Tips for Building Sheds & Outdoor Structures

My journey to furnishing our decking, a garden room adjoining our conservatory to our back garden, with seating, planters, lighting and décor; balancing aesthetics, comfort and functionality.

Think your postage stamp-sized balcony is a waste of space? Think again! Instead of using it as a receptacle for dead plants and your old bike, turn it into your personal outdoor retreat!

Few things are as cozy on an autumn night than gathering around a fire pit. And although the weather hasn’t turned cool in my area of the country yet, I can’t wait to get the kids outside to just relax around a fire.

A how-to with photos and discussion, showing how to take down your old grain bin for moving or complete removal. Be sure to check out the comments for further discussion and advice.

Unused outbuildings can be the perfect place to put a sauna. Here is how my family converted a small outbuilding into a sauna, with step by step descriptions.

The worn wooden porch and deck on my 100-year old house were in need of refinishing and repainting. Here's how I accomplished this "do it yourself" project.

Can do-it-yourself builders really benefit from premium wood shed plans? Read this free tutorial to learn how I get professional results every time. I consider myself a wood shed plans expert, having built dozens of wood sheds. And, the two most...

Learn how and where to locate used grain bins. You can use them for grain storage or even for housing. I'll let you know how to tell a good quality bin from one of poor quality.

Step-by-step instructions on how I built an outdoor, wood-fired sauna by taking advantage of an existing small outbuilding and an old fireplace insert.

Recycling plastic bottles are all the rage, and what better way to make use of them, than by building yourself a greenhouse? Learn how to build a greenhouse made from plastic bottles.

Building your own shed is a great DIY project, and you can make the plans as simple or as creative as you wish. This page offers photos and examples of the best shed designs to give you inspiration.

If you can make a mud pie, you can make an oven from clay, sand, and a bit of labor. Here's my account of building a low cost wood fired oven using easy-to-find material. Pizza, bread, and fun!

I accidentally locked my poultry in their house with a hawk for a night, yet my chickens survived. Photos of the Brown Goshawk in the chicken run.

I built my own solar-battery-charged shed to hold my fishing gear so I don't have to carry it all down to the pond with me. Here's what I did (with photos and instructions).

What decisions and steps are involved in designing and building a steel building? This article reviews plans for a 40 x 60 shop, a very common building on ranches and dairies. Robert A. Avila, PE has designed hundreds of steel buildings in the U.S. and abroad.

How to paint your garden shed into a piece of art and enhance your garden. With some paint color ideas and a few accessories for the finishing touches you can make your shed look amazing. I show you that painting your shed can be fun.