The roof of your shed is a very important aspect of your build.  A good roof will keep all your stored goods safe and dry.  Here are a few things to consider when you get to the roof of your shed.

1. Snow – if you are building a shed in a location that experiences a lot of snow, you will want to ensure that you shed roof can handle the load.  Snow can lie very deep on a roof and the construction needs to be strong enough to handle that.  The steeper the angle of the trusses the better it is for snow areas
2. Roof designs sometimes need to adhere to building code regulations.  If you happen to live in a conservation area, you will want to ensure that you’re shed is not in violation of any codes.
3. When you get to the building of your shed roof, safety is the most important factor.  Anyone who is working on the roof should consider what the weather is doing and if it is safe to be there at that time.
4. Roof shingles should be of the best quality you can afford.  Your shed is going to last years and you don’t want to have to replace your shingles too often.  If you can, try and match your shingles to your home roof shingles for a more authentically pleasing look.

Finally, you know that your roof is a vary important part of your shed building project and with a good looking shed roof, your shed will look all the more professional and will last for years to come.

Professional plans don’t have to cost you a lot of money an in fact will save you a lot of money as you’ll know exactly what you need before you even start your build.  If you decide to build without a plan, you can expect to have to make adjustments along the way.  Anyone who has built anything will tell you that making adjustments often means spending more money.

Pro plans for building sheds are easy to follow, give you all the information up front and you get an illustration of exactly how to put it all together.

So Simple – Don’t build castles.

With huge quantities of shed plans available, it’s easy to want to complicate your project with shutters and siding and such things.  Remember that this is just a shed, a storage space and if that’s all it is, then don’t waste money on things that won’t make it more functional.

Don’t do anything until you’ve thought the process through.

When you are planning your project, you’ll want to mentally go through the entire process before you get started.  What tools you are going to need to complete the job and what do you have available right now.  At the end of your project, what is going to be inside your shed and how big are the items and do they match the size of your shed.

The best plans will also include a cut chart and if you take this to the lumber yard, they’ll cut your wood for your ensuring that you don’t have to worry about cutting it yourself.

Planning permission granted or not?

Your final task before you start is to find out if you can build your shed.  Most small sheds don’t need building permits, but check before you start.  There is nothing worse than building a shed only to discover that you weren’t allowed to and now you have to take it down and pay a fine.

The first decision you have to make is what kind of shed you want to build.  Do you want your shed to blend into a particular style of home or are you happy with something really simple in your garden.  Another aspect of your build to consider is if you want to paint your wood or not.  Painting means that you don’t have to use the very best quality wood and can cover any blemishes in the lumber.

If this is your very first shed building project, it is a good idea to follow the instructions carefully.  Not that it is difficult to build, but by following the instructions carefully, you will land up with the best looking shed with the least amount of mistakes.  After a while you’ll be able to work with plans more loosely and use your own imagination when it comes to how you want it all to work together

Finding the right spot for your shed is also really important.  If you are building near a wall or a fence, it might be a good idea to try and match it in colour so that it looks good.  Another really important reason for knowing where you are going to put your shed is that locating any doors and windows can only be done when you know where it will fit.

Fitting your shed in your garden will also make a big difference to the size you choose.  You really want to get a shed as big as possible, but that won’t look cramped in the space you have allocated for it.  No point in building a shed that is so big and you can’t get into it easily because you haven’t left any room for a path to the door.

What type of shed do I need?

Depending on what you are going to be putting in your shed, you will have a few choices of what type of shed to build.  If you are only storing garden equipment such as lawn mowers and such items, then you’ll need quite a bit of floor space.  If you are going to be storing boxes and containers, then you’ll be looking at something with some shelving.

Garden growing sheds usually need both a planting table as well as space for your shoves, rakes and other garden tools.

What plans do I choose?

Plans come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges.  If this is just a once off project and you know exactly what type of shed you want, then you could just buy a single shed plans (although much more expensive in per plan costs).  If you think that you might want to see a few different types before you decide for sure which one is right for you, then a collection of plans is suitable.  Although the collection might be more expensive, the cost per plan will be much reduced.

Find shed plans that include step-by-step instruction and if you can find some with online support, this will help if you run into some problems and need a little helping hand without having to spend any more money.

What is the best location for my shed?

Before you start building your shed, make sure that you don’t need to have planning permission to build.  The size of the shed is the primary deciding factor.  Although you want to build as big a shed as you possibly can, at some point the size will mean having to get a building permit which will cost more money.

If you don’t need a permit, then you can build it anywhere you like.  The best locations are on flat ground with good water drainage.

What kind of foundation will my shed need?

The length of time your shed remains functional is directly proportionate to the quality of it’s foundations.  Dry and level are the best and although there are a lot of different foundation systems, the simplest are often the best.  Keeping the base wood elevated off the soil will prevent damp from rising and damaging the wood.

What kind of finish should I give my shed?

Painting you shed is a personal choice.   Depending on where it is located and whether you think your shed needs to blend in or not, you can make that decision.  Often just a little varnish or treatment will do just fine, but weather conditions will also play a vital role in your decision making.

Most people use their garage to store all their extra stuff and that’s fine if you have enough space, but often it’s the car that is left out in the cold, the rain and the sun while the garage becomes a storage grotto.

Building your own shed means…?

• No more storing in the garage
• Having a dedicated area so you can actually find things again
• Doing something that adds value to your home and will add credits to your marriage.

So how do you build a shed…?

The best sheds are portable, meaning you can lift and move them to where you need them.  Portable sheds also don’t need any planning permission and you can take them with you if you ever sell your home.  The other option is to go bigger and build a garden shed that has foundations.  This is really easy and as long as your shed is not massive, you won’t need planning permission for it either.  The bigger the shed – the more space you have and it’s always a good idea to go for the biggest you can afford.

Before you begin you project – decide on what you want your shed to be made of.  You could use plastic, fibreglass, wood, glass or metal.  The easiest to work with is wood, but depending on your weather conditions, you may want to use something else.

Find a great set of plans – we are offering a free plan here.  If you need something different, there is a huge collection of different plans to choose from in the link below.

Click here for the plan download page.

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Once you have your plans, you’ll want to get going on building your shed.  Follow the instructions and you could have a shed up in less than a few hours.  It’s easy and is a project that the whole family could get involved in.

I bought enough probably to build six sheds and I’m really glad I did it.  This video shows just how you can save yourself a fortune by using old lumber.

We did decide to paint the last shed as the wood had a lot of water stains on it and looked a little tatty, but it stands solid and cost us virtually nothing.

Have a look

Hope you enjoy this video.  Cheers.

Painting it was really imporatant because we are still using reclaimed wood, which is keeping the costs way down.

The pool area ( although no pool as yet) is looking great and we really want this to be the focal point of the garden.  The shed has electricity for the blender which makes it a much more versatile building.  Including the power into the construction didn’t cost much and we will definately do it with all our future sheds.  (theres nothing worse than trying to find something in the shed in the dark and on rainy days it’s sometimes hard to see at the back of the shed.)

As you can see we didn’t have to worry about foundations as much for this shed and went with a really simple wood base foundation.

tter.

My second shed was also on a better piece of land as far as drainage was concerned and I was beginning to lay slasto tiles around the front of our new house, so I thought that it would just be easier to put up the next shed on that.

Foundations are so important,  so you want to find the best land to build on.  Drainage is vital and it’s been raining here a lot lately, so we have a lot of damp ground to content with.

Take that into consideration when building your own sheds.

In this shed building project, I chose a different foundation arrangement.  There are a lot of options available, some are more expensive and if you know what kind of soil you are having to deal with, then you can find alternatives that suit you and your budget.

The property is terraced as are most properties in the area.  The trenches are not so good at this part of the property, so there is a lot of water here.

Here are a few of the pictures we took last week.

As you can see this was my first attempt at building a shed.  I’m pretty happy with it, but the finished look is not the very best.  If you are going to build a shed, you might want to check through the plans before you get started.  I didn’t and although it all worked out fine, the end product is not as professional as my other sheds.

If this shed plan doesn’t quite suit your needs, you may want to consider any one of the huge supply of shed plans listed below.

With this massive list of sheds, you are sure to find the one to suit you.  In addition to standard shed plans, there are also downloads included on foundations, a guide to how to purchase sheds and what you should be looking for.  Also where to locate cheap sheds online.

You might be interested in building a garage to store your boat or garden equipment.  There is something here for everyone and the list of plans isn’t limited to just sheds, there are also a variety of great garden furniture, wind turbines and chicken coops that you could use.

Where possible is it important to always build the biggest shed you can afford.  The reason is that you will always require more space than you first thought necessary.

Here we will look at the pros and cons of storage sheds in various materials.

Plastic Sheds

Plastic sheds are becoming very popular as they often bear bad weather far better than their lumber conterparts.  In addition, it is no longer difficult to build using plastic.  PVC can be shaped to build a strong structure that is very economical.

