Is there a "show your backyard shed" thread?

[NewShockerGuy]

So we are moving into the new house and I want to get a small shed for the back yard.

Everything in the stores now is plastic and it seems like garbage to me. I remember helping my father build our backyard shed when I was like 10.. it's STILL standing in the back yard to this day and looks fine, no rotting, nothing of that nature.

I'd like to find a nice say 6x8 or even an 7x7 shed... doesn't have to be HUGE because our backyard isn't huge... I want something I can put the lawmower in, yard tools..etc. I dont' want it just sitting on the back porch.

The "plastic" sheds at the big box stores are like $1,000 and I figure perhaps I could build one, problem is I have never built anything like that before? Is it possible? I have all the hand tools needed, and if I am missing something I will buy it. I am quite capable of working on cars and things of that nature so I imagine building a wood frame isn't too bad?, I've just never done it before.

I did find this at overstock.. the only thing that I like about it is the size and that it has some windows and skylight... Also shipping is only 2 bucks but it takes 6 weeks to get here, which is fine, no rush... Other places I've found want like $200-500 to ship it alone.. (I could imagine sheds are heavy when all boxed up and in pieces)

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Lifetime-Deluxe-Storage-Shed-7-x-7/4765365/product.html


I also saw this wood one: Looks nice, but lacking windows or light.

http://www.bjs.com/outdoor-living-today-maximizer-6-x-6-storage-shed.product.42280?dimId=2003834

Can anyone recommend a nice wood shed. Again, it doesn't have to be HUGE, would prefer wood over plastic unless someone here can say why the others are better from the obvious "no rot, and plastic lasts forever " type of thing. But I could sway either or.. One thing I know I don't want to do is spend $3000 on lawmower storage room.lol

Do we have a thread showing backyard sheds? I know I've used our garage pictures threads for some ideas and love it, and looking for the same possibly.

Thanks,
-Nigel

 

[JimVonBaden]

The first one you posted is the same as the COSTCO one, but COSTCO is only $699. Looked like a nice garden shed. I like the plastic ones because they do not rot, and they last a look time while still looking good with a clean-up.

Home Depot and Lowes both sell wood ones about that size for under $1000.

I am in the market myself and will be watching this thread.

Jim

 

[Gary S]

Here's mine.











Oops, I didn't build the shed yet.

 

[PontiacFan]

Our 'Mini-Me' garden shed, ...
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105890

Build it yourself, ..., search online plans for ideas.

 

[glider]

I would suggest check out your local talent.

 

[Knuckle Buster]

Here's mine.











Oops, I didn't build the shed yet.

Thats funny.

Same with my garage, I haven't built a real one yet, lol. Still working out of a cedar pole shed I built years ago using cedar tree's with no doors... just hung a farm gate on the front to keep the dogs out.

 

[KELLHAMMER]

Have had this planned

 

[bhclark]

Do we have a thread showing backyard sheds?

Looks like we do now!

 

[soob]

Build your own, dude. I'm building mine right now...

 

[Outlander]

Mine is kind of a hybrid. Bigger than a storage shed, smaller than a garage - actually is about 12' wide by 26' long.. I have 2 'rooms', one with a big bench, vice and storage. The other where I park my ATV, small bench, compressor, tools etc. The extra space allows me to work on the ATV or wood projects that don't fit in the smaller room (known as my office).

I would like to insulate this summer...not sure if that will happen with new roof required at the city house. Wiring will get some attention too. My son will be starting to train as an electrician in Septemeber (fingers crossed), I can give him some work

The big room is almost long enough for my 16 foot tandem ATV trailer. It is long enough to work on the axles / wheels and be out of the elements. I wonder if the flatbed smowmobile trailer will fit? If so, I can rebult those hubs/bearings in relative comfort too.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

That's what I'm thinking as far as building but I don't want materials to cost like double-triple the cost and then run up to many thousands...lol

Glider:

That first one is gigantic... I could part a car in that one, the smaller one to it is nice and actualy looks like what my dad has other than the door going up and in, his is a dual door that opens from the front.

-Nigel

 

[Ocho]

Nigel,

I built a small 8x4 for ~ $400 in material about a year ago. I was ahead of the game just a little in that I already had a gravel base in place and a bundle of shingles left over from the roof redo.

