Wooden Sheds

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

June 15, 2000

WITH YOUR bicycles, gadgets for the pool, lawn and garden equipment and, oh yes, the car, you've joined the ranks of families that have no more room in the garage.

The obvious solution is a wooden shed. Stylish, economical and durable, it's the cure for your storage ailments. But before you buy, you might want to touch base with Donald J. Berg.

This is a sales pitch with a little twist. Berg doesn't sell sheds. And although he can tell you how to build them, he goes one better in the "how-to" department. The architect and author-he's published 14 books on building and landscaping-from Rockville Centre can tell you how to select your shed. His two latest books, "Carriage Barns" and "Barns And Backbuildings," (each $9.95, Donald J. Berg Books, 96 pages) are handy for finding designs, plans and kits on all types of outdoor storage buildings.

They offer advice on everything from simple pole-frame construction, 6-by- 6-foot potting sheds and tool sheds, to three-bay stables and gambrel-roofed garages.

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And who doesn't need a little help in making a decision on a new shed? There are displays everywhere of prefabricated models-at home centers, warehouse-type outlet stores, lumberyards and landscape and garden supply stores. Do you build your own or hire a contractor to build one for you?

Other than designing your own, Berg says there are three practical options: Buy a ready-built, prefabricated shed, like those on display at home centers; build your own from scratch with a set of plans purchased from a design company; or build from a kit, also provided by a specialty company.

"You can start at your Home Depot or Costco-type stores, and you'll get a pretty neat, inexpensive, prefabricated building," Berg says. "As an architect, it's pretty frustrating because these prefab buildings, if you're not too, too worried about appearance, are so nice. If you're just talking about storage, you can't do better."

If you want a little more style, however, Berg suggests options 2 or 3. "When you hire someone to build one for you or build your own, there are two reasons," Berg says. "You are looking for something special in the line of materials and a design that perhaps matches your home. And if you build your own, it's a fun-type project."

Options 2 and 3 also offer the homeowner flexibility. You might want windows, roll-type garage doors, cupolas, weather vanes and built-in shelves. These features are difficult to find in prefab models.

As for price, his advice is to shop around. You'll probably find a 6-by-6 prefabricated shed for less than $800. Plans for an 8-by-12 shed you can build from scratch might cost more than $ 3,500.

"There are some prefab and ready-built products that are incredibly well-priced, and the neat thing is that many of these products hold together pretty well," Berg says.

"One important aspect of your shed should be wood concerns," he says. " When buying prefab sheds, people tend to skimp and for some reason don't buy pressure-treated wood. It's crazy not to do. You can build long-lasting structures of cedar in other parts of the country, but around here you need to use pressure-treated wood." Depending on the size of the building, upgrading to pressure-treated wood can cost perhaps $200 more.

Berg also says consulting your local building department should be a priority. "With a store-bought shed, a lot of building departments consider it like lawn furniture," he says. "In a lot of cases, a building permit is not needed. But before you buy or build, know the restrictions in your town or village."

Also consider the foundation. Prefabricated buildings can be set on beds of gravel and concrete blocks. "In all cases on Long Island, it's very wise to put up some type of termite shield," he says. "What works best is a piece of polished aluminum flashing that's formed along the bottom of the structure. This does an excellent job of keeping termites away."

Most of Berg's 26 years as an architect involved planning and designing shopping centers. But he's dabbled in the design and history of backbuildings for the longest time. He designed a small garage that turned into a barn on his property in Vermont, and he can recall the ready-built shed his father bought from Walpole Woodworkers in Maine 42 years ago. The shed still stands in his parents' yard in East Rockaway.

Berg's latest books provide resources where you can find advice on finding a shed that will suit your needs. He lists builders, designers, specialty companies, how-to books and online options. He says to start your search by examining displays at area home centers; I say start with one of his books.

Shed Makers and More

Here's a smattering of Donald Berg's favorite shed builders, designers and prefabricated manufacturers. For more on Berg's publications, write him at P. O. Box 698, Rockville Centre, N.Y., 11571-0698, or e-mail him at DJBerg@aol.com.

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