Garden Sheds: She-Shed or Man Cave?

Almost every parent out there knows that sometimes the house can be a little too small to provide mom and dad with the getaway they need. Whether mom needs a "She-Shed" for her hobbies or dad needs a "man cave" to read or watch a ballgame, an Amish-built shed can be the perfect answer.

As the trend for small spaces is on the rise, using a storage shed as a getaway is becoming more an more popular.  Since additions can be costly, many people have chosen to forgo the traditional craft room or den, we have found that our "man caves" as they are called on the website, are becoming more an more of a hit. But these "man caves" aren't just for men. We have women use them for craft rooms, painting studios, or potting sheds, as well. 

A garden shed (turned hobby shed) is a quick and customizable solution if you're looking for a little extra space out back. No longer is the shed just an outbuilding intended for tool storage or housing the car. When you look at a custom-built shed, you can opt to create an unexpected getaway for you and a guest or two.

These wood frame structures are built to your specifications and then delivered to your prepared building site, ready to handle whatever your family needs. Your imagination is the limit to what you can do with one of our prefab sheds. These buildings can be designed to have electricity and plumbing added, making them more of a little cabin in the backyard.

Of course, you can still use your garden shed as a potting shed to start flowers and vegetables for the garden. You can even use it as shelter for your backyard chickens or your dog. But, really, why not use it for a little space of your own.

To design you prefect she-shed or man cave, contact us.

Storage Sheds: Plan for Storing Your Summer Fun

In early summer many people are not thinking about where they will put the lawn furniture, mower and grill when the summer is over, but it is the perfect time to plan ahead for the fall.

A shed, built on site or brought to you complete, offers a unique way to comply with whatever requirements your community or home owners' association has for out buildings. These custom-built storage sheds can be tailored to meet your specific lot requirements and your storage needs.

For many people,  keeping the lawn furniture and basic tools dry and accessible is the most basic requirement of their storage shed. But those with an eye to increasing the value of their property or keeping the neighbors happy also want something that looks good. Functional is nice. Functional and aesthetically pleasing is better.

With a custom-built storage shed, home owners can tailor the building to their design tastes and their needs. Maybe you need easy access to the lawn mower and snow blower, with overhead storage for your children's bikes, sleds and scooters. Maybe you'd prefer a shed that can double as a potting shed for spring vegetables. With a custom design, your shed can be created specifically with your family in mind.

Another advantage of these Amish-built sheds is that they are made of wood, not pre-fabricated metal sure to rust its first winter.  Your shed can be constructed on site if you have an off the beaten path spot intend for it or it can be delivered completed and ready to go.

To start designing your custom-built storage shed, contact us with its intended purpose. From there, our designers work with you to create the storage shed you need.

Star Gazer Garden Sheds Take Your Love of Astronomy to the Next Level

Do you get your telescope out every time Venus makes an appearance in the night sky? Do you mark meteor showers on your calendar? Are you constantly reminding people that Pluto isn't considered a planet anymore? If you love tracking the night sky, or just enjoy teaching your children about the solar system, we know of a fun way for you to invest in your passion.

You don't have to only enjoy looking at the stars on warm summer nights. If you're tired of taking a trek to an observatory every time you want to catch a cool astronomical event when it's too chilly, snowy or damp outside, there is another way. You can have a star gazer garden shed installed in your back yard.

Sky sheds offer a roll off rooftop, so you can leave all of your equipment set up and ready to go, roll the roof off when you're ready to observe the night sky, and roll it back in place when you're done. Your equipment can stay safely in place ready to go for the next time you want to enjoy the celestial wonder. 

Sky sheds are also perfect for photographers who specialize in photographing the sky. The sheds can be wired for electricity so you have outlets to power your equipment.

If you are teaching your children to love science and astronomy you can start hosting some really stellar sleepovers in your observatory shed during meteor showers. 

For more information on how an affordable garden shed can make your astronomy hobby much more fun and accessible, please contact us.

Top 5 Shed Organization Hacks for Your Outdoor Man Cave

Are you looking for mundane or ho-hum tricks to manage the limited space you have available in you shed? 

You're looking for brilliance! Well, we may not have brilliance but we do have a few good ideas you may not have thought of in this simple but informative blog entry; The top 5 shed organization hacks for your outdoor man cave.

