Garage or shed?

[Bellicose]

Hi all, My son just asked me "When does a garage become a shed?"

That got me thinking. I always say 'I'm going out to the shed' but my son says garage.

What do you all think?

 

[Mike007]

I say if it has a garage door, it's a garage.

 

[crewchief888]

I say if it has a garage door, it's a garage.

but when it fills with lawn equipment, kids toys, bicycles, old furniture, decorations, and the remnants from the last 4 garage sales.........
it's a shed
or a potential fire hazard

 

[jmh21586]

My garage is attached to my house. My shed is detached, but bigger and nicer than my garage.

If I were to call my shed a garage, and my garage a garage, how would my wife know where I was going if I told her I was going out to the garage?
See?

 

[crewchief888]

My garage is attached to my house. My shed is detached, but bigger and nicer than my garage.

If I were to call my shed a garage, and my garage a garage, how would my wife know where I was going if I told her I was going out to the garage?
See?

:
headshake

i has no idea.....

my wife only knows that her car is in the garage in the wintertime. thats the only time she's ever been in there.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

In the Northern Hemisphere, a Garage is for cars, and a shed is a little outbuilding.

In your part of the world, shed is a different word.

 

[Old Patriot]

Well I live in the country and I have a 2 car garage that is attached to the house, 2 sheds, one for my shop where I work on my equipment and old cars the other for storage of just about anything. If you count the chicken house, I guess I have 3.

 

[Jack Olsen]

In North America, a shed is usually considered a small building, primarily for storage of outdoor-type tools or lawn equipment. A barn is a much larger version of the same, and a shop would be a larger building with electrical machinery in it.

I'm not clear on what the word shed implies in New Zealand or Australia, but it sounds like their definition might be closer to our terms barn or shop?

 

[mmb617]

The way I see it, if it has cars parked in it then it's a garage. If it's a storage building, then it's a shed. And if it's a place where work is done it's a shop.

In cases where usage overlaps I go by the primary use.

 

[OccupantRJ]

In the Northern Hemisphere, a Garage is for cars, and a shed is a little outbuilding.

In your part of the world, shed is a different word.

Around here, a backyard building is called a storage building or an outbuilding. As the size increases, or if it's on a farm, it becomes a barn. A garage is used to park a daily driver, and a detached building with tools inside and where work is done is a shop, no matter the size. A shelter here can be either attached or free standing. I have never heard anyone in this area use the word shed except as in woodshed for storing firewood, or used in the context of where someone has misbehaved, and has to be taken "out behind the woodshed" for a paddling. See how clear that was?

 

[Gary S]

It is a garage if you park your car in it and keep your tools in it. It is a shed if you raise chickens in it and gather the eggs every day.

 

[blazsawgras]

in the area where i leave lots of times a shed has at least on side open. i have a utility storage building with sheds on each side of it where i keep atv and lawn mower and other lawn equiptment. my garage is fully closed has big door and where do my work.

 

[red69ss]

If its a garage it might look something like the first pic, somewhere you can work on things.

If its a shed you will likely store things in it and it "might" look something like the last two pics.

 

[ddawg16]

If vehicles are involved....it's a garage....as in, "Your son works down at the local garage changing tires."

Then there is a "Parking Garage"

If vehicles are not involve....and it's small....it's a shed....if it's really small...it's a closet....assuming it's attached to a larger building....

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

Garage - A room attached to the house where the cars / trucks / motorcycles sleep at night. It should look good, be kept clean and free of junk (junk includes washers/dryers/lawn equipment/toys/sports equipment and anything belonging to the wife - other than her car). If it don't meet this criteria, congradulations you have a storage facility, not a garage.

Shop - This is the building where all the grinding, welding, fabbing, working, vehicle maintainence gets done. It should be well stocked with tools and equipment related to working on vehicles (which are parked in the garage). There should be plenty of areas for fab work and plenty of work benches and tool boxes.

Shed - This is the smaller building out back that houses lawn equipment, toys, sports equipment, herbicides, pesticides, grass seed, rakes, shovels, chain saws, wheel barrels, bicycles and all the other **** that people who own attached storage areas pack around the cars that that also stored in their attached storage area.

Thats my take on it, anyway...

 

[HGFS]

Funny......mine fits all of the above??? lucky it is big enough.

 

[Bellicose]

Ok, so i still have no idea lol.

What would you call this....................besides a fire hazard lol.

 

[commonut]

Our cars live in the garage, the shed is mine! I guess mine is what you guys would call a shop, just not neat and tidy. More of a tripping hazard really!

 

[jwillis]

My garage is attached to my house. My shed is detached, but bigger and nicer than my garage.

If I were to call my shed a garage, and my garage a garage, how would my wife know where I was going if I told her I was going out to the garage?
See?

That's what a garage is for- so your wife doesn't know where you are, right?

