All Outdoor Patio Furniture

Have you ever considered using a storage shed as a stylish garden structure to heighten the fashion and function of your backyard? Many people worry that storage sheds are just cheap, composite-board structures that look clunky, uninteresting, and should only be used for storing weed whackers and lawn mowers.  But, while this may have been true in the past, it is certainly not true anymore!

Storage sheds have jumped on the fabulous outdoor living trend and dolled up their appearance to be a true contender for your outdoor living space.  No longer are they the simple, square or barn-shaped structures (though those are still available, of course) of days gone by.  Storage sheds come in all shapes and sizes, with unexpected roof lines and eye-catching color combinations.  Are you ready for the count down?  Five ways storage sheds are cleaning up their image!

Storage Sheds with Porches: You love to decorate your porch with patio furniture, why not gain another porch on your storage shed?  You don’t have a porch? Well, now you can have one!  Complete with porch railings and posts; your shed’s porch will give you a place to pull your art or gardening projects outside, while stay within reaching distance of your tools and supplies.  A porch will also allow you to keep the windows under the porch open, without worrying about a lot of rain blowing in.  Even if you just use your storage shed for lawn equipment, having a small attached porch will elevate it stylistically.  Passersby will assume your shed is used for something rare and unique, and you’ll never worry about it being an eyesore.

Potting Sheds Instead of Storage Sheds: Many storage sheds have made a full transformation into potting sheds.  Potting sheds are specialized structures used for nursing plants in the same way as a green house, as well as a place to store all of your garden tools and do your indoor gardening tasks.  Outfitted with rows of windows, as well as a large polycarbonate skylight that takes up nearly the whole side of the roof, you’ll create a veritable greenhouse that can be used for so much more!  Potting sheds also feature a long work bench so you can work on your container gardens and do all sorts of outdoor projects and crafts without dragging any dirt into your home.  A potting shed is a near necessity for any serious gardener, and is now as widely available as traditional storage sheds.

Storage Sheds with Skylights: So, potting sheds have skylights to create a greenhouse.  But, even if you’re not interested in doing gardening work in your shed, you can still have skylights!  No more dark, dingy, and mold-smelling storage sheds… imagine a world of bright and well lit storage that can be used endlessly.  See your tools and supplies with a skylight in your storage shed.  Just like a car is instantly more fun with a sunroof, your shed will be immediately upgraded with a skylight.

True, Screened, Opening Windows in your Storage Shed: Skylights let in light, of course.  But, a window can do so much more than just let light in.  New storage shed styles feature true, house-like windows.  Complete with screens to keep bugs out and the ability to open vertically, these are real windows! Again, if you’ve ever been in a more traditional shed, you know that the stuffy heat can be overwhelming.  But, imagine just opening up those windows to allow cooling air flow to flood the space.  Not only do the windows allow your shed to look more like a little house in your backyard than just a shed, you can get them complete with shutters in any color to truly design a stylish structure. Now, that’s a place for a lawnmower!

Storage Sheds with Flower Boxes: You may have assumed that flower boxes attached to windows should be an attribute included in the sections about windows.  But, I disagree!  Though attached to windows, flower boxes add so much more than just window décor to your storage shed.  You can add bright colors with flowers and plants that will liven up your structure.  It adds a homey, cottage feel that will lend your shed to a little hideaway, instead of just a storage spot.  It encourages you to do to some fabulous container gardening, right next to your gardening storage.  Flower boxes turn drab storage sheds into quaint retreats, truly.  Plus, if your husband needs a place to store his ATV or antique car, you can compromise on a storage shed with strong enough floors and large drive-through doors… that you get to decorate!

So, yes.  It’s true.  You can now create lovely little cottages like the charming wee bungalows seen in fairy tale art prints, and use it to stow your dirty lawn mower!  The only downside is that now you have even more options to try to choose from when considering a backyard structure!  Oh well, you’ll just have to get more than one!

Hazel.

Tags: backyard structure, garden structure, patio furniture, potting shed, storage shed

There are tons of projects for us to do, in and around our homes; but, at least, we get to work with houses that already exist.  Imagine the monumental challenges that our earliest ancestors faced, when, surrounded by wilderness, they had to construct various forms of shelter from whatever was at hand.

Many of those who weren’t lucky enough to find caves to live in (the “high society” crowd), made huts from wood and branches, while others draped animal skins over wooden frameworks, or used the bones of mammoths for the skeletal (literally!) structures, then covered them with the skins.  In any case, it took a lot of effort to build even the most makeshift abode.

