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Shed Site Preparation–Dumb Edition Shed site preparation is like getting a new king. It can be a boon for the whole kingdom. Or, it can be a royal pain in your backside. There are three fairly simple ways to make sure that you have a really lousy experience with your shed site preparation. Choose a poor location for your shed site. Forget to check with your HOA or city/county offices about setback. Because then, you may get to do site prep twice. Don’t do your shed company homework. Because then, you may get to do all the heavy work yourself. Shed Site Preparation–Smart Edition For a more pleasant experience in your shed site preparation, here are a few suggestions. Choose your shed site carefully. Try to find a dry site, and one that is free of stumps, rocks, trees, and other interferences. Try to find one that is both even and level, or not more than 2 feet out of level. (To find out whether or not it’s level, use a . . . you guessed it! Use a level. Your eye may not detect how much slope there is.) Check with your HOA, and city or county offices about proper setback. We saw a case where the HOA came along and told a homeowner that the building had to be moved. The owner had to pay to get the building moved 5 feet. Ouch! Compare companies. Some shed companies will do most site prep for you under normal circumstances. Others will sell and deliver the building, but everything else is up to you. These are the companies that make these kinds of statements: “Doing any necessary site preparation is solely the customer’s responsibility.” “Site leveling and preparation is the purchaser’s responsibility. cannot be responsible for adverse effects an unlevel pad may have on your new shed.” This basically means, If the doors don’t work, it’s your problem. So, ask questions. Delivery and set up policies are very different from one shed company to another. You will often need to do at least a little site prep yourself before delivery–mow the grass, trim a tree, or spray the poison ivy. And sometimes, you may choose to build your own shed foundation. But you may be a great candidate for a simple block set done by your shed delivery guys, saving you a lot of work. In any case, do your background work, and avoid backside pain. #ShedCompanies #Delivery #SitePreparation

Buying a storage building is a little getting married. The big day is coming, and you stress all the details that go with the perfect wedding. You buy the long satin gown and a classy tuxedo with a purple bow tie. You decide on Lemon Herb Chicken Breast and write up the guest list. You get ready for a wedding day that will go down in history. But… What you’re probably giving less thought to is the fact that after a wedding comes a marriage, and a great marriage takes some maintenance. Just like a great shed. Both with marriages and with sheds, being prepared ahead of time goes a long way to preventing unpleasant surprises a few years down the road. Even the best marriages take some work, so you’ll look for a spouse who will work at it with you. Even the best sheds take some work as well; make sure you have a shed builder who will work at it with you. Storage Building Services Shed buying wisdom starts by knowing what work your shed will be needing a few years down the road. Before you “tie the knot” with a shed builder, be sure you know what services you’ll need to keep your storage building in top condition in the future. In the future, your storage building may need…. Replacement parts You never know when the neighborhood baseball game is going to score a long home run through your shed window. OK–that’s not real likely. But just like your house needs occasional replacement parts, your storage building will, too. You want to be sure that you have access to a good supply of parts for your shed, and that you won’t have to wait until next Christmas to get them. And then take them back, because they were the wrong size . . . You get the picture. Not all shed companies will be able to get you the replacement parts you need. Be sure to ask whether they stock replacement parts like windows and door latches. (And if your shed company is getting getting you a replacement window anyway, wouldn’t it be fantastic if they would offer to change it for you? If only they had a dedicated service tech….) Routine maintenance and repair Most sheds never get a baseball through the window (though some do!). But every storage building sits out in the weather. That’s what they’re designed for. Unfortunately, sitting in the weather puts wear on a shed. Particular areas that need attention include…. Roof. Shingles wear out, so the roof will need replacing periodically. Just how often depends on the quality of the shingles and the severity of the weather in your location. But they will need replacing some time. Good quality metal roofs last considerably longer–30 years or more. Vinyl. A good quality vinyl siding will last a very long time. But it does get brittle over the years, and a rock caught by your lawnmower can put a hole in it. That’s not a huge deal, but repairing vinyl siding takes some skill and tools. Paint. Many people like the look of a painted shed, and a painted shed will need repainting. A homeowner can repaint the shed … but for some reason, it just doesn’t always seem to get off the “honey do” list. (See above about marriage maintenance!) When the roof or paint wear out, you’ll need service. Some shed companies do have dedicated service tech’s who will come out and take care of these service items for you. As you might imagine, they know sheds inside and out, and can make an efficient and professional job out of it. They have parts on hand and the tools to do the job, know what kinds of paint last well, and will repair the roof so it actually doesn’t leak or blow off in the next wind storm. An old shed of unknown origin, before it was remodeled by a dedicated Ulrich Lifestyle service technician. The same old shed with new siding, paint, doors, windows–refurbished by a dedicated Ulrich Lifestyle service technician. Great work, Andrew! Moving Believe it or not, some shed companies do not actually deliver the storage buildings they sell. And you can be certain that when you move, they won’t be moving your shed, either. We get calls every week from people trying to find someone to move their storage building for them. Be sure that you find out whether your shed retailer will be there for you when you need to move your shed. Wise Buyers Plan Ahead Granted, companies or box stores who don’t stock parts, who don’t have a qualified service technician, and who don’t move buildings–they can get you a cheaper shed. But those cheaper sheds are likely to need more maintenance, and they’ll need it sooner. And you still won’t have a dedicated service tech to help you. So before you launch into a planning a wedding or a buying a storage building, be sure to think ahead, and be sure to ask some good questions. Choose your spouse with care. Choose your shed company with care. A bit of investigation now can help you make a great decision that will save you a lot of heartache and frustration in the future. Related Posts 5 Questions To Ask Your Builder Before You Buy Your Shed How To Maintain Your Storage Shed (part 1 of 2) How To Maintain Your Storage Shed (part 2 of 2) #GettingStarted #ShedCompanies #ShedCare

