If you need additional storage space, you’re not alone. We’ll explore must-know tips for a more organized living environment.
Need more space to store your stuff? Learn how to decide between renting a storage unit and buying a shed.
There are many benefits to owning a shed including increased storage space, decreased clutter inside your home, and convenient storage of bulky lawn care equipment. However, outdoor sheds can become cluttered and disorganized very quickly. If you are about to purchase a new shed, consider these hacks to maximize space from the very beginning:
Hooks and Pegboards The key to a well organized shed is decreasing the amount of “stuff” on your floor. Hooks and pegboards can be easily installed and used to hang tools, bags, and even lawn trimmers. You can even paint your pegboards different colors to design a color-coded system for each tool or device.
Shelving Shelves can also be attached to your peg boards. They also add more space and free up floor space. Large bins can be labeled with items such as crafts, cleaning supplies, and sporting equipment.
Keep Hand Tools Handy Long-handled tools need to be easily accessible, but out of the way. A sturdy tool hanger to the inside of your shed's door is a great way to free up wall space for other items, while making your larger hand tools easily accessible.
Magnetic Bars magnetic bars have been used by mechanics for years to hold and organize their tools. These strips also work great for metal garden gear such as pruning shears . Choose a bar with a magnet strong enough to hold the weight of your tools and you'll always have them within reach.
Installing a Toilet Paper Holder This storage hack will keep your wires and twine organized. These useful outdoor items often knot up or get easily lost. Install the holder on its side in an area that is easy to access.
A Garden Carryall Garden Carryalls are useful for holding smaller items such as markers, pens, scissors and clippers. Often, these items get left out on a workbench or even your shed floor. A carryall is a great place for small hand tools and perfect for grab-and-go trips to the garden.
Garden Hoses Hoses are often challenging to keep in place. This DIY project from Martha Stewart is a practical and inexpensive caddy for a garden hose and sprinkler.
Safe Storage Bins Having some bins to store smelly supplies, toxic pesticides, and other items that need to be handled with caution is a great way to prevent unwanted exposure or spills. These bins should be properly labels and kept out of the reach of children.
Even though sheds are a key part of your organizational system, they’re not always given the thought or attention they deserve. If you are ready to give your shed some organizational TLC, SHARE this article!
Building a space-saving workbench by yourself adds extra storage and workspace to your garage or shed. Many people are creating additional space saving workbenches to work on craft projects or small household repairs. Most are done over the course of a weekend with little to no stress.
Before Starting DIY Workbench
Plan ahead. Before you start building your workbench, jot down what its primary use will be. Will it be mostly for storage? Do you want a large space to work on big projects? Do you want a mixture of functional space and usable storage? Make sure to take proper measurements. A workbench that is too high or too low will be very uncomfortable for its primary user. Also, don’t make your workbench too deep. Many people think that workbenches need great depth. In fact, most projects for space saving workbenches only need about 12 inches of depth. There is no reason that your workbench should be more than 24 inches deep. Always consider your skill level and budget, and get busy!
These 5 Space Saving Workbench ideas should inspire you to start building:
Popular Mechanics This sturdy and professional workbench from popular mechanics also happens to be beautiful. This article includes step-by-step instructions in a .pdf file.
Instructable Workbench. This video tutorial will show you how to build a sturdy workbench quickly and inexpensively in only a few hours work. The workbench presented this video is 80 inches long x 36 inches wide x 34 inches tall, and rock solid.
Anna White. Anna has an eye for design and function. Her workbench has roll away carts with built-in tools. They save space and maximize functionality and storage.
Fold Down Workbench. A fold down workbench is the ideal way to save precious garage space. This workbench can be built in an afternoon and is a major upgrade to what you have piling in the corners of your garage or shed right now.
Pegboard Workbench This article will help you build an organized pegboard tool cabinet and simple workbench. The design and colors are inspiring. This simple workbench also makes for the perfect craft space.
Which of these designs inspires you most? SHARE this article with anyone looking for some workbench inspiration
If your family keeps growing, the chances are that the amount of storage you have is decreasing. It’s time to get creative and figure out ways to finally utilize your overhead space for storage. Don’t be alarmed; these simple tips will get you are your way to finding a place for everything. There is something here for every budget and every skill level.
