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The garage was beginning to fill up with way too much stuff. Both cars would still fit, but the growing clutter around the place made it harder and harder to get in and out of the vehicles. It was time to do something about it. A backyard storage shed was just the solution to help relieve the clutter. About 25 years ago or so I built a backyard barn from a kit bought at a local lumber yard, so I checked back with them. For a fee they would provide the plans and pull the materials list from their stock. That would have been the quickest and easiest way to go (other than having a pre-built shed delivered), however the fees seemed a little steep to me. I decided to custom build to my own specifications. As always, cost is the primary factor with any of my DIY or home projects; however, the best balance between cost and quality is the ultimate goal. One of the first ways I came up with to cut cost was to reduce the size from the standard 8′ x 10′ down to 8′ x 8′, which would allow me to minimize waste in standard building materials.

Foundation: Just from the little experience I have had with portable outbuildings, the floor and foundation seem to be the weak link. The floor of the first shed I built was simply 5 pressure treated 4 x 4 skids, in direct contact with the ground, laid parallel with 3/4 inch plywood attached on top with deck screws. Over time the skids sank unevenly into the ground which made for an uneven floor. The parts of the shed that eventually came close to ground contact also led to some premature wood rot. I decide to use the same style of floor but beef it up a bit and also set some concrete blocks as a foundation. I had some old blocks stored in the backyard so I decided to use what I had.

The location where I decide to place the shed wasn’t quite level. I tamped down the ground around the highest ground and placed cap blocks on the surface. I buried concrete block level with the cap blocks in the lowest areas. All of the skid will have some sort of concrete under them. I realize this isn’t much of a foundation but if the shed ever does sink (which I fully expect it will), I will be able to shim the skids back to level fairly easily and keep the foundation above ground contact.

I still used 4 x 4 skids but I joined 2×4’s into the skids with half lap joints, glue and deck screws. Once I had the foundation built and set onto the concrete blocks, it was an easy task to shim and level. Before attaching the deck with deck screws, I covered the skids with 30lb roofing felt. I needed the felt for the roof anyway so this would have been left over from the roll.

Roof Trusses: Most of the construction of this shed took place in the garage. Since it is the middle of winter, the garage was definitely the place to work. Once I had the floor installed and had the exact measurements of the floor, I went back to the garage to work. I knew I wanted the knee walls to be 4 foot tall or under. This way I would be able to maximize the use of the 4×8 sheets of siding I planned on using (I sheet cut in half for the sides and 2 sheets a piece for the front and back). I laid out the bottom half of the front facade on the garage floor with 2×4’s cut to length. With the help of my girlfriend, we laid out the profile of the roof trusses with 2×4’s. Originally I had planned on designing the trusses so that they could be sheathed with only 3 sheets of wafer board and to also minimize the number of shingles required. Although it would have been possible, I wasn’t happy with the height or shape of the roof. Carri convinced me alter the roof profile to maximize for interior ceiling height and space. It was a good call. Most of the backyard barns I have looked at use simple 45 degree angles. We decide to go with 20 degrees on the bottom, 30 degees on both hip joints and 10 degrees on the ridges. These simple adjustments led to much more head space while still keeping the look and feel of a barn roof. The top of the roof is relatively flat with the steep sides, which provided a great deal more space in the interior with only a slight increase in the amount of sheathing and shingles. It worked out very well.

Frame: I built the 2 side knee walls in the garage and nailed them to the foundation, squared them true and began to install the trusses. Even though I had pre-cut all the truss pieces the same, the slight variations in each piece or the variations in putting them together caused a few problems. Not all trusses were exactly alike. I was able to correct for the differences in span of the trusses by separating with a 2×4 wedged between both sides or pulling the two ends together with ratcheting nylon straps. Once the widths where corrected, the ridges didn’t line up exactly, but the sheathing and shingles would cover any imperfections. It’s not exactly perfect, but then it’s only a shed. Next time I will either build a jig or build each truss on top of each other to ensure exact duplicates.

Once the trusses where installed and squared as true as I could get them I custom cut and fit each piece of the front and back walls. I didn’t have any written plan so I improvised as I went.

Once the frame was complete, I re-adjusted for square with the nylon straps and began to install the siding and sheathing. Once the sheathing was installed I removed all the straps and braces. I cut the side and roof panels to the exact dimensions but the front, I tacked on full sheets of siding and cut off the excess to shape with a reciprocating saw. It all went together quite quickly and easily.

Doors: Another weak point of backyard barns I’ve noticed are the doors. Many are simply constructed of siding with some trim tacked onto the surface. I decide to build a sturdier door, yet still keep the cost down. I used standard 2×4s jointed with some of the same type of joinery I used in the foundation, simple half lapped joints with rabbeted inside perimeters to accept the siding panels. The joints were glued and screwed, and the panels were glued and nailed. This made for a substantial door.

