Putting a new shed on your yard can add a storage area in your property. You may not use it exclusively for keeping your gardening tools, but it can also be an extra room where you can hang out with friends and family. Whether you’re building your own or getting a shed from places such as EasyShed, you need to prep your yard for it, and here’s how:
Step 1: Choose the Area
Picking the right spot for your shed is harder than you might think. There are a lot of things to consider so your shed is somewhere that’s convenient. To choose the right location for your shed, give some thought on these:
- Find a place that’s far from trees and bushes. To put it simply, you should be able to walk around your shed without anything blocking you. A shed is not as sturdy as an average house, and if tree branches break and fall on your shed, it would easily destroy the roof and walls.
- The ground on the area should be dry. When you keep putting things in your shed, it adds to the weight. If the earth is soft, the shed could sink.
- If you want water and electricity to be available in your shed, then you’ll need water and power lines to run through it.
- Place your shed where you think it’s aesthetically pleasing. Think about the things that the shed may block once it’s there. Consider your neighbor’s view, too, because you don’t want to annoy them because your shed is suddenly in their immediate line of sight.
Step 2: Clean Your Yard
Your yard should be clear of any litter. If you have pieces of old wood or old items that are just sitting there because you haven’t thrown them away or have no use for them, consider finally throwing them in the trash. If your yard is spacious and has lots of stuff you want to get rid of, consider hiring rubbish removal services such as 1300 Rubbish Removal.
If you don’t have the luxury of having a big enough space for a shed, consider cutting down trees or removing bushes. Make sure that the stumps are entirely gone because growing roots could still pose a problem.
Remove any weeds on the area where the shed will stand. If those find any cracks on your shed, they may break through those and cause potential problems on your shed.
Step 3: Level the Ground
Your shed should stand on even ground, which is why as much as possible, you should pick a location that’s flat and level. Putting your shed on uneven terrain can cause problems in the long run like warping, which means you’ll have to spend money to fix it.
If you don’t have a level space, there’s still a way for you to have your shed. If your yard has a slope, you can put posts and beams for the foundation. You may also want to consider having those if you have flooding problems in your area.
Step 4: Create A Base
Before putting or building the shed, there must be a base. After you leveled the ground, you need to create a base so your shed has a stable ground to sit on. You have several options for it:
- Concrete – Concrete is a solid option if you want a long-lasting base for your shed, so it, too, can stand the test of time. If you’re planning to store heavy objects or liquids inside the shed, having concrete beneath will prevent your shed from wearing down faster than having a wood base.
- Garden Paving Slabs – If you want a better-looking base than just flat concrete, you can use garden paving slabs. You have options on design and color so you can choose whatever is your style.
Step 5: Consider The Extra Features
You can increase the functionality of your shed by adding extra storage spaces. You can shop around early for the stuff you’ll place inside the shed; of course, by this time, you should already have the finalized plans of your shed.
You can also start planning the decorations you may put inside or outside your shed. Maybe you’ll want to paint the interior and exterior, or perhaps even add benches if you want a sitting area.
Final Thoughts
Even if having a shed doesn’t require as much planning as building your dream home, you still need to put in some effort before putting it up. It’s still part of your property so you’ll want for it to add value and not be an eyesore to your home’s aesthetic. Make sure to do the things above so your shed is as stable as it can be.
