Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Storage Shed Plans |November 7th, 2009

Deciding to build your own firewood rack, stack or storage unit is a wise move because if you decided to buy one at your local store, you will notice they are expensive and quite small, so you are very limited by the choices available.

If you build your own firewood rack it will be less expensive and you can make it large, so it will be able to hold a full face cord of firewood. Also if you have space limitations, you can customize the rack to fit the desired space.

You will need good quality firewood stack plans to work from in order to build your rack, and some great plans can be found at My Shed Plans Elite.

Some of the important things to consider when building your firewood rack are:

Ensure the base is sturdy as this is the most crucial part of the rack.

With the amount of weight the firewood rack will be holding you need a set of strong end panels to keep it safe and secure.

Paint the rack with a good exterior paint.

Best,

PS. If you are looking for a firewood stack plans, check out My Shed Plans Elite.

PSS.To see a comprehensive review of this product check out my post: My Shed Plans Elite Review.

Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Pole Barn Plans |November 4th, 2009

Pole barns are one of the most popular sheds to build. The materials used to construct the shed are pretty cheap and these sheds are quite simple to build. They are also great because they are built to last, and you can basically dress it up or down to your liking.

Looking at pole barn construction, it’s a structure that is supported by poles which are set in the ground and anchored in by concrete. The poles support the roof, and depending on what you are using the pole barn for, walls can be optional and finished floors are also optional.

The framing of the pole barn shed are horizontal to the posts and are made of wood. If you are constructing sides they can be made out of wood or metal. Roofs are usually made from galvanized steel so they don’t rust. If you prefer, you can use shingles.

If you are using pole barn construction plans to build your shed, just remember that they can be built with whatever extra features one desires, such as skylights, windows and lofts.

Also consider the type of pole barn roof you would like as this determines style of the shed. For example one can choose a gambrel style all the way to a barn style, it just depends on the look and feel you are after.

Best,

PS. While you were reading this post, I was checking out some great pole barn plans and roof designs at My Shed Plans Elite. Check them out now!

PSS.To see a comprehensive review of this product check out my post: My Shed Plans Elite Review.

Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Storage Shed Plans |November 2nd, 2009

When you start building a storage shed, it’s very important to use good storage shed floor plans to ensure the foundations you build your shed on will be strong.

The 3 main things to consider when building the floor of your shed are:

*Good shed floor plans
*Good choice of materials
*Great workmanship

So if you get the choice of materials and the design of the shed floor plan spot on, you are half way to building your ultimate shed.

When considering materials for the floor. You can either choose

Timber floor boards, Plywood
or OSB (oriented strand board).

For fixing the floorboards to the joists beneath use a nail which has a good pull-out resistance. The length of the nail should be about 2.5 times the thickness of the floor board.

The floor joists supporting the decking should all be preservative treated.

The key to building a good quality storage shed is the workmanship. Here are some tips to get off to a good start:

• Make sure the foundation is square and level. This is really important, by having a level surface to begin with will ensure the job will go smoothly. If not you will forever be making adjustments all because your foundation wasn’t level to begin with.

• Use material sheet sheet sizes to avoid excessive cutting. Plywood and OSB sheet flooring comes in 1.2×2.4m sheets. So a clever idea is to make your shed floor multiples of this size. This will reduce the number of cuts you need to make. It’s best of course to design the shed to the size you want, so don’t worry about having to stick to the sheet sizes.

• Use a nail punch to get the head of the nail below floor level. Otherwise you can either trip or hurt yourself quite badly.

Photo Credit: joeltelling

Best,

PS. To get tips, hints and ideas on how to build a shed floor, check out the plans at My Shed Plans Elite.

PSS.To see a comprehensive review of this product check out my post: My Shed Plans Elite Review.

Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Storage Shed Plans |October 30th, 2009

When you start building a storage shed, it all starts with the floor, and so it’s very important to use good shed floor plans to ensure the foundations you build your shed on will be strong.

Generally it is recommended that the weight a shed floor should be able to hold is 150kg per square meter. So considering an average person weighs between 70 to 80kg, that gives you an indication of what weight the floor has to support.

One of the main things to consider when building the shed floor, is that water is the biggest problem. It’s therefore important when looking at floor plans for a shed, that the following tips are provided to keep the shed floor dry:

• A polythene barrier, which is thick heavy duty plastic placed beneath the shed floor and held down with stones or a concrete slab. This will prevent rising moisture and stop plant growth under the shed.

• Provide good ventilation beneath the shed will help any damp air disperse and keep the timbers dry.

