Don't get rid of that eye sore of a shed that has taken over the back corner of your backyard. Stop being embarrassed every time you have guest over because no matter how nice the rest of your yard is, that rust bucket keep screaming "look at me, look at me." Well, it is time you give visitors to your home a good reason to look. In just one weekend you will have created a backyard oasis that not even you will be able to resist. Have I convinced you to give that large piece of garden sculpture a chance at a new life? Good. Now let's get started.

One word of advice, GET AN EARLY START! This is without a doubt a weekend project.  The earlier in the day you start, the better time management you will have.

Get rid of the old and make way for the new:
The first thing on the agenda to do is clean out that old shed. Get rid of everything. You need to start with a clean slate.  The best way to tackle this task is to find a new home for these items and instead of stock piling everything over to the side, go ahead and place them in their new permanent storage location. This will prevent you from having to do a lot of extra work later on. Besides, when you finish creating your new backyard getaway, you don't want your old storage items blocking your view.

Purchase all the items you will need:
Unfortunately, this project will cost you a little money. But, to your surprise, you can accomplish your goals for under 0 depending on how many of these items you already have.

1) You are going to have to paint the shed in order to breathe new life into it. Buy a gallon of GOOD primer and a gallon of EXCELLENT exterior paint.  The qualities of these two items are vital for establishing longevity of your paint job. This is not the area where you want to try a save a few bucks. If you do it right today, your shed will still look like a great backyard getaway and be just as inviting fifteen years from now.

Be careful to purchase paint that the manufacturer has created specifically for the material your shed is made from. If your shed is made from metal, you will need a paint designed to cover metal. If your shed is made from wood, you will need a paint designed to cover wood. No matter what your shed is made from, you will need to purchase exterior paint and not paint created for interior surfaces.

This is the time to choose a bright color to paint your shed. Choose a color that will draw the eye of your guest to the shed. Do not be afraid to use color. Your best option is to pick a color that will contrast against the color of your planting material.

2) Purchase 6 LARGE potted plants. These will be used to create a lush garden appeal as well as draw the eye of the visitor to your shed. Try and purchase plants that are, or will be in a very short amount of time, at least five feet tall (including the pot). They should have a look of maturity, be lush and full in nature, and very healthy. DO NOT purchase trees. They will grow to be too tall and eventually overpower the space. You want to create something that is at eye level.  Some suggestions are flowering plants or palms.

3) An alternative to the 6 potted plants would be to purchase climbing roses or one of your other favorite vines. Plant them in the ground and allow them to climb up both sides of the shed. Either a store bought trellis or a trellis you have created from scratch would be ideal for achieving the desired effect.

4) Purchase decorative pots to house your large potted plants. The larger the pots the better. Keep in mind that your potted plants need room to grow so buy large, very large pots. Make sure they can withstand the changes in the outside climate. If you live in one of the northern states, your pots must be able to withstand extreme cold. If you live in one of the southern states, your pots must be able to endure heat waves.

Do not be afraid to mix and match the colors of your pots. Purchase bright colors that catch the eye from a distance and have interesting detailing on them. Do not go for plain and boring. You are trying to create the WOW factor and playing it safe is the last thing you want to do. Now is the time to take advantage of the use of color.

5) Purchase additional planting material to fill in the gaps between the large potted plants. These should be plants that are planted directly into the ground. Plant as much flowering plants as you can squeeze into this space. The idea here is to create a lush garden along both sides of the shed. Do not worry about over-crowding, as the plants out grow the space you can dig them up and plant them somewhere else in the yard. You want your garden shed getaway to have that mature look today, not two years from now.

6) Purchase flooring for your new shed. This is optional and should only be purchased if your budget allows. If your shed is already sitting on a concrete slab you could lay decorative tile down, stain it, or have it resurfaced and stamped. There are many decorative styles your concrete slab can be stamped in. However, this is a job for a professional and by far the most expensive method I have mentioned. If your shed is sitting on the ground, indoor/outdoor carpet might be a good option.

7) You are going to need a small table and two chairs. These are items you may already own. If you must purchase them, be sure to consider the inside space of your shed. There is only so much space inside a shed. You do not want to purchase a table and chair set that is too large.

