Now that I’ve had my shed for two years now, I feel confident in circling back around to review it. I bought my shed way back in fall of 2017 for two reasons – to house some yearlings while I constructed a more permenant structure for them, and then to house farm equipment and hay.
I was very excited about having more storage space. There’s never enough storage space on a farm. Between horse supplies, farm supplies, farm equipment, and hay, space goes fast. Storing hay is especially nerve racking. You can almost never have enough hay. The thought of running out is terrifying, as is the thought of having to pay premium hay prices in the winter. You have to stock up as much as possible before winter comes and there’s never enough room for all the hay I want. Even now, with my structure I don’t feel like I have enough room to store hay. But that’s not the point of this review, more of a side note. Get as much storage as possible on a farm.
Rewind to fall 2017, when I was trying to figure out a solution to the my storage problems. I knew people who had purchased sheds like this before, and had heard it was a simple process. The buyer prepares the spot on the property, the company plops down the shed. Seemed simple enough. There are very few level spots on my property but I’ve leveled things before and it didn’t bother me.
While googling, I found carport.com. The website is run by a company called Elephant Structures. Their website features a web application that allows you to select the dimensions and options for your building, and gives you an instant price. One thing I’ve hated about shopping for any kind of building is the “Contact us for your quote!” I just move on. I don’t want to deal with a wait, nor a pushy salesperson. So seeing the price instantly was great. I even played with it a bit to see what kind of structures I could build – a huge indoor, giant barn, etc. For only $100,000+ all my barn dreams could come true!
It was a little nerve racking plopping down the deposit and hitting the order button. Like, how weird is it to order a building online? Pretty weird, I’d say!
Hay supplies are low. Morale is low. Kevin has died of dysentery.
After the order, I received the contract, which made it very official, and made me feel like I did actually buy a building. I can’t remember if I requested certain days for them to come build, or if they did, but I tried to time it so it would be getting here right a few weeks before the yearlings did. It turned out the inital quote was merely an estimate though, and they were delayed by about 3 weeks. But once they showed up, they built this thing in three days.
The ground was not totally level, but that didn’t seem to bother them. They dealt with it. As in my intial post, I was super impressed with it once it as it went up. It felt like the most impressive object I had ever purchased.
After they left, I was annoyed because the builders left a bit of a mess. They were smoking down there, and when I complained to the company, I was told I should have told them to stop. Okay, if I’m not down there watching their every move, how would I be able to tell them to stop? I found out from the cigarette butts they left. I do not appreciate trash being left on my property, and isn’t it common sense not to smoke near a barn? My actual barn was nearby, and full of hay.
They also left dozens of sharp little screws all around the site. I spent a lot of time looking for screws, despite to make sure none were missed. I think I got them all, but really, how would I know? They also left a few bits of leftover shed material. I was told that is how they operate.
I was really annoyed by the trash left, but I think in this instance, you get what you pay for. If I had paid more, I definitely would have expected clean-up. But with how little I paid…. well, I can get over it.
I have had this thing about 2 years now, and it’s been through some pretty big storms. There have been a few times I’ve been worried the wind might take it down, but it’s still standing strong.
The wind did manage to rip off some of the trim though. I guess it’s slightly less pretty now. I’m also not a fan of the white now – I originally thought it would be nice to have a white barn, with a matching white shed. I now feel like it’s basically a highlighter, visible for miles around in the valley. I’m regreting it. I bought some trees to plant around it to soften up the look.
There is also condensation from the inside of the roof that drips down. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s worth noting that although things in there stay mostly dry, it would be impossible for them to be completely dry. Don’t store your giant papier-mâché art installation in one of these.
The horses really liked it during the time they had access to it. The yearlings likes to hang out in there, and when they were gone, the adults broke in there and liked to hang out in there, too. It’s cool in the summer, seriously felt like air conditioning in the 99 degree heat. In the winter, it blocks the wind really nicely, and isn’t a bad place to hang out at all. I do think that it would need some alterations to be suitable for full time horse shelter. If the horses kicked the metal sheeting, they could easily have their legs go through it, and end up with a shredded leg. An interior wall of wood would solve that issue. I think Elephant Structures sells structures specifically meant for this purpose too – the metal sheeting starts up halfway to allow the buyer to put in wood panels. If I had realized it at the time, I probably would have gone with that option instead.
Overall, I am really happy with this shed. I think it’s a great solution to my storage issues, it didn’t cost that much, and it seems to last. I can’t say if it would still be here in 15 years, but who knows? It might be. My parents had one (different supplier) on their property for 20 years.
I still worry every now and then when the winds are strong, but it’s been a really workhorse of a building for me. I do not regret this purchase, and if the need arose, I’d get another one.