From the category archives:

Shed Blueprints

Sheds Blueprints!!!

by Build A Shed

in Shed Blueprints


We are all guilty of overestimating our abilities. I mainly do this in relation to driving or predicting how many home runs my team will score, but I am also guilty of it when it comes to woodwork.

6165 Monticello

Perhaps this is a bit ambitious for your first shed...?

It is possible for many people to dream up a shed or other woodworking project, easily predict what materials and tools they will need, and have no problems with the construction. However, I think that these people firstly deserve a medal, secondly need to teach me a thing or two and thirdly are few and far between.

Therefore, how do we resolve this problem? Do we simply give up and get someone else to do the work? No. And the solution I’m offering doesn’t even mean you have to work harder: you just need to know exactly what you’re doing, step by step.

This is where shed blueprints come in. If you are after building sheds blueprints are essential for anything other than a simple cabin shed. They outline in great detail exactly what you need in relation to both tools and materials. Not only that, but shed blueprints are different to shed designs in that they give you very detailed drawings and specifications about your shed. These usually include a detailed sketch of each elevation (front, back, both sides), the roof, and an overview of the floorplan.

This is particularly useful if you want your new shed to not stand out and simply become ‘part of the backyard’. It will allow you to identify which parts of the shed work and which could be improved. Therefore, they allow you to include your own inventiveness in the design whilst, at the same time, ensuring that the basic structure and design of the shed will work.

In short, they are invaluable and anyone but the best carpenters should consider using them to make their woodworking and shed-building experiences more streamlined and more enjoyable!

Creative Commons License photo credit: lcm1863

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Shed Blueprints: Are They Necessary?

by Build A Shed

in Shed Blueprints


In a word, “yes”!

Shed blueprints do sound rather dramatic. Aren’t they what builders use to build houses? However, one of my early mistakes was not planning one of the sheds I made sufficiently well. I had made plenty before, so I thought I had it worked out. I didn’t factor in that the design I wanted to make was different from all the other sheds I had made (gambrel instead of gable roof), so I wasted a fair bit of money to rectify my mistake.

shed blueprintsIn addition to helping ensure you don’t waste your valuable time or money, blueprints are a great way to get a flavour of the elevations and floorplan of your shed before it has been built. Using one will help ensure that you get the right dimensions. Perhaps you have a lawn mower which is particularly wide. Having blueprints of the shed layout and elevations before you build the shed will remove the guesswork from whether your mower will fit through the doors!

Not only that, but they’re a great way of focussing your mind on what materials you need. I don’t think I’m the only person who has come back from the hardware store with enough materials for just three rather than four walls! After this post, I’ll hopefully be the last!

Shed blueprints are also perfect for highlighting where you might need help from someone – particularly if the roof is higher than usual or the materials you’re using are particularly heavy.

To accompany the blueprint, I highly recommend that you create a list of everything that you intend to keep in the shed, and try to assign each item to a particular area. If you intend to hang some tools up, this will prompt you to ensure that that elevation of the shed is correctly reinforced with extra supports to take the weight.

After you have thought about the blueprint, I recommend that you use string and some tent rods to mark out the floor area in your yard. Try and put everything you want to have on the floor of your new shed into this space, and ensure that you have enough space to comfortably walk around inside the shed without falling into your garden tools!

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