Purchase two outdoor wall candle lanterns and one outdoor hanging candle lantern. Two will be used to light the entryway into the shed (place one on each side) and one will be used to provide lighting inside the shed. The Candle Lantern Shop has excellent choices of outdoor hanging candle lanterns that sit on its own stand.

Now it is time to convert that old shed into your backyard getaway

a) Prime the inside and outside of the shed.
b) Paint the inside and outside of the shed.
c) Lay your flooring material.
d) Place your potted plants on both sides and in the front of the shed. Begin by placing one potted plant on each side of the entryway. Be sure they are centered and attractively invites your guests in. Then place two on the left side of the shed and two on the right side of the shed.
e) Fill in the spaces between the potted plants with the additional plant material you have purchased. The more flowering plants you install the better. You are trying to create a focal point using the color from the flowering plants and contrast created by the large scale of the potted plants.
f) Install the outdoor wall candle lanterns (one on each side of the entryway) at least 12 inches from the doorway.

Placement of the wall candle lanterns is extremely important. You do not want to be more than 12 inches from the entryway because the candles are open flame and will cause a safety hazard. You do not want to be too far away from the entryway either. After all, the idea is to provide a lighting source for safe entry into the shed during the evening hours.

Be sure to carefully measure the distance from the ground to the height where you will be drilling a hole for the screws that will hold the candle lantern up on the wall.  You want both wall candle lanterns to be of equal height and distance from the doorway.  Repeat the measurement that was used on the left side to the right side of the entryway.

g) Add your table and chairs inside the shed
h) Place your outdoor hanging candle lantern within close proximity of your table
i) If your shed has electricity, place a nice table lamp on the table. If your shed does not have electricity, consider purchasing additional candle wall sconces or a candle chandelier from The Candle Lantern Shop and install them within the shed.
j) Add a small potted plant here and there to bring the outside in. Fill a decorative pot with a mixture of colorful flowering plants. This is a great way to add seasonal color.
k) Take a step back and look at what you have created. Add any additional accessories you may need to help create a warm and welcoming environment. Look at the shed as though it is an outside "garden room." Because accessories will be protected from the weather, consider items from around the house that will help you transform the shed into a place that is calm, soothing, and inviting. You want this to be a place that you will enjoy having your morning coffee or reading a good book or just a place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

As you can see, converting your old shed into your favorite getaway can be accomplished within ten easy steps.  So, the next time you look out your kitchen window and see that old garden shed of an eye sore, do not get dismayed. Go to your local garden center, pick up a few items, and transform that worn down shed into a refurbished oasis.

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Backyard Ideas is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

WHAT ROOF DO I PUT ON WOODEN GARDEN SHEDS

Author: Ronald Heggemeier

There are many options available for roofing your wooden garden sheds. Some of the things you may want to consider is whether or not you want the wooden garden shed roof to match either the roof of your house or other out buildings/sheds you have on your property. Color and durability are also good things to consider prior to picking your roofing material for your garden shed.

ASPAHLT SHINGLES – This is probably one of the most common roofing options I see on wooden garden sheds. I think this is because asphalt shingles are an economical method for roofing materials on your shed and fairly easy to install. Asphalt shingle life expectancy can be 20-30-40 years depending on which shingle you choose. Twenty (20) year shingles are cheaper than 40 year shingles. Asphalt shingles come in a variety of styles and colors. You can get asphalt shingles that look like shake shingles and you can even get hail resistant shingles. Additionally, some insurance companies give you a credit for using hail resistant shingles on your home so check to see if they do the same for your wooden garden shed. Asphalt shingles are normally installed with round headed galvanized roofing nails but can also be stapled on with an air or electric staple gun. You can also buy or rent a shingle gun that will allow you to attach the shingles with round non-rusting roofing nails.

WOOD SHAKE SHINGLES OR CEDAR WOOD SHINGLES – If you want to give your wooden garden sheds a natural wood looking appearance these are two great options. Wood shake shingles are rougher in appearance and thicker than wooden cedar shingles. Keep in mind with wooden cedar shingles you will get a smoother appearance on the roof of your wooden garden sheds. Both wooden shake shingles and wooden cedar shingles are installed with galvanized nails or staples and most shed owners allow them to age naturally with the weather conditions in your area.

