Source for Decent Backyard Shed?
 

Hi Folks,

I want to put a reasonably well constructed storage shed in my backyard
because I'm trying to use the back of my garage as a work area, and it
keeps filling up with stuff. I'm looking at ones around 8' x 10' in size.

I've had poor experiences with sheet metal sheds in the past. They
flex, bend, rust, the doors pop off, and they become a habitat for
whatever small animals reside in the area.

I'd like to have one built from wood, siding, and asphalt shingles so
that it looks attractive and won't become an eyesore. I've seen some
like this that can be ordered as kits. For example:

http://www.handyhome.com/storage.htm

This is the basic idea, although I don't particularly want the barn
appearance.

I was wondering if anyone has had experience with local storage building
suppliers or contractors who build them, and can give some advice. I'd
rather go with a local business if possible.

Thanks for any help.

-dreq

There are two places on Highway 70/Glenwood in Raleigh, on different sides
of the road, I think (sorry, I cannot come up with names). Both build a
variety of outbuildings and garages; the more recently established of
these is, I understand, Amish-run.

It would be worth driving along there to have a look at their stock. As I
recall, both are past CarMax as you are heading toward Raleigh.

The older of these companies--the one on the side of the road opposite the
side CarMax is on--built our two-car, two-story garage, and they did a
great job.

On 2005-01-27, Derek Mark Edding wrote:
Hi Folks,

I want to put a reasonably well constructed storage shed in my backyard
because I'm trying to use the back of my garage as a work area, and it
keeps filling up with stuff. I'm looking at ones around 8' x 10' in size.


Trust me 8x10 is not big enough for a work space. My 12x20 is barely
acceptable. 16x20 is good. I saw one two story model at Home Depot in
Apex (I think) that was 16x16 which would work and the price was
unbelievable. I believe it was built on site, but it must be prefabbed
for the price. It was sturdy and could be a MIL apartment with the
second floor.

YOu ought to consider one of these builders that haul one to your house
if there is access to place it. Not sure what sizes they sell, but
probably 12x12 is largest. The ones I have seen at the fairgrounds
seemed sturdy when I jumped up and down in them, but you really have to
shop around. There used to be a Camper shell sales place up on
capital blvd near the 401 split that also sold the assembled ones that
seemed sturdy.

I was not impressed by those kits in the URL. If you have the skill to
assemble one of those, you have the skill to build it yourself cheaper
and beter. But the tradeoff is time and it is a two person job.

many years ago I built my 12x20 and later a 6x8 for bikes. YOu are
welcome to come take a look or ask me questions if you like. They both
have the barn like gambrel roof. The 12x20 cost me about 1500$ but that
was in 1982.
I have no idea what your price range is.
I've had poor experiences with sheet metal sheds in the past. They
flex, bend, rust, the doors pop off, and they become a habitat for
whatever small animals reside in the area.

I'd like to have one built from wood, siding, and asphalt shingles so
that it looks attractive and won't become an eyesore. I've seen some
like this that can be ordered as kits. For example:

http://www.handyhome.com/storage.htm

This is the basic idea, although I don't particularly want the barn
appearance.

I was wondering if anyone has had experience with local storage building
suppliers or contractors who build them, and can give some advice. I'd
rather go with a local business if possible.

Thanks for any help.

-dreq


--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.

On 2005-01-28, Steve Holzworth wrote:
In article ,
wrote:

Trust me 8x10 is not big enough for a work space. My 12x20 is barely
acceptable. 16x20 is good. I saw one two story model at Home Depot in

I agree. I stick-built my own, framed to housing-code standards (it was
an experiment) at 8x12 with 8 foot T1-11 walls. I wish it were bigger
and I just use it for garden tool/misc storage.

Another consideration is what local zoning will allow. Cary requires a
building permit for anything over 120 sq ft or with electrical or
plumbing. Call your local building department to see what their
requirements are.


Even if it is not on a permanent foundation.?

