2010 July | Garden Shed Plans

5 Advantages of a Small Chicken Coop

Chris Veekay asked:

If you want to build a chicken house in your backyard for fun and having some fresh eggs for breakfast, then you should start with a small chicken coop. You may not be able to have large number of hens, but there are several advantages of starting small.

Here are some advantages of a small unit:

1) A small chicken coop will cost much less compared to a large chicken house. The amount of material required will be much less and you may be able to use some of the material already lying at home. If you have budget constraints, this is the best option.

2) Mobility is one more advantage you will have with a small chicken coop. You can easily move around the chicken house in your backyard. This will also give the birds a feel of the fresh ground to dig for worms to eat. And in case you relocate it will be easy to move a small unit.

3) If you like to have pets but your backyard is small, then having a small chicken coop will fulfill your desire of having pets. Since you will not have many birds it will not be very difficult to manage them.

4) A mobile unit will allow you to orient the chicken house to suit the weather conditions. If it is very hot then you can move the unit to a shade. If the climate is cold you can allow the birds to enjoy the good sunshine.

5) Another big advantage of a small chicken coop is the maintenance factor. You will be able to easily clean the unit and keep it neat and clean. Because of the small size you will be able to clean the unit more frequently.

Building a Shed – 3 Essentials Before You Start

John Coupe asked:

You have the spot for your new shed all picked out. The area is cleaned up, you’ve bought all the material you need to erect the shed, and you’re excited to get on your way. However before you start make sure that you check out these three points.

Consider reading this article as you doing your homework ahead of time to properly plan out your new shed construction.

So here we go, before you start.

Make sure you get the permits.

Many people never even think about looking into permits or submitting their shed plans to the local authorities, and this is where problem number one can start. Yes, it may be a shed, but it still has to comply with the local building code. More than likely you won’t have a problem building your shed if it complies with local height and width qualifications in your town. If you are planning on adding electricity or even plumbing to your shed then you probably need to make sure you comply with the laws and have the proper permits in place.

These laws are not designed to drive you up the wall but to make sure your shed is a safe structure for you and everyone who lives around you. They are designed to make sure that it is not an eyesore in a community and that everything is uniform when it comes to height requirements. Some people enjoy playing ‘keeping up with the Jones’ and would build bigger and better sheds just to outdo the neighbours. Hence the laws. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Before you start to build, make sure you either don’t need to have permission or have the right permits in place.

Have a good set of shed plans

Those who don’t plan, plan to fail. Lack of a good set of shed plans is another reason why your new shed may take much longer to build and needs much more effort to build than you thought. There is nothing more frustrating than laying out all of the pieces of your new shed only to realize that the plans are not clear and they leave out critical details. If you built the shed based on the faulty directions on your plans you can only imagine what it would look like. Yes, some people are good at eyeballing the plans and making them work, but most of us are not.

It is always good to make sure that your plans you purchase for your shed – or even the pre-fabricated shed you have to put together – are purchased from a well known and reliable company that has had success in this type of design.

Problems with the site

While you may have picked the perfect spot in the garden for your shed, that perfect spot may be the soggiest one in your yard and you don’t discover that fact until a good driving rain leaves you standing ankle deep in water. This is a third reason why your shed project may fail. If your yard is prone to holding water, and if it is the slightest bit squishy after a good rain you need to pay attention to the level you build your shed (above highest flood level!) and also make sure those foundations are up to scratch.

Planning Permission For an Extension – 1 – Improving the Value of Your Property by Building More

Michael Benfield asked:

Playing by the ‘rules’

In the first of these brief articles (Understanding Planning & Property Development in the UK), we considered how you can improve the value of your property by improving the ‘quality’ of its planning permission. This showed the importance of understanding what lies behind the UK planning system and how this operates, so as to turn the ‘planning rules’ to your own advantage.

This article will look a little more deeply into those ‘rules’ that can help or hinder obtaining planning consent for an extension.

