Designing Your Own Shed & Shed Options

You Have Lots of Options

First-time shed buyers, and even a few veterans, often underestimate the number of options at their disposal when shed shopping with us.

If you can wait a week or two, consider customizing your shed so you can get exactly what you want.

If you haven’t already, make sure to read our Shed Buying Guide. If you have that under your belt, understanding the options is much easier.

Exterior Colors

Assuming you know what you’ll be using your shed for, and you know what kind of style you like, you can begin selecting the colors.

We’ve broken down color choices by the two types of sheds we sell — wooden sheds and vinyl sheds.

From the selections below, decide which color you want us to make your shed in.

Wood

Almond

Buckskin

Hunter Green

Ronks Gray

Dark Gray

Barn Red

Chestnut Brown

White

Belmont Blue

Sandstone

Dark Brown

Pequea Green

Clay

We use quality Sherwin-Williams exterior paint.  Repainting is recommended every 5 to 7 years.

Vinyl

White

Almond

Gray

Heritage Gray

Slate

Sand

Prairie Wheat

Khaki

Clay

Classic Linen

Antique Ivory

Slate Blue

Sage

Sandstone

All vinyl colors are available as paint colors.

Shingle Colors

Select a shingle color that coordinates with your shed’s exterior and your home’s shingles, if you wish.Wood

Dual Black

Weatherwood

Dual Brown

Charcoal Gray

Earthstone Cedar

Dual Gray

Driftwood

Harvard Slate

Atlantic Blue

Emerald Green

Advice on Coordinating Shed Color and Shingles

Expert designer Will Hapeman advises, “You have a couple of ways of selecting a good shingle/color match.  The easiest- surefire way is to match the shingles to your home.  That’s a pretty safe bet because if you can see the shed and home in the same view, you’ll probably want them to match.  But if you have no siding on your house- let’s say your home is brick- the consider matching the shingle of your shed to the trim you used on your home.  Like a black shingle to pick up the black you may have on your house trim.”

We’ve listed in the shingle choices you have in 2 categories:  our standard shingles and our Architectural Shingles.  Standard Shingles have a flat appearance.  Although still sturdy (our Standard Shingles come with a 20 year guarantee) the Architectural Shingles are even more reliable.  Our Architectural Shingles are thicker than the standard shingles providing you even more insurance against roof leaks.  Our Architectural Shingles come with a 30 year guarantee.

Trim Colors

Almond

Blue

Clay

Cream

Pearl

Tan

Red

White

Black

Lite Gray

Dark Gray

Hunter Green

Dark Brown

Decide Which Options Make Sense For You

We’ve tried to incorporate as many options into our standard sheds as we could to please the most people. But because we’ve seen folks use our structures for so many different uses, we’ve come up with a long list of options –some are free- that you should consider for your shed.

Consider these options

Shed Specs

Foundation: ACQ Pressure-Treated 4×4 Runners
Floor Joists: 2×4 – 16″ on center
Sub Floor: 5⁄8″ Exterior Grade Plywood
Wall Framing: 2×4 – 16″ on center

Siding

Wood Sheds: Exterior Wood Siding
Vinyl Sheds: 1⁄2″ Sheathing covered with Dutch lap vinyl siding
Roof Framing: 2×4 Rafters 16″ on center
Roof Sheathing: 1⁄2″ Sheathing
Shingles: 25 year fiberglass shingles
Windows: 18″x27″ vertical slider

Doors

Wood Sheds: Reinforced 2×3 framing inside
Vinyl Sheds: Reinforced 2×3 framing inside with aluminum coil and vinyl siding on exterior

Skid Placement

How to Organize Your Garage

The majority of American homeowners live with a landfill attached to their homes.  Lucky to nudge a car into the garage and luckier still to emerge from the car once it is parked; homeowners wrestle through the jungle of disorganization on a daily basis. 

By far, the most effective solution that lasts the longest would be to create additional storage; however it is critical to asses what storage challenges you have.  We actually offer a free, no obligation storage consultation, that finds out what your specific needs are and make tailor made recommendations from them.

To get even more storage space, think “cubically.”
Add shelving units to at least one of your walls and use that space to get items off the ground. Our sturdy shelves can easily hold those boxes of old records or you can set paint cans, lawn and garden supplies, or smaller knick knacks. The ultimate in “cubic” storage space is opting for a loft. Depending on the structure you go with and it’s roof design, you can easily add another 8 foot by 2 foot loft and get another 16 square surface space. Now you’re talking space for patio cushions, grilling supplies and anything else that you want to store but won’t need to get to on a regular basis.

But once you have your new storage space, and you HAVE reclaimed your garage, make sure you don’t fall back to your old ways.  Clutter rules in the garage, and now it is time to rule out clutter. 

Consider some basic objectives, and create a vision beyond the clutter that has littered garages during the last 100 years:

When in doubt, throw it out-  Eliminate clutter-buildup that has overtaken the garage.  Have a garage sale, give to charity, take a trip to the real landfill, and take a deep breath and get rid of all the excess that not only blocks entry into the home but the clutter that blocks energy too.

If it’s on the floor, it’s time to store-  A basic premise in garage
organizing is to free up floor space.  But how does one deal with the lawn mower, wheel barrow, snow blower, bicycles, and other large items?  That’s where nearly all home organization experts suggest a storage shed. 

Organize to visualize.  If you can see it, you can find it-  The easiest
method is to create a wall storage solution.  Many solutions exist such a hooks, racks, custom-made cabinets, and yes, the lowly nail is a solution, but none offer a flexible solution.  Visit a retail store that displays merchandise on the wall, and these same grooved panels offer the most flexible storage solution for the garage that is available today.

Storage requirements change over time.  Having the flexibility of lifting a hook from the grooved panel, enables one to change or add items stored on the wall for maximum vertical storage(tm).  And once a folding chair or lawn implement can be seen, it is very easy to find.  
Plan to simplify, and simplify the plan- Once storage needs have been
identified, one can create the required shelving, cabinet, and wall-storage system.

Consider the height of your structure…
If you plan on storing taller lawn and garden equipment like rakes, hoes and shovels, check to make sure you’ll have enough wall height. And if you don’t find out how the price changes for your dream shed to have it constructed with 6’ high walls.

Shed OptionsGuide to Square Footage