Outdoor Storage Sheds - What Are the Factors to Consider?

Outdoor storage sheds can be a great addition to your home for three reasons.

1. A storage shed offers a solution to your storage problems. It gives you a place to store all your tools, garden supplies, dirt bikes, RVs, boats, or anything else you want kept safe.

2. A tastefully built shed that matches the architectural design of your home can make your property look a lot more appealing.

3. An attractive, well constructed shed will add real value to your property. It means you can charge a higher rent to tenants and get better returns when you sell your home.

If you are planning to add a shed to your home, you have three choices - you can buy it ready made, build one yourself with precut parts, or build one from scratch .

Buying

You can find an incredibly huge range of outdoor storage sheds on the market today. You can either buy a premade shed or order a custom-made shed. A shed that is delivered with the major parts pre-assembled can cost several thousand dollars. Solid, spacious sheds made of high quality materials can cost as much as $20,000 or more.

Constructing a shed with Precut Parts

If you find the task of building a shed from scratch too daunting, you can buy shed kits that contain all the parts you need. Then you only have to follow a guide to put your shed together. A shed kit can set you back by a few thousand dollars, and the cost differs greatly based on the size of the shed and the quality of the materials used.

Building One From Scratch

If you are handy with tools and love to build stuff, you can build a storage shed from scratch. You can buy a good shed plan that will include all the materials and tools required to build your shed, including how-to instructions, illustrations, and valuable tips that will help you complete your project successfully.

Outdoor Storage Sheds - Factors to Consider

Zoning Regulations

As you're probably well aware, the zoning restrictions will determine the height, size and even the location of outdoor storage sheds. So, you should make sure you have the necessary building permit and your shed conforms to the local zoning requirements.

Roof Design

Your choices for shed roofing include lean-to (ideal for small spaces), gable (extra storage space), hip (great looking), gambrel (plenty of internal headroom), and saltbox (rustic look, resistant to strong winds).

Your Shed Foundation

The common choices for a shed foundation include gravel (cheap), timber (easy to install), concrete pier (ideal for temporary sheds), and concrete blocks and slabs (ideal for strong, permanent structures).

Storage Space

You can make the most of the available space by adding wall hooks, hangers, tool organizers, lofts, and cabinets.

Ventilation

Proper ventilation is necessary to pull moisture and stale air out of your shed. One of the easiest ways to do it is to add windows and vents to your shed. If you have electric power available you can use a ventilation fan to keep the air moving out of your shed.

Security

If you plan to store anything with real value in your shed you'll want to secure the door(s) with a strudy lock or even an alarm system. This is the best method to insure that your property remains safe.

Summary

Building an outdoor storage shed should not be an overwhelming task if you approach it step by step. If you take your time to plan carefully your reward will be a functional and attractive structure of which you can be proud to say "I build it myself".


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