Studio Shed Moves 300 Miles to Tennessee Steve Mickley couldn’t bear to leave it behind. As a master craftsman turning out specialized wood bowls he needed his tools.  And he needed his studio shed.  So when he decided to move from the Arnold Valley of Virginia to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, there was no option: the shed had to go along. The Birth of a Studio Shed Two years earlier, when Mr. Mickley of Elk Creek Studios moved into the Arnold Valley, he needed a shed to set up his studio.  He looked around.  But being a master craftsman himself, he found it hard to be content with an average shed to work his craft.  He was nearly ready to get a contractor in to build him a shed, when a brother-in-law intervened.  Mr. Mickley wasn’t convinced, but he was willing to humor him.  Here, he tells the story. (Note: Byler is now an Ulrich Lifestyle company.) A Ton of Equipment–Really! After the shed was delivered, Mr. Mickley wired, insulated, and lined it with drywall. He equipped his studio shed with the power equipment that he used to sell. It’s heavy-duty, cast-iron, top-of-the-line equipment. He estimates that the tools alone weighed 2000-3000 pounds. And that doesn’t include the wood blanks that he stored inside. It’s a lot to ask of a shed, but he couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Here, he explains. “Drag it down!” When the time came to move to Tennessee, Mr. Mickley had to figure out what he would do for a studio shed in the Smokies. He couldn’t find anything that met his expectations. He called Bylers and inquired about moving it…from Virginia to Tennessee. There was silence on the other end for a while. Finally, he was told, “That’s going to be a very expensive move!” Mr. Mickley went over what it would take to replace his studio shed. He explained to Dan, our operations manager, “There’s nothing like this on the market. Drag it down!” In the next video, Mr. Mickley tells why his studio shed had to go with him. Safely Home Mr. Mickley’s studio shed is now safely nestled in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. He’s more convinced than ever that a Byler shed is as tough as they come. In reporting how the shed fared in the move from Virginia, he said it had “not so much as a crack in the drywall that I have to repair.” Thanks, Mr. Mikley! We’re proud of Byler Barns, too. Your wood turning is truly lovely, and we wish you the best of success as you continue your artisan work. Another story for your enjoyment: Byler Barn Transformed into a Popular B&B Getaway

