What to Look for in Garages and Sheds

Everyone needs a garage or shed, and often people need both. Many homeowners, however, find themselves confronting a difficult choice: pay way too much to get garages and sheds, or else end up with a structure that is cheap and flimsy. Fortunately, you don't need to make this awful choice, as it's possible to find strong structures at reasonable prices. Here's what to look for:

1.  A specialist – Lots of companies manufacture garages and sheds, but most of them will charge too much and under-deliver. At Fair Dinkum, we dedicate ourselves to creating affordable, durable, and attractive storage buildings. Our experience and specialization means that we can deliver a better garage at a lower price. Always seek out a specialist!

2.  Fully engineered solutions – No matter what a builder may say, you don't want a structure that is built solely on gut instinct. It may seem simple to put up a pole barn-style building and the roof may stay up at first but, if it doesn't comply with building codes, it may be weaker than it looks. Always look for garages and sheds that have been drafted and approved by a real engineer.

3.  Cold formed steel – There are lots of great building materials for garages and sheds, but if you're looking for the ultimate combination of strength and price then you should start your search with cold formed steel buildings. Cold formed steel offers an almost limitless variety of styles, while reducing costs and resulting in a sturdy, low-maintenance shed.

4.  Style options – Any company that offers garages and sheds should be able to do so in a huge variety of designs; these can include American barns, Quaker barns, two-story garages, and barns with a rec room or sliding doors and porches—the list is almost endless. Even for simple structures like open-sided carports, your manufacturing company should be able to offer a variety of roof styles and options. They should also have a variety of colours, so that you can match your shed with any existing buildings easily.

5.  ShedSafe™ accreditation – ShedSafe™ is the gold standard of structural integrity for garages and sheds in Australia. It was first created following Cyclone Larry, which led to an alarming number of collapsed and failed sheds. The Australian Steel Institute decided to create an accreditation system for shed producers that follow safety and engineering best practices. So ShedSafe™ accredited structures are built to last.

What are you looking for in a garage or shed?

Want a Wine Cellar? A Garage or Shed can do the Job

Are you a big wine aficionado? Maybe you long to have a place to start a real collection, but a wine cellar just isn't in the cards for you. Maybe the basement is a family area or perhaps you don't even have a basement. The good news for you is that there are alternatives to building a costly underground room or kicking your kids out of their play area.

Rather than just having a tiny little wine refrigerator in the kitchen filled with your Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, and that Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon you managed to snag, you can have a full collection by buying a garage or shed. With one of our customisable sheds, you can not only have the space you need, but also control the layout and the features to create the optimal conditions for your endeavour. Here are some things you may want to consider when creating your wine 'cellar':

Design

You'll probably want to keep the collection away from the immediate vicinity of the door to avoid too much temperature fluctuation when you enter and exit. Therefore, it's probably a good idea to ensure there is a little extra space or invest in a shed layout that allows for some clearance. Another big thing to remember is to avoid adding windows. Natural light is nice, but it affects the temperature a little too drastically – and temperature control is going to be your main concern with a valuable wine collection. Also, direct sunlight can age wine prematurely.

Location

Where you place the shed will matter for several reasons. Obviously, if you can place it in a somewhat shady area, that'll help with cooling costs. And if you can place it in the backyard, it's probably the smartest way to discourage theft – that and investing in a simple pad lock. People looking for valuables may not know you have wine in there, and may be hoping for items that they can throw in a truck and take away to sell (like bikes, jet skis, etc.). When they find wine instead, they might take it to sell – or they might just drink it! So the harder it is to break in, the better. Also, it'll keep the neighbourhood teens out, too!

Climate Control

You'll obviously need to keep the wine cool. The ideal temperatures for wine range from about 7°-18°, with 13° being considered the ideal. In addition to the measures mentioned above, you'll need to invest in some kind of cooling system to manage the temperatures throughout the year – especially in the summer. You can either go for a really large wine refrigerator that you can store the bottles in, and the electricity to run it, or you can install a cooling system or unit in the shed. A climate controlled room is probably the better option if you are planning an extensive collection, but a refrigerator might not be bad for a smaller number of bottles, so consider what you want and plan accordingly.

