Are you thinking of building your own storage building, barn or cabin? Don't do it! That is, don't do it until you look at the plans offered by the links listed bellow.

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One of the few companies we recommend for storage buildings, and steel buildings in the North East Texas area is "Alternative Canopy" in Lindale Texas. Alternative Canopy supplies "Winslow's Custom Buildings" portable storage sheds in the East Texas area. The folks at Winslow's have let it be known that they are now in the business of providing pole structures like pole barns as well as storage sheds and carports. Alternative Canopy can provide help in the pole barn area as well as T-N-T buildings and Winslow's portables. Alternative Canopy also offers a selection of wooden sided buildings made with pressure treated plywood. I spoke with a representative of Winslow's about pricing, but the only answer he would give is that it would be "the best in the industry". Call 903.504.3938 for more information.

Are you looking for a place to buy storage buy a storage building? The world is a pretty big place! We want to help you sort through the big old world, and find the storage building that meets your need.

To start with, if what you need is a small basic storage shed, we invite you to search through our online store at: Storage Master Marketplace

If you need something a little bigger, and prefer to buy locally, let me tell you what is local to us. This blog originates in the pine woods of East Texas, near a little town called Tyler. As with most situations, we are familiar with our native area, so we know more about the products available in this area than we do about other parts of the country.The material on this blog is based on data gleaned in the North East Texas area, but the principles and information it contains are applicable in almost any part of the globe.

If you are preparing to buy a storage building, utility building, carport, garage, or storage shed and you live in East Texas or North Texas including the Dallas area, and the area extending into Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas, we can make specific recommendations for the best places to buy. You can phone Jim at 903.504.3938 for details.

Some of the towns and cities in this local area are:

Tyler, Jacksonville, Whitehouse, Bullard, Lindale, Winona, Longview, Mineola, Kilgore, Emory, Winsboro, Quitman, Alba, Kemp Maybank, Canton, Ennis, Kaufman, East Tawakoni, Quinlan, Van, Grand Saline, Edgewood, Forney, Fruitvalle, Garland, Mesquite, Dallas, Rockwall, Royce City, Saxe, Rowlet, Greenville, Paris, Bonham, Farmersville, Wills Point, Terrel, Sulphur Springs, and, well, okay, the list is really pretty long, and there are many more, but you get the idea. If you live in or near any of these areas, give us a call. For those outside this area, see the note below.

Buying storage buildings in the wider Texas area, and  everywhere else

If you are residing in most parts of Oklahoma, Louisiana, or Arkansas, we can now make specific recommendations as well as in Texas. If you live in another area of the country, even if it is outside the Texas area, we will be happy to try to locate companies in your area that follow the principles,  practices, and standards we believe to be the most consistent with the quality building materials, and the best construction practices to help you with your long term needs. Please email jim@storagemasterblog.com for details.

Storage building with standard door

The accessories you need with your storage building are determined by your buildings use.

• If you are planning to store heavy equipment on on side of the building, parameter blocking is recommended for stability.

• If you plan to work inside the building during extreme weather conditions, insulation, ventilation, or an air conditioning cut out might be needed.

• Ramps can be purchased at most dealerships for mowing equipment and atv's.

• Lofts and shelves for extra storage space off the floor can add versatility to the building.

• Work benches and peg boards will provide work space for crafts, woodworking or other projects such as maintenance on small engines.

• Extra windows and doors of various sizes can add extra entry size, extra access, and more visibility for space to be used for work and office space are also available.

There is a bit of confusion about some of the terms used in the world of storage, so we thought we might try to define some of these terms, and cut down on the haze.

Utility buildings

A utility building is a multi purpose building. Such buildings can be used to meet a variety of differing needs, of which storage, is most common. Besides storage, they are often used as workshops, offices, hobby shops, game rooms, equipment maintenance buildings, wood working shops, and many other purposes, limited only by the individuals imagination. "Utility building" is the most general, and most accurate description for such buildings.

Portable buildings

Portable buildings are, of course, portable. They can be moved from one place to another with relative ease. They are movable because of their size, and the fact that they are not bolted or otherwise connected to a slab or other type of permanent  foundation. They are portable by virtue of the fact that they are single self contained buildings. You may here or see the term in conjunction with other terms such as "portable utility buildings, portable storage buildings", and "portable storage sheds".

