With all the world talking incessantly about this coronavirus, it just seems like a good time to talk a bit about working through sickness.
Tyler Mayhan
Tyler Mayhan is general manager of Better Barns, which is based in Oklahoma.
Sticking with Sheds
Those of you who have read my column since its inception back in April 2016 know that I began building sheds in 2003 at the ripe old age of 17. I’d like to share the story of how I became a shed builder with you.
I didn’t grow up planning to be a shed builder.
Aim for the Stars
A few years ago, we set out to see how many of our Economy-style sheds we could build in one day. These sheds are quite simple. I have built two in one day by myself a few times. The construction is similar to our Lofted Barns, until after you have[Read More…]
Liar, Liar Pants on Fire
We were looking to hire a couple builders this summer. I knew my time was pretty short and felt a little bit desperate. In the past, I have found most people need at least a month of training to get familiar with all the ins and outs of shed building. [Read More…]
Down the Drain (Part 3)
As I have covered in the last two installments of this story (Part 1 and Part 2), I had my share of trouble from this customer. She had been as difficult as any customer I have ever dealt with in my over 15 years of building sheds. I was not[Read More…]
Down the Drain (Part 2)
The job had gone reasonably well that morning, so after a quick lunch I got back to work. I finished the floor, quickly stood the walls, stood trusses, installed the decking, and finished both ends with trim by a few minutes before 5:30 that evening with Rick’s help. Rick installed[Read More…]
Down the Drain (Part 1)
I knew I was in for it. Vance had sold a job that included tearing down an existing shed and rebuilding in its place. He had done a site visit or two to determine all the details and help the customer figure out exactly what they needed. After selling the[Read More…]
The Text
During the summer of 2018 we built a very custom building for a repeat customer who was living the “tiny house” life in the timberland of Oklahoma (yes, there is such an area). This nice lady already had a 12 by 36 and wanted us to add a 16 by[Read More…]
Oh, Deer!
The three of us left the shop at about 4:45 that November morning to build a 12 by 24 Side Loft Barn near the town of Marlow, Oklahoma. After checking to make sure everything was strapped tightly, we swung out onto the highway and began the one-hour trip to the[Read More…]
Barns, Motels, Crickets, and Lightning
Over the last few years, Better Barns has undergone several changes in strategy. As a small shed manufacturer, sometimes the market demands we find creative solutions and stretch ourselves from our comfort zone. This has been especially true during the last couple years. We have begun constructing large shop buildings[Read More…]
