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Title: Sheds: The Do-It-Yourself Guide for Backyard Builders by David R. Stiles ISBN: 1-55209-292-5 Publisher: Firefly Books Pub. Date: October, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.46 (13 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A great help and great read
Comment: This book was great, fun to read too. It gave plenty of ideas and advice. It wasn't the only book I used when building my shed but, certainly was the one I used the most. I recommend this book for anyone who's never built a shed before.
Rating: 4
Summary: Great plans but wish there were more of them.
Comment: We bought this book for ideas to help us build a shed in our own back yard, and chose it because of the "natural" looking shed on the cover. The ideas are wonderful, and the plans and pictures are clear.
The details and descriptions of building techniques are helpful. My husband is an experienced builder and was looking for more variety in the plans than the book actually held.
It is exactly what the title states, a do it yourself guide, not a plan book. Ultimately, we chose a plan from another book.
I would highly recommend this book though to someone who has less building experience and is looking for a more basic to moderate, unique shed to build for themselves.
Rating: 3
Summary: Good ideas, but inconsistent in attention to details
Comment: [Summary: I really wanted to like "Sheds" a lot. The book has an excellent beginning and the first project has good attention to detail. It's unfortunate that most of the book, including the project featured prominently on the cover, has a much lower quality level; the author frequently omits mention of some or all the materials, hardware, and tools needed for the various projects. "Sheds" includes a wide range of construction types, and is an excellent book for shed IDEAS. But as a shed construction manual it's pretty frustrating.]
The author is up-front in saying that this isn't a book for novices; here's the last paragraph of the Introduction:
"SHEDS is written for creative, hands-on homeowners with do-it-yourself experience in weekend projects and basic home repair. You should have at least a few building and repair projects under your tool belt, be ready to tackle medium-sized, challenging projects and be willing to stretch your carpentry skills for worthwhile accomplishments."
The first three chapters of this book are very good, covering design, a general shed construction primer, and a basic 8'x10' shed with step-by-step instructions. After that, though, there are six more chapters that aren't up to the same level of quality.
The first project (the basic 8'x10' shed) is quite thorough. It has blueprint drawings (one plan and two sections). There are lists of materials, hardware, and tools needed. There's a construction schedule (8 days' worth). The step-by-step instructions are accompanied by 26 drawings to show construction details. This is an excellent start.
The very next chapter is a letdown, and the book never comes back to the level of quality set in the first project. For instance there's a section that tells you how to install Plexiglas windows, with a figure insert showing one of the screws holding the Plexiglas to the stud. But there's no mention of what size screw you need in either the text or the illustrations. Also in this chapter is a plan for a simple garden shed, with a list of materials -- but no list of hardware. The text tells you to nail the pieces together, but doesn't say what type of nails or what quantity is required.
The "Irish Garden Shed" project is quite inventive, featuring walls constructed of locust logs set in mortar. This is the project prominently featured on the book's cover, and you would (mistakenly) expect it to be covered in loving detail. But you get one plan and two section drawings, and not much more. The are no lists of materials, hardware, or tools required for the project. The text includes many instructions that just don't have enough attention to detail. An example paragraph:
"In a mortar pail, combine 6 parts sand, 6 parts sawdust, 3 parts Portland cement and 2 parts lime. Measuring accurately is critical."
It would have been easy for the author to write whether he meant parts by weight or parts by volume; if by volume, specify whether to compact the sawdust; or give an idea of what size "part" would be appropriate to fit in a mortar pail. But he didn't specify any of these things.
While "Sheds" is hit-or-miss when it comes to construction details, it's really very good when it comes to construction ideas. The foundations covered include pressure-treated skids, posts, poles, and concrete slabs. Wall types include the standard stick-built form, timber frames, and mortared logs. Roofing materials detailed are limited to asphalt and cedar shingles, but the text does mention that you need to use rolled roofing for shallow-pitched roofs. Windows include round and rectangular, either prebuilt or made from scratch. The author is even inventive when it comes to door handles, suggesting using a wooden mason's float -- which I'm using on my own shed project!
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Title: Building a Shed: Expert Advice from Start to Finish (Build Like a Pro Series) by Joseph Truini ISBN: 1561586196 Publisher: Taunton Press Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Rustic Retreats: A Build-It-Yourself Guide by David R. Stiles, Jeanie Trusty Stiles ISBN: 1580170358 Publisher: Storey Books Pub. Date: July, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Storage Sheds (Quick Guide) by Creative Homeowner Press, Jim Barrett ISBN: 1880029200 Publisher: Creative Homeowner Press Pub. Date: February, 1994 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat by David R. Stiles, Jeanie Stiles ISBN: 1552093735 Publisher: Firefly Books Pub. Date: 03 March, 2001 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Barns, Sheds, & Outbuildings: Complete How to Information & Design Concepts for Ten Buildings by John D. Wagner, Clayton Dekorne ISBN: 1580110754 Publisher: Creative Homeowner Press Pub. Date: March, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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