Sheds Are Not All The Same
For the person shopping for a new shed, “Which brand of shed should I get?” is a smart question to ask. When passing by on the road, all sheds more or less look the same. But the fact is, sheds are NOT all the same. There are very important differences in how sheds are built, the materials they are built out of, and how long they will last. In this article, you will learn how to wisely answer the question, “Which brand of shed should I get?”.
Often, the two biggest questions in the mind of the average shed-buyer are:
How much does it cost?
How fast can I get it?
The problem is that these two questions make it easy for a slick-talking shed-seller to take advantage of the average shed-buyer. How so? By focusing shed-buyers on how much of a discount they are getting … or how fast they will get their building delivered … the slick shed-seller foists one junky shed after another on buyer after buyer.
The fact is, other questions are far more important than these two. So, to avoid getting scammed by some slick-talking seller, it is important that you learn how to make a good shed-buying decision.
Let’s get started…
You Need A Proper “Criteria List”
When it comes time to buy a given thing, people generally have a mental or written “criteria list”. This criteria list is what people compare and contrast against the various brands and options that are available to them. Some of the items on their criteria list are requirements. Other items on their criteria list are preferences. And, whichever brand or option checks off all the requirements and the most preferences is usually the one they buy.
For example, when it is time to buy a new vehicle, people have a criteria list that they compare vehicle options against. Now, some people write this criteria list down before they go shopping. Others hold it in their mind. But the list is always there in one form or another. Even a person who has not yet purchased a vehicle has had enough exposure to and interaction with vehicles to have a semi-useful criteria list.
But the average shed-buyer hasn’t had enough experience with sheds. That means the average shed-buyer doesn’t have a meaningful “criteria list”. And that means they don’t know how to answer the question, “Which brand of shed should I get?” Bluntly, there isn’t enough knowledge or experience in place for the average shed-buyer to intelligently answer the question, “Which brand of shed should I get?”.
And so, the average shed-buyer goes to the closest location that sells sheds and buys one there. But, this is a risky way to buy a shed. It’s risky because there are manufacturers who cut corners on their construction process … and who use cheap building materials … all to maximize their profits. The problem is, the average shed-buyer won’t know if they made a mistake until it’s too late and they are stuck with what they bought.
That brings us to what should be on your shed-buying criteria list:
Here Is Your Shed-Buying Criteria List
For your convenience, here are the most important things to check when buying a shed:
Does the shed’s floor have real-wood, pressure-treated plywood flooring?
Does the shed’s plywood flooring sit on top of real-wood, pressure-treated 2” x 6” floor joists spaced 16” apart or less?
Is the shed built with real-wood, pressure-treated siding?
Does the shed have both a ridge-cap vent at the peak of the roof and soffit venting that runs the full length of both sides of the shed?
Are the shed’s wall studs spaced 16” apart?
Is there a double wall stud every 4’ that gives the seam of each sheet of siding its own stud to nail to?
Does the shed have interlocking double top plates on top of the wall studs?
Does each end of every floor joist and every truss have a hurricane clip on it?
Are there real house-style headers over the doors and windows?
Are the corners of the shed built with house-style corners?
Is the shed’s siding and flooring nailed with galvanized, ring-shanked nails that are 8” apart or less on seams and 12” apart or less everywhere else?
With this criteria list, you can evaluate shed options with intelligence. And you can answer the question, “Which brand of shed should I get?” with confidence. By making sure these 11 criteria items are checked off, you are making sure you get a shed that will serve you well, hold up for you, and stand the test of time … a shed that gives you structural integrity, proper functionality, and longevity.
A Detailed Explanation of Each Criteria List Item
Now, let’s take a closer look at each one of these 11 criteria items so you understand why each one is important:
Does the shed’s floor have real-wood, pressure-treated plywood flooring?
Science teaches us that moisture comes up out of the ground and rises into the atmosphere. This means there is an ongoing barrage of moisture hitting the underside of your shed. In other words, water vapor is attacking the bottom of your shed’s floor. Many shed manufacturers use OSB flooring in their sheds. OSB flooring has many names: particle board, chip board, wafer board, manufactured wood. Whatever the name, it is still chips of wood pressed and glued together. So, what happens when moisture coming up out of the ground hits OSB? Well, common experience tells us we have a floor that is not going to hold up over the long run. It won’t hold up because moisture will eventually dissolve the glue and ruin the OSB flooring.