ROLLED ASPHALT ROOFING – Most home improvement centers sell a rolled asphalt roofing product that is made out of the same material as asphalt shingles. This type of roofing material also comes in a variety of colors. I have seen this type of roofing material used on variety of wooden garden sheds because it is probably the least expensive of any type of roofing material and is very easy to install. You should roll it out and nail and you can cover a lot of square footage in a hurry. Seams are just overlapped and galvanized nails used for the installation.

FIBERGLASS PANELS – Many wooden garden shed owners use fiberglass panels for their roofing. Advantages are that you can make a greenhouse out of your shed with these panels – natural light coming in through the panels eliminates the need for lighting – and the natural light also provides warmth into the garden shed through the effects of solar heating.

METAL ROOFS – Metal roofing material is being used a lot these days for wooden garden sheds. You can have the shed roofed in metal just like your home’s roof or use corrugated tin roofing panels like you see on barns and other buildings on farms. Either product stands up well to the weather and is relatively maintenance free. Most homeowners will hire this type of roofing done but installing galvanized tin roofing is really not all that hard. You will need something to cut the panels to length and maybe width depending on the size of your wooden garden shed.

The thing to keep in mind on roofing material for your wooden garden sheds is that there are many options available. I am even seeing clay tile roofs on garden sheds in order to match the home’s roofing. Just keep in mind that whatever you see on a home’s roof can also be done on your wooden garden sheds. Heavier roofing material like clay tiles may require a little stronger roof structure to handle the weight of the clay tiles on your garden shed roof.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/what-roof-do-i-put-on-wooden-garden-sheds-1744884.html

About the Author

For more free information and pictures of various roofing options for wooden garden sheds go to http://www.wooden-garden-sheds.info today and get the wooden garden shed under way.

Garden Sheds is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Wooden Sheds - Are they the top choice for a garden shed?

Author: josh Woody

Wooden sheds have transformed over the last couple of years. These are not the old huts you may remember as a child
Years back all you had to do was to pick up some chunks of wood that had been found around here and there and use them to build a spacious box in your backyard to be used as a tool storage box or for storing any old good-for-nothing items you may wish to store.
Today's sheds are built to hang in as well as to prettify your garden or back yard.

If you are taking into consideration setting up a garden shed - think wood.
Wooden sheds have their advantages and disadvantages;
A wooden shed adds to the natural feeling of your garden, compliments the plants you may have planted and add to the relaxing countryside feel you may want.

If you think you'd need to compromise on durability or strength of the shed - think again.
Today's wooden sheds are engineered to hang in for years without having to constantly care for them. You may also choose the color of your garden shed to fit your garden and your choices.

When you shop for a wooden shed ask some questions to make certainthis is the correct choice for you:
- How strong is the roof? Would it last a blizzard?
- How strong would the shed's foundation be? Could it last extreme weather conditions?

If you get "yes" as an asnwer for all above questions - you can be certain you're making a good choice for a wooden shed.

You may anyways choose a garden sheds made of other materials: Metal, Vinyl and Plastic. Looking for more information regarding Cheap Garden Sheds? read the full review about Wooden Garden Shedsand find out more at ** Article must be manually approved before URL is available **

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/furniture-articles/wooden-sheds-are-they-the-top-choice-for-a-garden-shed-1403109.html

About the Author

The most usefull product reviews - Check out the latest on Cheap Garden Sheds and read the review about Wooden Garden Sheds.

Wooden Sheds is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Plastic Sheds – How to Overcome The One Problem With Plastic Sheds

Author: Dave B.

Today's lifestyle is busy and stressful for most people. Time is precious and energy is scarce. No one has time anymore, or enough energy to take on a task such as building a garden shed from scratch.

Home owners prefer taking the weekend off, spend time with family and friends, relax and have some peace and quite. Unless one is a fan of woodworking as a hobby, most would not consider hammering nails and screwing together pieces of wood to make a garden shed as great fun.

This is why prefabricated sheds have become so popular and garden centers are carrying a large variety of ready made garden sheds. These sheds are made of various materials and a popular choice is plastic.

Plastic sheds can be found in different sizes and designs. They are not time consuming and can be set up in your backyard in a very short time. These sheds are cheaper and are made to be durable and eye pleasing. Plastic sheds come in various designs and colors to match your garden and your style.

Plastic sheds are made of durable plastic which is extremely hard wearing, not affected by the elements, would not rot or rust and are termite proof.