Lighting

You'll need lighting in the building so you can choose the wine when you are actually planning to drink it. Try to keep it on the dim side to show off your collection in style and not be too hard on your wines, and remember not to set any lights too close to the bottles. And always turn off the lights before you leave – remember, ideal wine storage conditions are cool and dark.

These are just some of the things to consider if you are making a real investment in your passion for vino. By using a garage or shed for the project, you are avoiding possibly months of work creating a new basement (our sheds can be put up over the weekend), as well as saving some money. Take a look at our many designs for sheds and get started today!

4 Reasons that Sheds are Incredibly Useful to have after the Holidays

The Christmas holiday is an incredibly busy time of year. But once it's all over, it's suddenly the height of the summer season and you're going to need your garage space for other things. After all, those new Holiday lights don't need to be lying around anymore, but you may need room for that new Jet Ski. If the space that you made for those decorations no longer seems like enough, not might be the time to consider getting a shed or garage.

A bit of storage space on your property is always a good idea, in general, but here are some of the many ways that they can help you after Christmastime:

Store Outdoor Decorations

Maybe you're the type who wants to express your holiday spirit by outdoing everyone in the neighbourhood with your extravagant display. If so, you'll need some space to put the icicle lights, the reindeer that went on the roof, and the light-up nutcrackers that lined the drive after they've been taken down. A shed is a great place to store them so that they're easy to find, but out of the way until next year. 

Store Indoor Decorations

Your indoor decorations will need a place to live during the rest of the year, as well. Take down your tree (if it's the re-usable type) and put it back in the box, gather the kangaroo ornaments, the lights, the stockings, and the gift wrap, and place them in a dry, secure place until they are needed again. 

Store Presents Next Year

Perhaps this year, you had a lot of presents for the little ones or a number of items that you were sending to family in Adelaide -- but leaving them in the house became a problem when the dog chewed them up or the kids opened them early. For next year, having a shed is a great way to keep gifts secure until they mysteriously appear under the tree on Christmas morning. If necessary, you can even put a pad lock on it (if your kids are the mischievous, investigative types). 

Create a Workshop

Do you spend a great deal of time before the holidays hand painting ornaments for the tree or making wreaths? If so, garages and sheds are a great place to engage in your hobbies. They provide an easy space for the work, simplified storage for the materials, and a floor that won't be ruined by dripping paint or loose twigs.

Choosing Garages and Sheds for Property Protection

A car is a significant investment, and garages and sheds are one way to protect that investment and ensure that it lasts for many years. There are many different varieties of garages and sheds that can house a car, which can be customised to suit the style and colour of the house and surrounding property. Here are some of the most popular options:

American Barns

American barns are an affordable option for protecting one or more cars. In addition, these useful and stylish buildings offer complete protection for boats, motorcycles, and lawn mowers, and can even act as horse stables. There is plenty of room in each building plan to add a workshop, so that car buffs can not only protect their vehicles, but maintain and repair them as well.

Carports

Solidly constructed steel carports are a cost-effective solution for protecting the family vehicles. Carports come in both flat and gabled roof styles to suit the architectural theme of the adjacent home, as well as the local weather conditions. Carports can also double as outdoor entertainment areas, shielding people from the sunshine on warm summer days.

Farm Sheds

Fair Dinkum farm sheds have so many uses. From protecting one car in each stall of the shed to doubling as a place for equipment storage or an open stable, this investment will be certain to pay for itself in no time.

Quaker Barns

Quaker barns provide plenty of headroom and height for a tall sport utility vehicle, a car with a luggage rack, and other items that require extra clearance. The upper space of the Quaker barn could be used as an alternative living or working environment, such as a home office, mother-in-law suite, or a studio apartment to generate rental income.

Garages and sheds are investments that make a property more valuable for resale and also protect vehicles, equipment, and livestock. When high-quality storage space is needed, look no further than Fair Dinkum Sheds!

How Do You Protect Your Farm Equipment When a Storm Happens?

