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. |
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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:
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. |
I missed the initial posting on this thread, but maybe this could be
helpful. I got an 8 x 12 shed from Heartland 10 years ago and it is still in pristine condition (and I confess I never got around to painting it). The walls are as the poster (Donna?) described, but the outside came with a grey primer. Inside has that large particled board look. I covered the ground with plastic sheeting where it was constructed. It has a raised plywood floor on blocks. Nothing has rotted out. I knew about Heartland on Rt. 70 and went directly there to buy it, and had no problems or delays (though my shed is a simple one). A man came out with all the parts in a pickup truck and constructed it on the spot in one day's time. The cost was $950., but then this was ten years ago. Kira |
Kira Dirlik wrote:
I missed the initial posting on this thread, but maybe this could be helpful. I got an 8 x 12 shed from Heartland 10 years ago and it is still in pristine condition (and I confess I never got around to painting it). The walls are as the poster (Donna?) described, but the outside came with a grey primer. Inside has that large particled board look. Hello Kira, Thanks for the good info. Ours also had primer on the exterior surface of the siding. Sounds like the stuff is tougher than it looks. We did get the pressure treated floor, so we expect that to last. We covered the floor with two coats of paint too. Ours was over $2000, same size. The base price was like $1750, but we added a number of options. Have you had any problem with bugs taking up residence? We seem to get a lot of wasps, especially in the Spring. -dreq |
On Thu, 19 May 2005 19:51:28 GMT, Derek Mark Edding
wrote: Thanks for the good info. Ours also had primer on the exterior surface of the siding. Sounds like the stuff is tougher than it looks. We did get the pressure treated floor, so we expect that to last. We covered the floor with two coats of paint too. Ours was over $2000, same size. The base price was like $1750, but we added a number of options. Have you had any problem with bugs taking up residence? We seem to get a lot of wasps, especially in the Spring. -dreq A few wasps but the carpenter bees are the problem, in the 2 x 4's holding up the roof. After they made the holes, apparently the woodpeckers went after them and dug out their tunnels, so there are now long deep gouges. I started swatting, once I noticed this, and the 2 x 4's still seem to be holding up fine. There are also cockroaches, camelback crickets, and once a black snake (cute) and a copperhead (not cute). I open the doors, stand back, and shout, "OKAY in there! I'm coming in!" It has been 3 years since I have seen the snakes. Well, I'm in deep woods. I came and invaded THEIR homes, so I generally live and let live, unless it means destruction of my property .... or death (mine). Kira |
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