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Overall I am happy with the shed. There are some really good things about it, plus a few things I was disappointed in. First, the good things that stood out:
- the 2x4 spruce European grade lumber was impressive. Very straight, no warping. European grade lumber is definately better than US grade, I'm glad Best Barns uses European grade.
- I didn't have to modify any of the pre-cut boards, siding, etc. Everything was cut to the correct length/angle.
- the directions were easy to follow for someone who isn't an experienced carpenter
- the siding and trim pieces are all pre-primed, so they just need a final coat of paint.
Here are the things I was disappointed in:
- incomplete hardware. I was missing a box of nails and the plywood clips. Not a huge deal as Best Barns is happy to reimburse you the cost for these items, but still this was missed in the final inspection of the kit.
- one of the 4x8 sheets of OSB for the roof is used as a platform at the bottom of the kit, for everything else to sit upon during shipping. This was in rough shape, edges had big gouges and it was starting to delaminate at the edges. I couldn't use this sheet, so had to purchase another. Best Barns should really not be using this bottom sheet as part of the kit.
- a couple of the trim pieces had fairly large gouges on both sides. I ended up using them because one corner of my shed is hidden from view so it won't be noticeable. But if that wasn't the case I would not have used them.
- 24" truss and stud spacing (instead of standard 16"). I understand it's a cost savings and that is one reason why the kit is so reasonably priced. Still.. 16" spacing (especially on roof trusses) is better/sturdier.
Some tips if you buy this shed:
- Inspect the kit carefully when it arrives, take apart the sides and inspect all of the edges of the larger pieces of sheets/siding.
- make sure your floor is square!
- caulk all seams around trim pieces and pay attention to bottom of trim pieces as it is just bare wood, and will need priming.
- make sure your Truss template is set up properly per instructions, to ensure you put together each truss exactly the same. I had a couple trusses that didn't exactly match the others, and when they were installed, peaks didn't line up at the same height, which causes a large bow in the roof, which was more pronounced due to the 24" span between trusses.
Overall I'm happy with the shed and you really can't beat the price. I would recommend these kits to others.
Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!] |
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