I never bothered with a permit back in 82. It is sitting on 4x8x16
solid concrete blocks that I leveled with a line level. The door sticks
in dry times and loosens in wet times but no heaving or other problems
with the blocks. It just kind of "floats".

It did make it on the property tax rolls on the next assessment - which
is the real reason for a permit.
Most smaller sheds are built on skids, so there aren't any foundation
issues.



--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.

wrote:
Even if it is not on a permanent foundation.?

While I apologize in advance for the digression, I was surprised to
learn how broad the kinds of projects are that require a building permit.

I don't know if Cary is unusual in this regard, because I haven't
checked what the requirements are in other cities and towns.

The requirement for a shed or storage building is that it must have a
building permit if it exceeds 12 feet in any dimension.

Other things that require a building permit:

- installing a ceiling fan
- replacing a furnace or air conditioner
- installing an attic fan, skylight, or gas logs

http://www.townofcary.org/depts/dsdept/I&P/inpfaq.htm

If the town went around enforcing these, a lot of people on my block
would be in trouble!

-dreq

wrote:
On 2005-01-27, Derek Mark Edding wrote:

Hi Folks,

I want to put a reasonably well constructed storage shed in my backyard
because I'm trying to use the back of my garage as a work area, and it
keeps filling up with stuff. I'm looking at ones around 8' x 10' in size.



Trust me 8x10 is not big enough for a work space. My 12x20 is barely
acceptable. 16x20 is good. I saw one two story model at Home Depot in
Apex (I think) that was 16x16 which would work and the price was
unbelievable. I believe it was built on site, but it must be prefabbed
for the price. It was sturdy and could be a MIL apartment with the
second floor.

Especially if you could lock it from the outside...

YOu ought to consider one of these builders that haul one to your house
if there is access to place it. Not sure what sizes they sell, but
probably 12x12 is largest. The ones I have seen at the fairgrounds
seemed sturdy when I jumped up and down in them, but you really have to
shop around. There used to be a Camper shell sales place up on
capital blvd near the 401 split that also sold the assembled ones that
seemed sturdy.

I was not impressed by those kits in the URL. If you have the skill to
assemble one of those, you have the skill to build it yourself cheaper
and beter. But the tradeoff is time and it is a two person job.

many years ago I built my 12x20 and later a 6x8 for bikes. YOu are
welcome to come take a look or ask me questions if you like. They both
have the barn like gambrel roof. The 12x20 cost me about 1500$ but that
was in 1982.
I have no idea what your price range is.

I've had poor experiences with sheet metal sheds in the past. They
flex, bend, rust, the doors pop off, and they become a habitat for
whatever small animals reside in the area.

I'd like to have one built from wood, siding, and asphalt shingles so
that it looks attractive and won't become an eyesore. I've seen some
like this that can be ordered as kits. For example:

http://www.handyhome.com/storage.htm

This is the basic idea, although I don't particularly want the barn
appearance.

I was wondering if anyone has had experience with local storage building
suppliers or contractors who build them, and can give some advice. I'd
rather go with a local business if possible.

Thanks for any help.

-dreq

Donna Maroni wrote:
There are two places on Highway 70/Glenwood in Raleigh, on different sides
of the road, I think (sorry, I cannot come up with names). Both build a
variety of outbuildings and garages; the more recently established of
these is, I understand, Amish-run.

It would be worth driving along there to have a look at their stock. As I
recall, both are past CarMax as you are heading toward Raleigh.

The older of these companies--the one on the side of the road opposite the
side CarMax is on--built our two-car, two-story garage, and they did a
great job.

Thanks Donna.

We wound up buying from one of these companies, although I didn't know
it at the time. I picked up a brochure for Heartland at Lowe's, and
found a shed I liked. This kicked off quite an adventure.

The brochure lists a lot of options and accessories. I selected several
that seemed reasonable for the model we wanted. Then I went to the
contracts desk and had a salesman draw up the order. This process took
over an hour, because the salesperson had never sold one of these sheds.

