Expert: Daniel Humphrey - 3/7/2008

Question
QUESTION: I’m going to have a shed built and there are many upgrade options available, so could you give me your opinion on the value of these upgrades?

* Metal roof versus a shingle roof, is their advantages to have one or the other.

* What are your thoughts on upgrading the floor to a 2 X 6 floor

* How about adding wind turbines to a shed, this is a 16 X 24 shed.

* What are your thoughts on 6' walls versus 8' walls?


ANSWER: Bret,

Covered space where I live is very valuable. I always build the shed to accomodate future uses. So I would go with 8' walls wherever possible.

A metal roof will shed snow and be somewhat maintenance free. Shingles will hold snow, which is sometimes important, but usually will not hold up as well as metal

A sturdy floor is a good investment, since you can put whatever you want in there, incuding a vehicle if you need to back in to unload something heavy, such as firewood or machinery.

Dan

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dan - Thanks for your answer. One more question. The shed I'm looking at sits on 2X4 skids and they just place it on the dirt. Wouldn't these wooden skids eventually rot out? The shed is a 16X24 shed so what would you recommend I set the shed on or is the ground fine?  Location - North Texas

Answer
Bret,

Yeah, the wood on the ground wouldn't last.

If your ground is pretty solid and stable, you can get by with solid concrete pier blocks spaced every 6 or 8 feet in a grid. You can prepare a base of gravel for the pier blocks to help with drainage and even settling. I use the pier blocks with adjustable post bases so that I can fine tune the level after evertything is built.

If possible, design your floor so that middle supports are not necessary. If you do have supports in the midspans, you need to get the floor up off the ground high enough to crawl under there and adjust the heights of the supports as the ground settles, otherwise the center of the floor will bow upward as the perimeter sinks.

Dan