Introduction.Â
Tens of millions of Americans enjoy working in their lawns and gardens. You may be one of those people who enjoy the smell of freshly cut grass, produce and flowers from your garden. Working outside in the fresh air with plants and animals is very enjoyable and stress relieving. To properly care for lawns and gardens takes basic hand tools like shovels and rakes and can include larger items like weed eaters, tillers, and lawn mowers. Properly protected tools and equipment can last for years, unprotected and exposed to the elements they can decay and break down rapidly! Let’s look at some things you will want to avoid if you have a nice assortment of tools you have invested in to care for your lawn and garden.Â
Beware the Rain!Â
Rain, humidity, and moisture are not a friend to tools and equipment left unprotected. Tool handles can rot, and water can get into the engine carburetor and cause rust in gear parts and other unwanted places on your equipment. Foam seats on mowers can also absorb rainwater, who wants to sit on a squishy wet seat? After investing in lawn care tools most people want to keep their tools and power equipment dry and protected from the rain and humidity. If you don’t have space in an existing building or garage, a shed provides valuable dry storage that can give small and large tools a protected storage space.Â
Keep Your Backyard Tool Organized | In One Place!
Another benefit of having your lawn care specific tools in one place is that it can help reduce your frustration in finding household specific items. When lawn tools, pet supplies, other family members items all start to mix and pile up it can lead to frustration in your family. It’s better to have a roadmap to organizing. “You take the garage for your items as long as I can have the shed for mine” is better than years of frustration over a cramped shared space for different kinds of items and different organizing personalities! You will also have a lot less walking and frustration in finding your tools if your lawn mower, weed eater, rakes, shovels, mulch, water hoses, fertilizer or other items are in one place!Â
Things to Consider When Utilizing A Shed For Lawn Care Items.Â
If you are planning on using your shed for lawn care items there are a few things to consider. Access is a big one. Mowers for lawns are very heavy, tillers are heavy too! You will need to build or purchase a shed ramp so that your mower or tiller can go up into the shed. Shed ramps come in aluminum or pressure treated wood. Your leaf blower, hedge trimmer, and weed eater should be on hooks or shelves to not be left on the shed floor where they could be accidentally walked over or run over and damaged. Your rakes and shovels should hang nicely on the wall with hooks as well. It might be nice to have a window or two to let some light into the building. If your a DIY person you might enjoy making these items yourself later after you purchase your shed. We have a Lawn and Garden Package that we offer as a done for you option for those interested.Â
Does It Compliment Your Yard?Â
In your search for a shed to protect your lawn equipment, don’t forget about the overall aesthetics of your lawn and garden design! You love to work in your yard, which is why you’re looking for a shed to protect your tools. Make sure the shed you decide to buy is built well, and not only built well, but will look good on your property! Perhaps that means choosing colors for your shed that blend in the trees and landscape. HOA requirements may come to your mind as well. Requirements to match your shed shingles, or house siding style and colors are common but they can be worked through. A shed is a worthy home improvement investment, its ok to take some time to make the right decision! You can’t afford to do it wrong and choose a low quality or out of place shed in your special backyard! The happiest shed clients have been the ones who took the time to design a shed around their specific storage needs and property situations.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article and that your now a more educated shed shopper! If Sheds by Design can be of any assistance to you, contact us and we will be in touch shortly!