The Development Plan

Unless there are some ‘material’ planning considerations to the contrary, decisions on Planning Applications have to follow the policies set out in the ‘Development Plan’. Whatever consultations with the public, neighbours, utility companies, statutory authorities and others reveal, the decision will be guided by these planning policies and not whether your proposals are popular or not. Since the Development Plan and the Policies to which it relates have to be published, this decision cannot be arbitrary

Outbuildings

Most kinds of structures that are considered incidental to living in and ‘enjoying’ a house, bungalow, flat, or other building are covered by the ‘planning rules’. These include most forms of outbuildings, like garages, sheds, and greenhouses. But they also apply to ancillary buildings in the garden, like tennis courts and other enclosures, ponds, swimming pools, saunas, kennels, pool houses, cabins and so on. Additional rules cover fuel storage tanks and satellite dishes as well as, of course, the building of a new house.

New Regulations Permitting Development

On 1st October 2008, new regulations came into force permitting certain types of development without the need to obtain planning permission. Even so, this requires the following guidelines for extensions to houses and bungalows to be observed. Note that flats, maisonettes and other buildings have different regulations.

? Additions or other buildings must not cover more than 50% of the land around the ‘original building’.

? Nothing should protrude in front of the main elevation or that facing a road.

? Extensions must not be higher than the highest part of the existing roof.

? Extensions to the rear of an attached house (e.g. a semi-detached or terraced house) must not be more than 3 metres. For a detached house they must not be more than 4 metres..

? A single storey extension must not be more than 4 metres high

? Any rear extension of more than 1 storey must not be more than 3 metres from the back wall, including the ground floor

? The eaves height of any extension within 2 metres of the plot perimeter must not be more than 3 metres..

? The eaves and ridge heights of any extension must not be higher than the existing.

? Any extension to the side can only be single storey, have a maximum height of 4 metres and a maximum width of 50% of the original building..

? Any 2 storey extension must be at least 7 metres away from the back boundary.

? If any extension is higher than 1 storey, the roof pitch must match the existing roof.

? Materials have to have a similar appearance to those already used.

? Verandas, raised platforms and balconies are excluded.

? Obscure glass must be used on any side windows and be at least 1.7m from the floor..

? If the land is ‘designated’ rear extensions of more than one storey, side extensions and exterior cladding are excluded.

Terminology

“original’ or ‘existing’ building means that as was first built or in existence on 1 July 1948. So this means you have to take account of anything done by any previous owners since that date. ‘designated’ land is land inside national parks, the Broads, World Heritage Sites and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Passing the Two Stage Test

From the first of these articles you will recall that these address two essential questions:-

a) does this proposal constitute ‘development’ as defined by the Act? and
b) if it is, does it fall under the (amended) ‘permitted development’ rules outlined above?

When you have clear answers to these questions you will know both whether you need to make a planning application at all and, if you do, how best to approach this – not forgetting the importance of checking any Local Plans and Planning Policies that may affect this. However, because of the severe title, legal and financial implications of a development not being ‘legal’, referred to in the first article, even if you think you don’t need permission it is a good idea to double check this with the Development Control Officer responsible for the area where your project is sited in your Local Authority Planning Office..

Part 2 The second part of this article will address Building Regulations, Do-It-Yourself, or Engaging Professionals, Minimising Local Authority Charges & Delays, The Building Reg. ‘Joker’, Architectural Technicians & Technologists, Feasibility ‘v- Viability, Consulting Neighbours & ‘Planners’, Making YOUR Application, LPA Procedures, Grant, Conditional Grant, and Refusal of Planning Permission, Planning Appeals, The Government’s Planning Portal, and Important Things to Remember before making your planning application. Don’t miss this important feature.

Small Chicken Coops – How You Can Build One For Your Small Flock of Chickens

Austin Ziegenfuss asked:

Chickens are wonderful birds that help us out in many ways. Not only are they tasty but they provide eggs for us also. The chicken has a big impact on society and the world as a whole. If you have a small flock of chickens you probably will want to build a small chicken to house them in.

