How do I Choose the Best Yard Shed?

There are several factors to consider before choosing the best yard shed. First, it is important to think about how the shed will be used. Once the shed’s use is established, the size and style can better be ascertained. Lastly, the homeowner should decide whether she wants to construct her yard shed from scratch or purchase a prefabricated model from a local garden center.

Before purchasing or constructing a yard shed, it is important to think about its likely uses. Some sheds are used to store tools and equipment, such as shovels, rakes, lawn mowers, weed whips, and snow blowers. Other sheds are used for projects that do not require much space, such as potting plants or painting. In the alternative, a yard shed may be used as a woodworking workshop, a child’s playhouse, or even a homeowner’s oasis away from the main home. Deciding how the shed will be used will help the homeowner discover the size of shed that will best suit her needs.

A small yard shed is ideal for storing tools. In fact, if shelving is added to the shed, it can easily house many tools and even some larger pieces of equipment, such as a lawn mower or a snow blower. It is ideal if the shed has enough room for a person to move around and find the exact tool or piece of equipment for which she is looking. In general, there should be a buffer of about 1 foot (30.5 cm) on either side of any large pieces of equipment if the shed is used for storage purposes alone.

If the yard shed will be used for small scale projects, such as painting or potting plants, additional space may be needed. For example, it usually is ideal if there is about 3 feet (91.4 cm) of room between workbenches. The larger the projects will be, the larger the shed should be. If the shed were to be used for woodworking, up to 9 feet (roughly 2.74 m) would be needed between work areas. The space would give the person ample room to safely maneuver between saws, drills, and other power tools.

Another factor to consider when choosing the best yard shed is the style of the shed. In general, it should match the other structures on the property. For example, if the house is a dark brown wood, the yard shed should also be dark brown wood, not white brick or purple vinyl. In addition, it is important to know and understand the zoning, covenants, and building codes of the city or neighborhood. Some neighborhoods have rules against yard sheds in general or they may have specific requirements as to color, size, or location of the shed.

The final point to consider before choosing a shed is whether the shed should be constructed from scratch or purchased as a prefabricated structure from a garden store. The homeowner should consider her available time and level of skill before choosing one method over another. While a handmade shed may be unique and may better match the existing structure, it also may take an abundance of time and skill.