Free Garden Shed Plans
I'm not so worried about you if you're a master carpenter. I can probably draw you a square with a peak on top and you'll go build it and it will be beautiful.
I am a bit more worried about you if you're the novice, so I've written a few key points here for you if you're out there seeking free garden shed plans without really knowing the details of how to build the shed once you have the plans.
Preparation
You're going to want to start by asking your local zoning officials about permit requirements. Most temporary buildings don't need a permit, but if your free garden shed plans indicate that you should be building a certain size of garden shed, then you might run into zoning issues. So get your permit.
Second, survey your property so make sure you have an area that is a) large enough; b) flat enough or can be flattened easily (no boulders hiding under the topsoil) and c) not on top of the septic system or gas line just in case those things need to be repaired in the next thirty years.
Finally, make sure you have someone around who can call the hospital when you hammer your finger, just in case. It's always easier to build something that might be taller than you when you have help. But if you're like certain people in my family and you might just decide to do it alone, you really want to have a "spotter" nearby just in case.
Plans
Any good free garden shed plans that you download should come with a detailed materials list that hopefully includes a list of the tools you will need. Again, a master woodworker can probably guess and fudge their way through this, but if you're a novice, you want your plans to be detailed, specific and include modification options, materials lists, and preferably lots of pictures and diagrams.There are lots of websites online that have free plans. Often they have one or two plans for free and then the rest they will charge you for. This is where finding free plans with modification options comes in handy, because you don't have to pay to get exactly what you want. Popular mechanic has a surprisingly comprehensive free garden shed plan that includes pictures, but unless you already know what a gusset, truss and top plate are, you might want to get a woodworking dictionary to use alongside it.
Materials
For the most part, free garden shed plans assume that you will be building a wood garden shed. There are very few plans out there for metal garden sheds, and I imagine they're slightly more complicated to assemble unless you have prior metalworking experience. Wood garden sheds are some of the most attractive in my opinion - a lot of plans call for cedar. Of course, if you're using free plans you get to choose the quality of materials you use, and can make your garden shed as elaborate or basic as you need.
Also, find out about roofing options. There are some options that are less expensive and more sustainable than others - metal roofing for example is a favoured material of environmentalists. But you might want shingles to match other buildings on your property, so consider this when looking for free shed plans and whether they will allow you to choose.
One of the great things about using your own free garden shed plans is that you can cut down on the cost of building it significantly by using recycled materials. Things like windows can often be just about any size in a shed, and can usually be picked up on your local buy-and-sell website for cheap, and sometimes for free. If you're willing to go the recycled route with your materials, then using your own garden shed plans will be much less expensive than buying a kit and more environmentally sustainable.
Click here to ask about free garden shed plans
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