If you engage in a lot of DIY projects, you’re going end up having many home improvement or woodworking tools and equipment. When your tools get to a certain number, it might just become impossible to store them in your home.
That is when you’ll need a shed or outdoor storage to stow away the tools and equipment you have. Sometimes when you buy a home it comes with a shed.
At other times, it doesn’t come with one. In that case, you’ll have to buy one or build one buy yourself. Buying one would be cool but personally, I like building things myself. So, if you’re like me, you’d grab the bull by the horn and get to work.
Talking about building a shed, there a few tips you should follow if you want to build a solid shed that will last for years.
Here are a few of them.
1. Build on a solid foundation
When it comes to building an outdoor storage or shed, it’s not all about how good looking it is, but also how long it will last. And the only way your shed will stand the test of time is if it’s built on a solid foundation.
Majority of sheds are built with wood, so it’s very likely that you’re planning to build yours with wood as well. If I’m right, then you should beware of water. Because water is the mortal enemy of wood.
If you build your shed on a place that gets flooded with water, then it’s not going to last at all. The water is going to make the wood rust, and your shed will fail.
So, make sure you choose a dry or well drained location to build your shed. If your shed is not going to be very big, you can build a solid concrete foundation for it, or you can use large 6×6 pressure treated lumber laid on gravel for the foundation.
When your foundation is made above the ground, you can start building your shed on top of it.
2. Don’t skimp on roofing
At first thought, it may make more sense to roof your shed with asphalt shingles rather than metal panels due to the higher cost of metal roofing. But in the long run, it makes little to no sense.
With a metal roof, your shed is going to last 30 to 50 years. The same you cannot say of a roof made with Asphalt shingles.
Metal roofing is also easier and more time saving that roofing with asphalt shingles. Metal roofing will cost a bit more; probably $100 to $200 more, but you’ll find better value with it in the long run.
3. Good air circulation is necessary
As mentioned earlier, water can cause serious damage to your shed. However, even if you build your shed on a dry area away from water, moisture is another element that cause serious damage to your shed given enough time.
Moisture can make the wood used for your shed to rot, it corrode hinges, warp doors and floors, cause mold and a whole lot of damage to your shed.
Fortunately though, you can keep moisture out by allowing air in. With good air circulation in your shed, moisture will be kept at bay. So make sure the lowest wood member of your shed is at least 6 inches above ground level.
Also, you should leave between 2 ft to 3 ft. of space around all the side of your shed to allow fresh air to circulate all through the shed.
4. Build an easy to access tool locker for frequently used gear
In any shed, I’m sure there are tools you used almost all the time like your lawn mower or any of your favorite woodworking tool. You don’t want to keep these tools inside a space difficult to access in the shed.
To store these frequently used tools, you need to build a shallow tool locker on back or side of your shed. This will allow you to easily access these tools without first breaking a sweat.
5. Make use of sturdy weather resistant frame for the floor
One part of your shed that’s going to take the most beating is the floor. You’re going to be walking on it each time you go into the shed to get something out or drop something off, and it’s going to get wet from time to time.
For it not to fail as time passes by, you need to make sure you use strong and sturdy pressure-treated lumber that has a minimum thickness of 2 inches for the flooring. Do this, and you’ll get a floor that’s up to the task.
6. Make use of sliding doors
Swinging doors are more common but sliding doors are easier to build and are better for small buildings like sheds. They’re also easier to install, and they perform better as the years rolls by.
They still have drawbacks though. One of the drawback is that it requires that you have a long wall for you to have a wide sliding door.
7. Make use of low-maintenance materials
Getting your shed built is one thing, maintaining it is another thing, and it’s only going to get worse if you use materials that requires a lot of maintenance.
So, if you don’t want to do a lot of maintenance work after building your shed, opt for low maintenance materials while building the shed.
8. Consider plastic dome skylights
If you’re building a small shed that has very little wall space, to provide more space you can dish the traditional windows and opt for cheap plastic dome skylights.
They’re ugly looking but they allow light into your shed, and they leave more wall space free for you to hang more tools.
9. Take note of door size and placement
The size and position of your shed door is very important. Build the door too small, and you’ll risk not being able to take certain tools past the door.
So, you want to install a door that is wide enough to let you take all your tools in and out of the shed.
The placement of your shed doors are also very important. Placing your shed door on the gable end of your shed may look nice, but sometimes you do that at the risk of sacrificing mobility and ease assessing tools in the shed.
The better option is to install your doors on the long side of the wall. This will allow you to access items from all the sides of the shed easily.
Building a shed can be quite exciting and challenging at the same time especially if it’s your first time. But with the tips above, I’m sure you’ll be able to build something amazing. Now go on apply these tips and build your own shed.
