$100 OFF the purchase of In-Stock Heartland Rainier or Stratford storage buildings.

Discount does not apply to Special Order or installed buildings. See store associate for details. Offer valid 5/22/13 -6/3/13.

Spring is near. Save up to $250 on select Heartland play sets. Offer ends March 31, 2013!

10×10 storage shed available at Lowe’s!

A few months ago, Jeanine Centuori, chairwoman of the undergraduate architecture program at Woodbury University, approached us about an unique idea she had for her class. The unique challenge presented to the architecture students from Woodbury University in Burbank, CA was to transform a standard shed kit from Heartland Industries into the coolest and smartest cabin they could come up with.

We were thrilled to help out the university in this project. The catch was that the students had to use our 10×10 shed kit and transform it into a building that could accommodate two people for sleeping. In addition, the shed had to provide light, ventilation and insulation. Lastly, they had to complete this assignment without spending over $1,500.

While some of the architecture students were slightly intimated by the project at first, as you can see in the pictures below, it was a huge success.

“We pushed ourselves to use wood in a different way,” said student John Epperly, whose group finished the interiors with oriented strand board, the structural panels left exposed for an organic-meets-industrial look in some modern architecture. “We wanted the space to feel natural and elegant and not at all like a shed.”

Unique and Earth Friendly Storage Sheds

The students even used organic and or recycled materials to make this an earth friendly shed building project. I would be willing to bet that the students never looked at our instruction manual. However, when creative minds and skillful architecture students get together, the end result will usually be quite stunning. Don’t take our word for it, just look at the pictures below! (Click on an image to open the slideshow)

For more information on this storage shed building project, read this article from the LA Times.

Woodbury School of Architecture Contact Information:

Woodbury University
7500 Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91510-7846
818.252.5121

Happy Holidays!

The wood shed on your left is sharp. Couldn’t you see that in your backyard? We love the Estate Series of sheds because it captures the barn style of sheds that are so popular on farms across the U.S. while matching the style of most suburban homes. You can paint the shed any color you would like, but to keep your shed looking great and strong, using some high quality outdoor caulk is required. Don’t worry, it’s actually quite easy to caulk a wood shed. Here are our professional tips.

Caulk Anywhere you See Daylight!

Outdoor caulk preserves the wood in a storage building. Since caulk is waterproof, it puts a water tight seal wherever you apply it. All you need is some caulk and a caulk gun.

Here are some common places where high quality outdoor caulking should be applied. 

1. The bottom edge of siding where it over laps the floor	2. Where the siding panels come together
3. Edges of the doors	4. Under the roof line where it meets the siding
5. Caulk around Windows	6. Around the trim
7. Caulk around air vents	8. Corners

After applying the caulk, use your finger to smooth the caulk, wiping with a sponge frequently. Also, when cutting the tip of the caulk, always cut at an angle to make the application process easy.

If you get a paintable exterior caulk, you can caulk before you paint and the building will look seamless! You can get high quality outdoor caulk for wood sheds at your local Lowes retail location.

Materials you can Put Under your Swing Set

Wood Chips / Mulch

Positive:

• Inexpensive
• Organic
• Rubber or wood mulch
• Can be good for your lawn

Negative:

• Some maintenance required: Must add mulch periodically
• May cause splinters
• Some children like to throw wood chips around the backyard

Rubber Mats

Positive

• Least maintenance needed
• More visual appeal
• Strong and durable
• Several different colors and designs available

Negative

• Some people are allergic to rubber
• Higher costs
• Some complain about the smell of rubber mats

Rubber Mulch

Rubber mulch is commonly used under playground swing sets. However, they’re a great long term and safe solution.

Positive

• Absorbs shock to reduce chances of injury
• Does not attract insects
• Installation is easy
• Low maintenance

Negative

• Not as efffective at controlling weeds
• Rubber mulch is highly flammable
• The environmental and human side effects are not fully known

Sand

Positive

• Lower costs
• Organic
• Visual appeal
• Kids can also use sand as a sandbox
• Can purchase at most home improvement store. Including Lowes!

Negative

• Attracts cats and could potentially carry diseases (in severe cases)
• Maintenance needed
• Can easily be tracked into your house

Pea Gravel

Pea gravel looks similar to small rocks, but it works well under swing sets.

Positive:

• Lower costs
• Strong and durable
• Organic

Negative:

• Harder surface than mats or mulch
• Maintenance required
• Gets stuck in shoes, pants and gets tracked around more

So, What Material Should I Choose?

All of the materials mentioned above would be an acceptable choice. We suggest using wood or rubber mulch. It is not as easy to track mulch all over the backyard and it does a great job at absorbing the impact in case your child falls. While it may cost your more than pea gravel or sand, through our own experience and from customer reviews, mulch has proven to be the cleanest and safest material to put under swing sets. Considering we’re talking about your children, don’t you want the best?

What material did you put under your swing set? We would like to hear what you think!

Swing sets allow kids to express their imagination, get physical exercise, develop hand-eye coordination, improve social skills and of course, have fun.

Say No to Video Games & Yes to Swing Sets

As an avid video game player myself, it is hard for me to admit that video games are “borderline evil”. As a child, I enjoyed playing video games; however I found plenty of time to go outside and play. That is not always the case with children in America. Today the obesity rate in children is almost 20%. Frighteningly, children are choosing to exercise their thumbs instead of going outside and playing on a nice swing set.