Small chicken coops are simple to build and you do not have to go out and buy one of those store bought chicken houses to place your chickens in. It really does not take a really big house to store even a large flock of chickens in as they do not need a lot of space.

You can probably store 30 or 40 chickens in a 10 x 10 chicken coop. If it were me that I might build a 10 x 15 or something like that to house that many chickens in. Even this is not a large size and may be overkill for that few chickens.

So what does it take to build a small chicken coop? It won’t cost you a lot of money that’s for sure, no where near the amount of money it would take to buy one that’s for sure. You will need just the basic tools like a hammer, nails and safety glasses.

Go get yourself some roofing metal like they put on houses in use that for your chicken house roof. This stuff will last for a long time and is maintenance free. You will want to build the sides out of something cheaper like tin. I hope this article has helped you learn more about chicken coops.

Small Chicken House

10×16 Gambrel Shed Plans – Planning and Making a 10×16 Gambrel Shed Properly

Parth Misra asked:

Making a 10×16 Gambrel Shed in your backyard can solve a lot of storage problems for you and it can also give you a lot of space to play and experiment with. A Gambrel Shed gets its name from the Gambrel styled roof which it comes with. A Gambrel roof has two angles at the top rather than just one. This not only makes the gambrel shed suitable for any whether but it also allows for more better usage of space. You can easily turn the top side of your shed into an attic if you so choose or just use it to stow away extra equipment.

Getting Prepared to Make Your Gambrel Shed:

There are a few things that you need to take care of before you can make your 10×16 Gambrel shed. First of all get in touch with your local authorities with regards to the rules and regulations regarding outdoor construction in your area. Some localities require you to submit your designs along with a petition for a formal review before you can be allowed to construct your shed.

You will also need to design where to install your shed. Make sure that no neighboring houses are in the vicinity so that they may not be disturbed by the shed and its construction. If you construct the shed too close to their house then there is a chance that sun-light may be blocked or a part of their house might not get as much air as it used to. It will help if you inform them of your decision and also ask them where the shed may be placed so that they may not feel it impinging on them.

Getting the Plans:

After you have found out what you need to do get the permission it is time to get to work. The very first thing you will need is a good set of 10×16 Gambrel Shed Plans. You can get them from any where ranging from the internet to your local home improvement store. Make sure that you have adequately researched before you get your Gambrel shed plans, as these will set the tone of your work.

Getting the Materials:

Most of the materials that you will be requiring can easily be sourced from any hardware store. Also stick to your plans on this one; any Gambrel shed plans begins with a list of materials and tools that you will be requiring to construct your Shed.

Setting Up the Gambrel Shed’s Foundations:

Shed foundations come in two flavors: Temporary foundation and a Permanent Foundation. Temporary foundation is built on skids; for which gravel is placed on the ground which is then topped with a wooden grid. The grid will have the exact measurements as the base of the shed. For a more permanent foundation on the other hand, concrete is the best solution.

shed planning permission

Wood Shed Building Kits – Affordable and Easy to Assemble

Larry Bauge asked:

I had to buy another lawnmower this summer. I do not have a garage so I just put it up against the fence with a plastic garbage bag over the motor during the winter. Not a great idea, but my wife would not let me put it in the house so what was I to do?

A buddy suggested I build a shed to store my tools in and I told him I could never afford to buy one and would not even attempt to build one myself. He then told me that there are wood shed building kits with everything you need to complete the job yourself. There is even a kit you can buy that has all the wood precut for you! All you have to do is just put it together.

I have a purchased in my time many things that say “assembly required” and know full well that manufacturers don’t make these assembly’s easy at all.

My buddy said if I bought a Wood Shed Building Kit he would help me build it He also reminded me how happy my wife would be that my garden tools would no longer be leaning against the bathroom window or the old boat motor that I would one day do something with could finally be stored away from the neighbor’s sight.

Funny a few of my neighbors mentioned the outboard motor! Anyway, I decided to give it a go and started looking around for wood shed building kits. There were some at the local lumber stores but I finally picked one I saw on line and had it shipped to the house.

