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By Kim Gifford
Now that fall is here do you dread finding a place
to put all the goods that you accumulated over the
summer – the pool furniture, gardening equipment,
lawnmower, and grill? Although it may seem
overwhelming, there’s no need to shed your home of
these possessions... instead, just store them. Of
course, the choices in storage sheds are myriad, so
how do you settle on the right one?
Consider the Purpose
The first consideration, which affects all the
subsequent ones, is your purpose in purchasing the
shed. Will you be using it to store pool furniture
or gardening equipment? Will you need extra room for
machinery such as a lawnmower, kayak or motorcycle?
Do you want additional workspace in the shed itself?
It is important to ask these questions before
beginning your search for the perfect shed, because
the answers will determine everything from where you
place the shed to the size you need to buy and
perhaps even the material that you choose.
“I think what attracts people to a shed is need,”
says Bob Jackman, store manager at LaValley Building
Supply in West Lebanon, NH. “By the time you are
thinking of buying a shed you needed one two years
ago.”
Homeowners need storage sheds for a variety of
reasons. “We see them for everything from the
standard small 8’ x 8’ utility shed for housing
gardening equipment and wheelbarrows up to people
putting snowmobiles, motorcycles and even furniture
in them,” says Jackman. He cautions against the
latter use. “I don’t consider furniture storage a
good use of a shed. It’s not a sealed area like you
find in commercial storage units. People put stuff
in sheds and expect the mice not to get in, but they
do,” he offers.
Although there are many common uses for storage
sheds, dealers also see a number of exotic ones.
“We actually sell sheds that are more like camps
with big porches on them. Some people finish them
off as guest cottages. Some come with kitchens,
bathrooms, skylights and lots of glass. We sell
sheds that are used as horse barns and some that are
used as play cottages for children. Children will
play in them for a while and later they can be used
as storage buildings since them come with both a
small and large door. It is a double use sort of
thing,” says Robert Therrien, owner of The Carriage
Shed in White River Junction, VT.
Although you may not be looking to purchase a
storage shed for such elaborate uses, it is still
important to consider and list all your potential
needs.
Consider the Size
Focusing on your reasons for purchasing a storage
shed will help you determine the size. If all you
want to store are a few potting materials and a
wheelbarrow, you may get by with a smaller shed.
Dale Oakes, manager of Oakes Brothers in Brad-ford,
VT, cites 8’ x 12’ storage sheds as among the most
popular.
“Most people tend to underestimate the size,” says
Jackman, who advises that homeowners consider future
needs as well. For example, do you plan on taking up
a hobby like kayaking, skiing or biking in the
future or do you have children who one day soon may
be doing so? If so, it could pay to acknowledge
these future storage needs now and purchase a
slightly larger shed than your current situation
dictates.
“By the time you are thinking of buying a shed you
needed one two years ago.”
Also, consider the nature of the items you want to
store and the location within the shed where they
will be most convenient. Some things such as potting
soil, for example, may be able to sit on shelves,
thus, leaving valuable floor space for larger items.
You will not want to store items you are most likely
to use at the back of the shed. Some people also
choose to create interior partitions that will
separate contents or activities such as workspace
from storage space or a small changing area from
pool furniture storage.
David Beaulieu in Your Guide to Landscaping on
About.com recommends checking that the entry door to
the storage shed “is wide enough to accommodate your
largest piece of equipment with room to spare.” You
can also purchase a shed with double doors to
resolve this problem. If you are planning on working
in the shed, allow enough height for your head.
If after mapping out your storage needs on paper,
you are still struggling with the size shed you
should buy, experts recommend actually gathering
together in your yard all the items you want to
store, drawing a line around them, and measuring the
outline. Don’t forget to allow extra room for the
future.
Consider the Location
The size of the storage shed you choose can affect
the location. First, find a place in your yard large
enough to hold the shed. Consider traffic patterns,
neighbors’ views, and the general lay of the land.
Most sheds require a flat, accessible area to place
the shed and its foundation. Experts typically
recommend either cinder blocks, a concrete slab or
crushed stone as the shed’s foundation or floor.
Choosing a dry location is also crucial as moisture
can lead to decay. Other factors in determining
location include convenience and aesthetic value.
One of the advantages in owning a shed is the
convenience of having everything stored in one
place. Yet, if the shed itself is not accessible, it
negates this benefit. People will be more likely to
use items and put them away, if the shed is located
in proximity to the home or where you will most
likely be using the items. For example, place a
gardening shed near the garden or a pool shed near
the pool. Integrate the shed into the landscape.
Beaulieu suggests landscaping with plants or adding
window boxes to help outdoor storage sheds blend
into their surroundings.
Before purchasing a storage shed you should also
consider town ordinances. Setback ordinances may
determine where you are allowed to locate a shed.
You should also find out if a building permit is
required. Many towns do not require permits for
structures under 100 square feet.
Consider the Materials
Storage sheds come in a variety of materials
including metal, vinyl and wood. Metal sheds range
from galvanized steel to aluminum. Metal sheds are
not ideal for New England winters.
“A percentage of the people we sell wooden sheds to
are replacing their metal sheds damaged by snow.
Metal sheds are fine for a couple of years or they
are fine if you are going to pay very close
attention to them and support the roof and clean it
every time it snows, but they are not designed for
New England weather,” cautions Jackman.
“A shed is an extremely low cost option for storage
that increases the availability of the products that
are in it.”
Vinyl storage centers are another affordable and
efficient solution, especially for smaller storage
needs. You can buy bins with lift-up tops or even
heavy-duty vinyl tarps that can be zippered to keep
out elements and small animals. Small vinyl sheds
are also an option. Some homeowners choose vinyl
siding on their storage sheds to match their homes.
Another relatively affordable and popular option is
T-111, a textured plywood resembling vertical
siding. A more upscale choice is wood. Sidings
include board and batten, cedar, clapboard or
ship-lap. Wooden sheds are typically available as
both kits and completely pre-assembled units.
Consider the Price
“Price is determined by the type of material and the
size,” says Jackman. Another factor is labor or the
amount of time it takes a dealer to pre-fabricate
the building. LaValley Building Supply, for example,
sells its units in two different ways. The most
popular way, they call “set-up,” meaning the
building is delivered in one piece and set up by a
crane on site. They charge $1,657 for an 8’ x 12’
woodshed. The second way is “knocked down.”
“You don’t save a whole lot of money. The reason to
buy this way is that our crane can’t get to your
site. We pre-build the floor and all the walls. The
roof is in a couple of sections. You have to
assemble and roof it,” says Jackman. A comparable
knocked-down shed sells for $1,357.
In general, prices range from $800 for a simple shed
up to $1,200 to $1,500 for a shed large enough to
store a garden tractor and some equipment. “Sheds
can go up to $10,000 or even $40,000 for the large
cabins or pool sheds with a big porch, sliding
doors, etc.,” says Therrien.
Although sheds can get expensive, Jackman notes that
one of the common misconceptions buyers have is that
they have to pay a lot more for style.
“People really do not realize their options. If you
are even considering the possibility of a shed you
should look at the displays because the options are
there. A shed is an extremely low cost option for
storage that increases the availability of the
products that are in it,” concludes Jackman. |
