Customer Reviews

Building a Shed: Siting and Planning a Shed, Building Shed Foundations, Adding Custom Details (Build Like a Pro Series)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've looked at several books on sheds and this is the best one I've found!

The author is a real craftsman. His background in cabinetmaking shines through in his attention to detail. He doesn't take shortcuts, as a matter of fact he takes the extra minute or two to do it right. Little tips like painting T 1-11 before installing it is helpful, but pointing out the value of painting the edges too, (to help preserve the wood over time), is the difference between a shed and a quality shed.

There are several step by step sheds to build, and each one offers numerous photos and tips. I would suggest reading the entire book and then building your shed. You will find different tips in each plan and can use them in building your shed.

Some of the outstanding features of this book:

ProTip - On nearly every other page the author offers a ProTip. They are not brain surgery, but if are new to construction you will find them helpful.

Trade Secret - Also on nearly every other page there is a Trade Secret. Here are the kind of tips that the old-timers offered. It's like having a master carpenter give you all the advise you'll ever needed.

Photos - Lots of them, but most importantly, they are from the part of the project the author is explaining. It's like being on the job site and seeing the project in action.

Details - The author is very good at describing the process of building a shed.

Disadvantage to this book:

The plans for the sheds are not included. You must purchase them from other sources listed in the back. It is possible to figure it out by combining different descriptions and sketches together, but if your are new to construction you may be better off ordering the plans.

After reading this book you will never buy one of those superstore sheds. You'll want the very best, and if you build it yourself you can get it for less than the superstore! Enjoy!

I purchased this book and read many parts of it. I was most interested in pouring a concrete slab foundation. This book covered every foundation but concrete slab, so I was disappointed in that. The sheds that are covered are very elaborate and built to last. I thought a better job could have been done in covering things like roof slope, and altering it from the sheds built in the book. Giving other options in different phases of construction. The pictures are good but there sure could be more of them(this book is nicely printed and color pictures are expensive). I am a picture kind of guy; a picture is worth a thousand words to me. The "pro tips" highlights are good and provide very usefull info at different stages of construction.
All-in-all this is a very good book. The language is a little to trade/contractor talk. Mr. Truini should have had an average Joe proof read this book to make sure anyone without building experience could pick it up, read it and build the shed they are imagining.

This book takes you through the steps of constructing an attractive, functional and well-built shed. The sheds are designed for New England snow loads, so they should stand up anywhere you build it, for a long, long time. Anyone with basic carpentry skills should be able to build most of the sheds shown in the book. The gambrel shed in the book is the most complex style mentioned. The shed styles explained are aa Lean-To Locker, a Saltbox Potting shed, Colonial style (shown on cover) and the Gambrel shed.

The information is well presented, with color photos throughout. As was noted in a previous review, though some dimensions are given, the complete plans must be ordered elsewhere. I ordered the plans for the gambrel shed and did notice a few discrepencies between the book and plans however.

All in all, an excellent book if you are considering building a shed. While you may not choose to build one exactly as shown in this book, the information found in here would be useful in any shed building project.

This is a very high quality well written reference book. Taunton books are easy to read with excellent illustrations. The author does a great job of explaining in easy to understand terms at just the right level for the average do-it-yourselfer. I highly recommend this book.

Having ordered 3 books on sheds based on the on-line reviews, this book along with Barns, Sheds and Outbuildings: Plan, Design, Build (Ultimate Guide To... [Paperback] The Ultimate Guide to Yard and Garden Sheds: Plan, Design, Build.... this is the only book you will need. The other two, while they show up under, "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought..." pale in comparison to the information contained in this book. In addition, the two I listed above are almost identical in content, same photos, diagrams etc. I have reviewed a couple of other offerings while at Home Depot and Lowes and while they may be good for ideas on style this book is all you need for construction. Enjoy it.

After reading through this book, I had the confidence to build my own 10 by 10 outdoor shed.

This book does not contain blueprints for building sheds form start to finish. However, it does have a lot of pictures and informative tips to get you started. Often times I was able to simply look at the pictures to see how they did things.

It contains good step-by-step instructions for setting up various types of bases, and the section on roofing really helped me out.

Overall, I would recommend it if you need some ideas or some tips on how to get started or what to watch out for.

I am several months into building the salt box potting shed in this book (don't kid yourself, this takes time and help... and I don't have much of either). I also purchased the shed plans, which I would definitely recommend. I am more experienced than the average Joe with carpentry, but I'm no Bob Vila, that's for sure. The bottom line on this book is that the sheds are quite nice, the instructions and tips and photos are very helpful, but there are the occasional sections that lack clarity or have omitted key details... which becomes painfully obvious in the middle of construction. I find myself having to read between the lines and pour over the photos in utmost detail looking for clues.

So, if you're experienced and looking for some good shed design ideas and helpful pointers on construction - by all means, this is the book. If you're less experienced, I'd still recommend this book (along with as many others as you can get your hands on at the library), but you may want to make friends with the local carpenter for some occasional help.

For those considering the shed plans noted in the book, a bit of fair warning. The plan I received did not match, exactly, the discussion as presented in the book (more confusion). Worse, some of the dimensions in the plan were clearly in error. I'm not a professional builder, but geometry I can do, and their numbers didn't add up. Fortunately I was careful to double and triple check every measurement and I found the problem before cutting (and wasting) any lumber. Even so, the plans are a huge help, are nicely printed, and are definitely recommended.

I am a firm believer in the KISS method of doing things. (Keep It Simple Stupid") Every step is covered in this book so that anyone can learn from it. The "Build Like A Pro" series of books are all laid out like this one. The "Expert Tips" are great. They show you short cuts to help you do the jobs right, but in less time. This is stuff you only learn by doing the job everyday. They are trade secrets.

I will not duplicate points made in other reviews.

Just note that the roofing (cedar shakes, and asphalt shingles) is shown without using underlayment/felt. False economy, or to clarify photos? Shingle mnfrs demand it, and it serves several useful purposes. Why would the author repeatedly stress pressure-treated lumber on the moist bottom of sheds, and yet short-change the moist TOP?!

This book has far exceeded my expectations! I feel confident that I can plan and build my own shed (suited to my needs and budget) and do it for far less money than a chintzy pre-fab one from a DIY store. This book has a great format and loads of helpful information, things only someone who builds sheds for a living would know. I can't wait for the ground to dry a bit so I can get started building!