Even so, it wasn’t long before people began adding on rooms to these modest dwellings, and furnishing them with chairs and tables that had been crudely fashioned from rocks, wood, and branches.  Outdoor furniture, I guess, was anything that was found lying around on the ground.  Perhaps a felled tree could have been used as a lounge chair, a smooth rock, as a garden bench (or, if it teetered on an uneven surface, a rocker), and an animal pelt tied between two trees, as a hammock, a hammock chair, or even a porch swing.

Naturally, people quickly began accumulating more possessions, in an attempt to keep up with the Joneses – or, the Oggs, as the case may have been.  Then, because of the apparently innate compulsion of the human race to hoard things, even when there’s no place to put them, the first storage sheds were created; and, like many homes, and some inhabitants thereof, they were nothing but skin and bones.

Throughout the ages, they have really fleshed out, appearing in many forms and materials, in virtually every culture, evolving into the good old backyard structures that we’ve all come to know.  In the 21^st century, however, apparently unsatisfied with being used only for storage, the shed has once again changed the way it is perceived in society.

Today, there are several styles of sheds, made from vinyl, cedar, and pine, available with features that include skylights, insulation, window boxes, and dozens of colors of siding and roofing.  Along with their impressive, new looks, garden sheds are taking on daring new roles, as home offices and gyms, studios, playhouses, guest rooms, and hobby rooms.  In fact, because they have proven that they can successfully serve all of these purposes, and many more, sheds have become almost as popular as gazebos.

It just goes to show that great things can happen when you’re courageous enough to shed your old image.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: backyard structures, cedar, chairs, garden bench, Gazebos, hammock, hammock chair, insulation, lounge chair, Outdoor Furniture, pine, porch swing, rocker, roofing, Sheds, siding, skylights, storage shed, storage sheds, tables, vinyl, window boxes

Every year, thousands of people are discovering that sheds are good for a lot more than just storage.  Furthermore, because we offer them in so many attractive designs, with tons of features, including various kinds of flooring, walls, and windows, steel doors, cupolas, lofts, vents, skylights, shutters, flower boxes, and several types and colors of shingles, trim, and siding, they can be just as beautiful as gazebos, cabanas, pool houses, and sunrooms. 

At GazeboCreations.com, you can get a pre-designed package, or customize your own gable, saltbox, hip roof, or barn-style shed in just a few steps.  While you’re waiting for your easy-to-assemble kit to arrive, you’ll want to make sure that your chosen building location is properly prepared.

As long as your site is fairly level, you shouldn’t have any problem getting it ready, because the shed will be sitting upon 4 x 4 runners.  If necessary, you can use bricks, concrete blocks, or pressure treated lumber (2 x 4, 2 x 6, or 4 x 4), cut to about 8”, as shims, to level it. Each runner should contact either the ground or the leveling materials at each end, and at least one point in the middle.     

It’s okay if it’s not perfectly level, because a slight grade will help with drainage; and using shims to level the shed will maintain a steady flow of air beneath it, which is important for keeping the inside dry.  For the same reason, if you want to put skirting around the bottom, it’s best to use lattice, or another ventilated material. 

Now, if the ground is too uneven, it can compromise the stability of the shed.  If it’s less than 24” out of level, you can still shim it, using concrete blocks, but make sure that the ground beneath the piers is level, and that each runner has at least four points of contact. 

If it’s more than 24” out of level, you’ll have to use 6 x 6 posts, cemented into the ground.  The rule of thumb is that for every foot the post is above ground, at least half of that length should be underground, which means that if it’s 5’ above ground, 2½’ should be in concrete.  Check your local codes, however, as they may require posts to be a minimum depth that is equal to the “frost line,” which varies among climates.      

If you want to dig out a level spot instead of using posts, make it 12” to 24” larger than the shed’s perimeter, to give yourself enough room to build.  If the area is more than a few inches deep, taper the slope of the ground, and plant grass, or put in a retaining wall, so that the ground won’t cave in against the shed. 

Once you’ve prepared your site, you’d also better prepare your sight, because our sheds are so eye-poppingly gorgeous, that you may have to hang onto those eyeballs!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: shed, Sheds

Things in the world are changing so fast that we can’t seem to go a day without hearing about something being the “new” something else.  All of a sudden, 40 is the new 20, 60 is the new 40, 80 is the new 60, bald is the new hairy, fat is the new thin, geeky is the new cool, left is the new right, up is the new down, and on is the new off.  Whew!

Whether or not any one of these is true – or even makes sense – this trend clearly indicates a struggle to alter images, attitudes, and ideas about people, products, animals, and, well, nearly everything else.  In a way, it’s encouraging to see that society is becoming less inclined to cling to out-dated notions and, perhaps, is even willing to let go of long-held stereotypes; and, no doubt, there have been some dramatic changes.  