The stuff you'd store in your plastic shed would be safe without you having to care much about shed's maintenance.

The prefabricated plastic sheds come in kits to be put together or all built for you to place in your backyard. Choosing a kit you should get the full step-by=step instructions for setting the shed up. These manuals are easily explained for anyone to follow and succeed in building the shed.

The one problem with plastic sheds that you should be aware of and always prepare for when building a plastic shed is the foundation on which the shed is to be built.

A plastic shed is lightweight and you should consider the possibility of a strong wind blowing it off the ground.

The solution for this problem that is quite easy. Choose a flat area that is close by to the house or surrounded by trees. The house or trees would work as windbreakers and the shed would safe in any weather condition.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/plastic-sheds-how-to-overcome-the-one-problem-with-plastic-sheds-1347875.html

About the Author

Dan has been publishing articles online for a few years, sharing points of view and information with the online community. You can check out the latest website about Cheap Garden Sheds and read the review about Plastic
Sheds. by visiting www.cheapgardensheds.org.

Plastic Sheds is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Treating Your Wooden Garden Buildings – An Easy Guide To Buying Wooden Garden Sheds And Treating Them

Author: Filton Kingswood

Wooden , building , Shed , Sheds , wood shed , wooden shed, garden shed, garden shed direct, Eco Shed

Gardeneco

Treating wooden garden buildings – an easy guide

A garden building, whether it's a shed, potting shed, garden office or summer house, is an investment. And you want your investment to last as long as possible. That's why it's important to treat your wooden garden buildings to ensure they last as long as possible and you get the best possible value for money. You want to protect against both fungal decay and insect attack.

You have a few options when treating your wooden garden building. Here's our simple guide to treatments for your garden building:

1. Use a creosote substitute. A creosote substitute is probably one of the cheapest and most effective ways to protect your wooden garden building. If you want to use a sprayer, you may need to thin the creosote substitute with turpentine or similar (read the instructions first). The only downside of creosote substitutes – you're pretty limited on colour choice – unless you want brown!
2. Painting. Painting your garden building can create a really individual finish. You could use pale blue and white stripes on a summer house to achieve a seaside theme, or use a deep green to make your shed blend into the hedge behind. Whatever colour you choose, it may well be worth using a clear preservative on the wood first – just check that it can be painted over. You'll probably have to allow the preservative to dry for about two days before painting. Many paints designed for garden wood do both jobs in one. Avoid painting your garden building on both the outside AND inside, as this can trap moisture in the wood and cause it to rot from the inside.
3. An all-in-one product will include preservative, colour and a waterproof element, saving you time and effort. Do check that the product is suitable for the wood – some are not designed for use on planed wood, for instance.

Buy Garden Sheds and Wooden Sheds at Garden Eco

Most wooden garden buildings should be treated either before or after they have been erected, and then re-treated every year to ensure maximum protection. Do not treat if the wood is wet; allow several days for it to dry out before adding a water repellent treatment or you will seal moisture into the wood and encourage rotting.

Always read the instructions on any timber treatments you plan to use, and follow their safety instructions.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/treating-your-wooden-garden-buildings-an-easy-guide-to-buying-wooden-garden-sheds-and-treating-them-1067933.html

About the Author

Filton's been working in the Home and Garden industry for 20 years. FK looks to offer you advice when buying gardening products online. It can be confusing and there are a lot of dormant sites out there. Place you order and never get the goods.  It does happen. FK will give you straight and honest advice before you buy and direct you to the site we feel offers a good product at a fair price.

Garden Buildings is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Build a Shed With Pallets – Hidden Secret to Free Quality Wood

Author: Jordan Maxwell

Do you need a storage shed but don’t have the extra money to buy one? Have you thought about building one but you have no idea how or where to start? Well you’re in the right place, by reading this article you will learn how to build a shed with pallets for a fraction the cost of a prebuilt storage shed.

As a professional aluminum boat builder I know the importance of having a step by step detailed plan when building a boat. Well, building a shed with pallets is no different. Having a step by step plan will save you money, time and frustration. Keep reading to learn my little secret to free quality wood to build your shed with.

If your wife has been nagging at you to clean out the garage but you have nowhere to put the stuff and you can’t afford to go out and buy a shed I know how you feel I felt the same way but what I found was that I could build a shed with pallets from my work.