• You can also place damp proof membrane beneath the supports of the floor joists. This acts as another barrier to block moisture rising from the ground.

• You can prevent moisture getting in from above by placing large eaves and gutters to allow water to drain down onto the ground.

The next step is to start looking for quality storage shed plans that have detailed information, including the right materials to use to build a sturdy shed floor. Some good plans can be found at My Shed Plans Elite.

Best,

PS. To get tips, hints and ideas on how to build a shed floor, check out the plans at My Shed Plans Elite.

PSS.To see a comprehensive review of this product check out my post: My Shed Plans Elite Review.

Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Outdoor Storage Shed |October 28th, 2009

If you or your family owns a few bikes, and you are having trouble storing them, a good option would be to build an outdoor bike storage shed.

Before building a bike shed, there are a few important things to consider:

• The first most important thing is to use good quality storage shed plans or blueprints to work from. You want this shed to be sturdy and durable, and by starting with the right plans, you are well on the way to building a quality shed.

• The plans should allow for proper spacing between parked bikes so they are easy to get in out, without knocking over all the other bikes in the process.

• Also make sure that you have a some walk space between the back wall of the shed and the bikes, in order to get to things you might hang on the back wall, for example a bike pump, spare tires, wrenches and other tools.

There are plenty of sites on the internet that provide outdoor bike storage shed plans, but just make sure they come with a materials list, step by step instructions and plenty of designs to choose from.

Best,

PS. If you are looking for inspiration for your bike storage shed, then check out the plans at My Shed Plans Elite.

PSS.To see a comprehensive review of this product check out my post: My Shed Plans Elite Review.

Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Storage Shed Plans |October 26th, 2009

Deciding to add a loft to the storage shed you are going to build is a great option, as you can store extra items that are out of the way and best of all, out of sight. There are some good loft shed plans to choose from that you can add to your existing storage shed plans, so you can build your dream shed.

In regards to the loft you are going to build, just make sure you’re not tempted to use it as a place to dump items that you know should throw out, otherwise it just defeats the whole purpose. A loft is a great place to store lighter items while you can store your machinery such as lawn mowers, bicycles etc below.

When planning your loft, take into consideration what it’s going to store, as it has to be built strong enough to take the weight. So bare this in mind when you are looking at loft shed plans. Things you might want to store in the loft are Christmas decorations, chairs, extra boxes, or you might want to convert it to a room with a bed, desk and table.

During the planning process of your loft, consider where the hatch will be placed to access the loft. Centrally is a great location, as you can utilize the space all around the loft, not just the part right in front.

Another thing to consider is the size of the loft. Do you want to store a lot of items up there, or only a few? If you want to store a lot of items, build the loft to run along the whole length of the shed, otherwise just build it to only half the shed. This can save you time and money.

Also you will need to think about lighting for the loft. You can just go for solar powered lights to save costs on electricity, or even a battery powered LED light. If you want more reliable light, then get it connected to the mains of your house.

The best style of shed to build a loft in is a gambrel shed(barn style) as it is dual pitch on each side of the roof, which makes a lot of space to add a loft. The pitch of the roof should be at least 8/12 to create a decent amount of room.

Best,

PS. If you are looking for some loft shed plans, check out My Shed Plans Elite.

PSS.To see a comprehensive review of this product check out my post: My Shed Plans Elite Review.

Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Pole Barn Plans |October 24th, 2009

A pole barn roof can be in any style you choose, seeing as though a pole barn uses conventional framing.

There are 4 main room styles used for pole barns and these include, gable, hip, shed, and gambrel. Let’s explore each option.

GAMBREL ROOF
A gambrel roof  is also known as a barn style roof and it provides more head room and more storage space on the top floor. They are more challenging to build, but the benefits are the space they provide and the beautiful appearance.

SHED ROOF
The shed roof is a single straight pitched roof , which is used for smaller pole barn sheds. It’s a very simple roof as it requires the front wall to be higher than the back wall to provide a slight slope for water to run off. Snow can be an issue as it wont just readily run down and off the roof and can put pressure on the roof causing it to bend.

HIP ROOF
A hip roof is one where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. It has no gables or other vertical sides to the roof and is shaped like a pyramid.

The benefits of this roof is that their shape makes them less susceptible to wind damage.

A hip roof  is simple to build and usually used for single story pole barns. The hip roof eliminates the need for eaves and gable end walls for a simple build.

GABLE ROOF
A gable roof has two equally pitched sides and is very easy to build. It’s a great option for sheding snow as it is steeply pitched.

