Are you ready to build a shed?

"What kind of shed do you want to build", I ask. "A do it yourself shed", you answer. Other natural questions to follow would be what is the purpose of the shed? And what type of building materials are you going to use?

I remember reading about a man that built a shed from pallets. He used pallets for both flooring and walls. Then he used plywood for the roof. I had mentioned this story to my husband and he replied with, "not in our state". Sheds built in the state of Florida have to meet hurricane codes.

I thought it was pretty cool how he built his shed with pallets, but…check your local building codes before starting to build your do it yourself shed and I would also recommend that you start with a free shed building plan.

I think free is worthwhile because it will help you to understand blueprints and how much easier it is for someone else to design the shed. Then all you have to do is select the best plans for your needs.

Advantages of downloading shed plans from the Internet:

• Ideas

• Ease to understanding shed plans or shed blueprints.

• Learn tips and pointers to ease construction technical difficulties.

• Instant download

• No waiting for snail mail or paying shipping and handling charges.

• Free sample lets you see how legible and clear the drawings or illustrations are.

• Large print enabling you to take blueprints on the job site and work with it

• Materials list are included saving time shopping or leaving the work site because you forgot something.

• If you enjoy woodworking you may wish to learn how to make other items besides the storage shed.

• After seeing the free plan that the company offers then you may wish to purchase others as you have experienced their quality of drawings, illustrations, and other essential information to complete a project.

The above pallet story helps you to realize that you can build a shed from any type of building material. The use of the pallets kept the construction costs almost next to free.

You may wish to move a step above free and purchase different types of woods to construct your shed. Pressure treated pine is a good choice.

But, maybe you want more than that…make a shed from Western Red Cedar, Southern Red Cedar, Eastern White Cedar or Atlantic Cedar.

Cedar is available in many areas of our country. With cedar you can make flooring, roofing, rafters, paneling, walls, siding, trims, windows, shutters, doors, cupolas, railings, and fencing.

Cedar is light weight making it easy to handle. This wood will not swell or warp and does well not to split or twist.

Cedar is known for its long life, quality, strength, grain, and no knots to cause wood splitting problems. This wood has its own ingrown preservative.

It resists decay, fungus, and many insects. One of those dreaded insects is the termite. Many of us use the cedar in our linen storage chests and our closets to ward off moths.

Cedar woods are used in indoor and outdoor residential and commercial dwellings. As a woodworking craftsman with a love for cedar you may also enjoy constructing both indoor and outdoor furniture.

Before starting to build your DIY shed check with your local lumber supplier for best building uses of the cedar wood that you have selected.