Did you now that it’s already winter growing season in Australia? I know, it’s still warm outside and it feels like summer was just here, but the winter growing season starts in April. This is the time of the year farmers start the process of planting canola, cereal and other grains in preparation for the winter harvest that runs from September to January. As farmers gather their seeds, hay and farm equipment together, they might find that they need more space. A farm shed is an important investment that will you keep your equipment and materials safe from the elements as well as theft. But which farm shed should you buy? When everything else is even, you’ll want the ShedSafe stamp of approval.

What is ShedSafe? In March of 2006, Cyclone Larry made landfall in Queensland, Australia and left destruction in its path. In total, over one billion AUD in damages can be attributed to the Category 5 cyclone. In the wake of this, the Australian Steel Institute decided to revamp its guidelines for steel shed design because it noticed that many sheds experienced structural failure during the storm. This accreditation scheme would become ShedSafe.

What does ShedSafe do? ShedSafe offers accreditation to manufacturers who are compliant with the standards set forth by the Building Code of Australia and the Australian Steel Institute Design Guide Portal Frame Sheds and Garages.

Does this matter? It depends if you’re worried about your safety and the protection of your farm equipment and materials. ShedSafe accreditation gives customers the assurance that the manufacturer was judged by a third party and is compliant with all standards set by the Building Code of Australia. After Cyclone Larry, it was discovered that many sheds weren’t built to those standards, which is why they suffered structural damage from the storm.

Can ShedSafe accreditation be bought? No. If a manufacturer gets ShedSafe accreditation, it was earned through best practices and a record of compliance.

There’s no question that farm sheds are an important part of the winter growing season. They help your farm equipment brave the elements and keep everything housed in one location. You never know when another Cyclone Larry can occur. In those times, it’s important to have a shed that can withstand the torrential winds and rains. Searching for shed manufacturers who have ShedSafe accreditation is a first step in making this happen.

Tips for Cleaning and Organizing Garages and Sheds

Organizing your garages and sheds can be a nightmare. There are many things we tend to just toss in the garage or shed and they end up being just crammed in there wherever there's space. Sometimes, we even have to leave our cars out in the driveway because we have a garage full of clutter. You can take back that control of your garage or shed by following a few simple rules.

Try to think of your garage or shed like you do your home. Give it the same kind of makeover to organize it.

First, sort through all the things in your garage or shed like you would your closets and kitchen. Take your items and sort them into piles that are categorized:

• Things that need to be thrown away.
• Things that need to be donated or sold.
• Things that can be moved to another area such as the attic or basement.
• Things that need to stay in your garage or shed.

For the things you are keeping, sort those into groups such as tools, toys, lawn equipment and sports equipment. Build some shelving (if you don't have any) and put things up that need to be off the floor. Hang some brackets in your storage space so that you can easily access and spot lawn equipment items. Find a small box of some sort to store things that can easily get lost, like nuts and bolts. Always keep a wastebasket in your garage or shed so you can use it for trash at all times and never have to leave things lying around that you don't need. If you repaint your garage floor, it will make it look nicer and that will give you incentive to keep it nicer!

Cleaning out garages and sheds isn't something many people look forward to doing, but with a few good organizational tricks, you can do it and it won't be so hard to keep up with in the future. If you have a place for everything, your space will always remain neat. 

Garages and Sheds: How to Decide Between them

Garages and sheds both serve a variety of purposes for people: garages are permanent structures, while sheds can be moved when a person moves; some people may already have a garage and want a shed for extra storage; the addition of a garage can also add to the value of a property. As you can see, whether someone chooses a garage or shed depends on need and preference.

Space is something to consider when choosing between a garage and a shed. A garage can be large enough to house multiple vehicles and a work area and can even have a space for someone to live in. When looking into getting a garage built, it is important that a person chooses a builder who has a good reputation and knows what they are doing. A good garage builder will offer you many design options and will take your input into consideration to come up with something that meets your needs.

A shed is often used to store equipment. Farm sheds can be used to store tractors or hay, and even be used as stables. There are sheds that are rather large in size and you can leave them open or put in divider walls to separate items for safety or ease. Sheds can be moved to a different location if need be though, the smaller the structure, the easier it is to move. Unlike garages--which usually have doors installed--many sheds are made with open bays to make the storing of large equipment easier.

Create a list to assess your needs before choosing between a garage and a shed. A good provider can help you go over your requirements and make a decision that will work for your purposes and budget.