Almost nobody plans a shed for the person they will be in fifteen years. It is worth five minutes of thought, because the changes cost very little at order time and are expensive or impossible later.
Ramp slope is the big one
A shed floor sits several inches above grade on skids and a pad. The steeper the ramp, the harder everything is: pushing a mower up it, rolling a wheelbarrow, walking it in wet weather, and using it at all if a walker or a wheelchair ever enters the picture. Aim for a gentle slope, which for a typical floor height means a ramp four to six feet long rather than the short steep one that usually comes standard. Order it with the building; adding it later almost always produces a worse angle.
Add a non-slip surface. A wet wooden ramp in a Kentucky January is genuinely dangerous.
Door width
Thirty-six inches is the practical minimum for a walk door and it is worth insisting on. Double doors are better still, because they let you get bulky things through without turning them. If a wheelchair or walker matters now or might later, 36 inches with a low threshold is the target.
Put the light where you need it
Eyes need more light as they age, and a shed with one small window is dim at noon. Add windows on the wall you will work at, and if the building will get real use, add electrical. Our finish-out packages include electrical, flooring and wall coverings, so you get switched overhead light and outlets rather than a flashlight in your teeth. A motion light on the outside approach is worth adding at the same time.
Shelf heights
Keep everything you use weekly between knee and shoulder height. Nothing heavy above shoulder height, ever. Use 12 inch shelves up high for light things you can see at a glance and deeper shelves down low where you can reach in. If you want a loft, plan real steps rather than a ladder, or accept that the loft is for things you touch once a year.
Placement matters more than any of this
A building fifty feet across a sloped lawn is a building you will stop walking to. Put it near the drive or on the flattest route from the house, and consider a short gravel or paved path so the trip is not across wet grass. This is the decision that determines whether the building gets used in ten years.
The floor and the pad
A level, well drained gravel pad about a foot larger than the building on all sides keeps the building level, which keeps the door working and the ramp sitting right. Our AdvanTech flooring carries a lifetime warranty and stays firm underfoot, which matters more than people think.
Cost and coverage
Sizes 6×8 to 16×60, starting at $1,900 for a C+ Utility 6×8 and $2,762 for a Cardinal Utility 8×8. Every building carries our 10 year guarantee against storm damage, settling and craftsmanship, plus a 50 year LP SmartSide warranty, with claims handled by us. Rent-to-own has no credit check, 24 to 60 months, from $75.44 a month, first two months down, no early payoff fee.
Get Started on Your Scottsville Building
You do not have to drive to a lot to get moving. Use our 3D Shed Builder to pick your size, siding, colors, doors, windows and add-ons and see the building take shape on screen. When it looks right, send it to us and we will confirm pricing and a delivery date for Scottsville.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our main office at 618-518-5578. We will walk you through building styles, custom options and rent-to-own and financing, and answer anything on our FAQ page. You can also see what we serve nearby on our location page.