Trim:

Once the shell was complete, I shingled the roof and trimmed the front and sides and door with cedar fencing ripped to width. The fencing worked very well for the trim. It’s a little thinner than standard 1×4 trim but the cost savings was substantial. It looked good and I know it will last much longer than the pine trim many of the barns I looked at used.

Finishing Touches: I had hoped to use scrap hinges and deadbolts to mount and complete the doors. Unfortunately, the typical household door hingesI had around were to narrow to use. Even though the doors where relatively small, they were still quite heavy (approximately 12 lbs/piece). I came across a local company that manufactures hinges for the fencing industry. I used two pair of heavy duty wood gate hinges from Tulsa’s Ameristar Fence Company. The quality of these hinges where outstanding. The doors hang true and operate easily with absolutely zero perceptible play. I’ve been told that these hinges will perform like this for their life. They look nice also.

I still need to paint and add a few more pieces of cedar trim to skirt the perimeter, but for the most part the shed is complete. I’ve added pegboard, hooks, shelves, and a small work bench. I also hung a couple of braces between the trusses. This allows me a great deal of storage space that other wise would have been wasted. I’m using this space to store my trailer’s side rails, but I still have room to store more flat stock. I’ll add more shelves and hooks as needed.

It’s just a shed, but it has been a lot of fun to build. A made a few mistakes, but I like to think of them as alternative design choices. The backyard barn looks good, it’s very functional and I did it myself.

Too Much Stuff - Delbert McClinton

(ARA) – The economy may be in the doldrums, but that doesn’t mean your decor has to be there too. It’s possible to turn dark, dreary and dated decor into light, lively and “now” on just a shoestring budget.

What’s the secret to sprucing up on a shoestring? Lighten up – literally.

Upgrading your home’s lighting can impart a whole new atmosphere, and you don’t need to spend big bucks on pricey new fixtures to do it. Simple, budget-friendly changes can make a big difference in how your home looks and feels, and how much you enjoy living there.

The experts at the American Lighting Association (ALA) offer a few tips for creating a big impact on a small budget.

First, consider the first impression guests (or potential buyers) have of your home. Once you’ve upgraded the outside, take a look at the first parts of the house guests see – often the entryway or dining room on modern floor plans. Next, install dimmers throughout the house, even in rooms where you might not normally think of using them, like the kitchen and bath, suggests Joe Rey-Barreau, an education consultant for the ALA and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design.

An upgrade that’s well within the skills of most do-it-yourselfers, installing a dimmer can completely change the character and quality of a space. For example, dimmers in a bathroom enable you to use the facilities in the middle of the night without the jarring impact of turning on bright, overhead lighting. In a master bedroom, they can create a soothing or even romantic mood.

In other rooms, take a look at your table lamps, advise both Rey-Barreau and Jeff Dross, senior product manager for Kichler Lighting in Cleveland. “One way to make an impact on a small budget is by changing outdated lampshades with newer trend-forward versions that incorporate fashion-friendly colors, fabrics or patterns,” Dross says. “Many companies sell stand-alone shades at budget-friendly prices.”

Consider how you use table lamps as well, Rey-Barreau says. “How many do you use in a room? What types? Table lamps can create a more diverse quality of light, and adding a few accent lamps in a room can really change the quality of a space,” he adds.

Simple upgrades in kitchens and baths can also deliver big impact and enhance your home’s value on a shoestring budget, the experts agree.

Modern kitchens often hide lighting under cabinets or in the ceiling through recessed lighting. In baths and kitchens, consider replacing fixtures with dated finishes with more contemporary choices. Many manufacturers now make light fixtures in finishes that complement some of the more popular choices for plumbing fixtures, Rey-Barreau points out.

Finally, when you’re lighting a room, keep in mind that you need to use more than one light and more than one kind of light. A balance of overhead lights (on dimmers), floor lamps and/or table lamps will produce the most aesthetically pleasing, livable atmosphere.

To learn more about how to use lighting to enhance your home’s decor, livability and salability, or to find an ALA showroom near you, visit www. AmericanLightingAssoc.com, or call (800) BRIGHT IDEAS (800-274-4484).

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Once the place was nearing completion it was time to think about how to sell the place. After sitting down and figuring the total cost of the renovation and recent comparable sales in the are, I had a good idea on how much I would net on the sale. I soon discovered that that short term capital gains on the sale would eat into my profits significantly. It occurred to me that that I would be far better off selling the place I was currently living in. Basically, if you have lived in you main residence for at least 2 of five years, you are able to sell the property and exclude the gains up to $250,000. Of course their is much more to it than that but I definitely qualified for the exclusion. I decided to sell my existing home and move into the one just renovated.

