Buy a shed or build a shed

[r0GuE]

Hi,
I don't usually venture out of the tractor area, (it'd dangerous out here /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ) But I thought this might be a good place to get some thoughts from other on my situation. I have a VERY small shed with a Kubota BX2200 wedged in it. It took some horrendous hacking to get it in place, but it's done and it got me through a few years. Now I want a bigger shed. The width I want is at least 14 feet, the length is up in the air yet. They make a 20, a 24 or a 28 (and bigger, but I really don't want anything really really long as it may look funny).
The tractor could fit pretty good in the 14x20, but extra room will surely be used eventuially.
So my question though is am I crazy for buying a prefab rather than building. I am not that good at constructing things, but I am afraid that i will end up with junk buying a prefab. Anyone have some experience on that. they also sell an upchage that gives 3/4 inch treated plywood for decking and 12" spacing for the floor joists (right word?). Is it worth it to buy that for a sub compact tractor or would 5/8 hold up fine? I'm just looking for some ideas, since my wife could care less and has left me to make the right call.
Any thoughts appreciated, how thick to have the limestone layed, any lessons learned on your sheds, electrical additions, phone,... whatever.
Ok ok I'll shut up and listen now... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I put up a smallish kit shed for my fiance. We bought it at Home Depot. The wood turned out to be cr*p, it wasn't fully framed, and quite a few items were not included.

HD was out of the floor kits. It was a good thing too, as the design called for 1/2 ply over 24 inched spaced joists. I bought enough lumber, nails, and 3/4 ply at HD to build a better floor with 16 inch joists, and still spent a few dollars less than what the floor kit would have cost.

I went with the 3/4 ply because I was going to be storing my motorcycle in her shed for awhile. For a tractor, no way would I go with 5/8.

If I put up any more sheds, I'll build the whole thing from plans and have a better shed for less money.

Shed plans are available from a number of web sites, and HD and Lowes, among others, have inexpensive books on building garages and sheds.

In my opinion, that's the way to go.

SnowRidge

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I purchased a 12 X 20 shed kit from 84 lumber and it has been enough room for everything I have. I built a 2 foot wide work bench along the back wall and I have all my power tools hand tools My Kubota BX22, the BX MMM not installed laying flat. Lawn tractor, power washer, air compressor, Triumph motorcycle and few other odds and ends. So I guess what I am saying is that you should have enough room if you go with a 14 x 20. When I built mine I used 5/8 tongue and groove flooring that sits on 4 X 4 floor joists which are supported by cement piers. And it holds anything I have parked in it. All the wall spacing is 2 ft centers.....I used to park a 91 Ford Mustang in it when I first built it. So if you build something like this or better than this it should work fine for you. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif They sure are handy!!! Pic attached

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Let me try the pic again

 

[TresCrows]

Well, I would not buy a shed. I would not fool with a wooden floor either. I would pay someone to set me a foundation/slab and I would take it from there. Framing realy is easy and requires only a few tools. You can build a much bigger and much more solid building than you can buy in a box. If I was you and I ain't /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif (I bet you glad of that) I would not settle for anything less than 22/24X/26/28 give or take a bit to fit your building site. If you can you can go bigger, something like 28X32. I just built a 24X26 hip roofed shop/garage with 9 foot ceiling, heated and airconditioned. I will eventually build at another site a larger "barn" type building in the range of 30X40. This will be a metal pole barn probably with room for storage or animals etc. The shop/garage I just built will be painted to match the house and has shingles to match as well. It also has a 4 plus foot overhang on one side for putting tractor implements, fireplace wood etc under. I should have made it 6 foot. Already I wish I had gone bigger /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. I just think you could do better if you built or contracted your own building in the long run. The shed you got now??--junk it /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif so as not to clutter up your property with a mismatched collection of out buildings. Build to match, build to last.
Oh, you are right, it is dangerous outside of the Kubota section /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif, all kinds of thrashing and mashing and bashing goes on out here over some of the most amazing things. J

 

[chrisjbell]

<font color="blue"> all kinds of thrashing and mashing and bashing goes on out here over some of the most amazing things </font>

Yeah, like people that can afford to air condition their sheds!

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Boy, am I jealous... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I would build over buy. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

"<font color="blue">I am not that good at constructing things</font>"

I know exactly how you feel. But I have learned somethings. It's not that hard and you don't have to have all those tools (don't tell my wife).

There are tons of books and articles on doing small buildings. You have at your fingertips one of the greatest sources for information on making things right here. I bet even Bill Gates if his ink pen ran dry and the old checkbook method failed would consider reading up a bit and maybe visiting the good guys here before tackling such a project. It's smart and it works, getting advice from those who've been there and done that.

Unless the local regulations make having a permanent building too much a hassle I'd avoid the wood of any kind or construction floor. Concrete or packed aggregate floors work so much better.

If there is any way possible I'd build it to match the existing construction and appearance. I went through heck in spades building my little storage building behind our house. The glitch was matching the roof of the house. I wanted the peak and eave to be in line with that of the house. That made it a six twelve roof. My wife thought I was crazy. Then one day she caught our place from the highway and noticed how our building blended in with the house because of that detail, roof line. It looks so much better than the outbuildings all our neighbors have.

It's those details that make the difference. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Egon]

First question, why a wooden floor? Think concrete. Be it poured or paver stones laid on crushed gravel.

Building is not that difficult if you get good plans and follow them. Go look at some display sheds and see how they are built. Take notes and pictures. [ I never use plans other than basic dimensions ]

Do buy trusses if your shed will require them. There is very slight difference in material cost versus completed item but sure saves on sweat and inappropiate language later on when it is discovered that not all were created equal.

Remember the available space will always be utilized to capacity no matter how large.

