Outdoor Living Today assembly
Real cedar warps if it sits. Build it within 90 days, or the warranty is void.
Outdoor Living Today ship a premium Western Red Cedar kit that owners compare to a life-sized Lego set. But cedar is a living material, so the warranty requires you to finish the build within 90 days of delivery, with photo proof.
A premium wood kit, with a clock on it
Most sheds are metal, resin or thin wood panels. Outdoor Living Today build theirs from genuine Western Red Cedar, precut and panelized in British Columbia, so there is no cutting and two people can raise one in a day or two. Owners consistently love them, one compared assembly to a life-sized Lego set, and the cedar is naturally resistant to rot, decay and insects.
But real wood behaves like real wood. Cedar left flat-packed on a pallet for months will warp and shrink, and then the precut panels no longer fit as intended. So OLT put a clause in their warranty that no metal or plastic shed has: you must assemble the kit within ninety days of delivery, and verify it with photos of the finished build, or the warranty is void.
That single fact flips the usual advice. With most flat-pack products you can take your time. With an OLT cedar kit, the material itself is on a clock, and building it promptly is part of keeping it sound.
The build
Panelized and precut, but genuinely heavy real wood.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Small (SpaceSaver 8x4, 6x4)Pre-assembled wall panels, precut floor. No cutting. | 1 day | 2 |
| Large (SpaceMaster 12x16, Sunshed)More panels, heavy rafter sections. | 2 to 3 days | 2 |
| Building the base firstGravel, wood or concrete, level. The purchaser’s job, per OLT. | half a day | 1 to 2 |
| Sealing / staining the woodRequired maintenance. Easiest done as you build. | 1 day | 1 |
| Receiving the freightTwo pallets, around 1,695 lbs, curbside only. | plan for it | 2 |
Build it where it will live, because a finished cedar shed is too heavy to move. And watch OLT’s own assembly videos first, as several owners recommend.
What building in cedar means
Assemble it within 90 days, or void the warranty
The most important and most surprising fact about an OLT shed, straight from their warranty. You must complete the build within ninety days of delivery and submit photo documentation of the finished structure. The reason is sound: cedar that sits flat-packed for months warps and shrinks, and warped precut panels do not fit. Do not order it and let it wait for the perfect weekend next season, order it when you are ready to build, and build it promptly.
It is a kit, not carpentry, but it is heavy real wood
The panels come pre-assembled and the plywood floor precut, so there is no cutting and the parts are clearly labelled, which is why owners find it approachable, two people, basic tools, even an air nailer and glue to speed it up. But this is solid cedar, not lightweight plastic. The rafter sections are heavy, the whole kit weighs the better part of a ton, and it ships on pallets to your curb. Plan the lift and the help accordingly.
You must finish the wood, and it is ongoing
Unlike metal or resin, cedar needs a protective coat. OLT ship it unstained so you can choose your look, and their warranty lists re-staining as required maintenance. The practical move is to pre-finish the panels before or during assembly, while every surface is still reachable, and to keep up the staining over the years. Left bare and neglected, even rot-resistant cedar weathers faster than it should.
Buy caulk for the seams, because the kit does not include it
A specific, avoidable leak. OLT include caulk for the windows but not for the body seams, and at least one owner found water seeping in under the trim where they had not sealed enough. On a real-wood shed, caulking the seams and under the trim is what keeps it dry. Buy a good exterior caulk before you build, and seal as you go, rather than discovering the gap after the first heavy rain.
Dry-fit the floor frame, because precut is not always perfect
Occasional but worth knowing. One owner found the floor framing was narrower than the plywood provided and had to adjust it, and another had window muntins that had warped in transit. Precut kits are precise most of the time, but wood moves, so dry-fit the floor and the openings before final fixing, and be ready to make a small adjustment. OLT’s customer service is well regarded and quick to replace a genuinely bad part.
The base is on you, and it keeps the doors square for years
OLT are explicit that a correct, stable, level base is the purchaser’s responsibility, and they publish a foundation guide covering gravel, wood and concrete. It matters long-term: a shed on an out-of-level or poorly drained base racks over time, and the doors and panels stop meeting cleanly. Get the base right and well-drained, and the shed stays square for decades.
Before it arrives
Only order when you are ready to build, given the ninety-day assembly deadline.
Prepare a level, well-drained base first, gravel, wood or concrete, since OLT leave that to you.
Buy stain or sealer and good exterior caulk, neither of which is fully covered in the kit.
Plan the freight: two pallets, around 1,695 pounds, curbside, with help to move it to the site.
And decide the final location, because you build it in place and it is too heavy to move afterward.
Why hand a cedar kit to a pro
Because the ninety-day clock rewards getting it built properly and promptly, and a pro simply gets it done inside the window.
Because sealing every surface, caulking the seams and dry-fitting the floor are the details that keep a real-wood shed dry and square, and they are easy to skimp on.
Because a near-ton of cedar on pallets is a real handling job, and rafter sections are heavy.
And because OLT themselves tell buyers to find a local installer, they do not offer installation and do not keep a full list. That is exactly the gap an independent installer, found here, fills, on a shed that genuinely deserves being built right.
What an installer does
- Builds a level, well-drained base as the foundation OLT leaves to the buyer.
- Completes the build promptly, inside the 90-day warranty window.
- Pre-finishes and seals the cedar, and caulks the body seams the kit does not include.
- Dry-fits the floor frame and openings, adjusting for any precut variance.
- Handles the heavy pallets and rafter sections safely, and builds it in its final location.
- Squares the doors and panels so they stay true, and photographs the finished build for the warranty.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
Do I really have to build it within 90 days?
To keep the warranty, yes. OLT require the kit to be assembled within ninety days of delivery, verified with photos of the finished build, because cedar that sits flat-packed warps and shrinks and then no longer fits. It is genuinely in your interest, so order the shed when you are ready to build it rather than well in advance.
How hard is it to assemble?
Much easier than building from scratch. The walls come pre-assembled and the floor precut, with no cutting and clearly labelled parts, so two people with basic tools can do it, one owner likened it to a life-sized Lego set. The main demands are that it is heavy real wood, the rafters especially, and that it ships on pallets to your curb.
Does it need staining?
Yes. Cedar is naturally rot and insect resistant but still needs a protective finish, and OLT ship it unstained and list re-staining as required maintenance. The easiest approach is to seal the panels before or during assembly while every surface is reachable, then keep up the finish over the years.
Why is water getting in?
Most likely because the body seams were not caulked. OLT include caulk for the windows but not the seams, and owners have found water seeping under the trim where they did not seal enough. Buy a good exterior caulk and seal the seams and under the trim as you build.
Does OLT install it for me?
No. OLT state plainly that they do not offer installation, and they suggest working with a local installer or contractor, noting they do not keep a full list. An independent installer is the intended path if you would rather not build it yourself, which is exactly what this directory is for.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Outdoor Living Today. Outdoor Living Today is a trademark of its owner, referred to here only to describe the assembly services that independent installers on this directory provide.