Many types of overhead racks make storing Christmas decorations and baby strollers stress-free. They are easy to be installed and hold hundreds of pounds of goods, so you don’t have to worry about them coming crashing down while you sleep. Here are some options to get you thinking. Here are the 10 best storage racks of 2016.
A sliding storage solution is the perfect DIY project, and all you will need are some heavy-duty storage bins, 2x 4’s and plywood strips. This article gives you step-by-step instructions on creating a way to get all of your off season clothes off the floor and up to the ceiling.
The Family Handyman website will fill with ideas in how to transform your wide-open garage into the storage room of your dreams and still fit your car. This article covers everything from building a place for your cumbersome ladder to building your own bicycle lift!
This video shows you the how to build your own pulley system in less than two minutes. Of course, building this storage solution will require a lot more than two minutes, but it proves that you don’t have to spend your entire paycheck buying overhead storage solutions.
If you have some extra cash, www.powerrax.com offers a mobilized ceiling storage system. It allows you to safely lower the Storage Platform off the ceiling with the push of a button. You can even control this storage solution with an app on your phone!
Regardless of which storage solution you choose. Make sure to take some proper measurements before you begin your research. Also, take into consideration the weight of the items you need to store. All of this will become very handy as you shop for the best overhead storage solution for your household.
If one of these ideas is perfect for your family, SHARE this article with others who could use the perfect storage solution.
Backyard storage structures aren’t just for lawnmowers anymore. A storage structure could provide an entire room right in your backyard. There are many strange and unique ways in which people are transforming storage structures into dream worthy spaces. Many of these unique uses for storage structures require customization such as electrical work, so definitely check with a local contractor to find out what the codes are in your county.
Here are seven unique uses for storage structures:
An Artist Studio
Let the paint splatter and turn your storage shed into a place where the sky is the limit. A storage shed makes for the perfect artist studio in that it is a wide-open space that can be set up with professional lighting or natural light from large windows.
Workout Room
Are you tired of a gym membership? If so, turn a storage shed into a home gym where you can workout close to home. No more tripping over kettlebells in your bedroom.
An Animal Shelter
When the weather is bad, a storage structure is a perfect place to house your outdoor pets and livestock. It is also an ideal
location to keep rescue dogs that might need a home for a few days until they find their forever family.
Mechanics Shed
Why use your garage when you can have your very own shop? If you love to work on your car, motorcycle or farm equipment a
storage structure is a perfect place to practice your skill.
Basketball Court
If you live in a cold climate and have kids that can’t get enough basketball practice your storage shed can easily transform into a full
court, half court, or mini court to for practice. It’s a great way to keep the kids moving in the cold winter months.
Music Studio
If your High School band is still together, or you have a child that recently caught the band bug, go ahead and turn your storage shed
into the ultimate music studio. Soundproofing is possible, so nobody needs to hear your jams.
Reading Room
A reading room is a dream for the introvert at heart. Storage sheds can quickly become a cozy retreat where you can curl up with your favorite
book and zone out.
If you are on your way to buy a new storage structure for the room of your dreams, please SHARE this article with anyone who might need their own!
As a new year begins, often we try to implement new and better habits. That can be applied to many areas of our life, including how we care for our property. In this blog post, we’ll share some top tips about outdoor structure ownership.
Choose a good location. Find level ground for your shed. This is literally the foundation of proper maintenance.
Paint your unfinished wooden shed. It’s a best practice to paint your shed within 60 days if installation. This protective covering helps your shed last longer.
Lubricate your handles. Be sure your knobs and handles are in working order by lubricating them from time to time.
Watch vegetation. Keep the area around your outdoor storage structure trimmed. This does many things, including keeping critters away.
Properly ventilate your shed. No matter what type of structure you have – wood or metal – proper air circulation is important.
Winterize your shed. The cold weather and other elements that come along with winter can wreak havoc on your shed. Be sure it’s ready for the cold and wet season.
Keep your shed clean and organized. Over time, the items you store will seemingly multiply. As your shed fills up, you may need to install shelves, peg boards, hooks, and other organizational elements. A clean and organized shed is safer and easier to manage.