The kit had everything I needed and my buddy and I put it together in a couple of weekends. With only the painting left to do, my buddy told me that I was on my own for that part. So if you undertake this project yourself you have to be aware that all the kits come unfinished so you will have to paint it.

I do not like painting so I paid a someone to do it, and when I did the math, I found that I saved hundreds of dollars over a prebuilt shed and I discovered I really enjoyed putting it together. The project gave me a great sense of accomplishment and the shed looks great in the back yard.

Building a Backyard Chicken Coop – 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Building a Chicken House

Chris Veekay asked:

Building a backyard chicken coop can be a challenge if you don’t have the exact know how to build one. However there are some extremely good guides that can be downloaded from internet by paying a small amount. Following a quality guide can indeed simplify things and help avoid expensive mistakes. To make the process simple here are some general mistakes to avoid when building a chicken house.

1) Rushing into a project without doing proper space calculations can prove costly. If your backyard does not have enough space for a large house for the birds then go for a smaller chicken house. It is important that you take proper measurements and only then decide.

2) Don’t position the coop in a corner where there is no airflow and sunshine. These birds need fresh air to breath and sun rays to warm them up during winters. Only healthy hens will give quality eggs. Do proper positioning of the coop.

3) Building a backyard chicken coop without protection may prove detrimental. Predators can wipe your flock overnight if enough protection is not provided. Don’t try to save on cost by compromising on the security of the chicken house.

4) Proper lighting arrangement inside the coop is one more important step. To keep the birds warm you may need more bulb lamps during winters. Make provision for enough light bulbs to accommodate extra requirements during winters.

5) The birds need to sleep and rest well. This can only happen if you build proper roosting for the birds. Make sure the birds don’t have to overlap and feel cramped.

6) Building a backyard chicken coop without proper nesting boxes would make the process of laying and collecting eggs difficult. So include properly designed nesting boxes in your plan

7) Good diet and food is important for healthy chickens. Don’t miss out on feeders and waterers. Water with proper heating during the freezing months is an absolute essential.

If you keep these tips in mind while building a backyard chicken coop then you can avoid costly cost overruns. Of course don’t forget a good guide to get detailed designs.

Fancy Chicken Coops

Dudi Permana asked:

Just a good looking colorful structure is not something that chickens will fancy living in. There are various things that chickens love. Only implementing such items in a beautifully designed coop will result truly fancy chicken coops. Here are a few tips for you when you plan to design those fancy chicken coops.

Paint and Design

It is a good idea to use paint for the fancy chicken coops that match the paint of your house. This makes the coop look better and blends it with the surroundings. For a brick house, try to use an earthy shade for the coop. Add some bricks around the coop to make it look even better. The design of the coop should ideally match that of your house.

A Bit of Considerations for the Chooks

Chickens love perches. Try to include enough perches inside the coop for the chooks to be happy. Make sure the hens have covered and secure places to lay their eggs. Hens prefer to nest near to the ground with a low roof, away from sunlight, rain and wind. They love bedding for their nests. Metal or wooden cubicles can be good nests in the fancy chicken coops.

Feeders and the waterers are generally seen to be used as food and water containers. You can even use painted metal pans for this purpose. Make sure the paint is non toxic.

The Fences and Safety

Fences are good to use for various reasons. While they can serve the very important purpose of preventing several predators from attacking the fancy chicken coops, they can also add to the looks of the coop.

Make sure you use a fence that is high enough to restrict the chickens from flying outside, or animals from climbing in. The holes in the fence should be small enough for the same purpose. A fancy fence can even serve as a perch for the chickens to sit on while they are out of the shelter.

Small Chicken House

Garden Planning Permission – When Do You Need It?

Nasreen Haque asked:

Before you start a new garden project, it is important to examine the gardening laws and apply for planning permission to avoid having to deconstruct your work. Check with your council’s local planning authority to double check any information as not every authority complies with the same regulations.

