Ryan’s Sheds – Who hasn’t had the need to build an extra storage space, back yard shed or additional guest building? Certainly most of us have had the need at some point, but are often stuck buying pre-made structures that are poorly built, and over priced. Alternatively, hiring a contractor, or carpenter can also add a lot of cost to any size of project. That said, for creative and ambitious people, the option to create these structures themselves is often the preferred option; however, having the plans, details and guidance to succeed can often be a challenge. We have found ourselves in this position, and have sought out solutions that have been substandard – until recently, when we received a note about a collection plans and instructions from Ryan’s Shed Plans. We have read many reviews and thoughts on this set of plans, both the positive, and the negative, but we wanted to see for ourselves, so check out our thoughts:
This compendium offers a comprehensive collection of shed and ‘out building’ plans that goes well beyond what we have seen in other collections. In fact, with over 12,000 complete plans included in their collection, it would be difficult not to find a design or plan that would fit nearly any building requirement. From small garden storage, to larger structures that could be suited for guest housing or other uses, or even customized further to realize whatever vision you may have.
We took some time to review the entire package, and present our highlights and thoughts to you here.
Ryan’s Sheds – Highlights
The materials in Ryan’s Shed Plans are outlined in an easy to follow manner, with plenty of illustrations to make your work easier. The overall detail is quite good, and you won’t find yourself stumbling through your work, or struggling to figure out how different tasks are to be completed. In fact, this was one of the points we were quite impressed by, is the amount of detail that go into the designs and explanations of the build process.
Pros
Ryan’s Sheds offer some additional incentives along with the package, which are included as four separate add-ons that they include for free. The add-ons cover Advanced Woodworking Tips, as well as a brilliant modifications tool that permits you to change the dimensions of any of their included plans. Using the tool means you can immediately change the dimensions and sizes of their structures, and the tool will provide you with all the necessary changed sizes for precise cuts and lengths – really a useful addition. Finally, they include a directory of suppliers that can be quite useful when sourcing any materials, and additional 400 plans of various other projects that many will find useful and inspiring.
Cons
The materials are intended for even the most inexperienced of us, though there is only so much that can be done if you don’t know what a particular tool is, or what it is used for. There could be a little more detail on tool guidance and use, but reasonably speaking, it is not intended as a training manual for carpentry, so we were somewhat level in making that kind of statement. It is perhaps recommended that you at least know how to do some basic research on tools, either using the internet or other sources, in case you run into issues not knowing what a specific tool is, or how it is used.
Summary
We think overall that this is a great product, and for the price, it is well worth having if you are interested in building smaller structures, or even just are interested in how different structures are made. The shear volume of designs, combined with the great detail in each of the explanations and guides is really nothing short of impressive. Feel free to head over and check them out in more detail here: Ryan’s Sheds