I could have and should have built it bigger for not much more money. You could probably build what you are talking about for about the same cost or just a shade more than the plastic one.

By the way - You will still have to assemble the plastic one.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

Nigel,

I built a small 8x4 for ~ $400 in material about a year ago. I was ahead of the game just a little in that I already had a gravel base in place and a bundle of shingles left over from the roof redo.

I could have and should have built it bigger for not much more money. You could probably build what you are talking about for about the same cost or just a shade more than the plastic one.

By the way - You will still have to assemble the plastic one.

Do you have any pictures?

That seems like a good deal to build one. My problem is I've never built anything like that so I'm not sure what is needed or how to "build" a frame..etc? IE: Make it structurely sound..

-Nigel

 

[odie]

Here is my 10'x12' right after I built it 2 summers ago.

 

[NUTTSGT]

If it were me, I'd build my own. I think I do have the skills to build my own though.



If you don't have the skills, it would be a learning project, honestly, a simple one. If you don't want to build your own, I'd do like Glider suggested, check out your local talent, maybe somebody that is even a member here.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Stick built from leftovers. This is at my rental house, not my new house.

It has a very substantial door on it now.

Jim

 

[KPSquared]

Just do some google learning on basic framing techniques. A shed is a great simple project to start learning how to build stuff. It's really not hard at all. The most complex part will be the roof, but just take your time, and build it right. Lots of she'd plans can be had online.

Build your floor, build your walls, build the roof.

If you really want to be inspired on cool sheds, check this out:http://www.urbanshed.ca

Just saw these at the local home and garden show. Very cool idea!

 

[simpleman64]

This is one I had built. I had them add a single door on the end so I could get in without coming inside the fence. They also put two more windows on the back side. A ramp is going at the double doors.

 

[CoyoteLL]

Built this a few years ago at my old house. Was 12' X 16'. Built from scrap lumber I picked up at a few job sites.

 

[soob]

Oh, since I am in the process of building one, let me tell you why I don't recommend getting one built.

Around here at least (the humid southeast) the most dangerous thing to a shed is rainwater. If it gets wet it will rot, and the materials they make sheds out of -- OSB, plywood, composite siding -- just don't endure long-term exposure to moisture.

So it's vitally important that you finish the shed well for longterm durability. This takes time, a lot of time, (and some more expensive materials) and builders just won't do it.

You absolutely need:

1) Pressure treated lumber for the floor. Not just the skids (which should sit on concrete blocks, not gravel) but also the joists and the floor itself. Use 2x6s for the floor joists and space them 12" or 16". Use 3/4 treated plywood for the floor. Floor is THE place most sheds fail.

2) Caulk. Caulk the hell out of it. Every seam in the siding should be caulked when you're assembling it. You should caulk the bottom of the siding where it meets the floor framing. Then caulk it again after assembly to seal it from the outside. Caulk every piece of trim--carefully. This takes time to do it well and do it neat but it's the difference between having the thing hold up perfectly and rot in five years.

3) Prime. Even if you use preprimed siding you should prime it again, after caulking of course. Prime the hell out of every joint and seam, especially on the tops and bottoms of trim and siding. Prime the back side of siding (at least at the tops and bottoms) before you even assemble the the shed. Prime the sides of the roof decking. Prime both sides of the doors, around the windows and vents, anywhere that water can get in.

4) Drip edge, tar paper, and starter rows. Roof it right.

Then most important is #5: Come back the next winter, after everything has dried out and shunk. Recaulk and touch up your paint.

 

[soob]

Oh, right, 6: hot-dipped galvanized nails throughout. Countersink the nailheads. Caulk them. Then prime over them before painting.

 

[mmhouse]

Have had this planned

Yours reminds me of mine except that my doors are on the walls 90 degrees to yours.

 

[R1chy]

Have had this planned

KELLHAMMER - That is a great looking shed.

Do you have other views and build plans? Did you ever build it and if so do you have pictures you could post?

 

[Vettman]

I built this garden shed for around $800.00 including the concrete slab. It measures 8' X 12". I scrounged some of the wood and the door and window were recycled.

 

[BBQ&Love]

This is one I had built. I had them add a single door on the end so I could get in without coming inside the fence. They also put two more windows on the back side. A ramp is going at the double doors.

