In Search of the Perfect Shed

There’s a world of choices when it comes to garden sheds. Choosing the right shed requires careful consideration of several factors. For example, what are you going to use it for? Is it just for storage or is it going to be a workspace as well?

The answers to these questions will dictate the size you’re going to need. Then you need to consider your budget, the materials you prefer and even the municipal building codes that may affect your project.

Generally speaking, your choices for materials will be vinyl, metal or wood.

Vinyl is a cost-effective, durable and easy to clean option that can be customized to match your house.

Metal is extremely durable and can protect your shed from fire and termites, but tends to be a more expensive choice.

Wood can give your backyard a rustic charm. It also gives you the ability to be a little more artistic as you can protect, paint or stain it any colour you like with BeautiTone and BeautiTone Wood-Shield products. 

If you have the tools and the know-how, building a shed yourself can be a real money-saver. Home Hardware Building Centres have roughly 40 different shed project packages that are completely customizable. A Home Hardware Expert will work with you to design exactly the shed you want – from adjusting the roof to widening the doors.

The price differences in build-it-yourself sheds really come down to size and finishes. As the size increases, your costs will go up. In terms of finishes, basic OSB walls and plain wood trim are the least expensive options. It can be painted or stained to match the rest of the yard.

Other, more expensive, finishing options include vinyl siding which gives a great outdoor look and can be matched to your house with different decorative plywood sidings that can be left bare, painted or stained in any number of colours.

Slightly more expensive than the build-it-yourself options are the pre-built shed packages. All the pieces are pre-cut and every package has detailed assembly instructions, so they require less building skills and fewer tools. These sheds have a broad price range depending on size and material.

If you’re looking to store some rakes and shovels, the Rubbermaid Large Vertical Storage Shed is a good option. When you’ve got more to store or need more workspace, you can look at: the stylish wooden 8’ x 12’ Storage Shed, the 9.5’ x 8’ Vinyl Vision Storage Shed with wide doors to accommodate bigger equipment, or the very durable steel 10’ x 14’ Red Barn Storage Shed. And they get bigger from there.

Once again, you should make your choice based on what you’re going to use it for, how big it needs to be, the materials you want and your budget.

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Whether you’ve chosen a 20’ x 20’ custom shed project package or an 8’ x 8’ pre-fab model, you’re going to want to keep it neat and tidy. A well-organized shed can store more items than a messy one. And, no matter the size of the shed, space always seems to be at a premium. The idea here is function over style.

Home Hardware has a number of affordable items to take the clutter out of your shed. Start with a modular tool rack. Mount one or a few of these on the wall and you can quickly organize your tools.

If you have things to hang like power cords or a barbecue brush, try the storage rail with 3 hooks. You can find bicycle hangers, ladder hooks for multi-purpose storage, black poly shelving units and any number of handy storage boxes to keep things tidy in your shed’s loft storage space. With this many choices at affordable prices, it’s hard to have a cluttered shed.

Before you build your shed, you should check out your municipality’s by-laws and building codes. Generally speaking, any shed 10 square metres (roughly 107 sq. ft.) or less will not need a building permit, but must be constructed to code standards.

If your shed is larger than 10 square metres, you will need to register your plans with your municipal building and zoning department and expect an inspection when the work is done to ensure it is up to code.

However, you will still need to adhere to your municipality’s bylaws on how far the structure must be from your property line. It could be 3 feet, 5 feet, etc. or more depending on your municipality. Check the rules before you build – as not properly abiding by bylaws could mean moving your shed – which can be quite a setback.