Shed Buying Tips

What To Check For When Buying A Shed

Studs

• What size are the studs?
• What is the stud spacing measurement?

When you’re buying a shed for the first time, there are lots of firsts.

Did you know most of a storage building’s strength comes from its studs? The stud dimensions and spacing between studs is essential for a good sturdy shed or garage to hold up. A strong shed wall will have 2”x4” studs with either 16” or 12” on center spacing

Subframe

• Is the subframe pressure treated?
• Does your shed have proper bracings?

Another thing to keep an eye out for when buying a shed is it’s subframe.

Due to the constant contact with the ground, having a pressure treated subframe is essential to maximize the longevity of your structure. One major weak point on a garage style structure is the bracing around garage doors. If there is inadequate framing/bracing on the garage door wall or if the materials used are not high quality, the building may start to lean in high wind areas.

Siding

• What is the shed exterior made ff?
• Will there be much maintenance required on your structure?
• What is the buildings paint quality?

Buying a shed is the first step and proper shed maintenance will keep your structure looking nice and standing strong for years to come.

A high-quality shed will have as little maintenance as possible minimizing your stress, costs, and investments overall. A good storage will have a maintenance-friendly exterior. This means, there no maintenance off the get go and the quality of the paint, materials, etc. makes future actions easy.

Paint is more than just a pretty color on the outside of your building. Quality paints will protect the exterior and give you many years of maintenance-free, minimal effort upkeep of your structure. Did you know, overall, a painted sided shed should hold up nearly as well as a steel sided structure, and much better than a pressure treated, stained exterior.

Roofing

• What kind of roofing does it have?
• What is the lifespan of a shed’s roof?

Just like your home, your detached garage or shed should have a high-quality roof to withstand the elements and last the life of the shed.

A well-built roof, whether that’s steel or architectural shingles, should give you anywhere between 30-45 years or even a lifetime manufacture warranty. All the roofs we do here at Quality Storage Buildings, offer at least a 35-year warranty so you can have peace of mind for years to come.

Doors

• How do the doors close?
• Do the shed doors feel heavy and solid?

When buying a shed, you might not think about doors as much as you should.

It’s important that the door style matches your needs. Whether it’s a single or double wooden doors, or a garage door, they should be high-quality, solid doors and have good bracing to prevent door twists and warping.

The door is what will be used the most of your new structure, it’s imperative that they are well constructed and utilize solid hardware, so they withstand the lifetime of your shed or garage.

Trim & Floor

• What is the floor sheeting width?
• What is the thickness of the trim board?
• How close are the floor joists spaced?

The last thing you want to look at when buying a shed is the trim and flooring.

A good floor will have at least 3/4” sheeting for both strength and longevity. As mentioned above, the floor joists space should also be 16”, 12” or closer to maintain the strength of the floor and ensure anything you put in it will be held up. When it comes to trim board, it is recommended to have at least 5/8-3/4” trim, which is the standard thickness for a house. This is a great indicator that your shed is built with quality and strength in mind.