What are the Top Selling Lifetime Storage Sheds on Competitive Edge Products, Inc?

Yes, you can run power out to the Lifetime shed.  You would want to consult with a professional electrician on the details to ensure safety and longevity.  Running power includes running a conduit or cable designed to be buried.  Many of our cusomers run power to keep light access at all hours, running heat, or machine shops.  We also recommend contacting customer service's technical support to find out recommendations on running power to the lifetime shed.

You can find out if your local building codes approve the lifetime storage sheds by contacting your local city offices.  It's improved in most cities.  There are a few counties in FL that will not approve it.  Also, be sure to check with your local neighborhood covenants and HOA's to save a potential headache and return. 

Many customers put their lifetime brand sheds directly on the ground.  Some customers don't want a permanent concrete slab or a build a wooden base.  However, if your ground isn't completely flat - and we mean completely flat - you may experience problems during and after assembly.  We've had a few customers call in and explain that their door doesn't shut very easily or that one corner is off the ground an inch or so.  These are caused by assembling the shed on uneven ground.  If you choose to put it on the ground be absolutely sure that it is flat.  Also, these all come with plastic floors.  The wooden base or concrete foundation instructions are showing very clearly in the owners manual included with the shed.

Yes, you can add a lifetime extension kit later if you would like.  However, it is much easier to add it during assembly of the original shed.  First of all, when you build the shed you need to put it on concrete or build a wooden base or platform.  The instructions show you how to do that.  If you intend on adding an extension later simply keep that in mind when you build the foundation or pour your concrete.  You'll need to simply add the length of your platform/base/concrete slab by 30" or 60" exactly depending on the size of extension you choose.

Adding an extension involves removing the back two roof panels and unsnapping the edge of the floor.  It's really not as bad as you might think.  I'm not very handy and it's a peice of cake for me.  Feel free to contact us with question.

Lifetime recommends placing the shed on a flat structure such as a wooden foundation made of treated 2x4's and OSB board that you can pick up from your local home improvement store.  The instructions show just how to build it and what materials are needed.  The other recommendation is a concrete slab.  The concrete slab is more pricey to erect.  Some customers put it on cynderblocks, pea gravel, or other flat structures.  The important thing is to make sure it is flat and drains well.  If your surface isn't level (can't just eyeball it) you can run into problems with your door closing properly or having one edge of the shed off the ground an inch or so.  Contact us for a copy of instructions for your shed that shows exactly how to build the wooden base or platform.   

Cleaning a lifetime shed is actually simpler than you might think.  Because there is such little maintenance a garden hose with high pressure spray nossle usually can do the trick.  However, if you have a spot that has unusual exposure to dirt and mud a large sponge and soft scrub brand cleaner or another gentle cleaner will work perfectly.  No need to use abrasive brissle pads or other hard textured cleaning products.  It can scratch the shed.  The shed, however, is the same color throughout the plastic so even if it happened to be scratched it doesn't lose it's color like wooden or some steel sheds.  The best way to keep the shed clean is to prevent it from getting unecessarily dirty by allowing piles of compost, leaves, and other problematic items to lean against it. 

It is and isn't difficult to assemble the lifetime brand sheds. Let me explain.  First of all, I'm not very handy.  I sit at a computer for most of my life.  But, assembling one of these for the first time was amazingly easy.  Sure, it was time consuming. It took about 9 hours with two of us (we added a bunch of extensions to make it 11x24), but it wasn't difficult guesswork.  It quite intuitive actually.  The Lifetime storage shed panels come in 2.5' lengths and when you've put in one, you know how they all go in.  Same with the floor and roof panels.  The roof trusses that was the only moment where I thought it was going to be tough, but again, you put the first one in and you know how to put all the trusses in.  The reason I said it was difficult was only because we had to build a wooden base and I am not a craftsman or woodworker.  Getting out the saw and borrowing a nail gun....that was the only part I had zero experience with.  All in all I'd say the average home owner can build one and, of course, you are above average so don't sweat it. 

There are a few tradeoffs between wooden and plastic lifetime sheds.  Wooden sheds are generally stronger.  Lifetime sheds are reinforced with steel on the inside so they are definitely strong, but not quite as strong as wood.  Unfortunately, wooden sheds require a great deal of maintenance wereas the lifetime sheds require little if any.  The lifetime sheds have snow load kits available for those concerned about excess snow loads.  The pitch of the roof is such that they generally are not necessary, but a comforting purchase to concerned consumers.