Posted on February 25, 2009 - by DIY Dave

Shed Door

When building a shed (or getting a prebuilt one), make sure that its doors are big enough for the things meant to be stored. Standard sizes for the shed door is 2 feet and 7 inches wide and 6 feet in height. A height of 6′6″ is better in most instances.

Why pay attention to the shed door? It would be the source of both hilarity and frustration if after finishing the most expensive and beautiful shed in the block, you suddenly find out that you could not even fit in the lawnmower that needs to be secured in the shed.

The design of the shed door

The Design of the door would be influenced by the general motif of the shed. One kind is the sliding door. Are there advantages for this kind of shed door? They are economical when it comes to space, and big openings could be secured without the necessity of “swinging space.” One common way of erecting a shed door is the use of the battened door, and there are three kinds of them: ledged, ledged and braced, framed and ledged.

The ledged kind of shed door

The ledged is the simplest kind with vertical boards and three to four horizontal ledges. According to some experts, this kind of door is best only for internal use. If it is used outside, there is a tendency to move at the edge away from hinges. This is due to the timber swelling and shrinkage too.

The ledged and braced kind of shed door

Braces would prevent the sagging of the door, and this kind of door relies on nails for bracing. This is an improvement over the ledged kind, but it is not to be considered as the best.

The framed/ledged shed doors

This kind has a better look than the first two kind of shed doors, and it is stronger. It is more resistant to changes of the timber vis-a-vis weather conditions.

One special kind of shed door

The recycled doors may be the source of derision from some quarters, but they sure has their merits. The money that could be saved is not to be scoffed at. If this is what you want, consider the local establishments that offer remodelling projects and tools. You may just find a perfectly good door that is about to be thrown away.

The security factor of the shed door

Here is the crucial thing to realize as far as shed locks are concerned, nothing is one hundred percent safe. Here are tips to minimize the chances of undesirables targetting your shed:

• Cover the windows of your shed.
• Use a heavy-duty lock to keep your shed door secure.
• The most important things must not be kept in the shed. For example, a family heirloom that has been passed through many generations must be kept in the house’s secure location or the bank vault.