An Ulrich barn is not the right shed for everyone. Yes, you read right. Shocking, isn’t it? But YOU know it, and WE know it, and WE know that YOU know it–an Ulrich Barns shed isn’t the right shed for EVERYONE out there. There’s no such thing as the right shed for everyone. So since you’re already wondering whether an Ulrich Barns shed is the right shed for you, we thought we’d help you figure out who it isn’t right for. Why would we do this? Easy. It’s best for you and for us if you get the shed you need. Whether or not it comes from us. Because if you buy from us, and it’s not what you need, you won’t be satisfied with your shed. And if you’re not satisfied, there goes the long-term relationship we love to have with our clients. So let’s look at the type of client who won’t find an Ulrich shed to be a good fit. If you are looking for a temporary shed, Ulrich Barns may not be for you. We design and build our sheds to last for decades, and if you are only needing something cheap and temporary, you may want to consider a plastic shed or a shed from a box store. You may also want to consider that we have a no-obligation Rent-To-Own, that goes strictly on a month-to-month contract. It works great for people who only need a shed for a few months, such as when they need temporary storage while moving. It works great for people who have an uncertain job situation. But RTO isn’t for everyone either. If you honestly don’t care how your shed looks, an Ulrich Barn may not be for you. We’re just not all the same on this one. For some people, the look of their shed or their car just doesn’t matter. And they may be the happier for it. We design our sheds to be beautiful and well-proportioned. We have a variety of designs, from simple to schnazzy, to fit into a wide variety of backyards. But that may not matter to you–and we’re OK with that. If you are looking for a cheap shed, Ulrich Barns isn’t right for you. Let’s face it–there are a lot cheaper sheds out there, and we don’t sell a cheap line. You may be in a place where you simply don’t have the cash right now. We know your pain! We do have in-house financing options at pretty good rates, and we do have our own in-house Rent-To-Own. That spreads out your payments, but the end price will still not be cheap. Or, you may just think a shed isn’t worth spending much money on. Make sure you think through the cost of higher maintenance or early replacement of the cheaper sheds. But if for whatever reason your mantra right now is, “It’s gotta be cheap!” then we probably aren’t a great fit for you. If you live in an apartment complex, an Ulrich Barn probably isn’t right for you. Believe it or not, occasionally an apartment manager will loan tenants a small piece of the yard, and we’ve been able to put one of our small sheds in there. But often, your only storage recourse as an apartment-dweller is a self-storage unit. If you live in a super-strict HOA, you may not be allowed to have a prefab shed in your yard. Sorry–we can’t do much for you. In that case, we might suggest building a loft in your garage, or an underground storage bunker–or get on the HOA board and change the regulations. Some HOA’s will allow the shed, but are strict about it matching the house. Now there, we can help. We love customization jobs, and can usually help you find the style, shingles, and siding to match your specifications. Custom design is our specialty! We love to build the storage building you love. Related Articles 5 Questions To Ask Your Builder Before You Buy Your Shed Rent-To-Own Sheds Guide Stop Flushing Your Cash Down The Self-Storage Toilet How Much Does A Shed Cost? #GettingStarted #ShedCompanies

