Sheds & Outdoor Structures

A diary detailing the various stages of construction of my new garden shed over a two-year period from 2015 to 2017. Covering construction of the frame, sheeting the walls and roof, making the door and adding facias.

This article will break down how we put together our shed and what you need to know to build your own.

A common outdoor shed can be turned into your very own sanctuary for gardening, relaxing, crafting, and entertaining.

Few things are as cozy on an autumn night than gathering around a fire pit. Even when the weather isn't chilly, I can’t wait to get the kids outside to just relax around a fire.

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).

Follow my journey to furnishing our decking, a garden room adjoining our conservatory to our back garden. It is now complete with seating, planters, lighting, and décor; balancing aesthetics, comfort, and functionality.

How to paint your garden shed into a piece of art and enhance your garden. I show you what is the best type of paint to use for a wooden garden shed and for painting a concrete garden wall.

I accidentally locked my poultry in their house with a hawk for a night, yet my chickens survived. Here's how they all survived.

These are 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.

Make a charming, rustic, forever bench of stone pavers and wood. It can be a DIY project you can complete in one afternoon (alone if need be). Give your yard an area where you can "just breathe."

In this article, I share how my sons and I converted a small outbuilding into a sauna with a woodburning stove. I cover topics such as vapor barrier, insulation, interior wall boards, ventilation, and the wood stove. Also, I have included a BTU calculator to help with choosing the appropriate stove.

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!

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.

This tutorial will provide you with all the information you need to know in order to design, plan, and build your own DIY wood shed, including how to ensure you acquire all the necessary permits and how to choose the best design style and location for your particular needs.

What decisions and steps are involved in designing and building a steel building? This article reviews plans for a 40x60 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.

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!

Learn how to build a greenhouse with plastic bottles. Reuse recycled soda bottles to build a structure to house seedlings and overwinter plants in your garden.

My neighbor, who is an excellent carpenter and all around handyman, designed and built this chicken chateau and greenhouse duplex. Here are instructions to help you build one, too, with photos to guide you.

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.

Learn how and where to locate used grain bins for grain storage, cottages, or grainzebos. I'll let you know how to tell a good quality bin from one of poor quality.

This article guides you through the steps of building a greenhouse with PVC. The material is inexpensive and easy to work with, making for a cost-efficient way to store your plants.

The chronicles of our Shed-Raising adventure. Fun, humor, danger, and storage room all combine in the up and down tale. Building a 2-floor shed was a major undertaking, but with a plan in hand and family to help, we got it done.

This article demonstrates how to build wooden steps, a landing, or a deck, with personal experience and expertise.

This article describes the various different kinds of outdoor pergola roof materials used to cover a garden, patio, or deck area in your backyard.

Don't buy an expensive outdoor kitchen and BBQ island set from the store—it is easy, cheap, and fun to build your own.