1) Shelves Are a No-Brainer

Now shelves aren't so far up on the brilliance scale. You've thought of those already. But how useful are they really? Are they sturdy enough to hold all your stuff without wobbling? If they're not all that sturdy, consider screwing them to the wall. Why not? It's your shed, and everything in it, right down to the shelves should be as useful as it can be. Furthermore, make sure they're not so tall you can't use the top shelf. If they are, start thinking skinny and flat. We're sure you can come up with few of those items to stick up there.

2) Install a Tool Hanger or Two

Tool hangers to hang those pesky rakes and shovels from are just smart. If you install one of these hanger, long gone are the days of leaning them in the corner only to have to struggle to get the one you need. As well, how many times have you caught a toe on a rake only to have it knock everything else over or swing out to practically smack you in the head?

3) Peg Boards Are a Big Plus

Peg boards are so versatile since you can buy a lot of different types of hangers to plug into them. Plus, as the things you store on peg boards will change over time, you can move the hangers around to fit it all without a hitch or a hassle.

4) Wind up Cords and Hoses

Although your hose reel may be handy sitting in the yard, it takes up quite a bit of floor space in your shed. Consider a wall mount system that holds them tight against the wall. Your hose will be just as handy if you really need it during the fall and winter months. Furthermore, extension cords can be hung in the same way without getting tangled. Think about it, when you need an extension cord, you need it now. It wastes a bunch of time trying to untangle it and get the knots out just so you can string a light under your car or power up a saw for a quick cut with your saw.

5) Can You Do the Can-Can?

We bet you can. But we're not talking about dancing here. Most guys think of trash cans are only useful for trash. However, have you thought about using them for storing bagged items like pet food and bedding or driveway oil-dry? Or how about sidewalk salt, grass seed, lawn fertilizer or charcoal briquettes for the grill. You get the point. Anything that comes in a bag can be tossed in a can or bucket to make it less of a mess to deal with and take a lot less space.

Floor Space Is at a Premium

No matter how big your shed is, floor space is always going to be at a premium once you stick your hunting gear, golf clubs, lawn mower, motorcycles and ATV's inside. But think about it; if you get all the little stuff up off the floor and out of your way, you'll have tons of room for the big stuff. Who knows, with a little planning you may even have room for a comfy chair to sit on while you watch the game and enjoy a cold one after all the honey-do's are done for the day.

If you'd like more room for all the stuff you need to keep outdoors, contact us. We'll be more than happy to show you how we can help you get a lot more space in your outdoor man-cave.

Making Yard Work a Breeze: Adding a New Addition for Functionality

Springtime is the time to focus on your yard. New landscaping, mulching, cutting grass, weeding, and planting are on the agenda. As you begin your yard work, you find that you need all sorts of equipment and materials. There are a few things you can do to prepare for your spring and summer tasks around the house and save some money. The larger the yard, the more expensive the landscaping costs. You can track down sales as you go, and purchase all you need to get you through the year’s work. When it comes to the larger purchases, such as equipment like mowers and mulchers, you will definitely want to purchase ahead in order to benefit from the sales.

Once you have accumulated everything you need to make your yard look great, you are faced with a common problem amongst most homeowners…where do you put everything? You need to think about protecting all of your purchases from the elements, especially if you were purchasing during the winter months. Many people resort to putting everything in their garage to keep things dry and organized. This might be a possible solution for some, but ideally you should be able to park your cars in the garage without trying to share the space with all sorts of other yard equipment. If this is your situation, then you need to consider a shed as the solution to your storage needs. Here are some reasons why a shed is the perfect addition to your home and yard:

1. Additional storage capabilities. The number one reason for most people to add a shed is for the additional room it provides. The best way to stay organized is to keep everything in its place. If it is a yard tool or landscaping item, then they belong together. Having things everywhere only leads to confusion and lost items. We end up purchasing things over because we couldn’t find the original items. This becomes not only frustrating, but also very expensive. A shed allows all like items to be stored together, and leaves your cars in the garage where they belong.

Explore more visuals like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

2. Easy access. Keep your yard tools not only organized, but also handy. When we try to cram everything into small spaces, everything becomes difficult to reach. This becomes frustrating, especially if you have a limited time to do the work and you don’t want to spend it looking for your garden shears. A shed keeps all of your items in their place. Sheds are laid out so that you can see everything quickly and easily. It is up to you to keep it organized, but if you know where to begin looking and you can make it easy to get to, you are much more likely to find it. Also, as we begin to pile things on top of each other because of our limited space, we tend to damage and break things. Reduce the risk of this damage by hanging and organizing in the open space of a shed.

