One of the many undeniable truths of homeownership is that regardless of the whether you live in a cottage or a castle, you’ll always have more stuff than storage space. Sure, attics and basements can be used to store clothing, luggage, holiday decorations and boxes of books and toys, but what about all that stuff that’s jammed into the garage, leaning against the house or piled up outdoors?
For most homeowners, the only practical way to clear the clutter, add accessible storage space, and organize their lives is with a backyard storage shed. Sheds are particularly well-suited for safely storing lawnmowers, bikes, snow blowers, gardening tools, sports equipment, lumber, ladders and other bulky, hard-to-store items. Sheds can be built to virtually any size to accommodate both your storage requirements and available yard space. However, before getting into the specifics, you must first decide whether you’d like to build the shed or buy one.
To DIY or Not to DIY. That is the question.
The two most popular ways to acquire a shed are to build it from scratch or buy a prefabricated shed from a home improvement center. There are benefits and drawbacks to each approach.
Building your own shed grants you total control over every aspect of the construction process, including the size, architectural style and color of the shed. You’ll also be able to select all the building materials, such as the roofing, siding, windows and doors.
Of course, the DIY approach is much more difficult and time consuming than purchasing a prefab shed. However, what you do gain is the unparalleled personal satisfaction and pride that comes from building something with your own hands. But do keep in mind that building a shed, even a small shed, requires at least mid-level carpentry skills. You should have some previous carpentry experience and be comfortable using power tools.
The biggest benefits to buying a prefabricated shed are saving time and trouble. The shed is delivered fully assembled and placed right onto the foundation. (Prefabs typically don’t include the foundation, so you’ll have to build that yourself.) In about an hour or so, your storage problems are solved—without having to cut a single board. No fuss, no muss.
Prefab sheds are typically built out of wood, plastic resin or metal. Wood sheds feature traditional architecture that complements most homes and neighborhoods. Resin sheds are virtually indestructible and require very little maintenance. Metal sheds, while not the most attractive, are very affordable. Each type of shed comes in a limited number of styles and sizes, ranging from about 4 x 6 feet to 12 x 24 ft., but there’s usually enough variety to satisfy most homeowners’ storage needs.
This spacious metal mini-barn has a modified gambrel roof for extra headroom and simulated wood-grain metal siding.
Some home improvement stores are also offering customizable prefab sheds, which allow you to choose several different options and features, including size, style, siding, window, ramps and color schemes.
With regards to cost, it’s difficult to say which approach is costlier, since so much depends on the shed’s size and complexity and the materials used. For example, an inexpensive “economy-grade” prefab building would likely cost less than the materials to build a similar-size shed. On the other hand, a high-end customizable prefab is usually more expensive than building a comparable shed from scratch.
Now let’s take a detailed look at five factors to consider, regardless of whether you decide to build or buy the shed.
1. Siting a Shed
Selecting the most appropriate building site is an important but often overlooked step. Here are some general rules to follow when “siting” your shed:
- Sheds typically must be set 10 ft. from the rear property line and 15 ft. from the side-lot line. However, building codes vary from state to state, so check with the local building inspector for the setback distances in your town.
- Don’t place the shed at the bottom of a hill or in a low-lying area that collects water. Excessive moisture will rot wood, blister paint, rust hardware and hinges, and cause mold and mildew to grow inside the shed.
- Avoid extremely shady sites. Exposure to direct sunlight and breezes will keep the shed dry and free of mold and moisture damage.
- If the yard slopes downward, orient the shed with its primary door on the high side of the hill. That’ll position the door’s threshold closer to the ground, making it easy to step into the shed.
- If possible, set the shed close to the house, especially if it’ll be used to store bikes, tools and sports equipment. Everyone will be much more likely to return items to storage if the shed is close by.
2. Low-Maintenance Materials
Built entirely out of plastic resin, this compact storage shed is extremely weather- and rot-resistant.
Reduce the amount time spent maintaining the shed by specifying low-maintenance materials. You’ll pay extra for these all-weather materials, but they’ll save you time and trouble in the long run.
- Cut the exterior trim from PVC boards instead of painted wood. The plastic lumber is ideal for the rake board, fascia, frieze, corner boards and window and door trim. It’s impervious to bugs, warping and decay, and it never needs painting.
- Other low-maintenance options include vinyl or aluminum windows, plastic-composite roof shingles, fiberglass or steel doors, composite decking for steps and fiber-cement siding or vinyl siding.
3. Foundation Fundamentals
No shed, regardless of how well it’s built, will last very long if it’s set upon a weak base. There are two basic types of foundations: on-grade and permanent. (The building inspector will determine which type of foundation your shed must have.)
- Small- to medium-size sheds can be supported by an on-grade foundation, consisting of solid-concrete blocks or pressure-treated wood timbers set directly on the ground.
- Sheds larger than 200 sq. ft. typically require a permanent foundation that extends down to the frost line. You can construct the foundation out of poured-concrete piers or buried wooden posts. Check with your building department for specific code requirements and frost-line depth in your area.
- When using buried wood posts or on-grade timbers, be sure to use pressure-treated lumber rated for “ground contact.” Treated wood rated for “above-ground” use isn’t intended for burial or direct contact with the ground.
4. Ventilation
Providing proper ventilation inside and out makes for a healthier, longer-lasting shed. That’s because water is wood’s worst enemy. Given the right circumstance and enough time, excessive moisture can ravage even the best-built shed.
- Be sure that the lowest wood member—the mudsill—is at least six inches above grade. Elevating the shed off the ground allows fresh air to circulate under the floor frame.
- Leave at least three feet of air space around all sides of the shed. Building too close to trees, shrubs, fences and other structures will block the sunlight and wind that help keep a shed dry. Having clearance space to walk around the shed also makes it easier to paint or make repairs.
- Install vents in the eaves, gable ends and/or ridge to exhaust hot, stale air from the inside of the shed.
5. Door Placement
This prefabricated wood shed has textured-plywood siding and a transom window over double swinging doors.
Most homeowners don’t spend much time thinking about the shed’s doors, but they should.
- The two types of doors most commonly used on outbuildings are hinged and sliding. Hinged doors take up less space and close more tightly.
- Sliding doors are easier to install and glide completely out of the way. They’re especially well-suited for areas that receive significant snowfall, as snow can block out-swinging doors. However, sliding doors do require extra wall space to slide over when opened.
- Doors placed on the gable-end of the shed look nice, but make it difficult to reach items stored in the rear of the shed. A better alternative is to put the door on the long sidewall, so that you’ll have access items to the right, left and back. Or, install doors on each gable-end wall for easy access from either end of the shed.
These five points will give you a better understanding of what type storage shed will best suit your yard and lifestyle. Whether you’re building or buying, you should always consider your budget, skill level and storage needs before making a decision.
This guest post is written by Joseph Truini, a home-improvement expert and the author of the best-selling book Building a Shed. Joe writes about outdoor projects around the house for The Home Depot. To review Home Depot’s own wide selection of sheds, you can visit the Home Depot website.
