Imagine my surprise when I discovered Building Backyard Structures: Sheds, Barns, Bins, Gazebos & Other Outdoor Construction in my mailbox! (Well, I wasn’t actually surprised, since Redlass told me she was sending it to me, but I was surprised that it arrived the same day as the newly freed Epinions Kids! What great timing! A book to help us build a backyard structure for the Ep’s Kids to play in! Okay, back to reality, we’re not really going to build them a structure, indoor, outdoor, or otherwise, and as per Pogomom’s suggestion, they’ll be sleeping in my large Columbian Home Products Roaster. It’s the perfect size for them! But don’t worry, they’re happy, healthy, and glad to be out of the clutches of those *evil * H&G kidnappers! Oh, that’s right, I’m one of those evil H&G kidnappers! Oops! Back to the book!)
Because I am married to Mr. Bob the Builder, this book is a welcome addition to our ever-growing library. We read, we build. Life is good. He’s currently working on projects for inside the house. (Yes, gracef, more bookshelves again! I’m going to actually have a room that is a library! He’ll get to your shelves as soon as you send the wood! LOL) Once he finishes up the indoor shelving projects, entertainment unit, and such, we’ll be planning the outdoor projects that he’s building next spring and summer. Having just moved into our new home, we’ve discovered that we are sorely lacking when it comes to storage space. We seem to be involved in a neverending quest to own more “stuff”. When you own lots of “stuff”, you must have places to store all that “stuff”, and the backyard is quickly becoming our only option. Add to the list of projects a new playstructure, storage shed for bikes and lawn and garden equipment, and he’s got a major list of tasks to keep him busy for at least two seasons! Mr. Bob wouldn’t let this book out of his sight for two days, and I finally managed to snatch it out of his hands yesterday. Well, actually, he was sleeping so I just grabbed it off the table without argument. So, what was so engrossing about this book?
Building Backyard Structures: Sheds, Barns, Bins, Gazebos & Other Outdoor Construction is written by Paul Levine, Tom Begnal, and Dan Thornton. Published by the Sterling Publishing Company, this book is almost a textbook on how to build an outdoor structure. The book begins with an Introduction as well as General Safety Instructions, and then moves onto the chapters, which are as follows:
Chapter 1. Building Materials (Lumber; Fasteners; Finishes) which delves into the many choices and pros and cons of different lumber, fasterners, and finishes. This is a very detailed chapter that would definitely be extremely helpful to anyone new to building. The choices of materials used when building an outdoor structure are critical in the durability and appearance of the project. A wrong choice can mean the structure deteriorating quickly out in the elements, or not have the esthetic appeal that was hoped for. Experienced builders may not find anything new in this chapter, but for a novice this chapter could mean the difference between a successful project and a shed gone wrong.
Chapter 2. Planning Your Project (Building Codes, Zoning Laws, and Permits; Design Considerations; Choosing the Site; The Site Plan) A critical element to any project, particularly an outdoor structure. I have heard that in some areas you require a permit just to build an outdoor structure. You also want to plan where your structure will fit in best in your yard for its particular purpose. This chapter, although short, covers all these aspects carefully and informatively.
Chapter 3. Foundations (building a Wooden Skid Foundation; Building a Concrete Post Foundation) This chapter covers all the basics of foundation choices; skid, concrete post, and pole foundations. It also discusses perimeter and slab foundations.
This chapter also includes a Color Section (Utility Shed) that consists of color photographs showing the building of the utility shed and the finished product.
Chapter 4. Framing (Floor Framing; Exterior Wall Framing; Roof Framing) In this chapter the authors discuss how to do the floor framing of a shed, keeping it square, wall framing explains the parts of the wall and how to lay it out, and roof framing examines two different roof types (slope roof and gable roof), how to determine rafter pitch, how to make the rafters for a gable roof, shows how to do the slope roof, and discusses wood shingles, plywood sheeting, etc.
Chapter 5. Roofing (Applying Asphalt Shingles; Applying Wood Shingles) This chapter explains how to apply asphalt and wood shingles and the pros and cons of each.
This chapter also includes a Color Section (Pole Barn, Woodshed, and Garbage House) that consists of color photographs that show different views of each of these finished projects, as well as photos of the finished Pool or Patio Shed.
Chapter 6. Siding (Siding Options; Applying Plywood Siding; Applying Vertical Tongue-and-Groove Solid-Wood Siding) In this chapter the reader learns about different types of siding and how to apply them.
Chapter 7. Doors and Windows (Doors; Windows) The authors explain how to install a pre-hung door, how to make your own door, and how to install pre-made windows as well as how to make your own fixed-pane window.
This chapter also includes a Color Section (Gazebo) which consists of photographs of the finished Gazebo project.
Chapter 8. Utility Shed
Chapter 9. Pole Barn
This chapter also includes a Color Section (Children’s Playhouse) that consists of photographs of the interior and exterior (at several different angles) of a funky children’s playhouse.
Chapter 10. Woodshed
Chapter 11. Garbage House (Squaring a Panel)
Chapter 12. Pool or Patio Shed
Chapter 14. Children’s Playhouse/Outdoor Toy Storage Shed
In chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14, the authors provide the reader with step by step instructions and complete plans for the Utility Shed, Pole Barn, Woodshed, Garbage House, Pool or Patio Shed, and Children’s Playhouse/Outdoor Toy Storage Shed. Complete with building materials lists, the projects are well detailed, and would be good beginner projects for anyone new to building. There are many diagrams that will assist the builder in completing the projects, and the instructions are written in an easy to read, easy to follow fashion.
Chapter 13. Gazebo If you’re a beginner I wouldn’t start with this project. It’s a little more advanced, and I’d suggest that it’s at least a two-man project. Although the pole barn and the utility shed could be done with one person, they would both be easier if there were more than one person working on it, the gazebo will definitely require two persons to make the job manageable. Once again, the authors have included lots of diagrams, a materials list, and step by step instructions to make the job much easier.
The book concludes with a Glossary, Metric Chart, and Index. The Glossary is definitely helpful for the beginning builder, explaining such terms as air-dried lumber, birds-mouth, header, etc.
And what do Mr. and Mrs. Bob the Builder think about this book? It’s a good book for the beginning builder, easy to make projects, well-detailed instructions, diagrams, and illustrations. If you can read and follow directions, this book makes it possible for even a beginner to build one of these structures without trouble. In fact, if the weather holds a little longer I’m considering my first foray into building a project on my own. We’ve had midnight skunk raids on the garbage lately (I swear those critters are partying out on the street every night! And we live in the city! Of course, there’s a hawk’s nest in the tree across the street, and deer roaming my backyard on occasion, so I guess skunks just come with the territory!) and that Garbage House project looks pretty simple to me! This book has laid out all the information necessary for the included projects clearly, and in a straightforward easy to read manner. If you’re an advanced builder you won’t find anything you don’t know in here, but for the beginning builder its like a textbook. Easy to read, easy to understand, easy to build projects! What more could you ask for!
Recommended:
