A cupola is one of the most popular storage shed accessories.
Whether it be for added ventilation or simply curb appeal selecting the proper size cupola for your shed or barn is important. The following information will help you determine what size cupola you need for your outbuilding.

This guide to sizing your cupola is for storage sheds and relatively small barns however, much of this information can be used for larger buildings. If you would like our educated opinion on a size for a larger structure please feel free to comment here or send us an email and it would be our pleasure to assist you.

The first thing you need to do is measure your unbroken roof line. In most cases this is about or exactly the same as the length of the shed.
Unbroken roof line refers to the distance the roof line spans without deviating in elevation.

Next measure the width or depth of the storage shed assuming it does not have over sized eves or overhangs.

The last measurement and typically not included in most cupola size charts is the height of the building from ground to roof peak.

To begin: 1 foot of unbroken roofline equals 1.25 inches of cupola base. So if your structures unbroken roofline is 30 feet long then the cupola base width would be approximately 37.5 inches. With that said the height of the structure must also be considered.

The height of the structure upon which the cupola will be mounted is also a factor in determining size. If your structure is relatively short such as a ranch style home then it is a good idea to change the ratio you use to determine size: “1 foot equals 1 inch” is probably a good ratio. If the cupola will be going on a two story structure where the roof line is unbroken then the 1.25 inch per foot rule of thumb is the better option. If the cupola will be on a large/tall horsebarn etc. then using the 1.25″ per foot rule and then going one (or two) sizes larger may be a good idea.

The majority of cupola buyers now have all the information they need to make their purchase however there are other factors which some of you may need to take into consideration.

*Long and Skinny – Some buildings such as Single Bay Garages, Row Barns and Monitor Barns are long and narrow and therefore the cupola may need to be downsized.Imagine a 12′ wide by 36′ long single story, single bay garage. A 36″ wide cupola would look ridiculous on the roof (at least to most people). So you may want to downsize slightly. A 30″ cupola would probably look appropriate on this building.

*Very steep – When a cupola is installed the base of the cupola is cut to match the pitch of your roof. If the roof is say a 12/12 pitch the cupola will sit lower on the roof. In these cases you should be considering cupolas which are taller. A short cupola will only look shorter once mounted. Conversely, if you have a very shallow pitch like a 5/12 a very tall cupola will still look tall when mounted.

*Multiple cupolas – Larger structures or structures with “broken roof lines” in many cases will look better with more than one cupola as opposed to one very large cupola. “L” shaped houses sometimes look as if something is missing when only the main part of the house has a cupola. A single HUGE cupola on a large Riding Arena may seem lost. These are perfect examples of structures which will look better with multiple cupolas. Determining the size of these cupolas is a matter of taste however if it is an “L” shaped house for example use the 1 foot = 1 inch rule of thumb for each section of unbroken roof line. For a very large barn or Stable you may want to go a bit larger. In the case of a super large structure you may want to consider a large cupola in the center of the roof with 1 smaller cupola on either side centered between the main cupola and each gable end of the building (a total of 3 cupolas).

*Note – This is simply a guide. Many people like the look of an oversized cupola with windows and lighting while others would prefer something basic and less imposing.

If you are on the fence and not sure exactly what you would like on your shed visit a local retailer who offers cupolas. Most large storage shed retailers have several different size sheds on display with cupolas. It is much easier to make your selection when you have seen a similar size shed to yours with a cupola on top.

What a week! Setting up for one of the countries larges fairs takes a lot of time and patience.

After 15 years you would think we would be able to breeze through the set up in just a few days but something always seems to come up.

This year everything was going as planned and suddenly we realized that one of our featured storage sheds wasn’t going to be ready in time for the Big E. So we had to replace it with a similar shed however it was 2 feet larger throwing the entire layout off. That combined with a couple of us getting sick meant our display wouldn’t be complete until about midnight the night before the fair.

We brought in over 50 sheds and gazebos as well as many yard and garden accents, bird houses, cupolas and weather vanes, decorative light houses and framed prints as well as tons of other items.

Now it’s time to talk to thousands of fair goers about our products. We enjoy answering questions and helping people with everything from selecting the correct cupola size for their home to assisting in the design of a custom storage shed.

Stop by and say hi if you are at New England’s Great State Fair – The Big E!

Part of 1 of our 2 Big E displays

Skips Big E Country store

I have to admit that most of the sheds I sell are relatively boring. I’m not referring to the layout as door and window placement is important with regard to the functionality of the shed. I am talking about color schemes.

The majority of the customers I speak with each day are interested in matching the color scheme of their home. Of course this is completely logical. I mean it only makes sense to match the color scheme of your house so your shed doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb. On the other hand there are a handful of customers who go completely nuts with their color scheme. Believe me when I tell you that I have seen some of the most bizarre color combination’s imaginable! Of course I’m not the one who has to look at their shed every day.

So I was playing around with some storage shed color schemes today. I need 50-70 sheds for the Big E, a 17 day long fair in Massachusetts which starts next month and some more for our stores. Here are a few of the color schemes I came up with.

This is a popular color scheme. A bit bland but the clay paint color allows the shed to blend in when abutting trees etc.