 

[jwillis]

A garage is big enough to park a car in. A shed is smaller and, as someone mentioned, a place for garden or yard equipment. But if you are really cool, you usually give your garage a name like, The Cave, The Hole In The Wall, Dad's Place, etc.

 

[Flange]

Just to complicate things in the UK, in the industry I work in (civil engineering & construction), a "shed" is either a small garden building for storing stuff in but can also be a portal frame building of any size.

So i could describe a project that I am working on as "building a shed" but the reality is that it could be a 100,000 sq ft portal frame.

 

[jmh21586]

My "shed" as I call it is 34'x52'. 34'x30' is shop. 34'x22' is storage.

So what is it? I sometimes park the car in the shop so is that a garage or a shop? If the building is a garage than what about calling the storage side a shed?
Do I actually have a garage, shop and shed in 1 building?

A shopargaged? Shegarop?

 

[december45]

Here in the US, some of this terminology depends on what part of the country your building happens to be sitting.

In MN, the word "shed"gets thrown around alot, but is used mostly for metal buildings, no matter the size or content, garage is used for that smaller structure reserved for you vehicle and barn is usually a wooden structure where the animals are kept.

now this can and will change depending on what part of MN you are from, and what your nationality happens to be... Now in the rest of the US it can get even more confusing, just look at previous posts.

 

[Submarine_Sailor]

My garage is attached to my house. My shed is detached, but bigger and nicer than my garage.

If I were to call my shed a garage, and my garage a garage, how would my wife know where I was going if I told her I was going out to the garage?
See?

This is precisely what you want to do. Call them both a garage, tell her you're going to the garage, and you are home free. I recommend keeping cold beer in both, for medicinal purposes.

 

[jjkrjh]

I believe that it is how "permanent" that the building is.

Shed- generally small in size,generally a non permanent floor, can be moved if needed easily, no foundation or post building.

Barn-larger in size to very large, dirt, gravel, and possibly concrete floor, can have a foundation but usually a post style construction, generally not as sealed up as a garage, 2nd floors for storage ect.

Garage- has a foundation or can be pole building style, floor can be dirt/gravel but most have a concrete floor, usually sealed up fairly well with overhead doors ect.

Barns and garages would be very similar, while a shed is of lesser value and can be replaced/removed easily.

 

[hdossett]

OK, I'll step with my take!

If it big enough to house a car (with wide enough door), and has a drive way leading to it, it's a garage, otherwise, if you have leave the drive to get to it, it's a shed!

That's my story and I sticking to it!

H

 

[PAToyota]

As quite a few people have mentioned, it comes down to semantics and regional preferences most of the time. If you've grown up calling something a "barn" or a "shed" or a "garage" and those around you do the same, you're not likely to change based on an internet discussion...

For me, I find I think along the following lines:

• A shed is a smaller building meant mainly for storage of items - garden shed, tool shed, etc.
• A barn is for agricultural purposes - mainly the housing of livestock. Agricultural purposes other than livestock is a shed. "I'm heading out to the barn to feed the cattle and then up to the tractor shed to see if I can get the hydraulics on the Case working again."
• A garage (in general use) is your typical suburban area for storing your cars - and likely all the other **** that comes with suburban life.
• A workshop is the place where you're doing more than just storing things and the occasional maintenance - fabrication, restoration, rebuilding, etc. Your tools, supplies, and equipment likely outweigh your vehicles at least 2:1.

I have a workshop, which is why my daily driver is usually sitting out in the driveway...

 

[imavanner2]

In my town if it has a garage door on it that is 7x7 or bigger it is a garage any thing smaller is a shed. if it has a floor or not. any shed 100 sq' or bigger is taxed all garages are taxed. you will see 15 x 30 sheds for work shops with double doors to save on the garage tax.

 

[e-tek]

I just read though this thread......and I think the "deleted post" thread is more informative......

 

[Boyd Who]

To keep from confusing my wife, I call the old 12x20 garage "the garage", and the new 20x22 building "the shop". In reality they're both garages. The 8x8 "shed" was torn down once the shop was built.

 

[sumner52000]

Around here, a backyard building is called a storage building or an outbuilding. As the size increases, or if it's on a farm, it becomes a barn. A garage is used to park a daily driver, and a detached building with tools inside and where work is done is a shop, no matter the size. A shelter here can be either attached or free standing. I have never heard anyone in this area use the word shed except as in woodshed for storing firewood, or used in the context of where someone has misbehaved, and has to be taken "out behind the woodshed" for a paddling. See how clear that was?

I'm from NC and have several sheds, no outbuildings or storage buildings. Outbuilding or storage buidling takes too long to say. I have sheds.

 

[bazzateer]

Easy!

A garage is for car stuff.

A shed is for garden/other non-car stuff.

(a shed can also be used to store car stuff that is in the way in the garage.)

 

[harrisor]

Ha awesome post!

To me, a workable garage is a building with power, floor, and a roof.

A shed is the above with no power and a wood or dirt floor.

(I have a "detached garage" that has a dirt floor and no power, so to me its a shed)