10 Tips for Building the Ideal Work Shed

A work shed is the jack of all trades when it comes to outbuildings. It is a storage area for your off season equipment, your spare gas cans, and your seasonal decorations. It’s a work space for your construction projects and home repairs. It’s a place where saw dust is acceptable and loud noises are expected. It’s an excuse to get away from the house. No matter what your work shed is to you, here are ten tips that will make it great.

1. Give yourself room to grow. More often than not, sheds are built in response to an overflow in your garage. Your new riding mower or table saw pushed you over max capacity, and your car no longer fits. You decide to build a shed to house the thing that is displaced. But, once you’ve hit that critical mass, you’re going to keep hitting it, so consider what your lifetime needs might be and build it to fit them. Your “future self” will be thankful.
2. Keep level-headed and level-built. Because a shed is just an outbuilding, you may be tempted to rush the job and ignore proper leveling of the foundation and walls. Take the time to do it right and save yourself the frustration – and embarassment – later.
3. Electrify the building. Your current needs may only be storage. But consider the possibility that you may want to install a work light, use tools in the shed, or even decorate with lights for a backyard event. Adding power to the shed now will ensure you’re ready when the need arises.
4. Truss up the roof. Whether you build your own trusses or order them from the lumberyard, building a roof with trusses is much easier than framing a roof one rafter at a time. As a general rule, you'll need one truss every 2 ft. Connect the framing for site-built trusses with plywood gussets glued and screwed to the joints.
5. Use Barn Sash Windows. If you plan to add some windows, consider these simple hinged options. By framing up these basic windows and adding hinges, you save yourself money while still adding the look and functionality of usable windows.
6. Add a tool locker for frequently used items. A shallow tool locker on the side or back of a shed offers quick, easy access to lawn and garden gear. A simple door over top will protect them, and it eliminates the need to move bigger items out of the way when you’re trying to reach your garden shears.
7. Simplify with Sliding Doors. Hinged doors can be a hassle to install. Sliding doors can save you time and money and are less likely to warp over time as they are hung from the top, versus resisting gravity when attached on the sides. They can also have the added aesthetic bonus of the “barn door look,” which is very classic and on trend with today’s decor.
8. Add finishing touches. Consider adding details like brackets under your roof overhang and trim around windows and doors. If you really want it to last with minimal maintenance, consider using a pvc or composite board for trim. Just because it’s a work shed doesn’t mean it has to look like Pappy’s outhouse.
9. Innovate with storage. Sheds aren’t intended to be as large as a garage. They are for overflow, random tools, decorations, etc. Get creative when it comes to storage to maximize the space. Add hooks from the rafters for hanging ladders and long tools. Add peg boards for walls to hold small tools. Consider wire shelving and clear bins for storing decorations.
10. Build the exterior with lasting materials. Upgrading your house is always daunting and takes much deliberation before finally pulling the trigger. A shed upgrade will always be passed over in favor of some other more value-adding repair. So do yourself a favor and build it right the first time. Metal roofing and siding is a perfect solution for shed construction. What type of construction fastener should you use with your metal roofing or siding project? The SCRAIL® RoofLoc® Metal Roofing System distributed by BECK uses SCRAIL® fasteners that are two times faster than collated screws and eight times faster than bulk screws. If you’d like to see the system used on a metal siding project, view this video.