Storage buildings

Storage buildings are generally utility buildings used for the purpose of storing something. These buildings are often portable buildings, but not always. They can be anything from a pole barn used to store inventory, to a warehouse, to an 8 by 10 building moved on to the property to store Christmas decorations or documents.

Storage sheds

This term is often used as a synonym for storage building. Technically, it is a shed used for storing something. A shed is most often a "lean to" type building, such as the type of open sided building built in conjunction with another building, or a free standing building on poles which has a roof oriented to "shed" water in one direction. These types of buildings are often used to store farm equipment. A typical shed type structure is the common carport connected to the end of a home, which is usually connected to the home at an angle proceeding down and away from the home.

Carports

Carports are often sheds attached to the side of a home, in a more or less permanent form. With the introduction of modular building technology however, they have now become widely used as un connected individual structures. A carport differs from a garage because a carport has at least one open side. Garages are  enclosed structures, carports are open structures. Modern modular building systems will allow for the building of a garage on the frame of a carport, increasing the buildings utility.

Garages

Garages, like carports are often built directly into, or onto homes. This has changed a good deal with the steel building industries use of modular, pre fab type structures. which allow for more flexibility in placement, and function. Now, many garages are built separately from the home as free standing structures.

Steel buildings

The term "steel building" is commonly used to refer to carports or garages of the modular type built from steel frames, and coated steel siding. The term really refers to any building built from steel.

Metal buildings

Metal buildings are, of course buildings made of metal. This term is usually used in reference to garages, carports or other similar buildings, of which the primary metal would be steel. There are also buildings made from other metals, particularly, aluminum. in actuality, it can refer to any building built from any type of metal.

Public storage

This is a term for storage rental space. Typically, it is a compound full of buildings with storage areas rented for individual storage. The term mini storage is also used for this type of storage rental.

Self storage

Self storage is commonly used as a synonym for public and mini storage. The terminology is a little confusing. It is self storage because the system is somewhat automated, and therefore, you can use this facility to store things yourself.

Steel Garden Shed

There are two types of storage. That which you own yourself, and that which you rent from someone else. Self storage and mini storage or two forms of public storage, which is the type you pay your hard earned cash to rent. Storage sheds, or storage buildings are utility buildings which are most often used for private storage, which is the type of storage you pay for once, and then own forever. Let us show you why owning your own storage is better than renting public storage.

Peace of mind.

• You can rest easier knowing that your cherished belongings are tucked away safely within the confines of your own property, and within easy reach.

It’s green.

• In these days of environmental awareness, we have become aware, that it makes more sense to store your items closer to your home to avoid wasting energy and adding pollution to the atmosphere. What better way of reducing your carbon footprint than to avoid extra, and unneeded trips?

Fuel cost.

• You have to pay rent to someone else to get them to allow you to put your stuff in their building located miles from your own home. Fuel prices are in a state of flux, but wasting money on fuel is always out of style. All those extra trips to get boxes from some “self storage” place 10 miles away can wind up costing you a lot of money.

Rent cost.

• If you buy a building, you are paying for something that is yours, so instead of perpetual rent, you have something to show for your money, and it can be used in many other ways, and for many other purposes if the need to store something is over. What you have left after paying rent, is more rent! When you stop renting, you have nothing!

Your safety in transit.

• Any time you drive, you take risks. That is part of our everyday lives, but why take more chances than you have to?

Your safety on site.

• Most storage places are somewhat remote, and while there are usually security systems in place, (whether they are working or not is another story entirely) the very layout of the buildings present safety issues. Besides, having a nice video of you being robbed outside your self storage unit will help the police to catch your mugger, but that is, after all, "after the fact."

Your convenience.

• The ability to grab what you want from your own building at any time of the day or night, without having to leave your premises, waste any time, or fight any traffic will go a long way toward stress reduction, and that is one thing that most of us would prefer. In that regard, buying instead of renting is good for your mental and physical health, and consequently, your longevity!

Your time is important.

• Even if buying instead of renting won't increase your longevity, it might just increase the amount of time available for doing the things you want to be doing.Time is our greatest asset, wasting it just might be our greatest failure. You have soccer, and baseball, and piano, and school activities, and shopping and...! It is much less time consuming to step into your back yard than to make a trip across town.