3. Add an attractive addition to your home. A shed is an attractive and useful addition to your property. With a number of styles, designs, and sizes to choose from, you can select the one that fits you best. Choose your colors, special features, size, and layout, and create a garden shed that meets all of your storage needs. A shed looks great on any property, giving you functionality in storage and an attractive appearance. Work with a company that has a vast selection of in-stock sheds, shed kits, and garden sheds. They will be best suited to help you select the perfect match for your property and home.

This summer is the perfect time to organize your life and add a functional shed. No matter which style you choose, decide on a size that you can grow into. You will find that there are a number of options that may seem like a good fit. You will find that the extra storage capabilities and the ease of access to all of your garden tools and equipment will make your summer more productive. You will be so glad for the extra space that you will be excited to do yard work!

 

Getting Your Garden Ready for Spring

After what seems to be one of the longest winters in a very long time, spring has finally sprung! Although there is still the occasional cold day, the weather is beginning to finally turn warmer, which means that it’s time to start thinking about your garden. The unusually cold winter has pushed back spring planting a bit; however, it’s not too early to begin the necessary preparation work. If you’re not sure where to start in preparing your garden for the upcoming planting season, don’t worry! Here are some helpful tips for preparing your garden:

Create a Compost Area 

If you don’t yet have a compost area, now is a great time to think about creating one. Although not every gardener uses it, compost is one of the best ways to keep your garden healthy and fruitful. The nutrients from the decomposed material are great for the soil in your garden.

It’s easy to create your own compost pile; simply select a flat area nearby to your garden. Then throughout the spring and summer, as you clean up your yard and flowerbeds, instead of throwing away the grass clippings and other plant waste, simply pile them on the compost area. Food waste can also be used as compost material.

Explore more visuals like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Prepare Your Soil 

Having healthy soil is the key to having a productive garden. Even before the soil totally thaws from the winter frost, there are things you can do to prepare your soil. The first thing to do is rid your garden of unwanted plants and rocks. Having soil that is too rocky is not conducive to growing strong, healthy plants. Not every rock needs to be removed; just those that are large enough to prevent your seeds from sprouting. If there are any unwanted fallen branches or dead plants on the soil, these should be removed as well.

As the weather warms up, your soil will begin to thaw, causing weeds to spring up in your soil. These weeds should be thoroughly cleared before you begin your spring planting. If there are only a few weeds, pulling them out by hand or spraying them with some weed killer will do the trick.

If your garden has been invaded by a whole army of weeds, you may consider using a rototiller to overturn the soil to rid the weeds. Even if your garden does not have many weeds, tilling can still be beneficial to the health of your garden. Having the top level of soil overturned and turning your soil into smaller particles can be great in helping your seeds grow properly into healthy plants. Turning over your soil may also bring up some hiding bug pests; be sure to eliminate these as well!

If you have a compost area already in place, now can be a great time to spread some compost on the soil to add some vital nutrients and minerals to the fresh spring soil. If this will be your first year creating a compost area and you do not yet have any decomposed material, spreading some fertilizer on the soil can work as well.

Prepare Your Gardening Tools 

Before it comes time to actually plant your garden, you want to be sure that your gardening tools are ready for planting. You don’t want to prepare for the task of planting the seeds and then realize that your hoe, shovels, and rakes are not up to par! First of all, give all of your tools a thorough cleaning. This will prevent the spread of diseases that may have accumulated on your tools over the winter. Cleaning your tools properly ensures that the diseases are not spread to your plants and do not contaminate the soil.

 

Next, be sure that your tools are sharpened. Sharpened tools will lessen the amount of work that your body has to do, and will make the tools work for you instead. Sharpening your tools will also help to maintain them, so that they last longer from year to year.

Now that you’ve prepared your tools, you will need a place to store them properly. This is where our Garden Store Sheds will come in extremely handy. Our garden sheds come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors to perfectly fit the style of your yard. The sheds are small and compact enough to be constructed close to your garden for easy access. You can either pick one of our numerous designs and construct the shed yourself, or have a fully constructed shed brought to your yard; the choice is yours!