Whether you build your shed, or order a pre-built one, you may be wondering if you’ll need to anchor your shed. After all, you don’t want all that money that you’ve invested blowing away!
Is it strongly recommended to anchor your shed. Taking the time to anchor your shed when you install it will save you the disaster it will cause if it takes flight during a windstorm. You can anchor a shed in a variety of ways, but doing so will give you peace of mind and keep you and your family safe. Also, many homeowner associations, as well as the city/county permitting office will require it be anchored.
In this article we explain the reasons why you should anchor your shed as well as what you need to do to anchor your shed properly.
Do I Need to Anchor my Shed
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Many subdivisions have specific rules and regulations that should always be checked before building and anchoring your shed down. The rules will vary from county to county, so always make sure to call your local office to see if you need a permit to even have a shed.
Securely anchoring your shed to the ground will provide you with many benefits including, but not limited to the following.
Peace of Mind
Anchoring your shed to the ground will keep you having to worry about what would happen if a fluke thunderstorm pops up. With the added peace of mind, spending the extra money to anchor your shed is absolutely worth the investment.
Stability
Many people store machinery or valuables within their shed so having extra stability will keep everything inside protected. With added stability, you can be confident that when a thunderstorm blows through, everything inside will be safe.
Safety
Anchoring your shed will add safety to your backyard. A shed that is lifted into the air during a storm can be incredibly dangerous. We all have seen sheds lifted and thrown to various places in tornadoes, as well as high wind events. It is absolutely crucial to anchor your shed to keep you, your family, and your neighbors safe.
Minimizes Damage
With your shed securely attached to the ground, you minimize the amount of damage it could cause. A shed taken into the air by wind can destroy homes and easily injure people. Also, if it becomes an insurance issue and you didn’t properly tie down your shed, you could face more problems.
Why Should I Anchor my Shed To the Ground
On most days, your shed probably won’t cross your mind throughout the day because it is heavy and looks fairly stable. The random windstorms and weather should be the reason you take the plunge and anchor your shed. In the case of a storm and high winds, you usually have very little to no warning. If you don’t anchor your shed, when the weather comes, you could be scrambling outside to try and figure out how to secure it properly, putting yourself in danger.
There are various reasons that you should keep in mind when deciding whether or not to anchor your shed to the ground. Installing a shed in your backyard is a great idea, but anchoring your shed is a decision you should make sooner rather than later.
Freezing Temperatures
One weather event many people do not think about is freezing temperatures. Your shed can easily shift and move as the water gets under and freezes. When the water freezes, it will expand, and then as it thaws, your shed could shift.
Anchoring your shed to the ground will minimize the chance of your shed moving from freezing and thawing water in or around your shed.
Thunderstorms
Heavy rain can be incredibly powerful, and if your shed is not secured well, it may cause your shed to move. Securing your shed will give you peace of mind that if a storm comes out of nowhere, you won’t have to worry about your shed moving and causing damage.
High Winds
High winds can absolutely move a shed that is not anchored to the ground. Taking the necessary steps to secure your shed to the ground will keep you and everyone around you safe. A shed that is not anchored can easily fly into the air and cause extensive damage wherever it goes.
Besides wind and other weather having the ability to pick up your shed and move it dangerously somewhere else there are other reasons you should think about anchoring your shed. Typically, if your shed moves even just a little bit, it can shift your doors and cause overall issues for your shed. That means it will be hard to open and close your doors, among other things.
How Do I Anchor my Shed To the Ground
Many times people have no idea how to anchor their shed to the ground to make it safe. Anchoring your shed to the ground takes some time and energy but is far better than the damage a loose shed can cause.
Typically, the area below where you want the shed is cast with concrete. Once the concrete foundation is laid, you can then add your shed and bolt it securely to the concrete below. Another option you have is to create concrete pillars on the four corners of your shed. No matter what you choose, both involve heavy-duty concrete and the appropriate anchors.
Something you should keep in mind when choosing a location for your shed is that once you lay your concrete base you are stuck with it, so choose wisely. Think about how close you are to nearby fences and where the best place is for your shed for the long run.
You and your family will need to create a concrete base, or simply hire someone to do it for you. Creating a secure and sturdy concrete base takes a lot of time and energy, so understanding the appropriate steps is crucial. Cutting corners and not following the steps properly can be detrimental to your shed and cause issues later.
There are a variety of anchors that you can choose from. Explaining what you need to a hardware store employee will help narrow down what is best for your area and the type of shed you have. When installing anchor bolts to a concrete foundation you will simply add them before the concrete cures to give them a solid foundation.
Conclusion
A new shed is a great addition to your backyard space because it provides you plenty of storage to keep things easily accessible but also out of eyesight. Before installing a shed, you should always check with your local office to make sure you don’t need any permits to do so legally.
Once you have a shed, people often wonder if they have to anchor the shed to the ground. In some counties, it is required to have your shed anchored securely. In other areas, it may not be required, although it is strongly recommended to always anchor your shed down.
There are various reasons why you should anchor your shed down, but overall the main reason is for safety. The last thing you want to happen is to have your shed catch air in a windstorm and cause damage throughout the neighborhood. Securing your shed to the ground is a great way to establish a strong foundation and also erase any worry that may come with a random windstorm.
Besides wind storms, securing your shed to the ground will provide stability against strong thunderstorms and even freezing weather. By taking the extra time to anchor your shed, you instill strength and stability in your backyard shed while also creating a safe outdoor space no matter the weather.