Derksen?

 

[920kip]

I have a 12 x 16 I'm just wrapping up.
Cheers for all the ideas I've stolen here.

 

[Jack Olsen]

They're fun to build. Much cheaper, too.

 

[capnrob97]

 

[JimVonBaden]

They're fun to build. Much cheaper, too.

Damn Jack, you do some very cool stuff.

I would steel that, except it would look silly at my place. Looks great there though!

Jim

 

[glider]

My saltbox style shed is a pain in the *** to build on a production level but has never let me down. I have built this barn over and over.

 

[2manytoyz]

I'd recommend buying a bigger shed than you think you need. I had planned on getting a 10x12, but the house we bought came with a 10x16. I had no problem filling it!

I've since added a ramp so I can drive a riding mower into it.

Plastic is nice since it won't corrode. Metal skinned wood framed sheds are far stronger, and even have a wind load rating - see pic above. Some come with a 20 year warranty.

 

[Camper]

My saltbox style shed is a pain in the *** to build on a production level but has never let me down. I have built this barn over and over.

Just curious what makes them such a pain ???
They are good looking sheds!!

 

[1991Syclone]

Plastic is nice since it won't corrode. Metal skinned wood framed sheds are far stronger, and even have a wind load rating - see pic above. Some come with a 20 year warranty.

Interesting that they say the shed is rated for 150mph wind loads. Do all the trusses have strong ties holding them to the top plates? I only see 1 or two. Each truss should have a strong tie on it and the top/bottom plates should be attached to the walls better.

There should be A LOT more holding those pieces together to get certified for that wind load. My guess is they submitted blue prints showing all of the ties to get approval, but may have "forgotten" to install them on your shed.

 

[glider]

Just curious what makes them such a pain ???
They are good looking sheds!!

Thanks Camper, there is more material to deal with. Tall wall vs short wall. 30hrs vs 20hrs. If it was just me building them I would be fine with it, more training. Just more of everything with them. They are a proven seller and this is not my only income, but if it was I would be all over them.

 

[dare23]

Some nice looking sheds glider!

 

[Desmond61]

So we are moving into the new house and I want to get a small shed for the back yard.

 

[2manytoyz]

Interesting that they say the shed is rated for 150mph wind loads. Do all the trusses have strong ties holding them to the top plates? I only see 1 or two. Each truss should have a strong tie on it and the top/bottom plates should be attached to the walls better.

There should be A LOT more holding those pieces together to get certified for that wind load. My guess is they submitted blue prints showing all of the ties to get approval, but may have "forgotten" to install them on your shed.

No idea how they got the rating. At 150 MPH, my house will be gone, and if the shed survives, we'll be living in it for a while! Also makes me wonder when it received the rating. The shed came with the house, I don't know its age. The house was built in 1990. After Hurricane Andrew (1992), ALL the hurricane codes changed drastically. But there are metal cross straps on the exterior of the 2x4 frame, covered by the outer metal skin of the shed. You can just see part of them in the pics. The pegboard on the end of the shed obscures them a bit from view.

But this is still far stronger than the plastic shed I put together for a family member years ago. Each wall piece interlocked, and little screws zipped into the walls to tie them to the baseplate and roof. If you lean on a wall, you'll fall through as the screws tear out of the plastic.

He lived on the beach, and corrosion ate up his cheap steel shed from Sears years before. He also needed something that could be assembled on site since it had to be carried around the back of the house, through an existing chainlink fence. The plastic shed came in a big flat box, everything had to be assembled. The only upgrade I did was to buy stainless screws, instead of using the included galvanized ones.

Oh, if a hurricane DOES head our way.... Plan B:

 

[DYNA BILL]

They're fun to build. Much cheaper, too.

I like the alcove for the trash container.

 

[1991Syclone]

Oh, if a hurricane DOES head our way.... Plan B:

You're far enough inland that you shouldn't have to worry. I was on the front porch in Winter Springs when Charlie came through in 2004. Power was out for 3 days, but very little damage to the house.

 

[bad_idea]

My saltbox style shed is a pain in the *** to build on a production level but has never let me down. I have built this barn over and over.

I would love to see some pictures of the inside. Maybe even some plans? Build details? That is EXACTLY what I plan on building next spring. Very nice craftsmanship there Sir.