Egon

 

[Boondox]

Like others, I would build. But the problem I had was deciding where to build. I had a few spots, but was not sure which would be more convenient in the long term.

My solution was to buy one of those 12x20 hoop structures ($150 at Costco) and try all three locations for a few months. When I decide on the right spot, I'll build.

Pete

 

[alco141]

re build or buy a shed

go to your local lumber yard, in butler you have lowes and home depot, i live north of "the rock" and get a price on your dream building erected on site. i built a large pole building about 12 years ago, the only thing i regret is that it is too small. no matter what size you build it will be too small. see what you like and size and also have it insulated, i have a large reznor heater in mine so it never freezes, keep it about 45-50 degrees in the winter is not very expensive. make sure you get your electirical service included in the price. put in a 220 service, later you can have someone put in a cement floor. you will love it. i get a lot of use out of mine, not to mention that with the tractor already warm it starts right up before snow plowing.

alex

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Rogue,

The local "Big L Lumberyard" just put out their 2003 barn and house kit catalog. A 20x24 loafing barn kit is around $1,500.00. With the upgrade to plywood siding it's around $1,600.00. (Running from memory here.) These kits aren't too hard to put together, and you might find a friend with experience who could help you do it. I know a couple of people that have put up some pretty good sized barns by themselves in a few weekends.

Steve

 

[boustany]

Your biggest cost will be a slab, likely. I will build in future vs buying a kit because at least I'll know how its going to work out. My steel building kit (quonset hut) was a complete disaster, and I'll never recommend those.

Right now, I'm planning to build a 24 x 40' barn with attic storage. I figure it'll cost me a bit over $20K canadian, about 1/2 that is the slab, $7K erecting the trusses and doing the roof (its too time consuming to do that alone. I'll keep a diary.

There are also plenty of free plans around, too.

 

[techman]

rogue:

Let me throw in my 2 cents. I needed a new shed last year to fit the new BX22. I looked to buy, to make life easy, but couldn't get the 8'x8' doors I wanted to clear the ROPS.

I ended up building a 16'x20'. Hip roof (I think, barn style), with 10' at the peak. For the foundation, I used PT 6x6's set on level ground and stone. The 6x6 are in a grid. I filled the spaces between the 6x6 with stone, leveled. On top is 1/2" OSB. Sounds weak, but I used it in the old shed (15 years ago). The stone gives the support and the board the nice surface. It holds the BX no problem. It is much cheaper than concrete, and in the locale, it is not considered a fixed structure, so it is not taxable.

The side walls are T1-11. Framing is 2x4 for the walls and 2x6 for the roof. Doors are 2 4x8 sheets of T1-11.

Overall took about 2 months of after work time, including razing the old shed. Total cost was under $ 1100. This was about 1/2 the price for a better shed.

paul

 

[techman]

rogue:

A shot inside

paul

 

[r0GuE]

Re: re build or buy a shed

Heated! Wouldn't that be nice!
I don't want to think about heat on the nicest day of the year though.... I am in denial.... There isn't ever going to be another winter... the beast will not return! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[knucklehead]

Re: re build or buy a shed

Hi, rogue

I pretty much echo what others have said, especially the encouragement from W-Harv. You can do it, and you'll get exactly what you want, better constructed, probably cheaper for the same design, and all that experience, too. If you can keep your existing shed up while you do the work, you can take your time and not feel rushed by the need to get your stuff back under cover.

What I would add to all this advice is ask yourself what you are going to do with the shed - in the simplest terms, is it going to be a workshop or a big closet? If a closet, you don't need wiring or anything, maybe just some windows up high in the eaves (or translucent roof panels) for light. My impression is the prefab units are mostly closets. If you go with one of those for a workshop, you'll probably beef it up, add shelves and benches, wire it, etc., so I would rather build from scratch and get what I wanted.

I'm on the fence about floors. After seeing pictures of rbargeron's lift in his big shop, I started dreaming about concrete. There's a lot of small lumber mills turning out rough stock around here. A lot of sheds use full 1" floor boards over joists 16" on center, or even 2" stock for heavier floors. They last forever. I've got 1" rough spruce culls in the ground as raised beds, painted with mixed up leftover latex house paint, for over 6 years and no rot yet. Laid as a floor on joists under a roof, wood should last just fine, especially in the spots where you inadvertently "treat" it with various lubricants and solvents. I might use planed stock on the floor of a workshop to make it easier on the hide when you got down on the floor.

 

[NIXON]

Rogue,
Since We're practically neighbors , let me know what you decide to build (personally I'd build my own) . I'll give you a hand if you need it . If you decide Prefab/kit ... Look at Busy beaver (in New Castle ) I bought one of their sheds when I first moved here . 12x20 for about 1100 bucks . It even survived a move . If you call and repeatedly get a busy signal... I'm online at TBN /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif John 724 637 0085

 

[Anonymous Poster]

When I moved into my new house... no garage. so, for temporary I wanted to put up a small shed. To make a long story short... I got a canceled order 12x20 'shed' for the price of a 10x12. I did not want a cememt slab floor since this was going to be temporary. When the pole barn goes up, I am not sure if I will tear this down or move it. So, I built it on a wood foundation. But, dont go with the store fab floors. Thin wood and expensive. I built mine for 1/2 the price. Oh, I got the 'shed' kit at Lowes. Very nice and complete kit, minus shingles. So, it all depends on what you want/need. Look into local laws/ordinances as far as how large you can go with a wood floor.

Ken H.

 

[riptides]

You be surprized what you can do with four or six 4X4's and
a slew of 2X8X8's and some T-1-11.

I did three of them, each one better than the last.

Each one lasted over 6 years before I either tore them down
or relocated them in error because of real barn plans.

I think the last one was 12X24X12 for under 300.00 dollars.

Yep.

Doing the final one now.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif