I certainly was not on my wife's good side that evening I brought home that precious little stray dog. I probably should have talked to her first before I decided to bring him home. Once she calmed down I reasoned with her and she agreed to keep our new friend as long as he remained an outdoor dog. I couldn't believe it, I just picked this poor homeless dog up off of the street and now he has to sleep in the back yard. With that said I immediately started looking at dog house plans and preparing for the construction of his new home.
I don't even think the dog was aware that I was building him a new home so I couldn't let him decide what type of dog house he wanted. So I took his size into consideration and chose the design I thought would work best.
As with any structure you build you'll want it to hold up without maintenance or repairs, so build it right the first time. You'll want to carefully select what type of materials you will be using for construction and don't take any short cuts in the process. You want your dog house to last for years. If you put in little effort you'll end up reaping little rewards. So put in the effort and make sure the structure is sturdy like a rock. Loose nails and boards are sure signs your dog house won't make it past a year. Also the use of pressure treated wood will make an astounding difference as to how well it will hold up to the weather.
One of those things that needs to be addressed when choosing your building material is whether or not your dog is a chewer. The last thing you want is to put your dog in a dog house coated with chemicals for him to chew up. Pressure treated wood is covered in chemicals and should not be used for a dog's house that chews up everything in sight. Fortunately there are alternatives that could work just as well as the pressure treated lumber.
It is certainly a necessity to keep your dog comfortable during the different seasons of the year. During the summer a dog house can turn into a sauna in no time. That is why cross ventilation is a must in the design of your dog house. Also be sure to keep his water dish full to minimize risk of dehydration. During the colder months I doubt the dog house will provide enough insulation to keep incredibly warm. That is why I would put a few blankets and maybe an old pillow to help your pal stay warm.
My name is Frank Kendrick and I am do it yourself kind of guy. I spend my most of my weekends doing home improvement projects of all sorts. It is my hobby and once I'm done with one project I'm usually off to the next. For great ideas on home improvement projects that I use including Dog House Plans you might like to take a look at http://ShedPlansElite.info Life is what you make it, stay positive and moving forward. Frank
With hardworking advice from Popular Mechanics on designing, building, and customizing a shed for any yard, this is the ultimate inspirational handbook for every homeowner.
There are innovative plans for building several sheds, each with a different practical use, as well as contributions from Popular Mechanics readers who share their own designs.
The sheds include:
- Small Is Beautiful: A 6’ x 8’ shed with solid framing, plywood sheathing, and cedar siding. It’s big enough to hold a variety of tools, but won’t dominate the backyard.
- The Groundskeeper: This 9’ x 13’ shed with a spacious layout and a crisp, no-frills design is ideal for the beginning DIYer.
- The Big Red Shed: This handsome shed is a multi-purposer’s dream; a 10’ x 12’ tool shed combined with an 8’ x 10’ open bay that’s great for firewood or tractors.
- Classic Colonial: A stylish, multipurpose garden shed with decorative trim and architectural accents. Includes a 12’ x 12’ general storage space, 4’ x 12’ potting area, and a small loft for seasonal storage.
- The Greenhouse: Complete instructions on purchasing a kit greenhouse in a variety of sizes (7’ x 9’, 8’ x 16’, or larger) allows for a big-league growing season.
For additional motivation, beautiful photographs present a wide variety of sheds, from tree houses to eco-friendly buildings
Essentially, there are three basic points to consider when choosing a foundation for a storage building or shed. Building size and design, climate or region you live in, and the soil type.
Small structures such as garden sheds will require less ground preparation. Removing the sod and loose material then laying down concrete blocks or wood timbers are often sufficient for supporting a shed floor. Bigger structures such as a single car garage, 12x20 or larger storage building, may require a concrete or slab on grade foundation.
Concrete slab-on-grade floors are generally designed to have sufficient strength to support floor loads without reinforcing when poured on compacted soil. Using welded wire mesh with concrete and a low water/cement ratio can reduce shrinkage cracking, especially where expansive soils such as clay are present. This is an important point to remember if there is concern for appearance.
In areas of high seismic activity, special foundation construction techniques may be necessary. In these cases, consultation with local building officials and a structural engineer is recommended. On sites where the garage floor could be below the water table, a slab-on-grade foundation is recommended.
Whether you choose a wood timber base, concrete blocks, or a slab on grade foundation for your building project, these three methods will be the most cost effective and easiest to build.
The secret to project success is having step by step guides and detailed plans. This is closest thing to hiring a full time 24/7 carpenter working on your project, that you will ever find.
