Storage Master Blog

July 25, 2009

Storage Building Information

Storage Information

The need for storage space

Almost everyone needs storage space at one time or another. The nature of modern life is that we need some things periodically, and temporarily, and between those times, they have to be placed somewhere for safe keeping. This is true of our tools, our recreation equipment, and even our documents.

Renting or owning my storage space

If you have a location, buying is always better than renting. In the end, you have a product that has value, and belongs to you. This product can be used for continued storage purposes, re tooled for other purpose, or even sold if the need for it is gone. There are more reasons. A building on your own property is more convenient than one across town. If you own the building it can be used any time you get ready to use it, day or night. Because it is near your back door, you will save on fuel as well. See also: Buy A Storage Building Instead of Renting Space

The hallmarks of high quality storage buildings

Good material, and solid construction will mean long life, and easy maintenance. In most instances this will mean wooden framed structures with metal siding. These buildings represent the best long term value. Wooden , or composition siding with composition roofing requires quite a bit of maintenance. If such a building is not periodically cleaned, sealed, and painted, the material will degrade quickly. Steel clad buildings are almost maintenance free. Buying The Right Storage Building

Determining the size of the building you need

Deciding your buildings size, will require deciding the buildings intended use, and by available space. If the building is to be used for the purpose of storage, the number of cubic feet of the material to be stored can be determined by some simple measurements, and some simple math.  For workshop use, size should be determined by design and usability. The need for 200 square feet of space to be placed into an area no wider than 10 feet will require the building to be longer than it is wide. Whatever your buildings intended use, add at least 10 percent to the final size. Most people need more space than they initially expected. See: Buying The Right Storage Building

Deciding where to locate the building

The building should be placed where it can be reached easily, and where it does not interfere with lawn and landscape practices. we also need to think about the irrigation system, and how it will interact with the building. Some irrigation adjustments may be needed. See also: Storage Placement

Financing a storage building

Portable utility building producers and dealers want to sell buildings. That is why they are in the business. For that reason, most will have several financing options available. Of course, everyone loves cash. Most will help you to locate a loan source, and there is also the rent to own option, and some dealers offer ‘90 days same as cash”. See: Storage Building Finance Rent To Own.

Getting your building to you

Most buildings are built at a factory like facility, and then delivered to the locations where they are to be displayed and sold. When a building is sold on a lot, it will be picked up at that lot, and hauled to it’s new home. That is not the only way it can be done though. Buildings can be built to meet your specific needs, and hauled directly to your place, or they can be built on site. On site building normally requires an on site fee, but this will probably be offset by omitting the cost of a delivery fee. There is always a cost for delivery. When a dealer tells you that they do not charge for delivery, that simply means that they have figured the cost into the building in other places. Free delivery is a gimmick. Look at the quality, and the final cost, and that will determine the buildings true value. See also: Storage Building Delivery

Uses of utility buildings

How you choose to use your utility building is limited only by your imagination and creativity. They serve well for the purpose of storage, but can also be used for work and hobby shops, offices, game rooms, and entertainment rooms. See: Storage Buildings Who Needs Them?

Maintaining your storage building

Utility building maintenance needs are determined by the type of materials and the quality of workmanship in the building. A well built steel clad building will be almost free of upkeep. A building built with other materials will require cleaning, sealing and painting on a regular basis to maintain looks and structural integrity. Read more in Storage Building Maintenance.

A row of metal storage buildings

A row of metal storage buildings

December 27, 2008

Keeping a Storage Building Up | Storage Building Maintenance


Keeping a Storage Building Up | Storage Building Maintenance

“It is hard to maintain out something that is engineered in.” That is what I always said to people who did not place enough emphasis on planning before starting a project, and then spent thousands on labor and material to keep something up, when the numbers could have been much smaller. I figured that out during my lifetime of property maintenance work. The statement is true, and will be true forever. If you have taken to heart the lessons of our post on Portable Utility Building Siding | Wood or Metal?, You have already taken the major step in assuring your buildings longevity. If you buy a properly engineered, and properly built building, made of the proper materials, you will have little to do to maintain your building in the best condition.

If  however, you have chosen a wooden building, or a wood composite sided building, you should supplement the information bellow with annual cleaning, sealing, painting or staining, and prepare to adjust hinges, and add weatherstripping where and when it is needed. If you have composite shingles, you need to be prepared to replace some of them after a high wind, and all of them on a regular schedule. It is just a fact of life with those types of buildings.

Note that the material bellow is based on maintaining metal or steel clad structures. The information is minimal, because the work is minimal, but just doing these few things will add years to the life of your structure.

Maintaining Metal sided structures

Most storage buildings require little in the way of upkeep, but like all structures they will benefit from a little attention, and will offer longer, better service and help to preserve your investment. Just add these inspection items to your lawn, garden and home exterior maintenance program, for spring and fall if you like.

Start with inspection.

A brief, periodic inspection of the building is a good place to start. Check for such things as:

  • Roof and corner damage.
  • Door operation.
  • Window operation.
  • Weather stripping.
  • “Levelness”.

If a door or window is not opening or closing properly, the reason could be that the building is no longer level. A minor shift could cause a corner to sag, which could, in turn cause a wall to be out of square. When this happens, the first sign could be a sticky door or window. If this is the case, use a standard spirit level to check, and adjust the shims where needed to bring it back to level.

Moisture can be another problem The nature of wood is to absorb moisture. When humidity is high, it can swell causing sticking problems with doors and windows.

Weatherstripping:

Degraded weather seals can allow moisture in as well. To visually check on the condition of the weather stripping, stand inside the building and look at the door. If there is an excessive amount of light coming in around the door, there is a chance that it might need to be replaced. Moist or discolored spots around the door, or door framing is another indicator.

Cleaning:

Keeping your storage building clean will extend its life. Pay particular attention to the roof of the building and such problems as fallen tree branches. Tree branches on the roof of your building can cause other debris to build up , which can cause moisture problems, which can in turn degrade the roof, or weigh it down to the point of sagging. I have seen debris collect on the top of a storage building  for long enough for a tree to grow a foot tall in the soil of the gathering debris! This can also cause insect problems in your storage building.

The same is true of the bottom of your building. If you have dirt building up as mounds, or small dirt trails coming up the blocks, termites could become a problem.

When the exterior walls of the building get grungy, you can clean them with some water and mild soap, using a soft bristle brush, and a garden hose for rinsing. Do not use abrasives that could damage the paint, and cause future problems with corrosion.

Other concerns:

If you find loose screws in the siding, you can “snug” them back in place, adding a little silicone caulk around the threads and head of the screw is also helpful. Just make sure they are snug, and don’t strip the threads.

Doing these few small tasks will assure your buildings long and productive life!

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