One of the biggest revolutions has been in the world of outdoor structures.  Take the shed, for instance, which has certainly had its share of image problems.  At one point, according to many old movies and TV shows, it was a dreadful place where parents took their kids to punish them.  More recently, it has been perceived as a crumbling backyard building – often having a leaky roof, and uneven doors that are secured by a rusty latch and a padlock – that is used strictly for storing lawn mowers, tools, folding chairs, hammocks, outdoor furniture cushions and covers, fertilizer, and countless miscellaneous items. 

That is no longer the case, however.  These days, the shed is enjoying a newfound status as a beautiful and versatile building that can serve dozens of purposes.  This upgraded standing is thanks, in large part, to GazeboCreations.com, where you can customize your own cedar, pine, or vinyl shed.  Just choose the style – barn, saltbox, hip roof, or gable – the size, and the material you want, then select from a menu of options that includes several colors of siding, trim, shingles, and shutters, various window styles and types of flooring, cupolas, vents, skylights, and window boxes.  You can also build a gazebo, sunroom, cabana, or pool house using the same method.

These durable, multi-talented sheds have inspired several “new” expressions, which vary from person to person.  Because these buildings are being used in so many different capacities, you’ll hear people claiming that the shed is the new spare room, home office, home gym, weight room, laundry room, artist’s studio, playhouse, pottery room, potting hut, hobby room, supply room, or greenhouse, just to name a few. 

But, because the possibilities are endless, we’ll just simplify things by saying that the shed is the new “it” building.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: shed, Sheds

These days, everywhere you turn, someone is getting a makeover and/or competing for some kind of prize.  In fact, these contests have becomes so widespread that they no longer involve only humans, as animals, and even buildings, are getting new looks.  That’s what’s happening now in the world of backyard structures, as they vie for the “Most Popular” title; and, among the contenders, the pool house is making a big splash. 

Although it has been on the scene for years, there is a new wave of interest in it, sparked by a spectacular makeover that has given the structure many extremely desirable new traits.  Now, besides being as practical as it is beautiful, it very deftly combines the best characteristics of its competitors, the gazebo and the garden shed.

Indeed, the pool house is not only as drop-dead gorgeous as a gazebo, but it is available with the same highly sought-after options, such as finished walls and ceilings, screened floors, cupolas, skylights, double-paned, shuttered windows, insulation, and steel doors. 

It also has quite an extensive wardrobe, which includes a rich, luxurious cedar coat, as well as vinyl siding in several luscious colors.  To top it off, the pool house also sports over a dozen colors of durable shingles, as well as a cedar shake roof, and accessorizes with eight shades of trim.    

Another of its many attractive attributes is its willingness to be seen in a less-than-glamorous role, as it performs all of the same duties as a shed, holding safe anything and everything that a person can to stuff into it, without losing its composure.  It also acts as the quintessential cabana, where people can change into and out of their swimwear.  Furthermore, just like gazebos and sheds, pool houses can be furnished with beautiful porch chairs, settees, lounges, and accent tables, and used year-round as spare rooms, guesthouses, home offices, entertainment rooms, or anything else that one wishes to make of them.

At GazeboCreations.com, you can customize your own pool house in a few, easy steps.  You can create as many as you want, dress them up any way you like, and save them to your own, personal gallery, where you can compare them side by side and choose your favorite.  As a matter of fact, you can do the same with their gazebos, sheds, cabanas, and sunrooms.  The best part of all is that, no matter which one you select, you’ll be picking a winner!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy 

Tags: cabana, gazebo, Pool house, shed, sunroom

Despite it being March, the temperatures here on the east coast are still cold.  In fact, if I see one more snow flake, I’ll start rooting for global warming.  Since it is March, I do know that Spring is not far away (which means summer and bathing suits are close, too…maybe snow is good). 

The first thing you must do this Spring is organize your wish list.  Is this the year to decorate the garden with a few odds and ends, or is this the year you add a cedar garden bench, Adirondack chair and canopy gazebo?    Is this the year to just plant a few flowers, or finally lay down a rock bed and a cedar garden bridge? 

Spring is the time of optimism and a Can-Do attitude.  Make a list of your Do-It-Yourself backyard projects.  Circle your favorite, and immediately get to work!  The longer you wait, the closer August gets.  “I should have…” is never a good statement.

You can organize your list in two ways—most important or in order of easily accomplished.  Some people like to start with a couple small items, build some momentum, and then tackle the big one.  Not me!  Bring on the challenge!  I’ll do it now, while I’ve got the energy and desire to get it done.  If I do a few small projects, I’ll take time off and never get back to the real projects.

CedarStore.com presents the best of both worlds.  The projects appear large, such as a Vinyl Pergola, but really, they’re built in only a few hours.  The same goes for the cedar and treated pine arbors.  Spend half a day building the arbor, the other half placing hanging vines or flower pots, and call it a day! 

