The Basics of Building Wooden Garden Sheds

Image Credit: Jeremy Levine (flickr.com)

As per my intro, I'll be presenting a few tips and tricks related to DIY and home improvement. I'll start with the backyard, specifically in building a garden shed.

If you think you can build a shed straight up, think again. Building a shed requires equal amounts of planning and labor. Nothing is more frustrating that building a shed and realizing that it is not what it's supposed to be. Wooden sheds, in a particular, are susceptible to accelerated decay if you just erect one without considering where you place them. It doesn't even matter how good your timber is, you have to plan your shed construction before you start the actual construction.

In fact, there's a lot of things to think about.

Legal Stuff

Before you can even begin construction, you will want to know your city's building codes. Each city or state has its own rules, requirements, and criteria. For instance, Seattle allows no-permit constructions of sheds if criteria are met. Some cities will not require a permit for a small garden shed, but you will still need to abide by your city's building codes. To be sure, contact your local council.

Purpose

Determining the purpose of your wooden shed is important if you want to save a little money. For example, a purely storage shed need not be pleasant to look at and will thus not require an abundance of materials. If you're going for a more decorative shed, creative paint jobs will be far cheaper than using more timber to add aesthetics.

Location

The location of your shed should also be taken into consideration, and not just where it looks the best. Strategic location of your shed is important for its longevity. If you're building a shed on a slope, for instance, facing the door with the higher end is more convenient when entering the shed. Putting your shed on high ground ensures that it doesn't collect rainwater during downpours.

Base

If you're going to put your shed on a concrete area of your garden, then there's not much to worry about as the concrete can be your base. Otherwise, you'll need to think about putting a base for it. The bottom parts of the shed's walls are often the first to break down. To preserve them, avoid having them touch the ground. A steel or brick base should be enough.

Once you've considered these basics, you can then start planning how to create your garden shed. There are a lot of free plans you can get online or even watch tutorial videos. If you think it's too much work, you can always purchase wooden garden sheds online.

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