Equipment and Construction News

You know those tools you seldom use but you can’t bare to get rid of? Wooden sheds are a great place for storing them, but they can be used for SO MUCH MORE than just storage. They can also be made (or adapted) for several different purposes.

Using a shed for the garden is perhaps the most popular reason to have a shed. Its quite a convenient place for storing your garden tools and supplies so the natural location for a shed is right next to the garden. Plus, potting your plants is a snap with a proper workbench in your shed. Many of the garden sheds built today connect us to a simpler past just with their charm and character.

Sheds also serve other purposes as well. Locate your shed next to a pool and it serves the purpose of a pool cabana. These are particularly handy for storing pool chemicals that should be stored away from the main house anyway. Some cabanas are stocked with towels, pool toys and with snacks stored in a refrigerator. This helps to keep the kids from running into the house all wet.

Sheds are perfect for artists’ studios and for kids playhouses because of their size. And, with the addition of a few pieces of furniture and other accessories, a wooden shed makes a great little sanctuary.

If you are seriously considering building your own shed, there are a couple of alternatives for the kind of material you can build it with. If your shed is going to be in a highly visible place, I strongly recommend building it from wood for aesthetic reasons, if nothing else.

Other options include plastic (or vinyl) and metal (usually rolled aluminum). Plastic is virtually maintenance free and is going to be your least expensive option. While metal is durable, it can get really hot inside – especially in warmer climate zones.

Now, if you have decided upon a wooden shed, you need to figure out if you are going to build it yourself or hire someone else to build it. If you are fairly handy with tools (please be honest with yourself), then there are a LOT of shed kits out there for you to choose from. Wooden shed kits are much easier and faster to build than making one from scratch.

So, its important to step back from your project before you get too deep and evaluate what its purpose will be. The rest will fall right into place.

Terry Shaw enjoys everything about garden sheds. For more info, construction tips, and resources, visit his web site: BestWoodenSheds.com.