Tuff Shed What To Expect User Manual

TUFF SHED WHAT TO EXPECT

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. TYPES OF BUILDING PURCHASES
   There are two main types of TUFF SHED building purchases. Most purchases are new buildings, with components fabricated at our factories, then transported to the customer’s site where the building is assembled and installed.
   A small percentage of purchases are buildings that have been used as displays. In these cases, the fully assembled building is picked up, then transported to the customer’s site where it is delivered into place via tilt-bed trailer.
   This document outlines what to expect with both types of purchases.
   Items that are specific to display buildings are notated with this icon.
2. THE PLANNING PROCESS
   You’ve decided on the building style, size and design. Important planning remains for you and for us, including:
   Review your Building Order – This tells us how to fabricate your building, where to place items and what colors to use for shingles and paint (if you’ve selected this upgrade).
   If you Purchased a Display Building – Display buildings are sold in “as is” condition, and can include wear and tear that ranges from minor blemishes
   to more significant issues such as damaged trim, missing shingles or bent or dented floor joists. Display purchases are discounted to reflect their condition. We recommend inspecting the building first-hand to determine for yourself if the display’s condition is acceptable.
   • Vents – We strongly recommend adding vents to your building. Along with paint and roofing, there may be no other feature that can help your building perform better.
   • Insulation – If you are planning to insulate or finish the inside of your building, we need to know so that we can design the building to perform as an insulated structure.
   • Building Permit(s)/HOA Requirements – Customers need to confirm with their HOA and/or municipality for an appropriate building permit and setback requirements. Contact us immediately if you need help.
3. PREPARATION
   Your building will be here before you know it. Now it’s time to prepare the site and yourself for the upcoming installation:
   • Prepare the Job Site – Clean the site of all debris (i.e. old tree stumps, trash, dog waste, etc) and a pathway to and from where the delivery vehicle parks.
   • Review Access to Delivery Area – For new buildings, installers will need to carry building components in large sections to the assembly/installation site. If the fence gate has a top “bar”, please measure the height and width of the gate opening and provide us with this info prior to installation.
   • Identify and Mark Underground Utilities – When choosing the location of the building, the customer must take into account any underground utilities that may be impacted by the delivery or installation of the building. It is the customer’s responsibility to have marked all underground utilities that will affect the delivery/installation site. Remember that these buildings and delivery trucks are heavy and that if your building was purchased with earth anchors, these anchors will be driven into the ground at a typical depth range of up to three feet deep. Many municipalities will help you locate underground electrical, natural gas, fiber optic, cable TV and sewer. They generally will not be able to help you mark the location of sprinkler heads, underground irrigation, or septic tanks/drain fields.
     For display building purchases, the building will be delivered into place via a heavy-duty truck and long, tilt-bed trailer. The truck and trailer MUST have a clear 12’ wide, relatively straight path from paved road, as trailers are unable to make tight turns, similar to a boat trailer or camper. It is vitally important that there are NOT obstacles that cannot be navigated around, such as: fences, trees, branches, playsets or underground septic systems.
     Don’t Over-Irrigate Prior to Delivery – This is especially true if your building is a display building, as our delivery vehicles are heavy, and can leave tire tracks when driving across grass or other vegetation.
   • Scheduling – If we haven’t scheduled already, give us a call to schedule the installation date and time range.
   • Pre-fabrication – For new building purchases, we will begin pre-fabricating your building several days in advance of the installation. For many installs, we begin pre-fabrication 5 business days before installation. Our outbound locations may begin manufacturing 10-12 business days before installation. At this time, we will begin placing the rough openings for items like doors, windows and vents.
   • Restocking/Rescheduling Fee – If changes or cancellation occurs within the pre-fabrication period, a restocking/rescheduling or cancellation fee may apply. At this point, building materials have already been ordered, inventoried and have potentially been pre-fabricated, specific to your design.
4. LEVELING YOUR SHED
   Check out our video at tuffshed.com/leveling
   It’s important that buildings are constructed on a level site. Providing a clean and level site is the customer’s responsibility. However, for a reasonable fee, TUFF SHED can help create a level building foundation by adding concrete blocks and wood shims beneath the structure.
   TUFF SHED does NOT dig into the ground to level a building.
   If a small amount of leveling is necessary (up to 4”), it will be provided by TUFF SHED at no charge. If more substantial leveling is required, the customer must choose between paying TUFF SHED an additional fee for leveling using
   the concrete block and wood shim method, or having the ground leveled by someone other than TUFF SHED.
   TUFF SHED charges for leveling vary by severity of site condition and building size. See Figure 1.

   Inches Out of Level	5” – 8” Out	$150	Bid Only
   	9” – 12” Out	$200	Bid Only
   	>12” Out	Bid Only	Bid Only

   
   Blocking up or “shimming” a building is not always the best solution from an appearance standpoint. Please consider the appearance and your long-term satisfaction in the building when making the leveling decision. See figure 2.
   Buildings used as displays will be leveled by placing concrete blocks and wooden shims under the perimeter floor joists only. Display buildings may also include wood skids under the floor joists, which will not be removed or leveled upon delivery. See figure 3.

5. HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOUR SITE IS LEVEL
   To accomplish this, you will need wood stakes and a string bubble level and long piece of nylon string, OR a carpenter’s level and a long, straight 2×4. The string or 2×4 must be longer than the distance from the high point corner to the other three corners.
   Determine where the building will be placed, then drive a stake into each of the four corners and determine which of the corners appear to be the highest and the lowest points. At the high point stake place the string or 2×4 (short-edge down) on the ground and fasten it (i.e. tie or clamp) to the high point stake.
   Then position the opposite end of the string or 2×4 at the low point stake. Using the string or 2×4 and the level, raise or lower the string or 2×4 at the low point stake until the level bubble floats exactly centered between the two vertical lines in the center glass vile. Now measure the distance from the ground to the bottom edge of the string or 2×4. This is the distance this first dimension is out of level. Repeat this process for the other two corners, measuring again from the high point corner, and writing down your measurements.
   Now you can determine the distance your build site is out of level and select a method to level the site.
6. ROOF TRUSS TYPES
   The type of roof truss that comes standard with your building will vary by the roof type, pitch (steepness) and building width. This is especially important on buildings starting at 12’ wide as these trusses include a bottom chord or collar tie (see diagrams below) that can impact the amount of usable space overhead.
   See truss examples here and contact the TUFF SHED factory with questions.
   Your TUFF SHED building is about to become a reality. Important details for installation day:
   • Our installers will arrive on the site, unload materials and components, and begin to assemble your building.
     If you purchased a display building, our delivery driver will arrive on the site, and review your desired building location, and the access route for his truck and trailer.
   • Please have someone over the age of 18 at home.
   • An out-of-level site will force our installers to stop work and collect an additional leveling fee prior to resuming.
   • Our installers will need a power source so they can plug in the compressors that power their tools.
   • Inspect the building before the installers leave for the day.
   • It may surprise you – but like most home builders, the weather seldom interferes with installation.
     Rain, snow, and sleet will most likely not prevent installation and will not damage the structure during installation. Ask for details.
7. HOW WE PAINT
   If you have selected the paint upgrade on a new building, then TUFF SHED will paint your building. Here’s our painting process:
   • Before being transported to the building site, the first coat of paint is applied at our factories by roller to exterior siding and trim surfaces.
   • The second coat of paint is applied during the on-site installation. A Seasonal Second Coat Paint Discount is available in select winter markets during cold/wet months. If this discount has been applied to your order, then the installers will not apply the second coat of paint to your building during installation regardless of the weather at the time of install.
   • Customers who have received our Seasonal Second Coat Paint Discount will be provided with siding and trim paint, a roller and two small brushes. These customers should apply the second coat of paint to their building on a dry day when the temperature is higher than 35 degrees.
     Display buildings received the first and second coats of paint prior to being put into service as a display. No additional painting will be included in the purchase.

PROPER CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Your TUFF SHED building will need routine care & maintenance to ensure the building withstands things like weather and wear & tear over time:

• Keep your Building on the Level – When normal ground settling occurs, it can affect your TUFF SHED building, making it difficult to open, close or latch the door. This is not a warranty issue, but in most cases, the building can be easily re-leveled by the customer or for a reasonable fee by TUFF SHED.
• Protect your Floor – Do not add rubber mats or vinyl flooring inside as they can create a serious moisture and rot issue. Do not block floor track vent holes.
• Redirect Water – Water is the enemy of most structures. Take care to redirect water from your building whenever possible. Rainwater runoff from other structures and misdirected irrigation systems can damage your TUFF SHED building and is not covered by a warranty.
• Re-paint Regularly – Painting is one of the easiest ways to protect the exterior wood surfaces of a TUFF SHED building. Your building’s warranty coverage requires that the building be re-painted every five years.
  We recommend using high-quality materials like Glidden Paints.

APPEARANCE OF MATERIALS

Wondering about the appearance of a certain feature of your TUFF SHED building?
This information can help you better understand why some components look the way they do.

Displays
Display buildings are sold in “as is” condition, which can vary, ranging from minor blemishes like faded paint to more significant issues such as damaged trim, missing shingles, and dented or bent floor joists.

Roofing Nails
It’s not a mistake that nails are poking through the roof on the inside of your building. This is necessary due to building codes requiring shingle nails to “pierce the roof decking material” and does not affect the performance of the roof.

Galvanized Steel Floor Joists

• Most of our sheds include 16-gauge, hot-dipped galvanized steel floor joists, which are designed to be placed directly on any firm, level surface.
• White “Chalking” on the Steel – This appearance is normal and does not affect the performance of the steel or the
  40- year industry rating on the material.
• Exposed Steel – These joists are designed to withstand the elements and are exposed after installation.
  Some customers prefer to cover the steel with “skirting” made from the siding. While we can add a skirting, we don’t recommend it, since wood siding material contacting the ground can wick up moisture into the building.
• Small Rectangular Holes in the Steel – During production, small vent holes are punched into the steel. These holes allow for airflow beneath the building. Snap-in screen vents are available as an inexpensive upgrade.

Lumber

• We use dimensional lumber for wall and roof framing that has been dried, then stored in a controlled environment (our factories) prior to installation. It is unlikely that this wood will have a uniform appearance, and may have blemishes or “waning and knots”. This is normal and will not affect the structural integrity of the building.

Weathertight or Airtight
We strive to make the building weathertight. But they are not airtight. Air and mice can infiltrate your building as they can your home.