PROS :-  economical, durable

CONS :- limited in construction shape,

Steel Sheds

Steel sheds are popular as sheds to buy but construction is not so easy.  Corrosion is an issue that is often mentioned and they can be rather expensive.

PROS :- Durable in the right climate

CONS :- Expensive, difficult to construct

Wood

Building a wood structure is easy and can be inexpensive.  Wood structures however require more maintenance as they are not as durable and are more suseptable to bad weather conditions.

PROS :- Inexpensive, Easy to Build

CONS :- Require more maintenance.

Basic Shed Foundations

Spending a little more time on your site preparation will often result in a much better, easier to maintain shed. Also remember that if you are going to be building a large shed, you will also want to check with your local building office that you comply with any and all local building codes.

Building Underside

If you are building on ground that is often saturated, you will want to ensure that you shed remains dry. One of the more popular methods of ensuring that this happens is by building with a skid underside which is recessed from the edge of the exterior wall and that rests on your foundation.

In the event that you are building a larger shed which needs to adhere to local building codes, then you will easily be able to include steel angel brackets to secure your building to a gravel or concrete foundation with tie-down brackets.

Type of Foundation

Choice of foundation is primarily decided by:-

1. Budget
2. Size of Shed
3. Ground Conditions

Gravel and crushed stone are an ideal base as they are excellent for drainage and are also are relatively inexpensive. It is particularly good for both rain and snow expecially if you are not going to be including guttering in your shed build.

1. Crushed Stone Foundation

If you are going to prepare a gravel base, you will want to clear an area slightly larger than the foundations of your shed. Making a wooden frame to hold your gravel in place. The best wood to use for this is pressure treated wood and as your foundations are the most important part of your construction it is worthwhile spending money on this wood, alternatively you could use paver, brick or blocks.

2. Concrete Pillars

You may or may not be required to include cement pillars in your build. Always check with your local regulations for how many may be required, if you are required to use tie-downs and where they are meant to be placed.

3. Concrete Slab

If you plan to install a concrete slap, you will probably need professional help. Laying of concrete should not be considered if you have not done it before as it is expensive and can lead to many problems.

4. Simple Wood Structure Base

By far the easiest and most inexpensive method is building your shed on a basic wood structure. This is ideal for small sheds and garden storage areas. Most of the shed structures build for backyard storage do not require extensive foundations and although this system may result in water damage in very damp areas, it is still very popular due to it’s cost effectiveness.

Functional & Effective

Shed building will cost you a lot of money if you don’t plan your project, so here are the questions you need to ask:-

Key Question #1.  -  What do I need my shed for?

This may sound like a really stupid question, but too often I have had emails from people who started their project and suddently discovered that they needed more space or they needed ventilation, or the entire project was based on wanting something but needing something completely different.

When you know how much space you are going to need and what exactly you are going to be using it for, you can then start looking for the plans to suit that particular need.  If you are going to be storing items that don’t need access to light or fresh air, then you could eliminate the need for windows, alternatively if you are going to be using this as a man space or work shop, then you will want ventilation and a reasonable area.

Key Question #2.  What Materials Are Going To Work Best?

Sheds can be built from a variety of different materials.  You should not limit yourself to just wood construction .  Using PCV has become extremely popular in the construction of various sheds due to it’s longevity and durability, but you will have to consider what climate you live in and what conditions your shed is going to experience.

Taking into account what type of soil you will be building on is also a factor to consider and the amount of rainfall or snow will also have an impact on the materials you use.

Key Question #3.  How Much Space Do I Have?

The main reason that most people need to build sheds is because they require more space.  Sometimes having adequate space outside for the shed is a challenge in itself.  Shed designs are so diverse that you are now able to build sheds in any shape or size, but bear in mind that building a double story shed has it’s own limitations and regulations to consider.

If space is a concern you may want to consider a portable shed, that can be erected and dis-assembled as you need it.

Key Question #4.  How Much Money Do I Want To Spend?

The bottom line is very important when deciding to build a shed.  You don’t want to be wasting unneccesary money on expensive materials when you can source them cheaper elsewhere.  Knowing what your budget is and being able to assess at the start whether your project is going to be obtainable for the money you wish to spend is vital.

Key Question #5.  Where Do I Find The Right Plans?

Finding the right shed plans will make light work of your shed building project.  There are thousands of plans available online and we have the most comprehensive collection available for you right here.