I realised that almost weekly we were getting in pallets full of aluminum and then the wood was just getting thrown out. So over the next few weeks I broke up the pallets and took the wood home. These were no small 4x4 pallet they are 6x25 foot pallets with some very nice wood.

This is my hidden secret to free quality wood that I am sharing with you to make it so you can build a shed with pallets for very cheap and make your wife happy that the garage is finally clean. Just think how nice it will be not to hear any more about how messy and cluttered the garage is. Just go around to all the welding shops in your area and ask them if you can have any pallets they get in. Most place will be glad to give them to you because it saves them having to get rid of them.

Ok so I have all the lumber I need to build my shed now but I have no idea how to build a shed with pallets. I started looking for plans to build a shed but everything I found was so confusing and all the wood that I had was not what the plans called for.

I finally found some great step by step, detailed easy to follow plans that were specifically for build a shed with pallets. I have looked at a lot of blueprints and plans, designed by a naval architect, of boats and I know what makes a good quality blueprint.

The plans that I found were simply amazing. They were very easy to follow, detailed, complete and they included a materials list. Now that I had everything I needed I started building my shed with the free pallets I got from work.

When I was done building my pallet shed I was surprised how good it actually looked. You could not even tell that I made it with pallets. I used high quality primer and paint to make it last for years to come.

If you want a copy of the proven easy to follow plans that I used here they are: Build a shed with pallets

Here is another great article: Wood Shed Kits - Tips to Save Time and Money

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/build-a-shed-with-pallets-hidden-secret-to-free-quality-wood-1646832.html

About the Author

Are you about to making these 3 classic mistakes that will cost you time and money to build a shed with pallets? I hate to admit it but I made all three of them myself! Find out what they are and how to avoid them by visiting www.ShedsMadeEasy.info Now.

Quality Garden Sheds is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Pent Garden Sheds And DIY

Author: mark inglis

Copyright (c) 2010 Guaranteed Acceptance Loans

Pent garden sheds and apex garden sheds can be seen all over allotments and gardens around the world. If you are contemplating building your own garden shed, there are a number of factors that you must take into consideration. The first factor is to decide what shape of garden shed, do you want a pent garden shed or an apex garden shed. The Apex garden shed design is the one where the roof comes to a point along the centre of the shed, while the pent garden shed has a roof that slopes from a high front to a lower back. The Apex garden shed due to its roof shape will have more headroom in the centre whilst the pent garden shed has more headroom at the front. On the pent garden sheds I have seen, the windows are situated on the high front of the shed which means that when you choose this design, it would be advisable to put your working materials on the high side and store your tools and any other equipment on the lower side. The next step is to choose the materials with which you are going to manufacture the shed. For the purpose of this article I am going to use a pent garden sheds design. Most materials used to build sheds are, in order of popularity; wood, metal & plastic. Each has their own unique characteristics however my preferred material is wood.

The reason I choose wood is it is simple to work with and it blends into the garden much better than metal or plastic materials. When choosing whether to utilise a softwood or hardwood the simple answer is that softwood is much cheaper than hardwood. You must however try to find wood that has been treated as this will help preserve the wood and although I suggest applying a coat of preservative upon completion, it is impossible to coat the pent gardens sheds underside once it is constructed. In addition, if you use a wood that has been tantalised, a process by which preservative is forced into the wood as opposed to painting it on the wood; it will last for 20 years or more with no more than a coat of preservative every couple of years.

Another great advantage of using wood is that you can stain it to match any features or garden furniture you have, enabling it to blend into your garden. As a result, this will make your garden look more beautiful and natural. The best types of wood to use are weather board and cladding types of wood as they are the cheapest while at the same time offering protection from the inclement weather. To finish your pent garden sheds outer skin off you can incorporate tongue and groove planking to give a smarter finish to your shed. As the planks are arranged with the upper plank overlapping (this is where the term 'overlap' comes from), water is kept out much better than other designs. To summarise, building your own pent garden sheds can be are long drawn out process. Although it is rewarding to know you constructed your shed it saves little money. Buying a ready to assemble shed from a reputable supplier has the added bonus of a manufacturer's warranty should the shed have any faults.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/pent-garden-sheds-and-diy-2463500.html

About the Author
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Pent Garden Sheds is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape