Metal Sheds

Posted By on May 12, 2009

We all have an abundance of toys and tools for outside enjoyment and home improvement. From flower pots to toys, baseball bats to skis, more than once all of us have wondered, “Where in the world am I going to put it all?”

Metal sheds can be a great alternative to stacking our treasures on the back porch or in the end of the kitchen. With a wide variety to choose from, sheds are made from wood, metal, or PVC vinyl.

METAL SHEDS:

Metal sheds are primarily made from steel. Sheds made from this durable material typically last for at least ten years, many times much longer.

Metal sheds can be purchased as a kit, partially assembled, or fully built. Metal also makes for a very low maintenance shed. Paint can last for several years. Sometimes the superstructure is made of framing lumber and then metal siding for the roof and sides. And sometimes the whole shed itself is entirely metal. More substantial sheds tend to be made with the wooden frame. Also they are easier to install shelving and hooks. All metal sheds can still have shelves and organizers added to them, but not quite as easily.

WOODEN SHEDS:

Metal Sheds Duramax 10x10 with Foundation

A wooden shed is more easily painted to match if you chance you chance your exterior home design. Also you have the choice of leaving it a natural wood color and simply staining it with an exterior home finish. When next to a log or wood sided home, many times the shed can be treated with the same preservative that is used on the home. This makes them match each other, plus provides a use for left over home stain.

Overall, wood sheds do require more maintenance than metal ones. Attention does have to be given to the wood. With too much exposure to the elements without enough paint or sealant, the wood deteriorates and rots.

PVC VINYL SHEDS:

PVC/vinyl sheds are very durable. Also they are low maintenance. Shelving is harder to add than to a metal shed with a wood frame, but it can be done. Vinyl sheds do not dent as metal does if a rock hits it when you are mowing the lawn. Also PVC sheds tend to be smaller than their wooden and metal cousins. There is a limit to the color choices. Typically they are seen in browns, greens, and grays.

Whatever your choice be sure to choose one which can accommodate the volume of treasures you want to store in it as well as the heights. Rakes and garden tools require a taller area. Toys and flower pots could even settle for a horizontal shed, more like a storage trunk that a typical shed. Sheds of all sorts are a wise investment for preserving your yard items and organizing your possessions. Garden sheds come in all of these styles.

For those who like to build things themselves, shed plans are available for both wooden and metal sheds.

Look for more posts about site preparation and shed foundations, metal sheds, and shed reviews.

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Shed Plans

Posted By on June 7, 2011

When planning to build a shed the first step is researching shed plans or drawing up your own. Of all buildings the traditional metal shed is one of the most easily built. This is not a house, garage, shop, or building that is going to house people or very valuable assets. Instead it is an out of the way place to put things that are not damaged by outside storage. A shed will almost never be a constant temperature like a home. It will not be suited for an expensive car like a garage is needed for. And it is not going to (normally) win any aesthetic design contests. So just being willing to buy the material from a local lumber store, follow the directions contained in the shed plans, and get to work is a great way to stop the procrastinating and get a shed underway.

Metal Sheds Basic Shed Kit

The blue prints are a sheets of papers which show the assembly and materials needed for a job. Good storage shed plans should be easy to read. A step by step detail in cutting and assembly is important for those who are not experienced builders. Quality plans are written by someone who has actually done it, not just thought about it or analyzed the components and figured out how is probably goes together. When sketches are given in the blue prints it is easy to see what the directions are trying to describe. Diagrams often will tell you each step. Seeing it instead of just reading it makes a big difference to a lot of people. No matter how descriptive the details a drawing makes it almost like you are working along side an experienced person.

Good tool shed plans should include a full list of materials. Some plans fall short because they only tell you what is included with the kit, but not the other required components or tools. A full accurate and complete list really saves time and aggravation for the person who has to build the shed. Also a full list makes it much easier to get an accurate cost projection of what your wooden or metal shed is going to cost you in the end.

Before building a shed it is important to check local codes and see what is allowed. Some subdivisions frown on extra buildings. It may allow a lean to or small addition to the side of a garage or house because is not another new structure. Though no one likes to be limited or told what to do, it is a protection to the other owners to know that a neighbor right next to them can’t turn their yard into “shanty town” with twenty little sheds, storage units, or other structures.

One neighbor of mine recently built a garden shed. It took him a full day to get all of the materials together. Then it took him about a week to put in the foundation, frame in the floor, lay the plywood on the floor, frame the walls, frame the roof, cover the sides with T1 11 siding, install the metal roofing, hang the doors and window, and paint the shed. In the end it looked really nice and cost him about $600.  His was a small shed plan of about 6′x 8′. Shed plans and other plans allow people to build a structure that otherwise would have been out of their reach and ability.

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Garden Sheds For Sale

Posted By on May 30, 2011

When seeking garden sheds for sale it is important to consider where it is going to be used, how large one needs to be, and also what will be stored in it. Both metal sheds and wooden ones are the most common styles used for gardens. Garden sheds are usually a single story, simple structure. It can be solely intended for storage, or it can also serve as a potting shed, work shop, hobby barn, or green house. The size and construction of it will somewhat dictate what it can be used for.

Lifetime 8x10 Outdoor Storage Shed With High Reviews

When a shed is put into service for a farm or business it is often larger than a garden shed. Garden sheds are usually built from metal with metal sides or wooden framed with metal sides. A simple door on one end is about the extent of any amenities. Sheds on farms or ranches are more complex. The often offer windows, shingled roof, and electricity. A small shed serve homeowners well because it provides a space to store things which are not ideal to keep in the garage. Lawnmowers, chainsaws, hedge clippers, and other motorized yard tools are smelly and dirty. Having them located away from the residence is appealing.

A riding lawn mower is an expensive investment and best to keep under shelter. While a car cannot fit into most sheds, a mower can– freeing up more space in the garage. Also items such as gasoline for mowers, pesticides, animal traps, herbicides, car oil, and diesel fuel are best stored somewhere other than an attached garage. A separate shed can be padlocked so that children cannot be exposed to them.

For a small garden shed the least expensive option is a shed kit. Many homeowners like a weekend project. These kits are designed with DIY people with some building skills and a few tools. Following the directions and some patients and soon they will have their shed erected. Do it yourself kits include ones for not only metal, but also wood, vinyl, and plastic.

Basic Shed Kit

When thinking about a small garden and a limited yard, most of the time a smaller shed is needed. A few different styles are the corner shed which is very short. A space of only three feet tall, three feet wide, and two feet deep is all it offers. A much more standard vertical shed is about five feet tall, three feet wide, and four feet deep. Other standard shed sizes are 8×6, 8×8, 10×8, and 10×10. The inclusion of shelving, hooks, and racks make better use of the space. It keeps things organized and also uses the vertical spaces of the walls and ceilings to fullest advantage.

Roof styles also play a roll in more storage space within the metal shed. A simple peaked roof does give some space, but a steep pitched gambrel roof gives the most. This roof line goes up and then breaks and approaches the peak. So instead of a simple to line roof, this has four lines. A steeper pitch also allows for an open loft is the larger sized sheds. The quality of the garden shed should be examined. Higher quality metal siding for the sides and roof include corrugated iron, galvanized steel, or aluminum. These are thicker products which stand up over time. Less expensive options is thin metal. Though more economical it does dent easily in hail storms or when hit by a rock thrown by the mower. Also thin metal roofs can be overloaded with snow in the winter and collapse. So if a cheaper shed is your choice be sure to watch snow loads.

Metal is superior to wood in that it does not rot, insects do not harm it, and it is fire proof. On the down side, metal garden sheds to rust. A better grade paint helps. Also keeping the metal out of direct contact with the ground or cement elongates the life of the siding.

For those who want to use a shed for more than storage and capitalize on the ‘garden’ angle more, then a shed can become an aid in early season planting and green house work. Green houses are many times simply see through panels attached to the south side of a shed. This allows the sunlight to pass through and provide a warm moist place to raise the plants. To transform a small shed into a potting shed some owners will move the lawnmowers outside and set up simple tables. A table can be made by placing a sheet of plywood on top of sawhorses. Then a large flat area for potting can be gained.

Garden sheds for sale can be found at local hardware and home improvement stores. To build one yourself consider a shed plan.  Also shopping on line for them makes comparing prices and brand names easier. About Metal Sheds

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