How I Actually Managed to Build a Wooden Garden Shed Without Any Major Skills?
What’s the first thing you do before your woodworking shed idea comes into fruition? I am talking about the exact moment where you hit your first nail into the panel.
If you were an entry level woodworker like me, you’d have just hammered your way without giving any second thoughts to what could possibly go right or wrong with the whole project.
The problem with such projects is that we don’t spare enough time on contemplating different aspects of wood shed plans. In fact, it should be a “plan plan plan” and then execute phase where your garden shed ideas can finally take up a perfectly assembled physical form.
Decided to Work On Your First Wood Shed Idea? Here’s The Right Way of Doing Things
Although I do have an easy solution to your woodworking shed plan conundrums, I’d like to talk about a few common issues that can be avoided easily. All I ask is that you read through the following passages carefully; it’ll only take 5 – 10 minutes, but the details are going to be well worth it.
Here are some of the common errors that entry level wood shed builders make:
Zoning Issues Can Be a Pain In the Butt
I am not talking about location; that’s a separate problem – I am referring to zoning issues that show up in the form of a “friendly” city services representative. Once you have started on a wood shed plan without prior consent from the authorities, someone will eventually inform you about obtaining permits and whether you can or cannot work on the said project anymore.
The best way to avoid this dilemma is by ensuring that you are not in violation of any city zoning policies. If you are not sure of anything, consult with a professional. Otherwise your shed plans will go to waste in the long run.
Wood Shed Construction Quality
The easy way to build a wood shed fast n’ quick is by using cheap quality materials. Everything will look pretty as long as the sun is shining, the wind isn’t howling and the grass is green. But, wood can degrade very quickly if you have used the wrong type or there’s no protection against water damage/ climate related hazards.
Same logic applies to predominated, or pre-built, wood sheds. Unsuspecting buyers buy them cheap and later on regret doing so. The low quality of wood can deteriorate quickly over time. Make sure that proper varnishing is in place, the wood type is point on, and that the entire supporting structure is solid.
Garden Shed Doors and Windows Are Not Working Properly:
Often times when you are finished building a garden shed, the doors and windows don’t close properly. Either they get stuck, or opening and closing them becomes an extremely difficult task. This is a very common issue, which I have personally experienced numerous times.
Among a couple of things that can possibly go wrong, there are two basic things that you can check to make sure that the wooden doors and windows will continue to function years on end. Make sure your measurements are right; you will have plenty of time to use the carpenter’s square and your pencils before drilling or driving down those nails.
Also, as a precaution, always use the right kind of wood. Cheap wood tends to swell like a sponge after a few months’ time. The swelling of the wood causes the doors and windows to bend out of shape in some places, which is why it gets hard to open or close them any longer.
Leaking, Moisturizer and Condensation Related Wooden Shed Issues:
As far as wooden sheds are concerned, they are pretty much in a safe zone. Leaks and condensation related issues occur mostly in those sheds that are made from metal sheets. Sometimes the joints are not set properly, or the sheets are not set in place, which leads the rainy weather season to dismantle things in no time.
The only thing you need to know about wooden sheds and cabins is that they have to have proper wood type and weather resistance. Choose shed ideas that not only look good, but also match the atmosphere of the location where you will be building the structure. If you are inspired by an Alpine Chalet, then don’t mix it with Spanish architecture; the shed will look out of place.
It’s the final looks, build quality and wood type which matters in the long run, besides making the shed fully functional from all aspects.
I Don’t Consider Myself a Wood Garden Shed Plans Expert, But…
After having built over a dozen wood garden sheds of different types, I still don’t consider myself an expert. Sometimes, I need to fall back on some handy instructions manual, a blueprint or a shed plan idea because that’s how things roll in the shack.
No matter how good you are, woodworking in general is the kind of hobby that demands a lot of attention to detail. Admittedly, I have also dabbled in buying & trying different woodworking plans. Speaking of written material, there’s a bunch of wood shed ideas and manuals available online, but I found it hard to follow the instructions.
In some cases, the websites where these so-called ‘build a shed in 24 hours’ ideas are posted, they are all either too short, or not that detailed. There’s always the same copy-pasta theme going on, which makes it genuinely difficult to buy a wood shed plans book which can work for you. Anyhow, I will talk about it later in details. For now, there are some personal tips and guidelines, that I would like to relate from experience.
Location Matters A Lot for Best Shed Plan Ideas to Work:
Not only is the location an important part of the wood shed ideas, but the exact measurement down to the last square foot is equally crucial. I have seen far too many otherwise workable wood sheds going to waste because some part of the structure wasn’t sitting where it was supposed to be.
Think of it as building your favorite wood shed from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. However, when you are finished, you realize that the wood shed is now beginning at point ‘A’, but it ends at point ‘C’; a place that was meant as a free space or for something else entirely. That’s why location matters, and that’s exactly why measurements are important.
Building a wood shed from a wood shed idea is a challenging task. You may find it easy to raise the structure, but the details lie in different things, such as drainage areas, lounge section, polishing, room partitioning etc. If the wood is not of the right quality, and you haven’t done any varnishing etc., it will rot in a few weeks time. Trust me, wood rots faster than anything, no matter how well you built your shed.
DIY Doesn’t Mean Do Everything On Your Own
Don’t take it in the literal sense when you grab your next best copy of a DIY Wood Shed Plans and Ideas. Follow your instinct and see where the project is going. If the shed is too big, or the blueprint says that things are going to be complicated, feel free to outsource some work. Sometimes, you may need to bring in a professional landscaper to get the foundation right.
Get In Touch With Local Building Inspector:
Actually, it depends on where you are going to build your wood shed. If it’s a community where people normally encourage using permits and all that stuff, then it is a good idea to make friends with the local building inspector.
