How times have changed for homeowners and shed builders. A shed in Salem, Massachusetts from Historic Sheds The fact of the matter is, since the nomads first settled into villages, people have accumulated stuff and, as a result, have needed a place to put that stuff. Thus was born the[Read More…]
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Trendsetting Requests
Today’s unusual requests are tomorrow’s shed trends—just ask the first person to move their home office to the backyard. However, for shed builders who specialize in custom construction, some requests are a bit too niche to hit the mainstream just yet. Kent Lapp, CEO and principal of Wood-Tex Products, has[Read More…]
‘We Truly Love What We Do’
There seem to be two constants in the shed-building industry: quality and family. For W.E.H. Supply in Denver, Pennsylvania, both are true. The company strives to supply quality materials to the shed-building industry. It’s also very family oriented. The late William E. Hartman formed the company in 1979, and the[Read More…]
Nail Dumping
Roelif Loveland, the president of Maze Nails, one of a handful of domestic nail and fastener manufacturers, says as much as 75 percent of the nails used in America are made in China, which has once again this year been cited by the Department of Commerce for “dumping“ nails in[Read More…]
A Style Evolution
For the HGTV-watching, Pinterest-pinning, Houzz-obsessed consumer, there’s no longer any reason the backyard shed shouldn’t be a part of the overall landscaping statement—at least that’s what an increasing number of homeowners seem to expect. Today’s sheds are being designed to add new value to homes through a style that matches[Read More…]
What’s a Building Without a Truss or Rafter? Often, A Shed
During his twenty-plus year career as an engineer for Tuff Shed, Owen Bunker, currently president of Innovations Manufacturing in Denver, found that engineering load values and other factors for shed roof rafters and trusses was particularly challenging because, technically, shed roofing systems use neither rafter nor truss. As Bunker points[Read More…]
Is It Time to Update Your Roof System?
For many shed builders, rafters are the unquestionable way to go for a roofing system. They’re the simple solution for the quick stick-framed construction favored by many builders. And the traditional wood gussets that hold these rafters together often are a good way for shed builders to use up their[Read More…]
Toe-Nail vs. Hang It
You might say that your entire shed-building project rests on your choice of joist connections—and you wouldn’t be entirely wrong since your shed depends on those joists to serve as a sturdy foundation. The growing number of options available for securing joists can make selecting the right one a daunting[Read More…]
We Just Want to Keep Building Sheds
Zook talks about his goats at home. He also has a donkey, some turkeys, and a couple chickens. Then there’s his lawn to mow, a garden, a dog and a cat, and a wife, Mary (not necessarily in that order). That’s the life he enjoys—that, and being successful in the[Read More…]
The Future of the Industry
Mel Fisher got into the shed-building business in 1973 when only a couple of his Amish brothers in Lancaster County in Southeastern Pennsylvania were building the wooden storage structures. He assembled a few hundred sheds each year outside his home in Leola. In 1979, stronger demand forced Fisher to move[Read More…]