Anyone who is planning on building a garage or any type of storage building will want to be armed with the right information to make the right decisions. For more help and tips with planning the next building project, you may want check this out http://www.squidoo.com/garagrbuildingplans
Organizing spaces in the home and yard is easier if you have a storage shed. The shed could store tools, bikes, garden paraphernalia, and the like. Others use storage buildings as a work area or play area instead, depending on their needs.
Instead of building a shed from scratch, and having to design plans on paper, cut out photos from magazines, and make many trips to the hardware store for tools and materials, there is the easier option of buying a prefabricated kit and building a shed from that.
Shed kits come with materials and plans already included. Some offer videos with detailed instructions for construction. Styles could be chosen beforehand from a range of different available designs, from the simple box type shed on a few square feet of space to the most complex designs using bigger areas
Some of these popular designs are miniature barns, log cabins, play houses, and such. When building a shed, the detailed plans inside the kits could easily be followed step-by-step. The materials are also included in the shed kit, from the framing to the siding, and from the floors to the doors and windows. Even the necessary hardware such as nails, screws, hinges, and fasteners are included.
The do-it-yourselfer will have an easy fun time building and assembling these sheds designed so that even an average homeowner will be able to do it. There are types of kits that you could choose depending on level of expertise, budget, and time element. Some kits are merely precut to specifications, and you have to assemble them yourselves. Some are already pre-assembled and need less work.
Another option is to just get the plans, and look for all the materials yourself. This is a good idea if you have easy access to stores selling these simple building materials. Such plans as these have a detailed list of materials with the needed specifications, the layout design, and the building instructions. Building a shed in this way is the most cost efficient for the experienced do-it-yourselfer, as the plans cost less than the whole kit. However it is not advisable for inexperienced builders.
How are you going to build your shed?
A wood shed kit is a great way to have storage for your yard quickly. Click Here for more information.
Did you know you can find free shed plans? They are generally offered online and that can be a great way to take a close look around at them. Why pay to view plans if you don't have to? Now you may be wondering why these plans would be offered at no cost. It could be that they want to promote their business such as equipment they have for sale that you may be encouraged to buy during the building process.
In many instances these sites are getting enough money though from the many advertisers on there. They are able to continue getting plenty of people to advertise there due to the traffic coming to their site. Therefore offering those shed plans at no cost is a great way to be able to generate the income they are looking for. There are no strings attached either which makes it a winning situation if you are looking for such materials.
There are some people that will argue free shed plans aren't going to offer you the same details and quality as those that you pay for. That isn't necessarily the case though so don't let that mentality prevent you from taking a look around and developing your own thoughts on the subject. It is true that some of them may not be as detailed as others but you will get to evaluate them before you choose a shed plan to work from. Even when you are paying for shedplans you will find that there are plenty of variations along these same lines.
Shed plans don't have to cost you money in order to be effective. Why should you pay for something when you really don't have to? Instead you can commit to spending some time to explore the plans offered at no cost and see how they may work into your goals for the storage shed or garden shed project. You have nothing to lose by doing so and you will be surprised by all that is offered.
Since you will find so many hits online for free shed plans, you may want to narrow down your search. You can do this by adding more keywords such as the specific type of design you are looking for. If you aren't certain you can look at some pictures to find them. You just may come across the perfect shed building plans this way. The best part about it is that you will be able to save money in the process.
Want to get your hands on top quality free shed plans in the next 5 seconds? Click BELOW And Let Me Show You How! http://www.myshedplansecrets.com
Cows and horses, donkeys and mules, sheep and goats, pigs and fowl, even llamas are living on small farms and in backyard barnyards throughout the United States. But how and where are these critters being housed?
Author Carol Ekarius knows. In How to Build Animal Housing, she provides dozens of plans--with illustrated, step-by-step instructions--for species-specific shelters that are well ventilated, safe, appropriate for the animals, appealing, convenient, and a solid value for their owners.
The book is essential reading for anyone interested in animal health and welfare. It includes complete plans and step-by-step, illustrated instructions for sheds, coops, hutches, multipurpose barns, and economical easy-to-build windbreaks and shade structures. Ekarius covers new high-tech, portable structures made of plastics and fabrics, such as hoop houses and hen spas, as well as more traditional alternatives, such as straw-bale structures. Always practical, she enumerates the advantages and disadvantages of ready-to-build kits and modular barnyard buildings and includes designs for watering systems, feeders, chutes, stanchions, and more--the essentials that help owners keep their animals healthy and happy.