An ancillary building is any that is not used for dwelling. Some examples of ancillary buildings include garden sheds, greenhouses, and summerhouses. Depending on dimensions and features, you may need to apply for the permission and be subject to council tax charges. However, given the average size of the gardens in the UK, the small building will not likely necessitate planning permission. In many cases, structures that are smaller than 10 cubic meters are exempt. Ancillary buildings are considered additions to the house if they are within 5 meters of the house. In these cases, permission must be granted no matter what size the building will be.

Certain circumstances absolutely require permission. If you will be covering half the land with structures or other buildings that surrounds the “original house,” you must apply. The “original house” is not the dwelling in its current state; it refers to the cubic meter of the foundation when the house was first built. This means additions are not a factor. However, if the house was built before 1st July 1948, “original house” refers to how the house stood on that date.

Also, if you plan to erect a building that will be closer to a highway than to the closest part of the original house, you must apply for planning permission. “Highway” can refer to a public road, a bridleway, or even a path. If the structure will be a minimum of 20 meters away from the highway, this rule does not apply.

The height and roof type of the building in question impacts whether or not planning permission is needed. Buildings that will be more than 4 meters high with an apex roof require you to apply. Buildings that will be more than 3 meters high with a flat roof also apply to this regulation.

These regulations are common among most authorities in the UK. The biggest variations occur if you live within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a Conservation Area, a National Park, or The Broads. Make sure to check with your local authority for the regulations specific to your area to avoid flouting the law.

shed planning permission

Know How to Build a Shed? Neither Did I

Sam Benton asked:

Sheds. They are a ‘man thing’ Yes I know, that’s a pretty big sweeping statement and I know I could be way off the mark, but that’s just my opinion, controversial or not. It’s just that in my experience the garden shed is somewhere that men end up, either to potter around or to escape from their assigned chores.

With this in mind, I assumed that the purchase of our own garden shed would be a very straightforward case of choosing, buying and erecting, and from there on in, it would be my responsibility to maintain and clean it. (It’s a spider and insect thing I think!)

Anyway, what took me by surprise was the heated debate that followed (with my wife). It soon became clear that choice of shed, positioning and building of it wasn’t going to be an open and shut case. To be fair to my wife, the main protagonist in the whole saga ended up being me and not her! Suddenly I became very choosy during our shed search to the point where we switched our usual shopping roles. Clearly I was very frustrating to be around in the garden centre or the shed warehouse because I just couldn’t and wouldn’t agree on anything.

Very quickly we had exhausted every shed seller in our local area and pretty soon after, we had also covered every shed seller in a thirty mile radius of where we live and believe me, that’s a lot of shed sellers!

Soon after, and with some impressive objection from my wife, I decided I would have a go at building a shed myself. A few searches on the internet and I had myself a brilliant set of plans that even I felt confident enough to try.

The long and short of it is that we did indeed buy these plans and they even allowed enough modification for me to be able to complete my own project with very satisfying results.

We now have a brilliant new garden shed which even my wife is begrudgingly happy with. It has enough additions of our own to make it unique to us and it fits the bill perfectly in terms of our needs, and the most satisfying thing about the whole process is the fact that I built it myself, albeit with some excellent plans.

I had no prior experience of woodworking other than what we did in school and what this exersize has proven to me beyond a shadow of doubt, is that with the right instruction, anyone can master the art of shed building with minimal experience and save yourself a fortune in to the bargain.

If you are considering purchasing a garden shed and can’t find anything that ticks all your boxes, I would suggest that you consider building one for yourself. Don’t be shy because with the right instructions, you can achieve amazing professional results, and the results will be of your choosing.

Go ahead and give self build a go, I’m certain you won’t regret it.

Happy shed building.

Who Am I?

John Burrows Here! I used to be a ham-handed carpenter. No jokes. I think I had permanent black thumbnails... Well I decided enough was enough and put together this blog to guide the ordinary D.I.Y enthusiast on how to build the best garden sheds, and other woodworking projects.
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