Asphalt Shingles: Not All the Same Quality Shingles are a super-popular shed roof. They look great, can match the house, and come in a variety of colors. But let’s face it. Some are GREAT. Some you’ll HATE. Asphalt shingles can be a pain if they are low-quality. They can curl and crack before their time. They can blow off in a wind storm. Either of these will give you a leaky roof. And a leaky roof is not only obnoxious, it will rot out your shed in no time. So if you decide on shingles for your shed roof, make sure you get shingles that will serve you well over the years. Most brands of shingles look pretty similar from the ground. But they are not all the same quality. Even within the same brand, quality may vary. And of course, there’s more to a roof than the quality of the shingles. Let’s take a look at what you need to know. 3-tab shingles don’t last as long as architectural shingles. Architectural shingles are thicker and longer-lasting. Best Asphalt Shingles: 3 Things to Look For Here are 3 things to consider for the best shingle shed roofs. Style. Find out whether the shingles are architectural or 3-tab, and whether there is a cost to upgrade to architectural. 3-tab shingles are cheaper, but typically they don’t last well as architectural shingles. And, in my very blunt opinion, 3-tabs don’t look nearly as good as architectural shingles. Installation. Installation is really important, as you would imagine. The best shingle is no better than its installation. Two things to be aware of here: Shed companies have to haul their sheds over the road. That means the shingle roof will encounter high winds, to the tune of 50-70 mph depending on the speed of the delivery driver. That’s a lot of wind, similar to a major windstorm, and shingles want to blow off. Some companies will actually staple down the exposed part of the shingles all along the leading edge of the roof so that they won’t blow off going down the road. But the staples or nails fastening the shingles should be hidden. If they’re not hidden from your eye, they’re not hidden from the rain. And rain rusts. We’ve had to go back and fix some sheds, because the exposed staples rusted through. (So we learned this one the hard way. We’ve never built sheds this way, but we did purchase and sell some that were not made to our specs. We went back and did warranty work to a lot of sheds. You can bet that installation method got changed!) Some people make a big deal of nails vs. staples, and claim that nails are much better. We use staples, and have for many years. We do our own warranty work, and have never had any problems with staples. We have found them to be fully as effective as nails. Warranty. This one is complex. Shingle warranties have vast amounts of fine print. And the numbers don’t all mean the same thing. But generally, a shingle warranty will tell you roughly the quality of the shingle. It usually won’t tell you how long the shingles will actually last. Here are examples of the warranty of the shingles we use, made by IKO. On our architectural shingles (which is the only shingle we use), IKO has an “Ironclad” warranty of 15 years. Here’s how they explain it: “This means that IKO will supply replacement Shingles similar to those already on the roof, plus a reasonable allowance for the cost of applying the new Shingles.” We’ve had no trouble with these shingles, and we think they have a good chance of actually lasting 15 years. BUT–hang on to your hat–that same shingle has a “Limited Lifetime Warranty.” Whoa! You probably hope that your lifetime is more than 15 years. What’s going on? Basically what this means is that beyond the Ironclad Warranty, IKO will pro-rate the cost of replacing the roof. To put it simply, beyond 15 years, they will pay for less of roof replacement as the years go by. Eventually they will pay for nothing. So “Limited Lifetime Warranty” really does mean “limited.” Obviously, shingle shed roofs can be replaced. And it’s not even terrifically expensive. That being said, I’d rather my roof would last a long time, and I bet you would too. Do a bit of homework, and you can make sure you are getting a shingle shed roof that will serve you well for many years. Charming Garden Cottage with architectural shingles Related Articles Metal Roofing PROS and CONS Metal Shed Roofs–3 Differences Between the BEST and the REST #Quality #Options

Cynthia Armstrong is a long time Ulrich customer. Cynthia’s home was in Arlington, but she wanted a place in the country. She purchased land in rural Alvarado, but she still had a problem. How could she get a large home without getting a mortgage? In 2011 while working in Afghanistan, she was praying about it. “God told me, ‘Check Ulrich,’ ” says Cynthia. So she did. Together with the Ulrich rep, she formed a plan. She decided to buy four 16×52 cabin shells from Ulrich. She designed the layout to form a giant “C”. After all, her name is Cynthia! Two of the cabin shells were positioned side by side, while the other two formed the ends. The cabin shells were then modified to make a large unified space, equalling well over 3000 sq ft. After Cynthia finished paying off the cabins in January 2014, she began work on the interior. Plumbing, electrical, and drywall went in as funds allowed. Rather than spending big bucks on hardwood flooring, she opted to simply stain and seal the plywood floor herself. She’s not quite finished with the project, but she’s getting pretty close. Nice job, Cynthia! We wish you many happy years in your special home! Brought to you by UlrichBarns.com #Cynthia

