Shed Styles and What They Can Do For You

When most people think of garden sheds, they tend to think of simple structures with four walls and a roof and nothing more. The truth is that garden sheds come in many different styles, which is why we would like to provide information about some of the most common ones.

• Quaker shed- Is sloped on one side, with the eaves normally being higher in the front, allowing for placement against a fence or the exterior wall of your home. Pent sheds are ideal for use as potting sheds or paint lockers.

• Dutch barn and mini-barn-These sheds are named because they somewhat resemble a larger barn, and tend to have double doors that also open halfway. They are also characterized by their gambrel roofs, which allow for added storage space in the loft of the building. These storage sheds make perfect workshops or homes for small animals.

• Dormer- Are characterized by their dormers in the roof that are typically placed between two windows on the lower level. Cape Cod sheds look like miniature versions of similar-styled houses, and make excellent workshops.

• Hywall-These sheds have a relatively high profile that is characterized by a roof that is  higher than usual on the sides. These sheds are ideal for storing garden tools and lawn equipment.

• Garden Elite-Designed to look like rustic cabins or small houses, these cottage-style sheds may even contain many of the same features a home does such as window boxes or transoms
  
  
  . These sheds are great for use as a home office, guest quarters or entertaining space.

These are just a few of the different styles of garden shed that are available. To see some of the latest ones, contact us.

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.

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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!

 

Prepping your Yard for a Shed

You’ve just bought your first (or new) prefabricated storage shed! You can wait until it’s delivered to start filling it up. But wait! There are a few things you need to do to prepare your land for the shed. Here at Stoltzfus Structures, we are happy to deliver your new prefabricated shed. Although we take care of the delivery and placement of your storage shed, we do not take care of the site preparation. We are more than happy to deliver your new shed to the exact spot you have prepared. In that case, we wanted to bring you some great tips for getting your yard prepared ahead of delivery time for your great new storage shed!

Clear Out 

The most important thing to do after you purchase a new storage shed is to decide exactly where you want it to live. You may already have a wonderful place in mind, but there are few things to think about. You want to make sure the area can support the structure. Picking a location where the ground is sloping or uneven is not recommended. A level, sturdy foundation will make all the difference in the life and longevity of your prefabricated shed. Don’t worry, prepping your land or yard will only require a bit of work.

If you don’t have any totally level areas in your yard, or have some issues with the terrain, the best option is to clear it out! Grab your friends and family to help you dig out and level off the best patch of land you can find. Be sure to remove any hidden rocks, roots, or any other natural elements of the landscape that could cause problems in the future. Be sure not to dig too deep though. You only want to go far enough into the ground in a way that creates a level base for your new garden shed.

This will probably only require getting rid of unwanted grass, rocks, roots, and more. Also, you might want to think about making use of a tiller. A tiller will easily break up the ground and create any easy way to remove patches of unwanted grass. You may even want to keep the tiller around for your spring and summer gardening projects!

 

If you worry that clearing out an area for your new garden shed to live will be too much work for you to do yourself, don’t! We have lots of great resources to help you. We are in contact with some great teams of contractors that would be happy to help. Our network of professional contactors would be happy to help you clear your land; we’ll give you recommendations on the best companies to hire! Also, if you want your shed to live on a concrete slab, the slab needs to be the exact size of the shed to ensure proper water drainage. We’ve got friends that can help with that too.

Shape Up 

Now that you’ve cleared a great space for your new garden shed to live, it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to accent your new purchase. Do you need a fence to separate your shed from your neighbor’s house? Are you interested in adding a ramp, walkway, or some shrubbery? These are all really fun, good things to think about. Adding a ramp up to the entrance of your prefabricated shed is a great option. A ramp can help with getting lawn mowers in and out of your shed and any other machinery you want to keep inside. Also, creating a nice stone walkway completes the look of your shed. This walkway is versatile too! It’ll create a smoother, more appealing entrance leading to your garden shed.

One more thing to think about is our built-on-site sheds. Sometimes where our customers want to put a new shed isn’t the most accessible location for our delivery trucks. Our gifted craftsmen will bring all of the materials needed to build an amazing shed on the site you’ve prepared for us. No matter if you’ve prepared a wood or concrete foundation for the shed to live on, we’ll take care of the assembly. Having us build an on-site shed also allows for extra flexibility with the building itself. If you want higher walls than we could deliver on our trucks, we can do that too!

We hope this guide to preparing your land for one of our sheds was helpful. If you have any questions, visit our website or give us a call!