Another idea is to start the season with a storage shed.  Maybe Cedar Log for that rustic look?  Maybe a vinyl shed for its longevity and economical cost?  Starting with a shed gives you a chance to store all the tools for your upcoming projects in one place, and out of your way! 

Or you may just decide; no work for me!  Add a few pieces of outdoor patio furniture, relax, recline and reset. 

The most important thing is to enjoy the journey! 

Shari 

Tags: adirondack chair, Arbors, garden bridge, outdoor patio furniture, Sheds, Spring Cleaning

One of the most common debates our customers have is:  “Should I buy a pre-assembled kit or build it myself?”  Let’s examine the pros and cons of each…

First, a quick story.  One of the first gazebos we sold was to a couple in Pittsburgh, who stopped by our greenhouse and retail site.  They didn’t buy right away.  The wife fell in love with a little Cedar Octagon gazebo.  The husband, after studying it for several minutes, looked at me, hitched up his pants (it’s a guy thing), and proclaimed to his wife, “I can build that for a lot less!”

I next saw the couple at our retail site about three years later.  I instantly recognized them, but didn’t say a word.  It wasn’t long before the wife approached me, and with a rye smile asked, “Do you remember us?” 

“Of course”, I told her.  “How is your gazebo?” 

At this point, the husband had his hands in his pockets.  I knew why, and it’s a story I’ve seen dozens of times since.  His wife turned to him and victoriously said, “Tell him how far you’ve come with the gazebo!”

He had the floor done.  After three years, he had only built the floor!  It wasn’t his fault, really.  We’re all busy.  If the kids don’t have practice, our parents need help with something, we have chores of our own, and we occasionally try to relax.  Who has time or skills to build a gazebo?

For the record, our gazebo kit prices are only a few hundred dollars more than buying just the raw, uncut materials.  The question you have to ask yourself is:  “Are the weeks and frustration to build it worth a few hundred dollars?”  The compound angles alone on an octagon gazebo kit are enough to drive professional contractors a little mad.

Our gazebo kits assemble in one day.  The same formula applies to our wooden picnic tables, which only take about 15 minutes to assemble, wooden pergolas, shed kits, and all of our pre-made outdoor furniture kits. 

The reason our kits are so easy to assemble is the use templates, otherwise known as jigs, which allow us to consistently create perfectly made components without wasting a splinter of wood.  Also, our lumber is a higher quality than you can buy at national hardware stores.  Our expert craftsmen hand select the #1 grade Cedar, Pine and Teak. 

In fact, one of our biggest customer segments is general contractors and handymen.  So, my slightly biased opinion, but one based on years of experience, is leave the saw the in shed and buy a kit.  Invite a few friends over, put a few steaks on the grill, and when the neighbors smell the steaks, they may even offer help, too!

Enjoy your day!

Shari

Tags: Gazebo Kits, Outdoor Furniture, Pergolas, Shed Kits

Many customers call us to ask if they need a permit to add one of our large garden structures to their backyard.  The simple answer is:  Maybe. 

Permit Law

The permit rules vary from state to state, county to county and even township to township.  What you may need a permit for your friends just a few miles away may not.  Sound a little crazy?  It is, but a simple call to your local building department is usually a quick and easy way to sort things out.  If you need help, Cedarstore.com will be glad to assist you. 

Some states such as California, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey seem to require a permit for everything, even building a pergola or porch!  However, exceptions often exist for outdoor structures under 120 square feet. 

Other states prefer a more common sense approach, which allows residents to build any structure, including a deck, Pergola or arbor, as long as it maintains a proper setback from the property line and does not interfere with the rights of others.  Again, a quickie call to your building department usually clears any doubt.

Permit Requirements

If a permit is required, the next thing to ask your building department is, “what is required to obtain the permit?”  The same states which are most stringent in requiring permits usually have higher standards to obtain them, also.  Fortunately, CedarStore.com has dealt with hundreds of departments across the country and we have the necessary paperwork to get you through the process!

Unique Situations

If stamped and sealed engineer drawings are required for your new Patio, Deck, or Garden Structure, we can provide them!  Our engineer will examine your local codes to ensure the structure meets the requirements.  Some places have unique codes, such as Florida requiring structures to meet 140mph wind loads, and parts of Utah requiring high snow loads.  In cases of extreme requirements, additional charges may apply to modify our structure to meet your code, but the cost is typically minimal. 

For most places, simple spec charts and shop draws are acceptable in the permit process.  CedarStore.com provides those drawings free of charge, and you can find them on our web page.

If you need assistance getting through the process, call us immediately.  We’ve helped many clients through difficult processes.  And if we’re not able to help, chances are we know somebody who can.  Call anytime, 1-888-293-2339.

Have a wonderful day!

Shari

Tags: building permits, permit, permits