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I am looking for a small shed (6'x6'-ish) for the yard and garden equipment. Reviews are awfully conflicted about what a decent shed is. Have you found a good shed at a local garden center, or assembled from a kit (big box store or internet), or DIY from plans?
My main concern is it surviving heavy snow. I have some tools but not many saws so I have been leaning towards a kit.
For plastic/resin sheds, it seems like the material for the smaller sizes is flimsier than the larger sheds. It also sounds like the plastic sheds suffer hail damage, may not seal well from insects/precipitation, and don't always fit well together.
I think it would be fun to assemble one of the wood kits, but it is it worth paying more for the wood?
I don't know where in NE US you're located. After painstaking research we had our shed custom-built by the Amish folks in Smyrna, Maine. Even with delivery fee, it was substantially less $ than the price we were given by a local shed builder, and substantially less $ and sturdier than what we found at big box and local stores.
We were able to go bigger, also, and still for less money.
I don't know about kits.
I believe there are other Amish communities building sheds throughout New England. It's definitely worth checking into. Tell them your dream and ask for a price.
6X6 is a waste of materials-
And anything smaller than 8X8 is rather useless.
Having the know-how is decidedly easier, but a simple shed with a rather steep "shed roof" will be relatively easy to build using standard size dimensional lumber.
With the high pitched shed roof you can add celestory windows up high for light, and making them operable will allow ventilation. Plus, the steep pitch will readily handle a significant snow load. If you're not too concerned about the direction the shed is facing/roof orientation, face the high-end/windows to the southwest for the most light and heat gain.
Possibility. Definitely don't have as much room as you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by VTYankinME
I don't know where in NE US you're located. After painstaking research we had our shed custom-built by the Amish folks in Smyrna, Maine. Even with delivery fee, it was substantially less $ than the price we were given by a local shed builder, and substantially less $ and sturdier than what we found at big box and local stores.
WOW these are pretty cool and I will keep looking into it. I assume the shed came completely built? One issue for me is that it would be very difficult to get something that big into the backyard as a complete structure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr
6X6 is a waste of materials-
And anything smaller than 8X8 is rather useless.
Having the know-how is decidedly easier, but a simple shed with a rather steep "shed roof" will be relatively easy to build using standard size dimensional lumber.
With the high pitched shed roof you can add celestory windows up high for light, and making them operable will allow ventilation. Plus, the steep pitch will readily handle a significant snow load. If you're not too concerned about the direction the shed is facing/roof orientation, face the high-end/windows to the southwest for the most light and heat gain.
This is the land of 4000 sq ft lots so my needs are small and simple. Thanks for the tips on the windows!
I agree that the size of shed you are looking at is not really useful for storage. If I had to install again, I would go for an 8'x15'
Where are you putting the shed? Over concrete or is it ground? I built a plywood platform using 2"x8" sitting on cement block. My shed is raised about 10" off the ground.
I also had my shed Amish built. Not custom made -- but Amish made.
In some areas there are local companies that sell Amish sheds, in various standard sizes.
You order from them, and the Amish come an put it up on site.
OR that same company will let you order custom -- which costs more of course.
I just bought a small resin storage cabinet, because my yard is small and I have to get permission from the HOA to add a shed, but no permission is needed for the size I bought. I measured carefully to be sure my mower, weed eater, gas cans, shovels, etc. will fit in it. (My husband likes to accumulate things so if he had a big shed he would cram it with junk until I couldn't get my mower in and out.)
This is what I got: Keter High Store 4.6 ft. x 2.5 ft. x 5.10 ft. Resin Vertical Storage Shed-227474 - The Home Depot I bought it at Sam's for $150 on clearance. I started to assemble it last night. The pieces fit together really well and it has been simple to build with nothing but a screwdriver. We don't get snow here, so being able to support weight on the roof was not a consideration. I don't think it would stand up well to a lot of weight on the roof, because all of the supports for it are plastic, except a couple of metal bars that go on the doors.
At our prior home, we installed a "Royal" Shed - from a kit purchased at a big box store. It was a vinyl panel system (galvanized track, the panels fit into the track. Roof panels also vinyl and you could sub out regular roof panels for "skylight" (opaque, but let light through) panels. We put in 4 of those (two each side of ridge).
Great shed. Lived there for nearly a decade - never leaked.
Went to look sheds up to give you a link - they were discontinued. Looks like they dropped them about the time of the recession.
Bummer. It was a great product.
My current neighborhood prohibits vinyl sheds (also metal sheds) - so we have a site built wood shed. Don't have experience with any of the other kits, but at least I can say truthfully that one kit product that no longer exists did a great job!
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