So you can’t seem to part from all those precious tools you hardly use anymore. And, you can store them in your wooden shed out back, but your shed could be used for SO MUCH MORE than just an area to store tools. There are several different purposes for sheds and all it takes is a little modification.

Using a shed for the garden is perhaps the most popular reason to have a shed. Its quite a convenient place for storing your garden tools and supplies so the natural location for a shed is right next to the garden. Plus, potting your plants is a snap with a proper workbench in your shed. Many of the garden sheds built today connect us to a simpler past just with their charm and character.

Sheds also serve other purposes as well. Locate your shed next to a pool and it serves the purpose of a pool cabana. These are particularly handy for storing pool chemicals that should be stored away from the main house anyway. Some cabanas are stocked with towels, pool toys and with snacks stored in a refrigerator. This helps to keep the kids from running into the house all wet.

Sheds make great kids playhouses as well as artists’ studios since they are so small. And they make a great little sanctuary by accommodating a couple of pieces of furniture and other accessories.

You have a few options when it comes to the types of building materials you want your shed to be made of. Personally, I like the look of wood (particularly cedar). This is especially important if your shed will be located in a highly visible area.

Other options include plastic (or vinyl) and metal (usually rolled aluminum). Plastic is virtually maintenance free and is going to be your least expensive option. While metal is durable, it can get really hot inside – especially in warmer climate zones.

Assuming you’ve made the decision to put a wooden shed in your backyard, you’ll need to decide if you are going to hire someone to build it or if you will tackle that challenge yourself. There are a LOT of shed kits available out there for you to choose from if you feel comfortable enough with your carpentry skills. And, its much faster and easier to build a shed from a kit than it is making it from scratch.

So, its important to step back from your project before you get too deep and evaluate what its purpose will be. The rest will fall right into place.

Terry Shaw is passionate about wooden garden sheds. For a lot more information, resources, and construction tips, visit his web site: Best Wooden Sheds.

If you are contemplating building a wooden shed for your backyard there are a few things you should consider. Wooden sheds can make a great and practical centerpiece or focal point that you will naturally be drawn to. Here are some tips to help you in the process of becoming a happy shed owner:

1. Choose a Purpose

A nice place to practice your hobby or just to relax? Maybe storage for your garden supplies? Knowing what the purpose of your shed will be is an important starting point. Once you know that, everything else will fall into place.

2. Location, Location, Location

Pick a spot for your shed. Ask yourself if you want to be able to move it around or will it be in a permanent spot? This determines how the shed foundation will be made. Watch for overhead tree branches as they can be pretty messy with bird droppings and debris.

3. Site Prep

Prepare the site properly by giving yourself the time to do it right. Your site should be cleared of rocks, large debris, and plants. Sloping the ground slightly downward towards the back of the shed ensures proper water drainage.

4. Shed Plans

Good plans provide photos of what the actual shed looks like when its completed. They also should have a materials list which helps when you go to purchase all your materials.

5. Purchase a Shed Kit

If you feel that you don’t have the time or skills to build a kit from scratch, order a shed kit online. They come in a wide variety of styles, they go together quickly and pretty precisely, and they don’t require too much skill to put together.

6. Cedar

Cedar is resistant to rot and insects which make it a great material to use for wooden sheds. And the overall appearance will make your shed a major focal point of your yard.

7. Get a Helping Hand

Having an extra hand to help with the construction of your shed will not only make the job go faster, but it sure makes it easier as well.

8. Think of the Future

Things will be a lot easier if you plan ahead. Think about your plumbing or electrical needs in the future and prepare for them now BEFORE you start building.

9. The Details Make All the Difference

Don’t skimp on items such as hinges and door closures. It might be tempting to go with a less expensive hinge but you’ll be much happier with a higher quality one from the start.

10. Use the Small Spaces Wisely

By making shelves out of 2×4s, you will be able to place them between the studs. This makes for great places to hold small objects.

Garden sheds are one of those things that are are often neglected, but they require at least some minimal maintenance or you will soon be faced with a falling down garden shed that you will have to decide whether it is worth repairing or not. I would guess that a good shed should last a minimum of 10 years, maybe even double before requiring a major fix-up. Poorly built structures could start deteriorating much quicker than that.

If you are in the position where you need to decide between fixing up your old shed, or building or buying a replacement, there are more factors that you have to consider than simply cost. A lot of times your shed size or design may no longer be suitable, in which case you will probably replace it. But in other circumstances, perhaps your shed, although old, is perfect for you and your house, and you will decide that fixing it is your best choice. You’ll have to decide what the important factors are for you.

This summer was the summer of sheds for me – I had to make the decision to stay or go for 2 sheds. My own tiny double door lean-to shed, and my mothers much larger 1 1/2 storey 8 by 12 foot garden shed. The decision about my mothers shed came first. It is a picture perfect cottage garden shed, but it had some serious water and rot issues. It would have been quite expensive to replace, so repairing was definitely the way to go. The only questionable part was whether the floor joists were gone, which would have made this job really quite extensive. As it turns out, we completely replaced the roof, and having solved the water problem, discovered that there was vapour barrier between the rotted floor and the joists. So a new sub-floor made the shed just like new. The total bill was under $600.

My little lean to shed involved a bit more decision making. The roof was in equally bad shape, the items inside the shed were wetter than outside. Also, the floor had all but evaporated, leaving the sills on the ground, and they were rotting out now as well. I thought I could lift it and put a new floor underneath but this idea would certainly not work once I discovered the rot at the bottom of the studs.

First we decided to cost the materials to rebuild the same size shed, with a cute exterior siding that would give it at least a little character. It priced out at over $500. We decided that perhaps that was too much to spend on a shed as small as ours, so we started looking into other options. We did find one great deal on a pre-built demo model 8′x8′ shed, but in the end it would have required extra shipping costs, taking down part of the fence to get it in the backyard, and it wouldn’t fit in the old location. We also looked for smaller kits, but quickly discovered that we simply hated the flimsy metal or resin options, and they were more expensive to boot.

After thinking for a bit more, we decided that perhaps with a bit of extra work, we could save money and also save the old character, by recycling the siding, and building the structure new. As it turns out, this was quite a bit of work, but we saved over 50% on the original material estimate, and we ended up with a brand new old shed, which won’t start sagging for many more years. We are both quite pleased with the final look, especially saving the old aged board and batten siding.

Both of these sheds required some thought as to whether repairing or replacing was the best solution, and in both cases we ended up saving the sheds, and saving money as well. In both these cases the sheds were already perfectly suited for their purposes, and they also had exactly the right character to match the century old homes they belonged to. In our case, repairing was the right solution, even though one was almost falling down, we still decided the pros outweighed the cons. You’ll have to figure out what the important factors are in your decision before deciding whether your old shed will stay or be replaced.