Ventilation and insulating are also very easy to do with a gable roof.

When considering building a pole barn from storage shed plans , take into consideration the best roof option for your pole barn.

Best,

PS. While you were reading this post, I was checking out some great pole barn plans and roof designs at My Shed Plans Elite. Check them out now!

PSS.To see a comprehensive review of this product check out my post: My Shed Plans Elite Review.

Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Storage Shed Plans |October 23rd, 2009

storage shed design is very important to take into consideration before deciding on the style of shed you are going to build. It’s very easy to just think of the shed as a place to store extra items, without considering the aesthetics of the structure.

Just remember the appearance of the outdoor storage shed is important because it can impact the look of the property. So when looking through storage shed plans, and considering a design, just make sure it compliments your property.

So if you live in a country style home, a barn style shed could be the way to go, as it will match the look and feel of your property. If you live in a more formal home, you may decide to just go with a standard gable style shed with an arched window to keep in line with the feel of your house.

Best,

PS. If you are looking for inspiration for your shed design, check out the plans at My Shed Plans Elite.

PSS.To see a comprehensive review of this product check out my post: My Shed Plans Elite Review.

Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Storage Shed Plans |October 22nd, 2009

Sheds built especially for firewood are a great idea to keep the wood dry during a long, cold and wet winter. There is nothing worse than storing your wood by the side of your house where it can get damp. Then it takes forever to dry it out before you can use it.

Firewood needs to be dry in order to use it, so a firewood shed is a great solution.
Deciding to build your own firewood shed is a great idea as you can customize it to your liking. There are plenty of firewood storage shed plans out there on the internet which can assist you in this project.

When looking at plans for your firewood storage shed, just make sure you allow space for airflow. When you stack wood properly air can flow around the wood which keeps it dry, avoids it decaying and breaking down.

Air needs to flow around all sides of the wood when stacked, and also the bottom layer of wood needs to avoid contact with the ground, because if the ground is wet, the wood will absorb it making it unusable until it’s dried out again. To overcome this issue a raised floor is the best option which can be made from a wood pallet or a floor made with slats which will allow airflow to circulate from the bottom as well.

The roof of a firewood storage shed is also important. It needs to keep dew, moisture and snow off the wood pile, and therefore the roof should be slanted. This allows water to flow off the roof away from the wood. Also the ground level where the shed is placed should have  aslope so the water runs away after heavy rain and doesn’t collect around the shed.

If you look at firewood sheds, they have 3 closed sides and one open side. This keeps the airflow moving as well as keeping the wood dry. Always make sure the open end of the shed faces away from where the elements such as angled rain can strike.

So enjoy the pleasures a great firewood storage shed can give you during the winter months by building one from quality firewood storage shed plans which can be found at My Shed Plans Elite.

Best,

PS. If you are looking for a firewood shed plan, check out My Shed Plans Elite.

PSS.To see a comprehensive review of this product check out my post: My Shed Plans Elite Review.

Posted by Storage Shed Plans in Storage Shed Plans |October 20th, 2009

If you want a storage shed for the garden, and you don’t want to have to build one yourself from scratch, then a quick solution is purchasing a metal storage shed.

Make sure when you purchase a metal storage shed that they are made of 100% galvanized steel. This way they wont rust and will last for a long time. Some top quality metal sheds come with a double baked-on polyester enamel finish for added protection from the elements as well as heavy duty, hot-dipped galvanized steel frame parts.

In other words, just make sure you buy a quality metal shed, otherwise it wont last long. Just remember, “cheap is expensive”. If you buy cheap, it wont last long and you will end up having to buy the item again. If you had spent that extra money buying something which was better quality, then it will last longer and not cost you as much in the long run.

metal storage shed kits come in a wide variety of designs, styles and sizes to meet your needs. There are gable style sheds, flat roof sheds and even barn style sheds to choose from.

When you have looked through all the metal storage shed kits whether they are online or in shops and you have made a decision to purchase, just remember you are still going to have to build the shed. So just make sure you feel confident to do this, otherwise most places can install it for you.

Also be aware that you may have added costs besides the shed itself. A good idea is to place the shed on a concrete slab to avoid moisture getting into the shed from the ground, and to have a solid base for the shed. This can be quite expensive so another solution is purchasing already made square concrete tiles from your local hardware shop and laying them down yourself, and then constructing the shed on top.

Best,

PS. While you were reading this post, I was looking at some tips on how to lay the foundations for your shed from My Shed Plans Elite.