Stop Yard Clutter: A Guide to Choosing the Best Storage Shed

Before I began working at Lowes, I didn't realize what decisions were needed to make before purchasing a storage shed. I suppose the most important choice is size. You need to consider what it is that you are going to keep in the storage shed as well as the area where you will set up the shed. Obviously the more you plan to store in the shed the larger it will need to be. An average size shed would be an 8' x 10', but the sizes do vary greatly. Some people only need a unit as small as a deck box, while others may need a 10' x 12' or larger. Once you have decided what you are going to store in your shed and how big it will need to be to handle it all, make sure you have a space large enough on your property to set up the shed.

Depending upon the space available in your yard you may have to scale down the sheds size and what you had planned to store in it. So now you know what size shed you need, now you need to decide what materials you want your shed made of. The three basic types of material used for storage sheds are, metal (usually aluminum), wood, vinyl (some sort of plastic composite). Vinyl is the most expensive choice when building a storage shed. However, vinyl is quickly becoming the most popular choice of most homeowners. Vinyl probably comes in the largest variety of sizes, as many of the smaller storage units (ie; deck boxes, tool closets) can be easily and inexpensively made from this material. Vinyl has the benefits of never needing to be painted, never rusting, roof and flooring included,and ease of construction. All of the vinyl sheds that I have worked with could be assembled by one person in a couple of hours.

Although vinyl is quickly catching up, wood sheds are still the most popular of all the sheds built. Wood sheds are a little less expensive than vinyl. Wood sheds have the advantage of being painted to match other buildings on the property. There is also a greater variety of styles of large size wood sheds. I have seen wood sheds as small as 8' x 8' and they can be custom built as large as you would like. Most wood shed kits however do not include a floor or roofing shingles. These must be bought separately. Wood sheds are probably the next in ease of construction. The lumber comes precut and drilled to ease construction, and most come preprimed to make painting less a chore. Some wood sheds also come with vinyl siding on the wall panels and roof, these tend to cost more than a basic wood shed, but they do eliminate the need for roofing shingles and paint. A couple of people working together can put up a wood shed in a few hours.

Finally, metal sheds. Metal sheds are the least expensive of the sheds, which is their greatest advantage as it allows someone with a smaller budget the ability to have a storage shed. Metal comes in all of the popular sizes. Most metal sheds do not include a floor kit when purchased. Floor kits are usually sold separately or you can but the material from a lumber store. Metal sheds are rugged and durable but need attention. You must check occasionally for rust and take steps to clean and paint those areas to extend the life of your shed. Construction of metal sheds is also the most time consuming, a couple of guys working together could put one up as an all day project. You have chosen the material you would like your shed to be constructed from. Now you need to know what style you would like. Wood offers the largest variety, followed by vinyl, and then metal.

The most important detail in choosing the style is door size. Single versus double or overhead. You need to be thinking of what you are storing and how large a doorway you need to easily get it in and out of your shed. After that the details become just your personal preferences. Do you want windows, built in shelves, vents, or skylights. You can even pick details I haven't even mentioned. For many of todays sheds, you can purchase an expansion kits if you need to make the shed larger. Vinyl is probably the easiest to expand.

One last bit before I finish. After you have chosen your shed and where it will go on your property, make sure you place it on a proper base. Whatever base you choose, make sure it is level. Concrete pads are probably the best base you can use for your shed as they are the strongest and don't hold water. Compacted gravel would probably be next best, vinyl sheds can sit directly on compacted gravel as there is no fear of rot or rust, wood and metal should be elevated by a couple inches so as keep off of any water that may be held by the gravel. Many people use pavers or patio block under their sheds, but I would recommend compacted gravel under these to prevent uneven settling of the shed. Whatever base you choose, make sure it is level. If a shed settles unevenly it can make the doors difficult or impossible to open or close properly.