Exploring Storage Sheds: A Comprehensive Overview for First-Time Buyer

When you ride your bicycle, weed-eat the corners of your lawn, finish painting the living room with a little leftover paint, or find scraps of wood you’d like to save for later, you think about how nice it would be to have a shed to store all these things.

At Amish Co, we believe in creating high-quality, functional sheds for whatever your shed needs are. Whether you want a place to store your lawn mower, a potting shed, or a retreat where you can pursue your hobby in peace, we can construct and deliver your ideal shed.

Of course, you still probably have questions!

That’s why we’ve written this general introduction to sheds, providing insight into some of your basic questions about these fantastic additions to any backyard.

Let’s get started!

Why Build a Storage Shed?

There are two main reasons people choose to put a storage shed on their property:

They have tools, sporting equipment, patio furniture, or other outdoor items they wish to hide away out of sight when not in use
They wish to construct a usable room apart from their house, such as a she shed, man cave, guest room, office, or art studio.

Some storage sheds have multiple functions. For example, you could set up a storage shed as a potting shed, allowing you to indulge in your gardening hobby while keeping the dirt and mess associated with sprouting seedlings out of the main house.

Or, you could use a shed as a pool house, giving you a place to change into your bathing suit as well as storage for pool floats and accessories when you’re not using them.

Hopefully, by now your mind is racing with possibilities about what you could use your shed for. So let’s move on and talk about the different types of storage sheds that are available!

Types of Storage Sheds

When looking at the various storage sheds available, you can break them down by material, size, or style. Since we’ll go into more detail about shed sizes later, let’s look at materials and styles for now.

Shed Materials

Wood Sheds are customizable and aesthetically appealing, making wood the most popular material for sheds. Since wooden sheds can be insulated, they’re the best choice if you plan to hang out in your shed for extended periods. However, wood takes more effort in maintenance and upkeep than other materials, and can be susceptible to mold, rot, and termites if you don’t look after it properly.

Metal Sheds are durable and easy to install. They’re a great choice if you want a simple storage shed with no extra frills. However, they’re not as customizable as wood, and since they’re not well-insulated, they’re not great for man caves, art studios, office space, and the like.

Plastic Sheds made from vinyl or resin are the most inexpensive shed option and require minimal upkeep. However, they tend to be small, and, well, very plastic-looking, which might not be the look you’re going for. Furthermore, they’re not as durable as metal or wood sheds.

Shed Styles

Wooden sheds are highly customizable, but some of the most basic, popular shed styles include:

Gable Roof Shed: This is the most popular shed style⁠—a simple shape with a basic gable roof.
Gambrel Roof Shed: With a gambrel roof, your shed will look like a miniature barn.
Two-Story Shed: Some sheds come with an upper story for extra storage, a small guest room, or whatever you can dream up!
Modern-Style Shed: Give your shed a sleek, modern look with a single sloped roof panel and plenty of windows.
Cottage-Style Shed: If you want your shed to look like a little cottage, it’s all in the details⁠—window grids, dormers, shutters, and window boxes all give the shed a cozy feel.

Popular Sizes of Storage Shed

What size of storage shed should you get?

The answer depends on several factors, but the primary three are:

How much room do you have in your yard for a storage shed?
What do you want to use the shed for? How much storage do you need?
What’s your budget? Larger storage sheds cost more, but it’s more cost-effective to buy a larger shed now rather than buying a smaller shed, realizing it’s not big enough, and having to replace it.

With these factors in mind, let’s look at some popular storage shed sizes.

Small Sheds (6x8, 8x8 feet): Ideal for storing garden tools, lawn equipment, bicycles, or a small workshop.
Medium Sheds (8x10, 10x10, 10x12 feet): Suitable for larger tools, lawnmowers, outdoor furniture, and other medium-sized items.
Large Sheds (10x12, 10x16, 12x16 feet): Great for storing multiple large items like riding lawn mowers, motorcycles, or for use as a workshop or hobby space.
Extra-Large Sheds (12x20, 12x24 feet, and larger): Used for extensive storage needs, including vehicles, or as a more substantial workspace or small garage. (However, if you need something extra-large, you may consider building a pole barn instead of a shed.)

For a more detailed breakdown of storage shed sizes, read our blog post⁠—Finding the Perfect Fit: How to Determine the Right Size Storage Shed for Your Needs.

How to Install a Storage Shed

When you buy a shed, the company you purchase from will deliver and install it for you. But to ensure a smooth installation process, here are the steps you should take on your own.

Step 1: Check your local zoning and permit laws

Depending on the size of shed you want, your local municipality may have zoning and permit requirements. Check local laws before purchasing a shed and preparing a foundation. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting everything ready for your new shed, only to discover that you placed the foundation too close to the property line and have to redo all your hard work!

Step 2: Prepare a foundation

When the delivery people come to install your shed, they need to have something to set it on! Popular shed foundations include:

A concrete slab: Ideal for heavy sheds, but requires professional installation.
A gravel foundation: Ideal for small-to-medium sized sheds, and easy to DIY.
Cement blocks: Ideal if you want your shed to be easily moveable.

You can find a more detailed breakdown of the various shed foundations, and when you might want to use one or the other, at shedplans.org.

Basic Shed Upkeep and Maintenance

Once you’ve installed your shed, you want to keep it functional and nice-looking as long as possible! Here are some tips for basic shed upkeep and maintenance:

Cleaning: Sweep out your shed periodically. Hose down or pressure wash the exterior to remove dirt, algae, or mildew. Avoid high pressure on wooden sheds to prevent damage.
Roof Maintenance: Check your shed for water damage, drips, or wet spots, and fix leaks promptly.
Maintain the Finish: Repaint or restain your shed every few years. If you have a metal shed, use a rust-resistant primer and paint.
Foundation Care: Ensure your shed remains level to prevent structural issues. If you notice your foundation settling, see if you can improve drainage to prevent soil erosion, reinforce the foundation, and re-level the shed.

If you do these things, you can ensure your shed will last for years and years!

How Amish Co Can Help

At Amish Co, we believe you deserve a shed that will withstand the test of time and suit your needs. That’s why our sheds are made by Amish craftsmen using high-quality construction methods and materials. (In fact, we wrote a whole blog post about why Amish-built sheds are simply the best!)

Besides storage sheds, we offer numerous other types of outdoor buildings, such as:

At AmishCo, we will help you design your dream structure, and then build, deliver, and set up your new shed!

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by Kent Lapp

Exploring Storage Sheds: A Comprehensive Overview for First-Time Buyers