Saw a storage shed with this color scheme leave the lot today. I like the blue/gray contrast. The clay door looked out of place to me at first but after looking at the shed for a couple of minutes it grew on me. The navajo white trim gives the the color scheme a little more “pop”.

Another customer favorite! Just had a couple of sheds with these colors arrive in inventory and customers comment on how much they like the colors. Of course many who like the colors end up just going with their house colors when they place their order but overall I would say this is in the top 5 most popular color schemes this year.

Although these were/are popular colors I began thinking about going out on a limb and mixing things up a bit. Who knows maybe I’ll hit on some other colors that people will absolutely love! So I played with some colors today and here is what I came up with and why.

Ok so these colors aren’t totally crazy. Blue is popular and the white really jumps off the shed. The blue roof may be a bit much but I happened to be reading about the L.A. Dodgers when I put these colors together. I’m on the east coast but who knows maybe there are some Dodgers fans looking for a shed (or any other sports fan whose favorite team is blue and white.

Back to the blue roof again. Have baseball on my so this is my attempt at drawing in some Cubs fans or patriots fans for that matter although the blue is a little light for the Patriots.

Red Sox shed? Maybe? Cut me some slack I only have so many colors to work with.

Staying along the red white and blue them how about an Independence Day shed? Think these will be a big seller?

For those who REALLY get into decorating for Christmas. The Christmas shed makes a GREAT gift!

Back to the sports theme. If you can't guess this is my Boston Celtics shed. Being that I am in Massachusetts this color scheme is a sure thing!

What John Deere tractor owner would't want a shed that matches their tractor! When watching sportscenter Im pretty sure there was an ad that prompted me to select these colors.

I think the next batch will include some purple and pink. Oh and definitely black! Some tie dyes for the dead heads out there might be a good idea.

A firm, level base is important to the longevity of your storage shed. In our storage shed buyers guide we discuss site preparation but I am going to go a little more in depth here.

If you don’t feel you can tackle the site preparation you can opt to hire a local landscape contractor.

Crushed Stone Base

The crushed stone base is now the most widely accepted site preparation for sheds under 400 square feet. For over 18 years we have been recommending this type of site preparation and within the past 2 years more and more towns and municipalities have begun to catch on and recommend this type of base to those applying for shed permits.

What you’ll need(for do it yourselfers)

• Roll of string
• Tape measure
• Spade shovel
• Wheelbarrow
• Grading rake or iron rake
• Line level
• 4 stakes
• Eight foot long 2″x4″
• Four foot level
• Crushed stone (amount based on size of shed – chart below)
• Optional – Landscape fabric/weed cloth

Step 1

Add 2 feet to the length of the shed as well as the width.

Next measure the area and place a stake in each corner. Remember to add the 2 feet to the length and width.

To be sure that your layout is square measure diagonally from corner to corner and be sure these distances are equal.

Square your area

Step 2

Starting at the highest corner wrap the string around the bottom of the stake and run it to the lowest stake. Place a line level on the string and pull the string taut. Move the string up and down until the string is level. Wrap the string around the stake at this height. At the lowest point measure from the string to the ground. Add 4 inches to this distance and beginning at the high point dig down to the depth. Excavate the entire area.

Remove the grass and top soil

Step 3

Once the grass and topsoil are removed rake out the area.

Rake out the site

Step 4

Back fill the area with the crushed stone then rake it out so it is level. use the 2″x4″ to check for level. Be sure to check it from front to back as well as side to side. Check for level in several different spots as you rake out the crushed stone.

Completed stone site prep.

Step 5

This is an optional step but watering the stone can help it to compact a little better. The water will wash the finer particles through the stone allowing the crushed rock to settle.

Crushed Stone Base w/Timber frame

What you’ll Need

• Circular saw, chain saw or cutoff saw
• Timbers – I recommend 6″ x 6″ timbers however 4″ x 6″ will work as well. Make sure they are ground contact rated pressure treated. The timbers must be equal to the sum of the four sides of your site. For instance if you are creating a elevated stone pad for a 10′x16′ shed you would first add 2′ to the length and width then add the four sides together. So you would need 60 linear feet of timber (12 +12 + 18 + 18 = 60).
• Depending on how high you will be building your base you will need additional timbers to be used as “dead men”.
• #5 Rebar or similar cut to 4′ lengths. You will need 1 piece of rebar for every 4 feet of your frame.
• Drill (hammer drill recommended) and a 5/8″ drill bit which can reach a depth of 6″ minimum
• Sledge hammer
• Roll of string
• Tape measure
• Spade shovel
• Wheelbarrow
• Grading rake or iron rake
• Line level
• 4 stakes
• Eight foot long 2″x4″
• Four foot level
• Crushed stone (to calculate the amount needed use this chart)

Step 1

Follow steps 1-3 used for the “Crushed Stone base”

Step 2

Place the landscape timbers around the perimeter of the site. Be sure the timbers are level. Drill holes through the timbers every 4 feet and rebar the timbers into place using the 4′ lengths of rebar. For larger bases you may want to add “dead men” which are timbers which run perpendicular to the outer timbers to help keep the from moving however since the outer timbers are set in the ground the dead men are not entirely necessary.

Step 3

With the timbers in place you can now backfill your site with the crushed stone.