Ekarius wisely emphasizes the importance of careful planning, choosing an appropriate housing site, and complying with local zoning regulations; pest control, basic housing maintenance, and insurance costs are also discussed. Real-world advice from farmers and veterinarians on the types of housing and facilities animals like best enliven the text throughout.
How to Build Animal Housing is the most comprehensive and useful guide of its kind. For small-scale farmers, hobby farmers, do-it-yourselfers, and animal lovers, this book is indispensable. Price: $24.95
When space and clutter become an issue, particularly outside in the yard and garden areas, many people think of building their own outdoor storage sheds. After all, they seem quite simple structures to create, right? And yes they can be. But whether you should build a shed or buy one depends on a variety of factors.
If you are fairly handy with tools and you don't mind doing all the cutting, measuring, drilling and hammering, you might consider simply buying materials and building an outdoor shed of your own from scratch. In most cases, a simple wooden frame with some type of roof and walls will do the trick.
If you're good at design and building things by hand, you might even end up building something completely unique as a storage shed. And this can create an amazing feeling of accomplishment and pride. If however, you're not overly good at designing your own structures, or even if you're just not sure about the finer details that go into building an outdoor shed, you may end up with a final result that's less than pleasing. And in some cases, you might even end up with a home made outdoor storage shed that's a safety hazard too.
A better way to make sure you're building something well, even if it is built from scratch, is to buy an outdoor shed plan first. Buying an outdoor shed design plan will allow you to choose from a variety of beautiful, sturdy, useful shed designs that will compliment your home, yard and garden. You're still able to build the shed completely on your own of course, you'll just have useable plans to work from. This will ensure you'll end up with something that looks nice, and is safe to use too.
Now a nice alternative to building a shed of your own from scratch is to order an outdoor shed kit. Outdoor shed kits come with all the pieces you need to build your shed - including screws and other hardware - plus they have step by step assembly instructions that make building the shed fairly easy to do.
Building a shed from a kit tends to give you even more design options too. You could build a cottage or bungalow style outdoor shed completely from scratch, but the work involved is much more detailed, and you might have to wait for specialty parts to be ordered. By building your shed from a ready made kit instead, all of the various pieces, trim and accessories you want to build on to the shed are sent at once. This allows you to build the shed without having to worry about stopping and waiting for other pieces to come in, or having to go back to your tools and recut something that was done wrong the first time.
Build your own shed kits can be purchased in a variety of styles, sizes, and materials too. You can choose quaint little cottage style wooden shed kits, vinyl kits which look like small barns, or metal kids which are attractive but look like regular storage sheds. The options for building a shed yourself are wide open, so think about what tools and skills you have first, then decide whether building one from scratch, with a pre-made design, or from a kit is the best choice for you.
Does your older child need a little more liberty? Whether you work from home or
maybe you just feel that you need another room for a special project
that you want to start, then the solution is to construct a
new addition to your garage.
By making an addition to your garage you can add to the living space in
your house, no matter what type of garage you own: detached or
attached to the house. The space above the garage can be converted into
a private living space for your older child, guests or a live-in parent.
You can convert your garage into your home office. You could very well
find here the peace and quiet needed for your work. Also, the new addition
can be converted into a music studio if you put some simple sound
proofing measures into place.
In order to start planning for your garage addition, first prepare
a budget and then hire a professional because this is a complex
project. Also, you may need to hire an architect to help you with
the construction plans.
You park your car in the driveway and you still have to work on your
projects in the back yard. If you don’t use your garage for
its designed purpose, why not turn it into a tidy workshop?
Here are five steps to turn your garage in a perfect small home
workshop:
1) Create your own workbench from an old door, some
sawhorses or scrap wood.
2) Mount a pegboard on the wall to store your tools. It would be
a great idea to mount it above your workbench. Strategically
place pegs according to the type of tools you will be placing on
the board. After hanging your tools, trace around them with a
marker so you will know where each one goes.
3) Use old jars for holding nails, nuts, bolts and screws.
4) Make a storage box for the rags because they tend to accumulate
in the working area.
5) Use a small tackle box for transporting items such as screws and
nails as you move around the shop.
If you spend a lot of your time at home in your garage or if
you want a clean and organized garage you need a few
gadgets
Garage gadgets come in many forms and for different
purposes. For example; a stop light for parking may come in handy for
someone who has a problem with depth perception or for
someone who comes home late from work and is very tired. If you
have such problems, you need this tool. It is easy to install
and use and it helps you to park the car in the same spot
every time when the motion sensors are triggered.
If you need space on the walls next to the door, you can
mount a garage door opener on the ceiling above the door
to eliminate chains.
