Decks are outdoor areas that are built, meaning they have floors, can have railings and etc. A shed is a small-scall outdoor space that is commonly used for storage purposes. The question now is if you can combine these two spaces by putting a shed on a deck.
Yes, you can put a shed on a deck. Decks are often spaces for outdoor leisure activities and a shed could complete this by providing convenient storage. Aside from that, sheds are so simple to construct and yet provide a lot of benefits, even more, if placed on a deck.
Read on if you plan on putting up a shed on your deck. We’ll be going into decks, mindsets for planning spaces, the different considerations you’ll need to make for this type of project, and other options that you can look into.
Decking: A brief overview
As mentioned earlier, a deck is classified as an outdoor built area, often elevated, that is usually attached to the main structure. Decks can either be at the ground level or at the upper-levels of a building. In simpler terms, decking can be described as an outdoor floor.
Activities on decks often include outdoor leisure activities such as exercise, dining, reading, and etc. Decks allow users to enjoy the feeling of being outside while still providing the convenience and cleanliness of the indoors.
It’s important to understand the purpose of your deck and how you are currently using it so that you can best decide how you’ll go about putting up a shed on it.
Reasons to put a shed on your deck
Sheds are a staple in most households especially for those with gardens/outdoor spaces.
Having a shed placed on your deck can offer you a wide array of benefits such as the following:
- Sheds provide additional and convenient storage for items that will be used on the deck.
- Sheds can also be repurposed for other activities.
- Keeps your garden “clean”, exclusively only filled with greeneries if nothing is built there yet
- Can help keep some spaces more private( ex. Shed is located right before a window to a bedroom, blocks neighbor’s view of your deck, etc.)
- Keep it off the ground where moisture can cause rot.
- And much more!
Mindset when planning out spaces
The mindset that you should bring when planning out additional spaces for your house is to consider how that space plays along with the rest of the house. To better explain this concept, think about where decks are usually located.
Decks will always be located between an outdoor and indoor environment, it can be labeled as a transition space. Think about all the activities that you do in your garden/outdoor area.
Imagine you need to do a bit of landscaping for your garden. Let’s say all your gardening tools were stored inside the house or in the garage. Think about how many times you’ll find yourself trying to get your lawnmower through the door, down a staircase, or having to move across your entire house just to get it to the garden.
Now think about the same scenario except this time you have a shed located right at your deck. Landscaping becomes a lot more convenient because the tools are already there.
The convenience of doing a task promotes it. It may sound like pseudoscience but architects also use this concept when designing and planning buildings and spaces. A simple example would be placing sinks by the door of bathrooms to promote the washing of hands.
In short, it’s important to plan out your spaces with the needs of the people using them in mind.
If you realize know that your shed is not in the location you want it than moving your shed might just be easier than you think.
Designing a shed that will be put on decking
Sheds are such a simple structure, so much so, that you do not need an architect or get professional help to have them constructed, as long as you follow the provisions of your local building code.
Listed below are aspects of a shed that you would need to consider if you plan on having one on your deck.
- Measurements
Sheds usually measure 64 sqft in area and are usually around 10 ft (one-storey) tall.
We’ll be going into how you can get the right measurement for your deck throughout the points listed here. It’s better to understand where the measurements come from so that know where they’re based from.
- Design
For the design of the shed, it is recommended that you get matching or complementary finishes with your deck. For the placement of a shed on a deck, it’s recommended that you scale the shed in proportion to your deck. A good practice would be to create “setbacks” around your shed to minimize its impact on the movement around your deck.
You can use this to size your deck appropriately.
- Usage
For your shed, you should consider what you’ll be storing or doing inside the shed. Considering that decks are often leisure spaces, we’ll be assuming that this shed will be storing things like chairs, grills, tables, cleaning materials, and etc.
In this regard, your shed’s sizing also consider the number of things you’ll be storing and what you’ll be storing inside your shed.
- Utilities
The utilities of your shed greatly vary, depending on how you plan on using it and the current design of your deck. Electrical utilities for a shed usually involves lighting and outlets. Plumbing utilities are faucets, remember to take account of drainage when planning plumbing fixture locations.
- Roof
Shed roofs are the most economical and practical for sheds. Shed roofs are characterized as a roof that goes along only one direction. This is good for sheds on decking because it ensures that any rain will be redirected towards only one direction, ideally away from the rest of the deck.
If the deck is covered by its own roofing, then it won’t be necessary to build a roof for the shed. Instead, what you can op to do is to have the walls measure up near the roof to minimize the chances of rain entering the shed.
- Cost
Since a shed is so simple, computing the cost to have it constructed should be a breeze. Firstly, take the dimensions of the shed, calculate the sqft of the walls, floor, and roof. Secondly, get the cost of the materials to be used (these are almost always priced per sq ft). Lastly, simply multiply and you’ll arrive at a good estimate as to how much putting up your shed will cost.
It’s recommended that you add 20% to your estimate for any extra costs that may come up throughout the shed’s construction.
- Changes to your deck
Depending on the current design and usage of your deck, you may need to also do some renovations on it to better fit a shed onto it. This includes extending the deck or adding additional space to it.
It may seem costly and impractical to change your deck just to have a shed put on it but you can also think of it as an opportunity to add even more things to your deck, alongside your shed.
For example, the extra space could be used for adding a hot tub, a barbeque area, a home gym station and etc. The shed can then be used as storage for those.
These are just the basic points of considerations that you’ll need to take into account when planning to put a shed on your deck. Remember to apply these to your own situation and to find ways that make it work best for you( ex. Decks made out of concrete entails using concrete anchors for installing a wooden/lightweight steel shed).
Prefab sheds
Prefab sheds are sheds that are built by a manufacturer and shipped to home. Just like modular houses, prefab sheds still gives some options for customization for the customer but the general look is already determined by the manufacturer.
Prefab sheds tend to be more expensive than traditionally having a shed constructed but it makes up for it by offering the convenience of not having to worry about construction. The best benefit of purchasing a prefab shed is the warranty that is provided in case something goes wrong/
Another great option that you can opt for is a prefab plastic shed. Prefab plastic sheds are cheap, can easily be set up with a day’s work, and can easily serve their function as a storage space.
Prefab plastic sheds don’t require that much planning since their design and layout is already predetermined. All you have to really worry about is where you’ll be placing them.
Conclusion
Decks provide a lot of options for homeowners and for their leisure activities. If you plan on putting up a shed on your deck, remember to consider how it will affect the different spaces around it by using the activities of the users as a basis.
Sheds are generally simple, so much so that you can even get pre-built sheds and put them up on your deck within a day if you wanted to. Since decks are usually spacious and are adjacent to the outdoors, there are many other additions that you can make to improve it.
