Let's Talk ShedsDesign & experiences with storage sheds & garages

When planning and building in areas that get snowfall, it is critical that the building be engineered for that location. Even if you think that you normally just get light snow, there are other factors to be concerned about. Combine wind, moisture content, duration and temperature, and your roof can get heavy faster than you think.

With multiple storms plus the change in day- and night-time temperatures you could also have a build up of ice on the roof. Changing the angle of the roof and/or the type of roofing material used, like metal, can help decrease snow load hazards.

It is best to first check with your local building department for design criteria before starting

your project. The side of the hill you are on can even be a factor. Plus these criteria can

change from year to year.

So what do you ask the building department?

You ask for the design criteria for your location, plus any special requirements for snow conditions. Some call it snow loads, live loads, or even ground loads. Keep the question generic so they tell you the correct phrase to use.

If you see a website or others trying to sell plans for a shed or building, most will not work for you. They are a waste of time and money. It is best to work with a certified engineer for your area and a builder knowledgeable of the local conditions. I go through each of these same steps when working a project in an area that gets snow.

Note: These same areas sometimes have additional design criteria due to the fear of fire.

Please comment or send me your questions.

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Have you dreamed of having a place to hibernate, watch the game, work on projects or hang out with your best buds?

Space to work on your prized car, truck, ski boat, fishing boat or motorcycle? A wood or metal shop, or art studio?

A place to entertain with a wet bar, poker table, big screens, killer sound system, your collectibles and trophies, foosball, pool table, air hockey, arcade games, or even slot machines.

But the wife will not give up any of the current living space.

So, Let’s Talk Sheds

The concept of a shed being used as a man cave has been around at least as long as the chant, “babes, beer & BBQ.” Let’s face it — it’s a mini house, waterproof, warm and — all yours.  To start just add a little drywall, paint, a fridge and a TV.  Oh, and don’t forget the leather recliner. Then add your own taste and style.

The shed can be as small as to fit you, your dog and your favorite chair or as large as Jay Leno’s mega garage. Most are in between.  Just think if you could fit a 2-car garage in your backyard or even better, a 4-car garage.  Use part for entertaining and the other part for your toys. Having a full bathroom with a shower would be a great added benefit.

Invite all your friends over for the big game or a night of fun and games.  It all starts with four walls and a roof.  Be it a shed or an over-sized garage, it’s up to you and your dream of having a space of your own. Comments are welcome.

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Do you dream about having an automated, hands off and self-aligning telescope connected to your laptop in your backyard?

Plus a shed to house the equipment so you don’t have to pack it up every night?

As you see in the pictures this is a simple reality, and it has a sliding roof.

You would be able to walk in your own backyard:

• Slide the roof back on rails,
• Close the door;
• Plug in your laptop,
• Sit back for hours of gazing fun.

It would help if you can set the shed away from lights, electrical and thermal sources of interferences.

Other Links:

Kenyon Astrophysical Observatory

Stoney Hills Observatory

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Thinking about a playhouse for the kids? Don’t get suckered into the countless, high-cost custom wood playhouses on the market. After a few years they are no longer used by the kids and are too small for use by you. Here’s the perfect solution:

Create a place where your kids can go play in the safety of their own backyard, a place where their imagination can go free in a playhouse of their own — by converting a new or old shed into a playhouse for the kids!

The best part is, once they are done with the playhouse, you can use it again as a gardening or storage shed. The key is to start with a quality shed that’s going to last. Then let your imagination go and dream of the playhouse you wanted when you were their age. With a little paint and added accessories, you can create a kid’s playhouse without breaking the bank:

• Paint a wall with chalkboard paint
• Set up a small table and chairs for the imaginary tea party
• Add cabinets & shelves
• Add safety windows and sky lights for natural light
• Add plenty of vents for good airflow
• Add a toy box or storage for their outdoor toys
• Add a small cut-away dollhouse
• Add a parking garage for tricycles and bikes

You’re done, and the kids have a great place to play. And you have a front seat to watch their imaginations come to life!

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Almost every day the question is asked “Can we move a wood shed?” The next question that follows is, “Can we disassemble the building and reassemble it?”  Nuts, bolts or screws are intended to be removed. Sheds that are nailed together are not intended to be disassembled.

For moving within the yard, think about how the pyramids were made. How those huge blocks were moved from the quarry to the site of the pyramids. They used multiple logs as rollers, moving over flat and inclined surfaces.

Prior to moving the shed, remove all contents, to lighten the load and prevent possible damage. The fun part is  prying the shed off the surface it’s sitting on. Leverage, is key to getting the unit off the surface. A long bar, with a strong fine edge, is needed to create the gap between the base and the surface, like a Pinch bar with a heel. If more leverage is needed simply add more length to the bar.

In place of the logs used in the ancient times, galvanized pipe or inexpensive peeler logs, found in the garden center, will work. Take your time and finesse the building across the surface into its new location. For added strength and safety the use of straps and ratcheted pulley system is recommended. You don’t want a run away shed on your hands.

Moving outside of the yard, if there is direct access, a flat bed trailer  or tow truck is the answer to mobility. Check with the Transportation Department for permits if your shed is over 8 feet wide. A crane may also be needed to get over or a round obstacles like homes and walls.

In tight residential areas relocation of sheds between properties is not an easy task. There are normally a number of obstacles in the way, be it at the current or new site or along the route. Look for wires, trees and street lights which would prevent the relocation of the shed.

