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Shed
Building Tips
Leaping over the lawnmower,
side-stepping golf clubs, squeezing between bikes and
barbecues-it was a perilous path through the garage to my
pickup truck. But I had resigned myself to such
gymnastics. At least until that day I parked my foot on
the side of the kitty litter box.
Brushing its contents from the backs of
my legs, I began pondering my garage clutter problem. I
concluded I could (a) shoot the cat, (b) banish our cars
to the driveway, (c) rent a storage unit 20 minutes away,
or (d) move stuff out to the side yard and throw a blue
plastic tarp over it.
Instead, I built a shed.
A shed may sound like a quaint
proposition for today's homesteads. Current backyard
architectural trends celebrate spas, gazebos, or pergolas.
But not knowing what exactly a pergola was, or whether it
would hold a lawnmower, I thought a shed seemed more
appropriate.
I found that shed-building can be
approached several ways. You can tootle down to the
hardware store and study the prefabricated models-those
metal huts and wood kits with pre-cut boards. An
8-foot-by-10-foot sheet-steel shed that you can stand up
in runs about $300. While it assembles easily in a few
hours with minimal tools, there are drawbacks. Steel sheds
don't come with a foundation or flooring, and you'll need
to purchase accessories if you want to hang stuff on the
walls. I've observed that they're also prone to dents,
rust, and flights into your neighbors' backyards if a good
wind comes up. I wouldn't expect one to last, or look good
anyway, much beyond five years.
A prefab cedar-wood shed of the same
dimensions costs twice as much. Again, you have to come up
with the foundation. And wood kits vary in degree of
prefabiness. Some come with all the boards cut, others
with just the instructions, metal connectors, and cutting
templates. You buy the wood on the materials list. Roofing
often isn't provided with kits. For a top-end wood shed
package, you can spend up to $6,000.
A shed kit may save you some time and
labor, but I don't view either as critical issues in shed
building. Shed construction is, for the most part,
recreational. For a cost of between $500 and $700, you can
enjoy designing and constructing, from scratch, a custom
outbuilding that blends with your home and doesn't blight
the backyard. Moreover, you get to strap on a work belt,
bang big nails, and make your skill saw scream. It's a
chance to build a house without the mess, inconvenience,
and suffering of building the real thing.
Summer is prime time for shed-building.
Plug away at it weekends and weeknights, and you'll have
it finished in time to tuck the lawnmower, hoses, and yard
gear away this autumn.
Location and design
No
two backyards are exactly alike, so it will be up to
you-and maybe the local building department-to determine
the fitting scale and location for your shed. If you're
planning something sizable-anything over 120 square
feet-local code officials and your neighbors probably want
to know about it.
Pick a flat site if possible. And, no
matter how handsome you plan to make it, be sure your shed
is accessible without dominating the landscape.
For design ideas, consult books and
magazine Links that offer photos and construction
diagrams. Specific topics to consider include windows,
doors, roof style, siding material, and electricity and
plumbing.
For instance, natural light is always
nice, but windows usurp wall space. A skylight might work
better. Double doors allow more light inside and are
practical for moving lawnmowers and bikes in and out.
Running underground wire to the shed for lights and power
offers great benefits.
Foundation
Unless
you require a shed that sits almost at ground level, skip
the concrete slab. Pouring slab adds grunt work to the
project. And, if you want to remove the shed and use the
site for something else, you have a large hunk of concrete
you might have to break up.
Here are three foundation schemes to
consider:
Posts:
Set the entire structure on 4x4
pressure-treated posts at each corner. Dig post holes
about two feet deep and anchor with concrete. Posts should
rise to wall height. A framework of floor joists fastens
to the posts and should sit about six inches off the
ground. The post technique works well on a sloped site.
Pier blocks:
Instead of posts, set your shed on 4x4-
or 4x6-inch girders sitting above ground on concrete pier
blocks„those hefty little cubes used to support deck
posts. A framework of floor joists rests on and is
toenailed to the girders.
Skids:
I built my shed on skids, the easiest
method and one that leaves your shed closer to the ground.
Just lay two 6x6 or 6x8 pressure-treated timbers under
opposite shed walls and partially sink them in dug-out
beds of 3/4-inch gravel. Level the timbers and attach the
floor-joist framework directly to them.
Framing
Once
you have a foundation, work your way up. Depending on the
width of the shed, frame the floor with 2x6 or 2x8 joists.
Build standard 2x4 stud walls. Cut rafters out of 2x6 roof
stock. Three-quarter-inch plywood makes a solid floor. I'd
use galvanized nails throughout the construction, to avoid
rust.
If you haven't framed before, read up
on putting in headers for doors and windows and on cutting
rafters. Any basic carpentry text covers these common
techniques. They're not tough. Just take your time and
enjoy swinging the hammer. Remember to check routinely for
level, plumb, and square as you work.
Adding the roof and walls
Please,
no green corrugated fiberglass shed roofs. Start by adding
fascia boards around the roof edge. Then cover the rafters
with 1/2-inch CDX plywood, install any skylights, roll out
felt paper, and install flashing and roofing material. If
you have composition tab roofing on your house, try to
match the color. Cedar shingles or shakes are more
expensive but, if you're trying to match the house, the
number needed for a shed won't blow the budget.
If you're using lap or single siding on
your shed, first cover the stud walls with 1/2-inch CDX
plywood, install any windows, and staple 15-pound felt
paper over the sheathing. If you're using 5/8-inch
textured wood siding with grooves in it (known as T-1-11),
you don't really need to mess with sheathing for a shed.
Just nail it directly to the studs.
Finishing touches
Doors:
Make double doors using 2x4 stock for
the frame and plywood siding for the doors. Hang them so
they open out. Know what sort of hinges and hardware you
plan to use before you build. Buying pre-hung double doors
is a more expensive alternative.
Trim and paint:
Cut and install trim around doors,
windows, and corners. In some cases, you'll do this before
you install the siding. Again, match the house if you're
trying to blend in. Caulk around trim work and paint or
stain.
Ramp:
Since non-slab foundations tend to
raise the floor of a shed, you may need to build a ramp up
to the doorway so you can wheel the mower and bikes in and
out.
Landscaping:
Plant some bushes or flowers around the
shed. Then get busy building that pergola.
--Doug Cooley
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