Stop Yard Clutter: A Guide to Choosing the Best Storage Shed

Before I began working at Lowes, I didn't realize what decisions were needed to make before purchasing a storage shed. I suppose the most important choice is size. You need to consider what it is that you are going to keep in the storage shed as well as the area where you will set up the shed. Obviously the more you plan to store in the shed the larger it will need to be. An average size shed would be an 8' x 10', but the sizes do vary greatly. Some people only need a unit as small as a deck box, while others may need a 10' x 12' or larger. Once you have decided what you are going to store in your shed and how big it will need to be to handle it all, make sure you have a space large enough on your property to set up the shed. 

Depending upon the space available in your yard you may have to scale down the sheds size and what you had planned to store in it. So now you know what size shed you need, now you need to decide what materials you want your shed made of. The three basic types of material used for storage sheds are, metal (usually aluminum), wood, vinyl (some sort of plastic composite). Vinyl is the most expensive choice when building a storage shed. However, vinyl is quickly becoming the most popular choice of most homeowners. Vinyl probably comes in the largest variety of sizes, as many of the smaller storage units (ie; deck boxes, tool closets) can be easily and inexpensively made from this material. Vinyl has the benefits of never needing to be painted, never rusting, roof and flooring included,and ease of construction. All of the vinyl sheds that I have worked with could be assembled by one person in a couple of hours.