Most of my clients leave the old shed behind and have a new one installed at the new location.

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“131 unit break-in at a Public Storage facility”

“Drugs & weapons found at mini storage facility”

“Suspicious 2-alarm fire damages self storage units”

“Rodents, Rats and Mice— Oh My!”

These are not the headlines you want to see.  You see the ads every day about cleaning out your garage and closets to make room.  But do you know the risks involved with these places?

When you gather a large group of people and their worldly possessions all in one facility or warehouse, their problems and friends become yours.  You share the space with families & businesses fighting over the items in storage.  Some are hiding things that may or may not even belong to them.  Some are simply storing wine.  Others are storing highly corrosive and explosive chemicals.  Criminals can easily rent a space, just to gain access to your property.  You just don’t know who or what may be sharing the space in the next locker over.

There is another option that you may have over looked.  That is having your own storage place in your or a friend’s backyard.  Having a quality wood storage shed installed greatly reduces the threat of loss or damage by others.  You have greater security and control, versus shared space or self storage facilities.  Plus you have unlimited access at any time to your stuff.  Additionally this can save you money in the long run.

What about the cost?  If you keep your stuff at a storage facility for 18 to 20 months, you could have paid for a new storage shed.  The storage facility industry knows that if you don’t move out within the first 6 months, you will be paying them for years and years.  That’s money that you could be using more wisely.

Plus the storage shed can be customized for your individual needs and add value to the property it’s installed on.  A shed may start off as bulk storage.  But over time it will be used for: out of town guests, the cool play house for the kids or grand kids, game room, craft room, art studio, home office or even that potting shed you have dreamed about.  Families and businesses are always looking for more space to live and grow.  Don’t you think a new shed may be a better answer?

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A large number of storage sheds and garden storage sheds are used for a small hobby or micro business space.  Inventory, stocks, supplies and even office space are frequently created within sheds, instead of renting or taking up more space in the house.

As with the Bee Guy, he started with one shed for bulk supplies, boxes and frames for future hives.  To keep cost down, he maximized the size he could buy without needing a building permit.  Once the business continued to grow he purchased additional shed space, still keeping within the guideline set by the local community.  Organization within the sheds is critical for the business.  Most of this space sees high activity or turn over, unlike some home usage, which can contain seldom use’d items.  Access to the materials stored within is essential. Greater usage of racks along the exterior walls, plus interior free standing units, helps with access and organization.  Some even set up bar coding systems for greater organization and inventory control.

Some communities limit the overall sidewall height on sheds.  The barn style sheds increase capacity through height.  With the increased roof angles the barns are able to capture the added space.  Capturing this space again with lofts or taller racks gives you an enormous advantage over the ranch style sheds.

The two sheds so far have worked out great for this award-winning beekeeper and honey processor.  So if your next venture needs more space than your house can give, take a look at your existing garden shed or add a quality wood shed to give you the space you need to get started.  Many inventors and businesses have started out in a shed or small garage, like Ford and HP as examples.

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Warning – there are several shed web sites giving extremely damaging information on site preparation for sheds.

They propose creating a four inch pit, and backfill with gravel to the same level as the surrounding area. As a result, gravity does its thing and starts to fill in the voids of the rocks with moisture & materials. This type of moisture is prime breeding ground for dangerous germs.

A huge example of this is New Orleans after hurricane Katrina.  The result would be the premature failure of floors and walls of any structure.

Most building departments today require positive flow of water away from new, detached structures (sheds).  This entails a raised site and a minimum two percent slope away from the base of the new structure.

The most cost effective way to create a level pad is to spread and level 2” to 6” of ¾” crushed rock over your existing ground.  This creates an elevated building pad for your shed as well as adding better drainage away from the storage building.

If more leveling is needed you must build a “Box” out of Pressure Treated 2x boards or keystone concrete blocks to create a retaining wall.  Level the top of the box, and then fill it up with ¾” crushed rock.  This creates a safe, strong & sturdy foundation for your new storage shed.

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Raising the building for animal control doesn’t make sense. That gives the animals room to easily get under it.   My experience has been that animals tend to nest and/or do damage when they have a nice, cozy place to settle down (under a shed).  I’ve seen sheds with snakes, moles, skunks, mice, rats, etc.  you name it. Best way to avoid them is to remove the access by having the Tuff Shed structure sit on the level ground with no room to get under the floor joists. (Small animals like mice and snakes can get through the vent holes in the floor joists, but you can put pieces of screen over the vents if needed.) That will keep most animals (except burrowing animals) out. You can’t stop burrowing animals from burrowing. That’s what they do. The only way to prevent burrowing animal damage is either a) get rid of the animal (refer to county animal control for advice on traps and/or other methods), or b) a solid barrier between the ground and the shed (concrete pad). You could effectively do the same thing by laying 2″ concrete blocks edge to edge to cover the entire surface under the shed.

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49

A beautiful home office shed, a 12×16, Tuff Shed Premier Tall Ranch shed.  A light and airy feeling is achieved through the installation of large, dual pane picture windows.  The building was wrapped in Tyvek moisture barrier and insulated for environmental comfort.

A licensed electrical contractor installed an electrical system including, power, data and communication cables. An all-in-one air conditioning and heat unit was installed.  After dry walling, tape texture, paint and carpeting, the basic unit was ready for furniture.

The client now has a great quiet place, to contemplate and create, away from distractions of home and office.

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