“They were really good,” says Margaret Murray and Margaret McCollum wanted a combination pool house and workshop area for their backyard. The poolhouse is especially for when their grandkids visit from Georgia. The McCollums are very happy with their building. “I think it’s going to turn out really nicely,” says Margaret. The interior still needs to be completed. To the left as you walk in the front door will be Margaret’s workshop space and to the right will be the changing area and RV style restroom. The middle area will be for the kitchen. The interior will be finished with reclaimed pallet lumber, painted with multiple “washed” colors. Margaret plans to make signs, gameboards, and things that utilize her router in the workshop. The workshop will also double as a potting shed, with a generous amount of natural light. Murray was planning to keep his tools in the building as well, but they decided the 14×40 building would become too crowded. Murray is considering a second Ulrich building for his tools. The McCollums were impressed with the crew that came to build their building. “They were really good,” says Margaret. The McCollums have been recommending Ulrich to their friends. Congratulations Margaret and Murray on your beautiful building. Have fun with the grandkids! Brought to you by UlrichBarns.com

He worked with Ulrich rep Steven Lockwood to design a unique loft for his barn Jason and Janice Thomas moved into their newly remodeled home this past summer. Jason got to experience farm life as a child, so he wanted to his kids to be able to enjoy a little of that as well. They decided to get some goats, but they needed a place to shelter the goats, as well as a place to store hay. When Jason was shopping online, he was afraid that an experienced company like Ulrich wouldn’t allow him to customize his building. He found just the opposite. He worked with Ulrich rep Steven Lockwood to design a unique loft for his barn. A standard loft would have one opening in the center of the building. In this case, Jason wanted the barn divided into two sections with a dividing wall separating the goat pen from the storage area. The loft has an opening above both sections. That way, hay can be put into the loft from the storage side, and then accessed from the goat pen during chore time. Because the property has a lot of slope to it, Ulrich also built special ramps to accommodate the extra height. Congrats, Jason, on a terrific barn! Pictured below: Jason Thomas with his children Parc (10), Preslea (10), and Jack (6) Brought to you by UlrichBarns.com

Using the mobile museum concept, Nichols takes framed pictures with narratives directly to schools, mostly in the Dallas ISD. “Sometimes you have to know the past in order to know where to go in the future.” That’s what Roosevelt Nichols says. He feels it’s important for people, especially African Americans, to know their historical roots. One of Nichols’ projects is educating school children about African American history. Using the mobile museum concept, Nichols takes framed pictures with narratives directly to schools, mostly in the Dallas ISD. With over 600 displays in his collection, Nichols needed space to store them. Nichols worked with Ronnie Galbreath and Gene Jett at our Cleburne location. He decided to purchase a 12×24 Byler with the electrical package. After the building was delivered, he added shelving to fit his displays. Nichols is planning to purchase another Ulrich building in order to double his storage space. Nichols also chairs the Lancaster Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation. The annual MLK parade in Lancaster is scheduled for January 16. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson will be the guest speaker. You can see more details at lancastermlk.org. Pictured below L to R: Quinnie Wright-Nichols and Roosevelt Nichols. Brought to you by UlrichBarns.com

