want to be sure you have it in the right place to begin with.
The typical garden sheds are either apex sheds or pent sheds. These come in many sizes starting from 2 x 1 metres or 5 x 3 feet upwards. A good idea also is to use the sloping roofs to capture water, which is essential through long hot dry periods.
Matthew Anthony has contributed articles sheds and garden furniture.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Anthony

Common Uses for a Garden Shed

Want to find the perfect solution to store all your garden tools? Want to add a charm to the overall design of the garden? Want to spend some time with your self amidst the serenity of the garden? Then building garden sheds would be right decision! They provide all these and many more.
The location of the garden sheds is very important for the garden. They should be easily accessible and well-maintained. The location depends upon the size, structure, space available and the purpose of the shed to be accordingly situated and build. Garden sheds are best avoided being built on the ground directly. Some concrete base is always preferable. It can be of timber or wood but if wood is laid directly on ground then chances of it rotting increases.
Wood is the most preferable material used for building garden sheds. The choice of materials for building the shed depends on the required look. If the shed is built for direct view, wood is the most preferred as it gives a classic look to the garden. But, if the garden shed is situated in a back corner then plastics may also be used which are very cheap. Sometimes metals are also used, as they are very strong. Everything depends on the idea and the visualization you have for the garden’s look.
Ready Garden sheds are available in the market and it comes in various shapes and sizes. But if you plan to build your own shed then you need to be very clear on the requirements for the shed as well as the soil and weather conditions to prevent atmospheric corrosion. Shed kits can be ordered anytime if you do not have the time or talent to build a garden shed yourself. Shed doors are also very important while planning for it as it depends on how the shed is going to be used by you.
The garden sheds can also be used as greenhouses or as gazebos. Sometimes arbors and trellis are also used in the garden. They are very popular and give the garden an artistic look. They are generally small in size but can sometimes be made even big enough to contain a boat. Sheds are built according to the needs of the garden or just for plain show.
Shed kits and different materials on shed building are found on the Internet for easy access to the knowledge garden sheds and ideas. It is also important to protect the garden sheds from getting spoilt by weather changes by using proper coatings and varnishes. Timber sheds are especially susceptible to fast spoilage which can be avoided or minimized by proper care.
Garden sheds are useful as well as aesthetic feature, which adds to the beauty of the garden but proper care should be taken to maintain that look and feel.
Gardening and landscaping are one of life's simple joys. Learn more about Garden Sheds by visiting our Garden Facts web site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_McRea

Garden Sheds

Garden sheds, as their name suggests, are buildings constructed in gardens to stow various gardening tools and to do simple gardening jobs. Garden sheds need to look good themselves, or they will take away from the appearance of the garden in which they are built.
There are two kinds of gardening sheds. Apex-roof garden sheds have the traditional V-shape pointed roof, while pent-roof garden sheds have an inverted U-shape roof that slopes towards the sides. Apex-roof garden sheds have their doors at one of the ends, while pent-roof garden sheds usually have their doors at one of the side walls. Garden sheds made of metal have flat roofs.
Garden sheds are primarily used to store gardening equipment. Fertilizer packets, seeds, gardening hoes, and trimming scissors are the things that one may find in a garden shed. Garden sheds conceal material that is not eye-appeasing but is needed for garden work. Also, the garden shed can be used to do messy gardening jobs like removing rot of plants and grafting and trimming shrubs by uprooting the plant and transferring it into the shed for its treatment. However dirty the garden shed may inside, it is important that it looks pleasant on the outside since it is a part of the garden.
Wood is the most favored material for building garden sheds. Softwood is cheaper, but it is more prone to rotting when exposed to water. Cedar wood is more expensive and is more resistant to rotting. Wood can be painted in colors that may blend it with the garden. If wood is to be used, it must be recurrently treated with preservatives to protect it from pests and insects.
Poly vinyl garden sheds are a good option since they do not have any of the limitations wood has, but they are not that good in the aesthetic sense. Poly vinyl is a durable and cheap material that is easy to build. Do-it-yourself kits sell mostly sheds made of poly vinyl carbonate.
Garden sheds are also available in metals like steel and aluminum. It is important that these metals be treated for corrosion during manufacture.
Sheds provides detailed information about sheds, how to build a shed, metal sheds and more. Sheds is affiliated with Modular Home Plans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Peterson

Garden and Storage Shed Plans - How to Choose

Choosing garden and storage shed plans seems easy when the thought first comes to mind, but there is some thought you should put into it. This article will make it easy for you to decide on the right storage and garden shed plans for you.
First of all, you should evaluate your needs. The best way to do this is to focus on what the main purpose of your new shed is. Is your garden shed going to be used simply for storage? How much space is needed to accommodate all of the items you will be storing? Consider these questions before deciding which garden shed plans will work well for you.
Many people use their storage shed as a workshop, in addition to storage. If you are planning to use yours as a workshop, make sure you have additional room and establish an area for ease of movement when you work. These are a couple of things you will want to consider when purchasing garden and storage shed plans.
Another aspect of planning is where your shed will be located. Most people place their sheds on an outlying piece of their property, away from the house. You will want to make sure there is enough ground area for the size shed you build. Consider how level the ground is, and if you need to make any adjustments to further level the area.
Finally, you will need to decide if you want windows in your storage or garden shed, along with where and how many. Also, make sure the doors on your shed give you ample room so that you can put riding lawn mowers and larger equipment inside. Using sliding doors or an overhead door similar to a garage door is also a consideration for ease of use.
One last reminder, if your shed exceeds 100 square feet, it may be subject to building code regulations. These are just a few things you might want to think about before you choose your garden or storage shed plans. Being prepared is half the battle!
Choosing the right garden and storage shed plans is something you need to think about! For help and guidance, along with the BEST shed plans and a FREE plan, please visit The How to Build Blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_H