Sheds: The Do-It-Yourself Guide for Backyard Builders

Procrastinate no more: Sheds: The Do-It-Yourself Guide for Backyard Builders will get you fired up and hammering before you're even back from a lumber-shopping spree.
--National Post

Even if it's never before occurred to you to build [a shed], reading this book may provide a sudden rush of inspiration.
--Globe and Mail

The fourth edition of this classic guide is expanded and updated to include 23 sheds to suit all needs and tastes. It covers all of the issues, from design principles, obtaining permits and safety to basic construction skills, precise explanations of what to buy, how to cut it, where it goes, what to do if it goes wrong and more. By following the book carefully with patience and care, even inexperienced DIY builders can succeed.

The how-to section is heavily illustrated with plans, assembly cutaway drawings, specifications and finished sheds. The projects list materials, tools, a daily schedule and step-by-step directions. A primer on construction covers framing, foundations, roofing, insulation, windows and more. The designs are based on a basic 8x10 shed.

In addition to the new designs are the basic sheds (e.g., gardening, firewood), and the more elaborate ones like the Irish Garden Shed, Japanese Boat Shed, a shed on posts and special-use sheds like a pool shed and a wood shed. The authors help the DIY builder think through all of the issues involved in the project, including intended use, size, cost, placement, degree of difficulty and much more.

This new edition will inspire homeowners to create the ideal functional addition to their property. It will help them decide on the right plan, finesse it for their needs and tastes, shop for materials, organize their time, and put together their one-of-a-kind shed.

David and Jeanie Stiles are the authors of 25 "how-to" books which have sold more than one million copies. Their work has appeared in newspapers and such publications as Architectural Digest and Better Homes and Gardens, and has been featured on HGTV, the Discovery Channel and "The Today Show." They divide their time between New York City and East Hampton, New York, and their one-room cabin retreat in the Hudson Valley.