Whether you’re building a garden shed or a storage shed, choosing the right location for your shed is essential. There’s no single best shed location, and shed placement depends on a number of different factors.
This article is designed for people living on the Canadian Prairies—lots of sun in the summer, brutally cold in the winter. We’re going to help you choose the right shed location for our climate and for your needs—read on!
The Purpose of a Shed
Before determining the placement of your shed, it’s important to consider its purpose. Our sheds are used for far more than just storage. They can be used as:
- Workshops
- Chicken coops
- Gardening/potting sheds
- Playhouses
- Hobby sheds
- Car storage
- Greenhouses
- And more
The particular use of your shed will be an important factor when determining its orientation, its appearance, how its organized, the amount of natural light you’ll want to let into the shed, its security features, and more.
Choosing Your Storage Shed Location—Factors To Consider
Your Foundation
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing where to build your shed’s foundation. Think about:
- Utilities like power lines, gas lines, plumbing, and septic tanks
- Landscaping, like shrubs, low-hanging branches, and rocks
- The need for level ground
- Building higher, rather than lower, to avoid drainage issues
We strongly recommend using a flat gravel foundation—it’s one of the most economical foundations and performs wonderfully in most places here in Manitoba. We’ve created an entire guide to foundation preparation to help you build the perfect pad for your shed.
The Purpose of Your Shed
Our sheds have several different purposes—let’s delve a bit deeper into how the purpose of your shed might affect its placement:
A greenhouse needs a lot of light. Here in Manitoba, a north-south ridge orientation will help your greenhouse get even sunlight from spring to fall. Avoid building your greenhouse under any tall trees, and construct it in a place that’s easily accessible.
A warehouse should be easy to access, too—but you might want to build it further from your home, especially if there’s no acoustic insulation. You may want to work on projects early in the morning or late at night—something your family might not appreciate if you’re too close to the house.
Car storage will need to be built in an area that’s easily accessible by your vehicles. You should consider putting it near your driveway and in a wide open space that’s easy to maneuver your vehicles in and out of. Other concerns, like light exposure, are less relevant.
Chicken coops should be placed in an area that’s large enough for you to build a chicken run. A large chicken run with lots of space and decent fencing will lead to you enjoying more fresh eggs—one of the best things you can have for breakfast here in Manitoba! Get a little farmer’s sausage to go along with them, and you’ll be one happy camper.
Gardening and potting sheds should be located close to your garden—ideally, they should get ample light, especially if you’re growing seedlings in your potting shed. A bit of tree cover isn’t a bad idea here, especially if you’re looking for a shady place to relax after gardening—a mix of light and dark can serve you well.
Hobby sheds, playhouses, and similar sheds should be built close to home—accessibility is key, especially for children’s playhouses. The easier it is to get to your shed, the more you’ll use it!
Shed Accessibility
Want to find the perfect location for your shed? You’ll need to pick a spot that’s easily accessible—but that doesn’t always mean close to home.
A backyard shed or garden shed can give you a home away from home—a place to relax and have fun while pursuing meaningful hobbies. We recommend building these types of sheds far enough in the backyard to give yourself some space away from daily foot traffic but build them along an easy-to-walk path.
You may need access to your shed in the winter; if that’s the case, place it a reasonable distance away from your home. These are the Prairies, after all—you may be walking to your shed when it’s -50° with the wind chill.
You may want to make your shed wheelchair accessible—call us if you need help to improve the accessibility of your shed. We design custom storage sheds! We can design your shed with convenient access points to make it easier to enter and exit.
To make it easier to install your shed, make sure there’s a generous path leading from your driveway to the location you want your shed installed—clear the area of obstructions, and let the installers know about any tree stumps, rocks, or other obstacles.
Your Shed’s Appearance
A good shed is going to add to your property’s overall value—and our sheds are designed to last for decades. When choosing a location for your shed, consider making it visible from the front of your home—this can boost curb appeal.
You should also consider using landscaping techniques to highlight your shed. Build a path leading to your shed, add rocks, flower beds, and other features near your shed, or install solar garden lights on the shed and down a path leading to it. This has the advantage of adding curb appeal and making your shed more accessible.
Light Exposure
All sheds are exposed to sunlight to a certain degree—how much light you want depends heavily on how your shed will be used.
Chicken coops should generally be kept under tall trees—the shade will offer the chickens some protection from the head. The chicken run should also have shaded areas.
Storage sheds and workshops are often best in the shade as well. Your workshop may get quite hot in the summertime if you don’t have some shade; it can be pretty uncomfortable to work in that much heat. The equipment and materials you keep in your storage shed might be heat sensitive—giving them some shade can prolong their lifespans.
As we’ve discussed, it’s best to keep greenhouses out of the shade, while potting or gardening sheds often benefit from some shade and some direct sunlight.
Security
While keeping your shed visible from the street may improve curb appeal, it may also encourage unwanted visitors—if you’re worried about vandals or burglars, consider positioning your shed away from prying eyes.
Our sheds come with locking door handles—motion detector lights can also be used for added protection.
You’ll also want to keep your bank account secure by avoiding any by-law violations. Take a look at your municipality’s zoning laws regarding sheds. In Manitoba, zoning laws for sheds differ widely between municipalities—here are Brandon’s and Winnipeg’s shed zoning laws to give you an idea.
Ideal Ground Conditions for Your Shed
Build your shed on dry, high ground—and make sure to level the ground you’re building your foundation on. The less sloped, the better. Read our pad preparation guide for more details.
Start Building Your Perfect Shed With Horizon Storage Sheds
With custom sheds and expert advice, we can build the best shed for your needs in the location of your choosing—backyard or front, in the shade or in the sun. Give us a call, and build your shed with Horizon Storage Sheds today!