Wooden Sheds And Their Many Benefits
Wooden sheds are SO MUCH MORE than a storage area for all those tools you barely use but can’t seem to get rid of. In fact, they can actually take on a life all there own. And they can be made for one of several different purposes.
Garden sheds are perhaps the most popular types of sheds and they seem to have a natural fit located next to the garden. This makes it really convenient for storing your garden tools and gardening supplies. And, its a breeze to pot all your plants with an added workbench. You can actually feel a connection to the past with the character and charm of many of today’s garden sheds.
You can use sheds for other reasons also. For instance, a shed next to a pool actually serves the purpose of a pool cabana. Pool chemicals that really should be stored away from the house are better placed in the cabana. You can also use the cabana for housing a refrigerator for cold snacks, towels, pool toys, and other supplies. Storing towels and dry clothes also helps keep the kids from running into the house all wet.
Because of their small size, wooden sheds are perfect for artists’ studios and also as kids playhouses. Most shed sizes will accommodate a few pieces of furniture that makes them ideal areas for your own little sanctuary.
There are a few alternatives for the kind of material you can build with if you are considering building your own shed. I recommend building your shed from wood simply for aesthetic reasons, if nothing else. Especially if your shed will be in a highly visible area.
Your other alternatives are metal and plastic. Metal is strong but they can get really hot, especially in warmer climates. Plastic is going to be your least expensive option and they are virtually maintenance free.
Assuming you’ve made the decision to put a wooden shed in your backyard, you’ll need to decide if you are going to hire someone to build it or if you will tackle that challenge yourself. There are a LOT of shed kits available out there for you to choose from if you feel comfortable enough with your carpentry skills. And, its much faster and easier to build a shed from a kit than it is making it from scratch.
Before you choose your shed, its really important to step back and evaluate what its purpose(s) will be. Then the rest will fall into place.
Terry Shaw enjoys everything about garden sheds. For more info, construction tips, and resources, visit his web site: Best Wooden Sheds.
How Disorganized Garden Sheds Lead To Gardening Procrastination
There is nothing more counter-productive than a messy, over stuffed, and disorganized garden shed. A garden shed should be thought of as a large closet. Closets are more functional and efficient when organized, as are sheds. Even a bit or effort at organizing your shed can go a long way.
If you can’t find your tools, and have to dig through half empty bags of potting soil and broken garden ornaments, this may lead to your gardens’ worst enemy – gardening procrastination. If you think about your shed like a big closet, and the only way a closet can be useful is if it’s organized, then maybe you’ll finally decide to get a handle on your shed clutter.
But how do you go about organizing your gardening stuff? Well, it may be hard to do, but the first thing you need to do to get things orderly and organized is to totally unpack your shed. Take out the rolls of wire would only be useful for fencing in a horse and a few cows (unless you have livestock, then it’s alright), remove the 12 cans of designer stain that have long ago separated because you left them in the shed all winter and they froze. Throw out everything that can’t be used, give away anything that you haven’t used in a year.
Now that your garden shed has been cleared out, this is a great time to fix it up, patch any holes, put a few more shingles on the roof, and repaint the window frames in this years hottest backyard trendy color. You can also use this time to look at that pile of tools you will be keeping and fix any wiggly handles, spray paint any metal with a colorful rust paint enamel, and oil up your shears and clippers.
Before putting items back into your shed take the time to add shelves and or hooks. Although an assortment of three inch nails hung your father’s gardening tools, times have changed. In my opinion, those nails are an invitation for spiders to create string art in your shed. Go to your local hardware store and purchase some proper hooks. The hooks are inexpensive and sturdy and plastic coated. Proper hooks and shelving are a worthwhile investment.
Now you can put everything back into a better organized shiny clean garden shed. Knowing that everything has a place, and that you’ve gotten rid of the stock pile of broken tools and cracked pots, will make gardening such a easy chore now. Although it might seem like a lot of work to reorganize and fix everything up, it will be well worth it in the end.
What You Should Know About Wood Bleaches – Woodworking Guide
Not too many people realize that you can bleach wood although most are aware that you can stain it. It can be frustrating sometimes when you buy a piece of wood for a project and the colors are so naturally uneven that it looks like it has been done on purpose. You can use bleaching techniques on the darker area to lighten it up somewhat so it blends in more with the lighter shade. Another good use for utilizing the properties of bleach is when wood has black spots on it created by water stains and some various other types of stains.
The properties of bleach create a chemical action just as they do when we use a bleach to remove stains or whiten our clothes. When it comes to the bleach?s reaction on the wood, it doesn?t actually remove the stain it just causes a chain reaction to turn them into a colorless component.
Just as with working with any, chemical or solvent one needs to be properly protected. Gloves are a must and even protective clothing is beneficial. Eye protection glasses are also very important. There are specific bleaches designed for wood and these can be caustic and burn your skin. As a safety precaution keep a container of clear water in your area in the event that you do get some on your skin. Should this occur wash it off immediately.
Bleaching is only applicable to bare wood so you need to remove any coloring on the wood.
The First bleach: Is a combination of sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide. They are used as a combination but are sold in separate containers. It?s when they are applied to the wood that the chemical action takes place. This is good for evening out the color variations in the wood.
The Second bleach: Is chlorine bleach and is used to remove the dye stains left in wood .The household chlorine we use for clothes is weaker than the brand used for woodworking but it can be used but will require several applications.
The Third bleach: Oxalic acid is the treatment you want for iron stains and black water rings that are left on the furniture, which the paint stripping did not remove.
Once you have used any bleaching procedure you must stop the chemical reaction. A thorough rinsing with plain water then a second rinsing with a mixture of baking soda and water will do this. If you have used a two-part bleach, you can neutralize it with a mixture of one part vinegar to two parts water.
It is important to fully read and understand the instructions on wood bleaches before working with them.
Remember the wood must be stripped clean of any color first before using the wood bleaches. These bleaches are not your common household bleaches and you can purchase them as a rule from where you buy your paint and finishing supplies.
Its always a good idea to test a small area of the wood before doing a full application to be sure you are not going to get any adverse results from the chemical reactions.
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