God never gave us more than what we could handle,” says Gloria, “we just kept a hold of his promise. When Ayla was born, her parents thought she was a normal, healthy baby. At 3 weeks, when she struggled to breath, they realized something was seriously wrong. Ayla was diagnosed with atrioventricular canal defect, a serious but treatable heart condition. The initial hospital stay lasted over 3 months. Fortunately, she was able to get the needed surgery in time, but life hasn’t been easy. She’s had numerous complications, requiring a total of 5 heart related surgeries. Despite it all, Ayla (age 7) is extremely friendly, and makes a big impression everywhere she goes. It certainly hasn’t been easy for her parents Larry and Gloria, either. “God never gave us more than what we could handle,” says Gloria, “we just kept a hold of his promise.” Up Next: Ayla Gets a Playhouse Pictured L to R: Lundy Family: Gloria, Liam, Ayla, and Larry. Make a Wish: Robyn Wilson After Make a Wish of North Texas contacted Larry and Gloria Lundy, they deliberated awhile with Ayla about which “wish” to make. Eventually they settled on the Ulrich playhouse. The Lundys didn’t realize how spacious the playhouse would be. “The attention to details was really neat,” says Larry. “We were just in awe.” And how does Ayla feel about it? “She loves it to death,” says Larry. “Ayla was screaming the moment she saw it, turning around the corner, she was like so excited,” says Gloria. Ayla, we wish you many happy years of playhouse fun!

Most people think about buying a storage building because they have a lawn mower that needs a home, or because their garage no longer houses even the front end of their car, or because they have more children than bedrooms and two kids is just too much personality for one bedroom. (True story, and much less cruel than it sounds. I grew up in an Ulrich Lifestyle building.) She Shed Trend But a new trend for storage building use is the “she shed,” the clean and beautiful version of a man cave. These she sheds can be used for a variety of things; the general idea is that the shed is a getaway or private space, a place for things that you don’t have room to properly enjoy in your house, a shed for projects you just can’t do with twenty helpful sticky little fingers involved, or a space for that elusive five minutes of peace and quiet. Maybe your craft space is the dining room table, and more often than not your half-finished DIY Mason jar soap dispenser has to give up its place to bowls and spoons and spaghetti before you ever get to the gluing part. Maybe you sit down to read a book, and before you can get through a paragraph of the novel you’ve been waiting a month to read it is speedily replaced with a well-worn copy of Green Eggs and Ham. Maybe you used to play trombone, and now your only free time is during nap time, and everyone knows sleeping babies and trombones just don’t mix. Maybe you need your own adult coloring book (love this one or this one) and your own colored pencils, all in one piece and all sharpened to a fine point and a place where you can color the whole picture, all by yourself, no help. Maybe you work from home and your “professional” business calls are always peppered with “Moooooom! Mama, Mom, Mommy, Mooooom” in six different tones and volumes. Maybe you just need a place of quiet and retreat, a place where you can go and leave behind your to-do list and your constantly buzzing phone and your never-ending obligations, even for just a few minutes. A she shed can be the place that solves any of these problems, or it can be whatever you need it to be: an office; a craft room; an extra couch or daybed for some serious napping; a room with a comfy chair and a fireplace and a secret stash of chocolate bars and a stack of books you’ve been wanting to read for years ; a table and circle of chairs and mini-fridge for some long-overdue catch up time with old friends. And the best part? Your she shed is YOUR space, and you can decorate it just like you want. No catering to your husband’s trophy deer head or the massive pig head cookie jar your grandmother sent you last year. This she shed is yours; how it looks, how it functions is up to you. The options are endless; the decisions all yours.

At Ulrich Garages our team has over 20 years experience in construction of Garages, Custom Buildings and Horse Barns. With an amazing team and an amazing determination to be the absolute best in the industry we know that your experience here at Ulrich Garages will be one of absolute excellence and will enhance your experience for a lifetime. We are dedicated to building a product that will serve you and your family for generations! The way we see it here at Ulrich Garages there is only one way for us to treat our clients – “Do unto others as you would have them do to you” – so we strive to bring excellence into every part of the process of your experience with us! Choose Ulrich Garages today for your next Garage or Horse Barn project and you will not be disappointed! Here at Ulrich Garages we wish to thank you for considering us for your next Home or Ranch improvement and as always we welcome your feedback! Ulrich Garages is a division of Ulrich Lifestyle, LLC.