After the order was submitted, I got a call from Heartland where a rep
told me that three of the items on my order wouldn't fit on the type of
shed I wanted. Once I found out they were in Raleigh, I drove out there
and looked over the models, and wound up making several changes. Then I
had to go back to Lowe's and go through the whole process of making the
order again. Probably over three hours of standing there counting both
rounds.

I can't imagine what someone who'd never been to the Heartland store
would have done. There simply isn't enough information in the brochure
to make any but the simplest order. The nice folks at Lowe's have no
knowledge of what works together and what doesn't. Will the full length
workbench block the door entrance? Will there be enough space for a
loft in that model? Is there enough room for a gable window? It's not
written down anywhere.

Heartland and its people knew what they were doing. Lowe's performed
the service of making me aware of them, but contributed nothing else
other than making me very, very late on a couple of lunch breaks.

The shed itself is quite satisfactory. On the plus side, it's very nice
looking and customized for our needs. We decided where the windows go,
how many shelves and where they went, and even added an external tool
caddy (sort of a mini lean-to) for additional storage. And it's a nice
color match, because we've spent four evenings so far painting it.

The only potential downside is the materials. Most of the shed is made
from sheets of formed wood. The inside looks like particle board only
with larger chunks. The outside is molded to look like siding. The
doors are made of two layers of this stuff. The floor and the roof
appear to be standard exterior plywood (floor is pressure treated).

Heartland says that if you take care of it and keep it painted, the
stuff will last 25 years. They warranty it for five. I hope it lasts
longer than the masonite siding that was originally on our house.

-dreq

Heartland says that if you take care of it and keep it painted, the
stuff will last 25 years. They warranty it for five. I hope it lasts
longer than the masonite siding that was originally on our house.

Amen! We had to replace our masonite about 10 years ago. It wasn't that
the painting had been neglected--the killer was the fact that stuff was
not painted on **all** sides and edges. Who paints the back surface of
siding?!

Hidden damage was even worse than what we could see: Mushrooms grew under
it! I guess, then, that the secret is to be sure to seal all openings
with potential to admit water behind the boards. So, dreq, get out that
caulking gun!

Donna

On 2005-05-12, Derek Mark Edding wrote:
Donna Maroni wrote:
There are two places on Highway 70/Glenwood in Raleigh, on different sides
of the road, I think (sorry, I cannot come up with names). Both build a
variety of outbuildings and garages; the more recently established of
these is, I understand, Amish-run.

It would be worth driving along there to have a look at their stock. As I
recall, both are past CarMax as you are heading toward Raleigh.

The older of these companies--the one on the side of the road opposite the
side CarMax is on--built our two-car, two-story garage, and they did a
great job.

Thanks Donna.

We wound up buying from one of these companies, although I didn't know
it at the time. I picked up a brochure for Heartland at Lowe's, and
found a shed I liked. This kicked off quite an adventure.

The brochure lists a lot of options and accessories. I selected several
that seemed reasonable for the model we wanted. Then I went to the
contracts desk and had a salesman draw up the order. This process took
over an hour, because the salesperson had never sold one of these sheds.

After the order was submitted, I got a call from Heartland where a rep
told me that three of the items on my order wouldn't fit on the type of
shed I wanted. Once I found out they were in Raleigh, I drove out there
and looked over the models, and wound up making several changes. Then I
had to go back to Lowe's and go through the whole process of making the
order again. Probably over three hours of standing there counting both
rounds.

I can't imagine what someone who'd never been to the Heartland store
would have done. There simply isn't enough information in the brochure
to make any but the simplest order. The nice folks at Lowe's have no
knowledge of what works together and what doesn't. Will the full length
workbench block the door entrance? Will there be enough space for a
loft in that model? Is there enough room for a gable window? It's not
written down anywhere.

Heartland and its people knew what they were doing. Lowe's performed
the service of making me aware of them, but contributed nothing else
other than making me very, very late on a couple of lunch breaks.

The shed itself is quite satisfactory. On the plus side, it's very nice
looking and customized for our needs. We decided where the windows go,
how many shelves and where they went, and even added an external tool
caddy (sort of a mini lean-to) for additional storage. And it's a nice
color match, because we've spent four evenings so far painting it.