I could start a whole new blog on my experiences with real estate agents, showing homes, home offers, staging home decor, closings and such but I will save it for a different time. I’ll keep it short and just say that it took me right at 3 months to close the deal, but considering the housing mortgage crisis we were in at the time, I did quite well. I sold for less than I had planned and there were a few minor setbacks but overall I’m satisfied with the outcome.

One drawback was that once I closed on the sale, I had to close the line of credit. One of the stipulations on the contract was that I had to live in the property as a primary residence. It is possible that I could have got a release on that term of the loan, but I decided to close it out. It would have been nice to keep the loan active and draw on it as soon as I found a new project , but instead I’ll start over scratch. I’ll most likely incorporate before I start the next.

I’m in the new place full time now. I’ll spend the next 2 years upgrading and finishing the home decor and such. I’ll have a much better idea of what to expect next time. I’m looking forward to the next project, but I’ll take a break for a bit.

Did you know that a mirror provides more then just a great reflection? A mirror can bring a touch of design and space to any room in your home. Oh sure, mirrors are very functional and assist you in looking your best, but let the mirrors reflect the beauty of your home too. Add a mirror to a smaller room and it will actually make the room seem much larger and add a sense of design. You can even add a mirror or mirrors to a long narrow hallway and it will give the impression of increasing the width of the hallway.
Mirrors are no longer just oval or square and incased in narrow gold or silver frames, they come in an abundance of shapes and sizes and framed in a variety of colors and materials. They can actually become a piece of art on any wall in your home. Try adding not one, but several mirrors in different shapes and sizes on one wall. It will add both a unique reflection and design to a plain wall.
You can also bring the outdoors in by adding a mirror across from the window and reflecting the beauty outside into your room.

Special prices on the Contessa series from International Lighting.

Call to order!

Want to give your old fixture a brand new look? Try changing the shades. Changing out the mini fabric shades will not only make your old fixture look brand new, but will add a new design element to your room. I have changed the shades in my dining room a few times. Once because we painted the room and loved our existing fixture and just wanted to somehow make it blend with the new look. It worked perfectly. Other times it’s to celebrate the holidays. Red mini shades add both a dramatic and festive look during the holidays. Shades vary in price, but the end result will please you.
If you really want to go one step further, add a fabric chain cover. These are long fabric covers either made with velcro or snaps that easily fits around the chain and gives your chandelier a wonderfully new and fun design.

I have heard some interesting comments or suggestions from people concerning bathroom towel bars and other related items. One lady said, that she wouldn’t put a glass soap dish on the wall. She wanted a sink top soap holder. She liked the look of the glass holder with the ring and mounting plate in a satin nickel or oil rubbed bronze finish. She said that she was going to buy the soap holder, but put a scented candle in place of the soap. She also suggested that potpourri could be put in the glass. I didn’t even think of that, but what a refreshing idea. Could put a couple of holders by the jacuzzi tub and have candles in them for that quiet late night soak. You don’t have to have the whole bathroom lit. Save on energy by using candles and still have light to see by. Mount them where they look the best for each application.

Another lady said that she used to live in Europe, I forget what country, but she explained the use of hooks only. She bought a couple of tissue paper holders, euro style, one post style, and then bought 6 deco hooks. I asked her if she was going to use any towel bars, and she said no. She stated that they just hang the towels over the hooks to air dry. Interesting I thought, but not for me. I like to use the deco hook, to hang a hanger on the bottom hook and put a shirt or something else on the top hook part. To each their own to decide what to use in their own bathroom.

Hey, it is getting to be close to that time of year again. I will have to do one last cleaning of the outside of the house. The windows that is. I have got it made, I just have to find my Renz-EZ sprayer and refill pack box. I just have to open a refill pack and pour it in the sprayer bottle and put the lid back on. I hook up the hose out front and go to town on the windows. When I am done doing the front windows, I unhook the sprayer and connect to the hose in the back yard. I don’t even have to take the screens off. That is the part I like, not having to take the screens off to clean. I have bent screens before putting them back in or taking them out. No worry about that now. I just start in a corner and work my way all around the window. I have even used Renz-Ez on my truck to clean it. It is one of those things that once you try it, you are hooked on it.

When looking for outdoor lighting fixtures consider this: Take a look at where your junction box is placed. If it is placed high on the wall you may want to look at an outdoor light fixture where the majority of the body is below the strap where the fixture is secured to the box. If your junction box is especially low, you may want to look at an outdoor fixture where the majority of the body is above the strap where the fixture is secured to the box. Picking the right size and length of outdoor light fixtures will give your home a balanced look.