A floor takes the stress of both flexing pressure and fixed pressure. Flexing pressure is when a 200-pound person walks across the floor of their shed. Fixed pressure is when a 200-pound object sits on the shed floor. For both types, real-wood, pressure-treated plywood flooring will hold up far better and longer than OSB flooring. This is because real wood is stronger and more durable than the chips of wood glued together in OSB.
In answering the question, “Which brand of shed should I get?”, this criteria item should be the #1 item you check. After all, if a shed does not have a solid foundation, then nothing else is going to matter in the long run.
Does the shed’s plywood flooring sit on top of real-wood, pressure-treated 2” x 6” floor joists spaced 16” apart or less?
A 2” x 6” floor joist is effectively 2.5 times stronger than a 2” x 4” floor joist. That means a shed built with 2” x 6” floor joists will hold up to use … and pressure … far better than one built with 2” x 4” floor joists.
Some manufacturers build their sheds with floor joists that are 24” apart. But, 24″ apart floor joists do not provide enough support to handle the flexing and fixed pressure.
Is the shed built with real-wood, pressure-treated siding?
In most locales, the side of a shed gets deluged with a lot of rainwater plus plenty of air moisture. Moreover, a good amount of this water and moisture “hangs on” to the bottom of the siding. The result is that the glues at the bottom of OSB siding start dissolving. From there, the siding starts disintegrating. Take a look at an older shed built with OSB siding. You will likely find deterioration and disintegration along the bottom of the siding.
As described before, real wood is stronger and more durable than OSB. You can see the differences in strength between the two types of siding when a shed is being delivered. Compared to a shed built with real wood siding, there is more bend and sway when delivery crews lift a shed built with OSB siding.
This criteria item should be the #2 item you check in answering the question, “Which brand of shed should I get?” With sun, rain, and elements hitting the sides of a shed non-stop, the siding must be able to handle it all for the long run.
Does the shed have both a ridge-cap vent at the peak of the roof and soffit venting that runs the full length of both sides of the shed?
Many shed manufacturers install an 8” x 16” screen vent on each end of their sheds. They do this to save money and shorten production time. The problem with these little vents is that they do not allow proper air movement. If you think about it, there is no way for hot air to exit … and cool air to enter … through the same vent.
Without a ridge-cap vent, summertime heat gets trapped inside of a shed. This makes it much hotter inside the shed. A hotter interior equals a harsher environment for the things stored inside the shed.
With soffit venting that runs the full length of both sides of the shed, cooler air can enter the shed. And, with a ridge-cap vent, hot air can escape out the top. The result is a shed that is cooler during the summertime months. And a cooler shed is better for the things kept inside the shed.
Add Radiant Barrier roof decking to a shed built with soffit vents and a ridge-cap vent and you will have the coolest shed possible.
There is another serious problem with the 8” x 16” screen vent approach. Moisture/humidity gets trapped inside the shed with no way to escape. Trapped moisture causes bad things to happen inside the shed. Things start mildewing, molding, rusting, and deteriorating (including the shed itself). But, with soffit vents and a ridge-cap vent, that moisture has a way to escape. This results in a shed interior that is nice and dry even when there is high humidity outside the shed.
This criteria item should be the #3 item you check in answering the question, “Which brand of shed should I get?” Without proper ridge-cap and soffit venting, everything inside your shed is at risk of unwanted heat and/or moisture damage. So, make sure this criteria item checks off (along with the flooring system and the siding material).
Are the shed’s wall studs spaced 16” apart?
More wood equals a stronger shed. Less wood equals a flimsier shed. Wall studs that are 16” apart make for a solid wall structure. Wall studs that are 24” apart make for a flimsier wall structure.
Is there a double wall stud every 4’ that gives the seam of each sheet of siding its own stud to nail to?
Shed siding comes in 4’ wide by 8’ tall sheets. So, every 4’ there is going to be a seam where two pieces of siding join up. Some shed manufacturers toe-nail (nail at an angle) each side of the siding into a single stud. The much stronger method is to have two wall studs nailed together behind each siding seam. That way both pieces of siding have their own full wall stud to nail straight into.