While our wooden swing sets can cost anywhere from $999 to $3,000, it’s easy to think that buying a $300 Xbox or PS3 is cheaper. However, after years of buying video games and accessories, you might spend close to $5,000. In addition, new systems continually come out which means your child will be begging for a new gaming system sooner than later.

The best part of swing sets is that they never go out of style and you will not have to continually buy new parts just to keep your child content. High quality swing sets will still be standing strong in your backyard when all of your children become teenagers.

The Social Impact of Swing Sets

Another positive aspect that parents don’t always think about in regards to swing sets is the social impact it has on children. Playing on swing sets is one of the first activities that forces children to learn how to communicate with their peers. Children will discuss their imaginative games with their friends and learn to wait their turn on the swing.

If you’re looking for ways to get your child active and have fun at the same time, consider buying a cool swing set for your kids. Swing sets will help your child grow physically and mentally. There are not many other activities for kids that can claim that.

All the fun a child could ask for!

Similar articles:

Swing Sets Make Your Child High On Life, Not Sugar

No, the monster from the movie “Tremors” is not to blame. It is poor foundation planning.

Whether you are planning a DIY shed installation or hiring a shed installer, the foundation of sheds is important. After all, that is the surface that a shed will be resting on for many years to come. If you were to simply build a shed on top of soil, your shed would eventually look like this one on the left.

Contact your Local Building Inspector

Before you make any foundation decisions for your shed, consult a local building inspector to determine what foundation you will need to build. The decision will be related to the height and size of your storage shed building. Regardless of the size of your shed, a building inspector needs to make sure that the storage building is up to code for your local area.

Do All Sheds Need a Foundation?

The simple answer is no. Smaller sheds of up to 8′ x 6′ do not need a foundation. Small sheds can be rested on crushed stone with either treated wood foundations or concrete foundation blocks. Larger sheds will need to have strong foundations.

Types of Shed Foundations:

Concrete Slab Foundation

Concrete slab shown here

The best type of foundation that you can use for a shed is a concrete slab. In preparation for the shed installation, the site must be properly leveled and should have natural drainage and no standing water. This insures that the shed will remain strong and stable for many years to come.

Concrete Slab Requirements:

1. Your concrete slab must be the same width as the storage shed.
2. The slab can be no greater than 1/4″ out of “square”. If this is not followed, serious problems could result with your new shed.
3. In certain markets, 1/2″ x 8″ “J” type anchor bolts should be set in the concrete around the entire perimeter of the slab (except for the doorway) projecting approximately 2 1/2″ above the slab grade and approximately 1 1/2″ in from the edge.
4. The finished slab surface needs to be at a minimum of 4″ above grade.

Wood Foundations

First stages of the flooring construction.

Use cement blocks for shed foundations

Wood foundations are typically built using solid cement leveling blocks which are 8” x 16” and no more than 2” high… Each block is arranged in evenly spaced rows by placing one in each corner and at each break. These cement leveling blocks will support the floor of the shed. If cement leveling blocks are not used we recommend using pressure treated lumber to support the wooden shed floor frame.

If concrete blocks are not used we recommend using pressure treated lumber to support the wooden shed floor frame.

These are the suggested blocks count and are approximate by shed size:

Especially with larger sheds, it is important to consider the frost line of your site. If frost lines are ignored, the shed may move due to seasonal freeze and thaw changes. This means that the foundation will need to be built to the frost line. Consult your local building inspector to determine the frost line in your area.

What Foundation Should I Choose?

While there are other types and or methods to building shed foundations, these are the two types we recommend. Please contact your local building department to make sure you have the right foundation. If the proper precautions are not made, your shed kit building plans will sink fast!

The type of foundation used for a shed is important. It can save you time and money if you take this article seriously!

Should I buy a larger storage shed?

Many customers tell us “I wish I bought a larger shed”. Don’t fret, the storage experts at Heartland Industries is here to help you determine if you need a large wooden storage shed or not. While there is not much we can do if you already bought a shed, we can help anyone who is still trying to decide on what size of a shed to buy.

Here are some things you need to consider when looking for the right size shed for you and your whole family.

1. What will your shed be used for?

Will you use it just for storage or will it serve as a workshop as well? If your storage shed will be doubling as a work area, you will want to plan on plenty of room to move around. With extra room you can add heavy duty shelves and workbenches. Some customers turn their large storage sheds into living spaces and even “Man Caves”.

2. What are you planning on storing inside your wooden storage shed?

Sheds can be great to store:

• Lawn equipment
• Lawn furniture
• Holiday decorations
• Children’s toys
• Bikes
• Tools
• Go-karts
• Sports equipment

Are you or your family involved in hobbies that could require a lot of storage? A good idea would be to take a look around your closets, attic, basement, garage and backyard to see what could be stored to make more convenient and comfortable living space for the entire family to enjoy.

Arrange all of the items on the ground and use a tape measure to measure the dimensions of all of your potential storage items. Even though the measurements are not entirely accurate, it will give you a good idea of how much room you will need in a storage shed.

3. Do you see your family growing in the near future?

Are you planning on having children or are your children coming home from college? If your answer is yes, than you will attain more things over the years and it will definitely need more storage room. If you know of life changes in the near future, you may want to consider buying a large shed.

4. Considering to buy more “stuff” that will need additional storage space?

Let’s be honest, there is always new tools and technology that we have to buy and these tools will need room to be stored. Be sure to consider additional room for these items.

Hopefully this will help you make the right purchasing decision. Remember, it would be easier to buy a shed that has more than enough room as opposed to buying a shed that does not have enough room.