Bike storage is ideal in a garage for “hanging” your bike on a
wall so you have easy access to it with the advantage of having
more clear space in the garage.
If you have a lot more items in your garage than you really have
room for or the walls are full of shelves and cabinets, you
definitely need additional storage devices like an overhead
storage system mounted directly on the ceiling.
There are four basic types of garage doors and three types of
materials commonly used to construct these doors.
If a traditional look is desired for the garage, then the side
hung garage door is the usual solution. Side-hung doors can
be fitted directly on a wood frame or on bricks.
Another type of garage door is the sectional garage door.
These doors are perfect where the space in front of the garage
is limited because they open vertically. They are perfect
for a new garage that is intended to have an aesthetic appeal.
Similar to sectional garage doors are the roller doors. The
door rolls up inside a drum above the opening of the garage
door. Also there is no need to allow any room inside or out to
operate the door so it would be well suited for limited space
in front of the garage.
The last type of door is the most common one, up and over
garage door. This is the most popular type. They can be
manufactured from timber, steel and GPR materials. They
can also be manual or automatic and they are relatively easy
to install.
You would probably ask yourself why do you need a facelift for
your garage. It is only a garage! But what if you have a
two or more cars garage? The garage doors take up a
significant portion of the front of the house. What is the use in
having a great design for your house but having only generic
garage doors?
Nowadays the garage door trends are to incorporate the doors
into the design of the house. For example you could choose
carriage-style doors(look like they open like old-fashioned
doors in carriage houses, but they open like normal garage
doors) or you could choose wood carriage doors. These wood
carriage doors are reminiscences of the horse-drawn carriage days
and they are very popular. You don’t need to go as far as to
order custom made garage doors because you can find more
appealing garage doors at most home improvement stores.
In addition to the doors, the floor of a garage gives style and can
integrate to the overall aesthetics of your house. You could try
interlocking garage floor tiles that come in multiple colors and
patterns. They are made of polypropylene and are easy to
install and clean. Another interesting and practical flooring is the
coin shaped G-flooring.
Why do you need a heater for your remodeled garage?
The answer for this question is pretty obvious: one of the
major disadvantages of using your garage as a workshop
or a home office is that it wasn’t meant for that. The
garage is the special place reserved for your car, the
garage is the room where you keep your lawn and garden
accessories.
If you start using this space for other projects that you
have, you need to deal with one of the major
inconveniences, that is warmth. During the summer you
don’t have to worry too much about this but during cold
seasons you might find some difficulties in continuing
your project because of the very low temperature.
You can find many ways to warm up your workshop-
garage. You can try one of the porcelain heaters; they
work great and can warm up a good area but they are not
meant to warm a large space for a long time.
Another solution for you would be to use a kerosene
heater. These heaters are easy to turn on, most of them
have an electric starter. It should have a thermostat to be
able to regulate the temperature also they have a specific
scent, they do function on kerosene! So if you think you
cannot handle this smell, a kerosene heater wouldn’t be a
good choice for you. They are quite dangerous for your
children, if they have access to the garage and you would
definitely want to ventilate very well the garage!
A very good and popular choice nowadays is a gas heater.
Of course you have to hire a professional to install it. You
can find a gas heater suited to your budget for remodeling
the garage. There are many models and almost all of them
are fairly inexpensive. The main advantage of a gas
heater is that it gives you a consistently warm
environment. They are available in both manual and
thermostatic control types. You would probably prefer a
model that has a thermostat, even though its price is a
little higher than the price of a manual temperature
control model. The only thing that you have to do is to set
it on a desired temperature and leave it to do its job.
There are two types of gas heaters: vented and vent less.
The vent less unit uses air from the room and the vented
model has a system that vents directly out of the garage.
The disadvantage of the vent less model is that you have
to keep the room vented at all times because the unit uses
the air from the room where it has been installed. The
main advantage for the both types of gas heaters is that
they have a pretty low running cost compared to the
kerosene and electric heaters.
Remember that if you choose to install a more advanced
heating system like a gas heater, you must ask for a
professional’s help.
Offer #1 - 18 Plan Special - 6 Garages 6 Barns and 6 Cabins Offer #2 - 10 Complete Garage RV and Workshop Plans Offer #3 - 5 Complete Contractor House Plans
and we will also throw in the Backyard Special Bonus!
8' x 10' Childrens Playhouse 6' tall ceilings 2 x 4 construction 8' x 12' Greenhouse
Plan sets contain the following:
Floor Plans, Foundation Plans, Electrical Plans, Elevation Plans, Wall Framing Plans,
Roof Framing Plans, Cabinet Details, Foundation Details, Wall section Details,
Structural and General Notes, and Complete Building Materials Lists.