Does the shed have interlocking double top plates on top of the wall studs?
Many shed manufacturers use a single “top plate” (the board that is at the top of the wall studs). They do this to save themselves money and shorten production time. While this may save them money and time, it is a weaker method of constructing a shed. For a shed to have proper strength and integrity, it should have double top plates that are interlocking like those used in a house.
Does each end of every floor joist and every truss have a hurricane clip on it?
Hurricane clips further connect various sections of a shed together. They increase a shed’s structural integrity in a major way.
Big storms and high winds are not an everyday thing. But, when they do come, hurricane clips are the device that hold the roof to the shed. Without hurricane clips, high winds may well lift the roof off of the shed.
Are there real house-style headers over the doors and windows?
Some shed manufacturers build their sheds with a single, flat 2” x 4” board above their windows and doors. They do this to save themselves money and shorten production times. The problem with this is that there is not enough bracing in place to bear the weight of the roof. The result is that in time, the roof will start sagging. It will sag because there is nothing below it that is strong enough to hold it up. Even worse, that sagging roof starts crimping down into the doors and windows. Once that happens, they no longer open and close properly.
Are the corners of the shed built with house-style corners?
In traditional house framing, a “corner” is three wall studs … or two wall studs with three blocks in the middle … that tie to the first stud of the wall it connects to. In other words, three studs nailed to a fourth for a super strong 90-degree angle. This is the way to create structural strength at each corner of a house.
Sheds are “portable buildings” manufactured in one place and transported to another. For this reason, it is very important to construct them with house-style corners. This gives them the extra structural strength needed to handle transportation stressors.
To “finish out” a shed (i.e., add sheetrock or paneling on the inside), house-style corners are required. As sheetrock or paneling from two walls ends in a corner, both ends need wood behind them to fasten to. Without house-style corners, there is nothing to nail the sheetrock and/or paneling to. This in turn means the shed-buyer would have to buy and add more wood to his or her shed to finish it out.
Are the shed’s siding and flooring nailed with hot-dipped galvanized, ring-shanked nails that are 8” apart or less on seams and 12” apart or less everywhere else?
As a shed sits on the ground, seismic movements and vibrations micro-shake it on an ongoing basis. As humans, we don’t usually notice these tiny earth movements. But a seismometer would clearly reveal them. Moreover, shifting winds and rain impact also micro-shake a shed on an ongoing basis. Other forces such as passing vehicles or jet airplanes taking off can micro-shake a shed as well. Altogether, the micro-shaking from all these sources literally vibrates normal nails … normal nails being smooth and slick … right out of the wood they were nailed into.
Many people have bought a shed only to find nails mysteriously lying on the floor of their shed in a few months. What they didn’t realize was that the nails had micro-shaken right out of the boards in their shed. This is why ring-shanked nails … nails with little ridges on the nail itself … are so important. Ring-shanked nails hold like a screw in the face of micro-shaking forces.
Normal nails are made out of iron or steel. Such nails will rust from nothing more than the humidity in the air. This means a shed built with normal nails will soon enough show rust streaks running down the boards. The best solution is to use nails that have been hot-dipped galvanized (i.e., zinc-coated). Galvanized nails will prevent or at least highly reduce rusting. There are other methods of galvanizing nails such as electro-galvanization and mechanical galvanization. But hot-dipped galvanized nails are far more corrosion-resistant than these other methods.
So, you now have a “criteria list” for buying a shed. You now can answer the question, “Which brand of shed should I get?” with intelligence. You now know 11 specific things to look for in a shed to confidently buy one that will stand the test of time for you. First, make sure a shed you are considering checks off on these 11 criteria items. THEN you can consider the questions of, “How much does it cost?” and “How fast can I get it?”
DANCO Buildings Checks Everything On Your List
At DANCO Buildings, you will find that:
Our sheds check off on every one of the 11 criteria items.
Our sheds are priced less than most competing brands that DO NOT check off all 11 criteria items.
Our sheds are delivered in a competitive timeframe.
Now that you know, “Which brand of shed should I get?”
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