BACKYARD STORAGE Shed quarters

These days, backyard sheds resemble little houses.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
With its charming gabled roof, brand-new vinyl siding and rustic tongue-and-groove flooring, it's almost cozy enough to call home.
But don't roll out the welcome mat just yet.
Well, not unless you're the size of a hobbit.
The cozy abode just described is actually no bigger than a backyard storage shed.
In fact, it is a backyard storage shed.
In case you haven't noticed, the plain Jane storage sheds of yesteryear have been ousted by smart-looking replacements that resemble miniature houses.
Matching styles
"Our biggest selling storage sheds are designed to match the most popular styles of homes being built today," said Tiffany Tomasic, of Apple Gate Furniture in Canfield. "We sell a lot of sheds that are shaped like saltbox houses and houses with gabled roofs. We also sell a lot of sheds with gambrel roofs."
Tomasic said people seek sheds that will look like a miniature version of their home to help create visual harmony.
"In some subdivisions where all the houses are built in a similar style, people especially want a shed that will blend in with the architecture," Tomasic said.
People also want a shed that serves many purposes and a shed that will weather many a storm.
"People use our storage sheds primarily as pool houses, garden sheds and toolsheds," Tomasic said. "We build our product so that it will last a long, long time. It really is like a miniature house."
So much so, in fact, that some people even buy larger storage sheds to use as shelters for camping trips.
"We had a couple who purchased a 15-by-24-foot shed and assembled it out in the woods. They use it to sleep in when they go camping," Tomasic said.
Apple Gate Furniture's storage sheds are made of wood, and some come with vinyl siding.
"You can custom-order a shed to match whatever you want. You can have windows, vinyl siding -- whatever," Tomasic said.
Assembly options
Customers can buy sheds already assembled, or they can buy a kit and do the job themselves.
"If you have carpentry tools and some carpentry skills, you should be able to assemble the shed without too much trouble," Tomasic said. "Our sheds are precut to size, with prehung doors."
The sheds sit on a base of gravel or concrete, and some sheds are mounted on four-by-fours and sit up off the ground.
Mike Maietta, local branch manager of Heartland Industries, a nationwide company with local offices in Boardman and Sharpsville, Pa., said the base you choose for your shed might depend on county codes.
"In Mahoning County, for example, homeowners are required to have a permanent foundation for their storage shed if the shed is larger than 12-by-12," he said.
Concrete or post foundations are considered permanent.
Maietta said smaller sheds do not really need a base at all.
"They can be assembled right on the grass," he said.
Heartland sells sheds that range from 6-feet-by-6 feet to 16-feet-by-24 feet.
Apple Gate Furniture sells sheds that range from 8-feet-by-10 feet to 15-feet-by-24 feet.
Unlike Apple Gate Furniture, Heartland Industries does not sell sheds that customers can assemble on their own.
"We feel it is more convenient for the consumer to have us come out and assemble the shed for them," Maietta said. "Although it might seem simple to assemble one of these sheds, it's actually more work than most people bargain for. Often people will say that they'll have the shed assembled in a weekend, but that doesn't happen after they realize what a hassle it can be."
Getting the shed square is often the hardest part of the job.
"We ask that the homeowner choose a piece of ground that's within six inches of being level. Then we'll shim the shed to get it as level as we can," Maietta explained.
Saving money
Hassle or no hassle, self-assembly is cheaper.
Tomasic said customers who decide to assemble a shed on their own will enjoy a 15 percent reduction in price.
When it comes to the overall price, both Tomasic and Maietta said the costs vary.
Tomasic said a basic, gambrel-roofed, barnlike shed at Apple Gate Furniture costs about $995, but a fancier saltbox or gable-roofed model can cost from $2,300 to $5,600. A ritzy hunter's lodge shed sells for $20,000.
Good, better, best
Maietta said storage sheds at Heartland Industries are divided into three categories: "Good, better and best."
A good shed will costfrom $689 to $3,129. A better shed will cost about $837 to $5,877, and a best shed costs from $1,465 to $6,700, he said.
Heartland's good sheds come with a two-year warranty; better sheds have a 10-year warranty; and best sheds have a 15-year warranty.
Heartland also offers a 20-year warranty on shingles.
Apple Gate Furniture offers a 40-year warranty on the base of the shed, a 30-year warranty on its shingles and a two-year warranty on workmanship.
Apple Gate Furniture installs sheds year round, if the weather permits.
Tomasic said it usually takes three to four weeks to process an order and one day to assemble a shed.
Heartland does not do many installations during the winter, and Maietta said it usually takes about two weeks for Heartland to process an order.