The only potential downside is the materials. Most of the shed is made
from sheets of formed wood. The inside looks like particle board only
with larger chunks. The outside is molded to look like siding. The

That is waferboard and is much more like plywood than particle board.
The glue in particle board is not water proof and when exposed to water
it swells and then drys out and looks a bit like crumbled shredded
wheat. Wafer board glue is waterproof, but really should be painted if
it is left exposed to direct rain and sun. It probably sucks up 25%
more paint. I used it for my garage ceiling and painted it white.
doors are made of two layers of this stuff. The floor and the roof
appear to be standard exterior plywood (floor is pressure treated).

Heartland says that if you take care of it and keep it painted, the
stuff will last 25 years. They warranty it for five. I hope it lasts
longer than the masonite siding that was originally on our house.

-dreq


--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.

I'm just jumping in here, since I have no helpful advice to add to previous
questions -- but have any of you seen the shed at Sam's Club?

I was drooling over it, trying to get my hubby to look at it. I can't quite
describe it, except to say that it looks like it is of similar construction
to the doghouse I bought at the Rubbermaid site (a bad idea, since same one
was half the price at Sam's) -- walls are molded plastic, it has
polycarbonate(?) windows in the greenhouse part, potting bench, bin for
potting soil etc.

Actually, from my own description, it sounds more like a "gardener's
shed/greenhouse" than some place I can store my lawn tractor, but it would
work for me as a place to store some garden tools, gloves, accoutrements,
etc. a bit closer to my vegetable garden.

Anne Lurie
NE Raleigh

On 2005-05-16, Anne Lurie wrote:
I'm just jumping in here, since I have no helpful advice to add to previous
questions -- but have any of you seen the shed at Sam's Club?

I was drooling over it, trying to get my hubby to look at it. I can't quite
describe it, except to say that it looks like it is of similar construction
to the doghouse I bought at the Rubbermaid site (a bad idea, since same one
was half the price at Sam's) -- walls are molded plastic, it has
polycarbonate(?) windows in the greenhouse part, potting bench, bin for
potting soil etc.

Actually, from my own description, it sounds more like a "gardener's
shed/greenhouse" than some place I can store my lawn tractor, but it would
work for me as a place to store some garden tools, gloves, accoutrements,
etc. a bit closer to my vegetable garden.


I did a search on their webpage for online and instore items and did not
find what you described. There is a Smartshed with skylights and
workbench that sounds close, but no windows. Some of the green houses
looked neat for the prices.

What were the dimensions and can you find it on their site?
Anne Lurie
NE Raleigh




--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.

Another possibility for an outbuilding:

http://www.strombergschickens.com/st...late_index.htm

they can be used to construct an animal shed, carport, greenhouse, or
even a dwelling:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/top_a...ate_Connection

My husband just ordered a set of the connectors, so I will be able to
give some feedback on how it comes out (hopefully soon:)

- Susan

On 2005-05-17, Susan Hogarth wrote:
Another possibility for an outbuilding:

http://www.strombergschickens.com/st...late_index.htm

they can be used to construct an animal shed, carport, greenhouse, or
even a dwelling:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/top_a...ate_Connection

My husband just ordered a set of the connectors, so I will be able to
give some feedback on how it comes out (hopefully soon:)

- Susan


Those have been around for quite a long time. I considered using them
25 years ago, but decided on a more conventional 12x20 building. I
wanted a large loft for storage so I made 8 foot walls and put a gambrel
roof on top. I prefabbed the roof by laying out the 2x4 on my driveway
and calculating the angles. I used regular pieces of 6x15 plywood as
the gusset plates. The prefabed "trusses" came to about 5.5 feet tall
and would support my weight without flexing. I later made a smaller
"barn" with 4 foot walls and a gambrel roof that made the center height
of it about 8 feet tall. I have only stored bicycles, mowers and
tillers in it. It would not work as a workshop as you would bump your
head if you were within a foot and a half of the walls.

--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.