Whether
you live on a farm or you have a house with a back yard in the city,
a shed is a great way to add storage space to your property. While it
is most commonly used to store maintenance equipment such as lawn
mowers, pruning shears and snow shovels, a well-constructed structure
can be used for all types of storage. Properly sealed and insulated,
it can even be used to store electronic equipment or boxes of books
and can be a cheap alternative to renting a storage locker. While
buying a shed can be expensive, the building materials are not. With
a good set of shed building plans, you should be able to build your
own with a minimal amount of cost and hassle.
There
are a number of things to consider when trying to choose the
right DIY shed building plans. First, you must think about what kind of structure you want to build.
If you want an easy place to store landscaping supplies, you will
probably be fine buying plans for a basic model, with four walls, a
roof and a floor. If you want to store electronics, books or
paperwork, you will want to find instructions that include
waterproofing and insulation. You want to make sure that your
belongings are protected from the elements. You may also want to find
instructions that include added security features such as lockable
doors or tamper-proof windows.
While
the main purpose of a storage shed is functionality, you should also consider
how it would fit into the total look of your yard. Good shed
building plans will
include a picture of the finished product, so you can see what it
looks like. If you have a rustic yard with overgrown flower gardens,
a traditional, farm-style structure will probably fit right in. If
you have a modern yard with carefully manicured rock gardens and fish
ponds, a sleek, minimalist design might suit you better. You should
also try to find plans that can be altered to build different sized
buildings. This way, you can assess how much storage space you need
and how much space you have in your yard, and build the shed
accordingly.
The
final thing to consider when choosing shed building plans is your own
limitations. If this is your first attempt at a building project, you
should choose simple instructions that are suitable for a beginner.
If you have built a few things before, you may want to attempt a more
extravagant project. Also, consider your access to supplies. While
most storage sheds do not require anything that you cannot buy from the local
hardware store, it is still a good idea to read through all
instructions carefully before you begin. Make a list of the supplies
needed and give the hardware store or lumberyard a call to
double-check that they have everything available.
Once
you have chosen your design, it is time to get started. Get your
supplies, plan where you will build the shed and begin construction.
If you are an experienced builder, you can play around a bit with the
instructions, adding extra features and customizing the features that
are already there. If this is your first project, however, it may be
best if you stick to the instructions laid out in the shed roof building
plans.