Garden Shed Plans

Anyone building a garden storage shed will want to be sure that the whole assembly process is safe, economical and to a professional standard as much as possible.  This will usually include the use of  shed building plans.

Here then are some simple pointers about building sheds from proper garden shed plans.

You need no special skills for a do it yourself shed.  But, if you don’t use high-quality garden shed plans ,  there is a strong chance you will end up wasting much time and cash and have a ramshackle building where the doors don’t close and the windows don’t fit.

Good shed building plans are invaluable, as I hope to show you.

Click here to check out more than 90 great garden shed plans

As part of your garden shed design you will need to consider:

• Site selection and access requirements
• Size of outdoor garden storage shed
• Construction materials
• Roof design
• Foundation or base

These are the main design decisions you will need to make your garden shed plan.

Garden Shed Site

Consider, firstly, where you want to build your shed.  For instance, you will need good access for any large equipment such as a tractor that will be kept in the shed.  The measurements are very important, and it is wise to choose the next size up – you will invariably find things later that need to go in the shed, and that were overlooked when you chose your garden shed design!

Garden Shed Size

Secondly, make a list of the larger items to be kept in the shed, and allocate a space for them. For example,will the door be wide enough for the tractor?  Will you be storing mainly small items that will need lots of shelves?  Will you be storing items such as paint that need to be kept in the dark?  If you think that a small 6 x 6 ft storage shed will suffice, go for the next size up.  You will be glad later.

Garden Shed Shape

Your garden shed plans will give you many combinations of shape, size and construction.  Apex roof, pent roof or Dutch style roof?  Wooden, metal or plastic construction?  It is very easy to customize garden storage sheds to be exactly the way you want, and good-quality  plans will give you complete lists of materials and tools needed.

Garden Shed Materials

You could choose to construct your diy shed from metal or plastic, but wood is the preferred option for most garden and storage sheds because it is a renewable resource, it is easy to use and it blends in well on any site.  It should be treated with preservatives or, better still, be pressure-treated during final manufacture. Many people (myself included – see the photo at left) choose to paint their sheds using a special spirit based wood preservative, which is water repellent when dry and easy to apply by brush, spray or dipping.

Shed Base

Your final decision is the type of foundation or base you require.  Many shed plans simply show a wooden floor, and this will be satisfactory for light use.  They are not strong enough for storing heavy machinery, oil products or corrosive liquids.  A concrete foundation is the best solution.  It needs to be about 4 inches deep and 2 or 3 inches wider than the shed external dimensions.  This will be a little more expensive (maybe $200 more than a wooden floor, depending on the size) but will last the life of the shed, take all the wear you can throw at it and be maintenance-free.

Garden Shed Plans

From my experience with building garden sheds I have selected a great source for all information and guidance on how to build a storage shed from the ground up, including the all-important garden shed plans.  These include not only the actual assembly shed blueprint drawings but also complete lists of materials required with clear cut dimensions and quantities.  I know from my own mistakes that nothing is more frustrating than being halfway up a ladder only to find that you have overlooked a vital bracket or fastener!

There is advice on site selection, building codes, foundation construction, and pros and cons of various building materials.  The plans include lots of sketches, diagrams, step-by-step instructions and even videos to help the novice builder.  And there is a full, no hassle, refund guarantee in case you don’t like anything, which I consider to be an essential proviso for all online purchases these days.  All for less than $50 or so, which I think represents great value for money. I have a detailed review of this plans package that you can see here, and I strongly recommend that you check it out.

So, what are you doing next weekend – building a garden shed?

Click here for more than 90 great garden shed plans