Ask him plenty of questions BEFORE working on your wood garden shed ideas. He is there to help and guide you in the right direction as long as drawing permits for building is concerned.
Yep, the shed may not be a multistory structure, but it is technically a building after all. If you are told that the garden shed does not need a permit, then you are in good hands. Usually, you will not need a permit if you are doing it as a hobby within the boundaries of your own personal property.
Getting a Building Permit Is Easy
Getting a permit for your wood shed idea is not that difficult. I remember showing them my shed plans to prove that I am actually going to build something on the mentioned location. Authorities usually need to be taken into confidence, and since you don’t have anything physical set in place, your wood shed ideas and DIY plans have to demonstrate it all.
The only technical chink in this arrangement is that the wood shed plan has to be approved and it must fulfill the building standards. Otherwise, the inspector will not approve it. You can go for a grey channel, but sooner or later you will be caught and your shed will be demolished.
What About Buying Wood Shed Plans Online?
Speaking of garden shed plans, I had my eye on ‘Ryan’s Shed Plans’. Some people call it ‘Ryan Shed Plans’, but the point is that it is basically a ginormous collection of different plans in the form of one e-book. Ryan may be a fictional figure, but his wood garden shed plans are easy enough to help you build a shed in due course of time.
I am not saying that you can build a shed in one week, or half the time of the duration that’s mentioned in Ryan Shed Plans manuals, but it will work. A lot of the outcome also depends on your carpentry skills, and whether you have an extra pair of hands or not.
Of course, another easy approach is to visit your nearest wood working DIY store and ask them for a couple of guide books. Eventually, you will get a book of your choice, but these guys normally don’t give a 60 Days No Questions Asked money back guarantee. That’s basically one major reason that gave me the confidence of buying Ryan Shed Plans in the first place.
He clearly states that you will get all your money back, which is basically $37 for the entire bundle’s cost, without any issues. Refunds normally don’t happen because the plans are workable; some of them are difficult, but they all will help you to build a wooden shed in no time.
Some Wood Shed Plans Are Not Your Average Cup of Tea:
I wont toot my own horn by saying that all of the shed plans in Ryan’s online book are easy. Some of them are difficult and others are simply impossible to work on. At least by my standards, a wooden shed DIY idea must have clear and concise –step-by-step instructions on how to get things done. In this context, a lot of plans in the book have little to no details.
However, the best thing about Ryan Shed Plans is that there are over 10,000 different garden shed plans in there. They are further sorted down by difficulty level, learning curve and the actual type of the shed. For instance, storage shed plans ideas are maintained under a separate section, while other shed plans are presented in a separate assorted manner.
Regardless, these ideas are both small and large scale. Ryan, or whoever was the person behind all those shed guides was, wanted to offer something to all kinds of wood workers from different walks of life.
‘My Shed Plans’ Is Not Just a Guide Book:
One of the traits of a high quality guide book is that it should have a decent learning curve. Fortunately, the majority of the wood shed ideas in ‘My Shed Plans’ are easy-to-follow. The learning curve is not too steep – although it does kind of get more than challenging at certain points, the rest of the stuff is relatively easy.
'One of my personal favorite Garden Shed plans from Ryan’s book’
The shed designs can be tackled by savvy readers and hardcore wood workers alike. The only thing, which these plans require, is dedication and hard work. There is no substitute for the latter – especially if you want your woodshed to not only look perfect, but also draw out a long shelf life.
Some of the main highlights of ‘Ryan Shed Plans’ are appended below:
- There are literally thousands of wood shed designs and ideas in this eBook. You will find yourself engrossed in different projects at grass root level. The basics cover small things such as dog kennels, swings and vice versa. Advance level projects demonstrate building wood sheds all the way.
- The cost of the book is the only fee that you will pay at your checkout screen. They don’t bother you with follow up expenses, or a special “membership” fee every now and then.
- ‘Ryan Shed Plans’ can be coupled with real life wood working classes to get the best out of both experiences. Feel free to improvise where you think that the original plan can be substituted for something better.
- Since the garden shed ideas are in abundance in this book, there’s always a freedom of choice. However, it is also easy to get distracted by so many instructions all at the same time, that you may not be able to finish your garden shed at all.
- This book also gives ideas on installing vanity items in your wood shed. You will learn a great deal about electricity, lightning, insulation and other aspects of the craft that are not directly related to wood working.
Some People Are Calling ‘Ryan Shed Plans’ a Scam!
As much as the woodworking plans e-book has been well received among different online communities, there’s always a handful of people calling it a scam. Some people went as far as to call it ‘Ryan’s Shed Scam’, but you know what, just take your time and be your own judge.
As a woodworker, I know that the entire collection of wood shed designs and ideas in this book is worth over $500 easily. A huge chunk of the wood working ideas is professional, which will eventually lead you to hone your carpentry skills. It also means that professional shed ideas don’t come cheap; if you were to buy a few plans in real life market, the price will be too god damn high.
On the contrary, ‘Ryan Shed Plans’ cut down the actual cost of the book down to $37 – and that too is backed up by a strong refund policy. However, this e-book is not going to move any mountains for you. To make a shed – especially if you are just getting started in the hobbyist woodworker industry, a lot of hard work & patience needs to be invested.
If you are not willing to put in the time, and do your hours, you may as well give up on building a wood shed. That’s how things work in real life. Anyhow, if you have any questions, or enjoyed reading this post, feel free to share your two cents through the comments section below. You can also write to us through the ‘Contact Us’ page at ‘Power Tool Buzz’. We will be more than happy to hear from you.
