5 Features of Quality Storage Sheds in Texas

Texas weather is Texas strong. Severe thunderstorms, strong winds, intense summer heat, and occasional flooding are all part of the Texas climate. This climate combination can be tough on structures and other items.

Storage sheds are no exception. Not all sheds are built Texas tough. If you are buying storage sheds in Texas and want a long-term investment, there are some specific features that you need to pay special attention to when shopping for your shed.

Here at Lone Star Structures, we have been building storage sheds for over 20 years. Since we started, we have always been eager to discover better ways to extend the life of our Texas sheds. As you shop for storage sheds in Texas, here is our advice on what you should look for in a shed if you want it to last a long time.

Structural Integrity

Your building can only last as long as its skeleton (frame) can last. A shed may look beautiful on the outside, but if the structure holding it up is cheaply made, that beauty will not be beautiful for long. Pay close attention to the details of a shed’s frame. Here are a few quality framing features that we have implemented at Lone Star Structures to ensure that our buildings last for many years.

• Frame laid out in 16” on-center increments.

  We lay out our building frames all from one end so that the floor boards, the studs and the trusses are all lined up. This increases the durability of a structure and allows for heavier weight bearing capacity.

• Double, overlapping top plates

  Our top wall plates are double-plated and overlapped in the corners to provide a more durable structure and a better base on which to set the roof trusses.

• High quality framing lumber

  We are picky about the lumber we use for our wall studs and roof trusses. You won’t find many bark edges or other defects in our framing lumber. High quality lumber is beneficial in constructing a high quality shed frame.

Heavy-Duty

This one is closely related to structural integrity. Usually a storage shed with a solid frame will be a heavy-duty shed. Here in Texas, you don’t want a lightweight shed. Light material means a lightweight building that will only last in light winds. We all know Texas storms often have more than light winds.

For a shed to stand a chance against Texas weather, you will want to ensure that real lumber, heavy duty floor and roof sheeting, and quality siding material is used on the shed.

Sturdy Roof Material

Not all roofing shingles and roofing metals are created equals. There are various styles and quality grades of both shingles and metal. Roofing material is one area that shed companies can easily go cheap on if they are trying to reduce their pricing. Cheap metal and shingles look good initially, so it is easy to hide. Be sure to ask about the warranty and quality of roof materials when you are buying storage sheds in Texas.

We have found that it is worth it to use premium architectural shingles rather than the traditional 3-tab shingles. Architectural shingles hold up better in high winds and have a longer lifespan. Our shingled roofs come standard with Architectural shingles.

For metal, you’ll want to find out what gauge of metal is used for roof material. The higher the gauge, the stronger the metal. We use a 26-gauge metal with a 40-year warranty on our storage sheds with metal roofs.

A strong, long-lasting roof material will protect your shed structure from deterioration by keeping the frame protected and dry.

Built for the Heat

Texas is hot! A lot of exposure to heat takes a toll on storage sheds and items inside them. Heat expands things and over time this constant contraction and expansion can the materials that your shed is made of. One important thing to help with heat problems is to ensure that your storage shed is vented on both ends. Air vents allow for air flow and keep the heat from becoming so trapped inside your shed.

Another option that we offer at Lone Star is upgrading to a roof sheeting that has a reflective heat barrier on it. This significantly reduces the interior temperature of a building in direct sunlight by bouncing the heat off the roof rather than absorbing it through the roof.

Of course, if you really want to keep your shed cool, you can always finish it out with insulation and electricity. This will make so you can run air-conditioning inside your shed.

Tough Siding and Paint

Your shed’s siding and paint are the final features that are important to a long-lasting storage shed in Texas. A cheap siding weakens the frame of a building and is more likely to get damaged and allow moisture inside your shed. We use a 3/8” LP SmartSide Wood Panel siding for our storage sheds. This premium siding comes with a 50-year warranty and is sure to hold up for many years.

A good wood panel siding requires a good quality paint also. Paint adds another layer of weather protection and helps keep your building beautiful. Make sure your shed builder uses a high-quality paint that will hold up for many years without chipping and peeling.

These are some of the important features we have discovered over the years for keeping Storage sheds in Texas strong, long-lasting, and beautiful. Make sure to ask about these things next time you are looking for a Texas storage shed.