Who Says Building a Garden Shed Can't Be Fun? Some Ideas and Steps

A garden shed is normally depicted as a single-story structure where people keep their various gardening tools and equipment. However, homeowners can always add certain features that can make their garden sheds stand out. One of the easiest ways to do this is to add landscaping, such as rows of flowers and a small cement walkway that leads to the shed. Homeowners may also install plant boxes where they can grow vegetables and ornamental plants.



Another good idea for a creative Garden shed is to design it like a mini cottage, complete with a tiled roof and medium-sized glass windows. One can also design an open-door shed, which lets homeowners easily access the garden tools that are stored inside. These garden sheds can also feature Gothic arched windows, have a second story for extra storage space, or be as large as a small mountain cabin. Homeowners can easily find a plethora of ideas on the Internet and infuse their own ideas and creativity into the mix.

Once a homeowner knows what his/her lean-to is going to look like, the time has come to prepare the materials he/she would need to build it. The most common material that is used to build this structure is wood, although there are some homeowners who might want to use galvanized steel or vinyl. One would also need concrete and crushed stone for the foundation, roofing materials such as shingles and plywood, the door and windows, the drip cap, and vents.

One should take note of the needed materials that they would have to buy to give their lean-to a more polished look, may it be paving stones for the small pathway, the weather vane, flower boxes, and other decorations. Of course one should also prepare the needed tools, which include a hammer, nail gun, nails, roofing tar, and the door hinges. Homeowners should make a complete list of the tools and materials and check this before starting the construction project.

A Garden shed is normally built from the bottom up, starting with the foundations. One should lay the concrete foundation first before preparing the floor frames. The floor frames are held together by a series of equally distances wooden planks, which are then nailed onto the frame. This is covered by thick plywood boards that are nailed in place.

Each of the walls is prepared using a "skeleton," or a specific arrangement of wooden beams. The roof is one of the last parts to be assembled and installed, followed by the shed's doors, windows, and interior storage facilities. Finally, homeowners can arrange the different decorations that can turn their simple shack into a multipurpose structure. Those who don't have a lot of time to build their own sheds can buy a pre-packaged kit, but these kits normally use the manufacturer's own designs and dimensions.