Everything needed to apply for permits, Obtain bids and set your project on its way. View the original article here
An affordable high quality set of plans how to build storage shed with a limited amount of time, tools and money for any level skill of builders. Plans are original. The professional design generated directly from Auto-Cad includes: complete material list, detail layout diagrams and easy follow step-by-step instructions so that anyone can understand what needs to be done. Building your own sheds not only saves you money; they also enhance the value of your property as well, while solving many storage challenges Price:
An affordable high quality set of plans how to build storage shed with a limited amount of time, tools and money for any level skill of builders. Plans are original professional design generated directly from Auto-Cad include complete material list, detail layout diagrams and easy follow step-by-step instructions so that anyone can understand what needs to be done. Build our shed not only save you money; they enhance the value of your property as well, while solving many storage challenges.
An affordable high quality set of plans how to build storage shed with a limited amount of time, tools and money for any level skill of builders. Plans are original professional design generated directly from Auto-Cad include complete material list, detail layout diagrams and easy follow step-by-step instructions so that anyone can understand what needs to be done. Build our shed not only save you money; they enhance the value of your property as well, while solving many storage challenges.
Expand your storage options, add visual interest, enhance your property, and save money--all with one book, Sheds & Garages. This completely new edition of a perennial Sunset best-seller gives readers everything they need to choose and build the perfect structure to store all their accumulated stuff. Plus a bonus 32-page catalog section of mail-order building plans.
Combining design inspiration with construction how-to, Sheds & Garages features 12 projects for backyard builders, from simple to advanced, that complement a variety of architectural styles. Sheds & Garages explains in layman's terms the necessary tools and materials, as well as basic building techniques, to take your shed from foundation through the roof. Each project offers detailed instructions, materials lists, photos, and illustrations to guide you every step of the way.
Features Include:
12 shed projects in a variety of architectural styles
More than 175 color photos
More than 160 illustrations
Detailed step-by-step building instructions & materials lists
Bonus feature: 32-page catalog section of mail-order building plans Price: $19.95
Written with the do-it-yourselfer in mind, Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings gives readers the information they need to plan, build, and finish a utility building. This revised and expanded edition presents a variety of buildings, from the simplest garden shed to a huge gambrel dairy barn to a backyard artist's studio. Part One begins with design and planning information to help potential builders locate their building, decide on its design, and decode architectural plans and building codes. Individual chapters detail the basics: building foundations, from simple shed foundations to poured concrete slabs; framing walls and roofs, including long sections on pole buildings and old-fashioned timber-framing techniques; and closing in the framing, including all types of roofing and siding as well as door and window installation. Other chapters cover the basic wiring and plumbing needs of barns, as well as options for interior and exterior finish work. Part Two presents 12 design concepts, with photographs and detail views, of various buildings that readers can build.
A modern guide to classic outdoor structures.
Sheds and other landscape shelters have have never been out of style, but they are now seeing a remarkable surge in popularity, and are being used in creative new ways. The common garden shed is now just as likely to serve as a workshop for an artist to pursue his or her hobby; or may be used as a writer's retreat; or may even be equipped with a satellite dish, high definition television, recliners, and used as a meeting spot for Sunday afternoon football parties. In many parts of the country, spacious sheds are being fully appointed with furnishings and used as detached rooms for everyday living or as backyard offices.
This book offers readers fuel for their aspirations but also provides practical information for planning and building sheds of all types. Although the basics of stick-building are covered, the book focuses more on the most common consumer option: ordering and buying a kit shed, working from blueprint plans, and customizing the shed to individual needs.
Features a planning and design section to help readers create unique shed projects
General technique chapter provides an in-depth overview of each step in shed construction
Includes easy-to-follow plans and directions for 12 sheds covering all design options
Bonus appendix includes a dozen advanced shed plans that can be special-ordered
More than three times as many complete plans than any other sheds book
An affordable high quality set of plans that shows you how to build storage sheds with a limited amount of time, tools and money for any level of skill builders. Plans are original and the professional design generated directly from Auto-Cad include complete material list, detail layout diagrams and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, so that anyone can understand what needs to be done. Building your own shed not only saves you money; but it can also enhance the value of your property as well, while solving many storage challenges.
How to Build Your Own Shed, Cabana, Pool House, Shop, Backyard Studio or Mini Barn and Save a Bundle on Building Costs. Get 41 Great Shed Designs, Complete Construction Plans and Free Do-It-Yourself Building Lessons Today.
