Rating: 
Summary: worth the money
Review: i bought this book while we were talking about building a shed and arguing kit vs from scratch. after reading the book we decided we could do it. my husband has few carpentry skills, and it has been 15 yrs since i lived on a farm doing this sort of stuff.
as someone else said, watch out for the typos. on his list of supplies, the floor section doesn't list cca wood for the joists, yet he says to use cca wood. fortunatly we caught that before we started. however we will need more 10d common nails, what he lists isn't going to be enough. he has lists of nails, but doesn't always tell you what kind of nails to use, i guess he assumes you know.
we keep the book outside with us as we work, and as of this writing we have a floor, and 4 wall frames. the construction is moving rather quickly. the diagrams are very well done and the measurements very helpful. the actual directions are sometime unclear because he tells you to do something then a few paragraphs later adds other information.
we have made a few adjustments, like we are using plywood sides instead of shiplapped board. we will put in a 4 ft. double door instead of the 3ft he uses. we are not putting in windows.
i would say this this book is worth the money because i think that when we are finished, we will have a well built wood shed that will last a long time.
Rating:
Summary: used this book to build my first shed
Review: I built the basic 8 x 10 shed with some modifications found elsewhere in the chapters. Mostly, I found the book to be very good, but once in a while it left me hanging by giving what seemed to be enough detail until well into some part and discovering something missing. Also, beware the typos! Cost me at least one extra trip to the lumber yard, ending one day's work early.
Rating:
Summary: Build Your Own
Review: I first read Sheds in the local public library. It was fun just to read because I was interested in construction and I could understand how each part of the construction fit together with the others. When it came time for me to actually build a shed, I tried to find the library's copy, but I couldn't locate it, so I ended up buying it. I was glad I did. I found out that the book had been revised and expanded.I've used this book exclusively to build my shed. I took it out to the site and kept referring to it during construction. It even inadvertently spent a few nights in the uncompleted shed. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. There are materials lists for most sheds right down to how many pounds of nails you will need. I could go the local building supply place and ask for what I needed in an intelligent way. By the end of my project, the supply people knew me by name! Be careful about the chapter called "More Basic Sheds." Things were going along as planned with my shed construction until I decided to alter my original design by using hints from this chapter. I say hints because that's all this chapter is. But it all worked out in the end and now I have an 8 x 10 shed with an extended overhang on one side and windows all across the back.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard work but every moment had its reward.
Review: New York has its Tin Pan Alley and the south, where I live, is Tin Shed Valley. Thank the Lord that the Stiles' came along with this wonderfully planned and detailed and inspirational how-to manual for a WOODEN shed, in our case, an Irish shed, a graceful and characterful shed, which my daughter and her room-mate, my two sons, and I (not quite a carpentry illiterate, but certainly not a master builder) were able to develop into a room of our own. A labor of love for sure, but also a search for the basics --shake here, brick there, ship lap lumber where? And in an area with "Locust Park" and "Locust Grove", where, oh where, is the locust? We found it! Lots of others helped us, some of them have left town rather than look at our pictures, but we know where they are. Great to have info about the book on Amazon--I had to send to Canada for copies and it was worth it, but this is simpler. Now I am plotting our next building, and loving the thought. Thanks, Stiles! Please keeep inspiring us with your ideas of beauty and grace--and utility.
Rating:
Summary: Definitive Guide To Shed Building
Review: Out of all the shed books I have read, this book stays by my side while I hammer in the yard. The book is well written by what appears to be a non professional book writer (A Good Thing). It reads as if you are getting advise in laymans terms from your neighbor "The Craftsman", a welcome change from the DIY books, that assume a level of expertese. The level of detail is high and discusses gotcha's, advise, and trade "secrets" that could have only come from years of personal experience building sheds.
Every aspect of shed building for the DIY'er is covered from different types of foundations and how they work, to different types of structure building such as stick, or mortise joint traditional. Options for each step are thoroughly discussed and weighed, such as type of shingles, types of siding, types of lumber, and even types of style.
All this information before you get to the shed designs, so when your browsing the designs you can apply the knowledge against them. The author included several basic designs, all with thorough enough plans and documentation, which you can use right away to start building. These designs can be combined, or modified easily to suit your needs. The author even includes color pictures of existing sheds, that can be built all using the basic principals from previous chapters.
If your the handy DIY'er that has tackled a few home remodeling projects, this is your book. If you just have a few basic carpentry skills and are not affraid of using a circular saw, and miter saw, then this book is for you. Don't know the difference between a cripple stud and a top plate? Don't worry, this book will teach you.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Way To Learn The Basics Of Shed Building
Review: This book has been a valuable tool in my understanding of the art of shed building. All of the elements that go into building a shed are discussed and diagramed in great detail. The old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is this books motto. Stiles' intricate detail takes all the guess work out of figuring out all of the necessary elements that go into building a shed. He starts by showing you the very basics and then goes into more detailed and complicated sheds. I've had this book roughly one month and I've read it cover to cover twice. I also read bits and pieces and study the pictures and diagrams at least every other day for a few minutes. I now feel ready to begin construction of my dream shed...
Rating:
Summary: Probably the best book on building sheds
Review: This book has the information you need to design and build your own ideal backyard shed. In fact, it serves as a great primer for any construction project. It covers planning, designing, permits, materials and construction methods. Stiles will guide you through the process, step-by-step, from the paper plan to hanging up your tools - in the shed you built! There are hundreds of great illustrations and projects you can try: a Victorian garden shed, cupolas, a Japanese boat shed, trash and recycling sheds, woodsheds, a pool pavilion and many more.
Rating:
Summary: A great help and great read
Review: This book was great, fun to read too. It gave plenty of ideas and advice. It wasn't the only book I used when building my shed but, certainly was the one I used the most. I recommend this book for anyone who's never built a shed before.
Rating:
Summary: Great plans but wish there were more of them.
Review: We bought this book for ideas to help us build a shed in our own back yard, and chose it because of the "natural" looking shed on the cover. The ideas are wonderful, and the plans and pictures are clear.
The details and descriptions of building techniques are helpful. My husband is an experienced builder and was looking for more variety in the plans than the book actually held.
It is exactly what the title states, a do it yourself guide, not a plan book. Ultimately, we chose a plan from another book.
I would highly recommend this book though to someone who has less building experience and is looking for a more basic to moderate, unique shed to build for themselves.
Rating:
Summary: A great help and great read
Review: We bought this book for ideas to help us build a shed in our own back yard, and chose it because of the "natural" looking shed on the cover. The ideas are wonderful, and the plans and pictures are clear.
The details and descriptions of building techniques are helpful. My husband is an experienced builder and was looking for more variety in the plans than the book actually held.
It is exactly what the title states, a do it yourself guide, not a plan book. Ultimately, we chose a plan from another book.
I would highly recommend this book though to someone who has less building experience and is looking for a more basic to moderate, unique shed to build for themselves.
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