Check for rot. Over time, moisture can damage your wooden storage structure. Look for rotted parts and replace or repair.
Check for leaks. Moisture inside a shed is not good. Check your roof and other areas for leaks and fix immediately—before they spread.
Repaint your shed. Going along with our earlier tip, we suggested repainting your shed every three to four years. Depending on where you live, this could be needed more often.
It’s important to protect your investment in outdoor storage structures – as well as to continue to protect everything inside of it.
Happy New Year!
You’ve probably often seen piles of wooden pallets in the back of warehouses, large stores, factories and other large businesses. But, in recent years, reclaimed wood has exploded in popularity. DIY websites, craft shows, and decorating magazines are time and time again giving us ideas on what we can do with this shipping pallets.
One idea is to use pallets to upgrade or update your storage structure. We’ve even seen people build sheds completely with these wooden materials—but for this post, we’ll focus on sharing ideas for using them for your existing shed.
Shelving Units Made from Pallets
Break apart pallets to create shelves; you will likely need other wood for the walls of your shelving unit. This example from NaturalBuildingBlog, found via Pinterest, will help you visual how to make shelving unites
A Rack Made from a Pallet
If you have smaller garden tools, craft supplies, or other small items that could be nicely organized by hanging them, you might wish to hang a pallet outfitted with hooks (or two!) on the wall. Here’s an example from Woohome, found on Pinterest.
Pallet for Wood Storage
If you have a woodstove, fireplace, or firepit on premise, here’s a pallet project idea: Build a wood storage unit for inside your shed, or to put up alongside the unit. Katie Brown shared an example on Pinterest, which you can view here.
New Siding Made from Pallets
Side your interior walls with the wood from your pallets, then stain or paint to your liking; this can give a warm feel to the inside of your shed.
The ideas are seemingly endless when it comes to repurposing pallets to update your storage shed.
This month, we’re dedicating our blog posts to a few of the many ways you can transform your outdoor structure from an empty shell usually meant for storage into something practical. In the last part of this three-part series we’ll talk about keeping chickens.
Today, many families are interested in self-sustaining lifestyles for health, environmental, or economic reasons. You don’t have to live on a farm to reap the benefits of fresh eggs or raising your own poultry.
Adding a chicken coop to your property is a bit easier when you start with a ready-made outdoor structure, such as the sheds offered at Valley Structures. Here are some things to consider:
- Each chicken will need about 4.5 square feet of space; think about your capacity! You don’t want overcrowding.
- You’ll want to install roost-shelving/nest boxes to give chickens a place to roost. Many coops use a 2×4 board as a roosting bar.
- Consider a droppings board, which would be installed under the roosting bar.
- Chickens can share nests—three nests for every eight chickens is a good rule of measure.
- Add in vents, windows, and doors. Vents and windows help with air circulation, and a door allows chickens to come out during the day for air and sun.
- A need for more fresh air – depending on how hot it gets where you live, you might need more ventilation. You could remove one or part of the wall panels, and add in wire mesh.
- Be sure to account for storage space for buckets, shovels, etc.
Once you have your coop set up, it’s time to get your flock!
This month, we’re dedicating our blog posts to a few of the many ways you can transform your outdoor structure from an empty shell usually meant for storage into something practical. In the second installation of this three-part series we’ll look at how you can garden or create a potting room with a storage shed.
Backyard sheds aren’t limited to just being used for storing gardening equipment; they also can be a functional space for green thumbs.
Think about what you’ll be using the space for, and then plot out the interior accordingly. Think about your working surface as well as adequate storage space. What kind of potting table best suits you? Think about lighting: will you need to add more windows, and do you want to also install electricity so you can have lamps? What else might you need power for? Will you need wi-fi? And, of course, you’ll want to have a sink, so plumbing is another consideration.
Aside from creating a place for you to work, you can also make your new potting shed a bit of retreat. Add some comfortable seating and décor. Artfully arrange your tools—make good use of the ceilings and walls. What can you hang? What needs a shelf?
Don’t forget about the exterior. How can you paint, trim, or decorate your shed so that it blends in with the landscape? Add some character. Make it part of the art of your backyard!
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