Building an Outdoor Storage Shed

Do not let the price of the units be the determining factor for you. Some shoppers see a low price and will not allow themselves to go any higher, even if quality is sacrificed.

The sheds built with the highest quality materials are typically only priced a couple of hundred dollars more than the one built of lower quality materials. A number like $300 may seem like a lot, but when you consider how much longer the material will last, it starts to look like a good investment.

Cedar and vinyl are typically the higher quality materials because they withstand the elements and aging the best. You want to keep in mind how the unit will look on your property.

The unit should complement the style of your house in terms of color and materials. There are many different styles that you can choose from, each very different.

If you have more of a country looking home you could go for a rustic designed shed like board and batten. If your house has a style that is more formal, select an outdoor storage shed wit women's jackets h formal features that match, like an arched window or ginger breading.

You can also integrate your outbuilding into the surrounding landscape. Plants can help outdoor storage sheds blend into a landscape, rather than sticking out like sore thumbs.

Open up and plant annual or perennial beds around your unit. You can also install trellises up against the walls of outdoor storage sheds and adorn the walls with vines.

Natural wood is considered by many the most attractive siding for storage units. But wood exposed over time to water usually rots, creating the need to replace the unit.

Some woods contain natural resins that make them relatively rot-resistant. Cedar is such a wood and very popular as a siding choice for the building, but even cedar siding is not maintenance-free.

You should coat cedar with a UV-inhibiting sealer/preservative every other year to protect it from ultraviolet solar radiation. Apply a clear stain, as well, to help preserve its natural beauty of the wood.

For maintenance-free storage units, vinyl is the preferred siding. The only drawback is that vinyl lacks the visual appeal of wood.

If you own a home with vinyl siding, a strong argument can be made for selecting a shed that is also sided with vinyl. Due to their susceptibility to rust, steel storage units should probably be avoided.

Among metal storage units, rust-free aluminum is usually the most sensible choice in siding. Metal siding is durable, you can paint it any color, and you do not have to worry about catching fire.

Particle board and plywood are composed of pieces of wood products that have been pressed and glued together. Although they are popular siding materials for sheds, they may not be able to stand the elements well.

If water seeps into particle board it can warm easily and completely ruin the exterior. If you are building your own shed, make sure you check with city zoning ordinances, deed restrictions, and building codes.

Building codes in some cities dictate how many storage units are allowed to be on a single property and how large they can be. It can also dictate what the unit can be made of.

You can purchase a pre-made storage building from your local home improvement store. You can choose from a large selection and then have it delivered to your home.

Make sure the entry to the outdoor storage building is wide enough to accommodate your largest piece of equipment with room to spare. So if you have a riding lawnmower, you need to be able to drive it through the doorway without any problems.

You should also make sure that there is room for all of your other equipment that you want to store in there. You do not want the unit to be too cluttered or else you will not be likely to go in there and find what you need when yard work needs to be done.