A shed is a great way to expand the storage space of any home. There are several different kinds of sheds, some are prefabricated and will merely to be set up and installed using the instructions of the design. However, for more skillful and ambitious persons, creating a shed with their hands may be more ideal. It is a fairly simple project for a person with satisfactory carpentry experience to attempt and may actually take only one day to finish.
The time needed will definitely be reduced if the assistance of an additional person is utilized. A simple shed will not necessitate an elaborate design, however, you should think about specific details before commencing the project. These may include the kinds of materials you would like to utilize and the overall support structure of the shed, i.e. whether it will specifically be held in place with foundation or built to be mobile. If built competently your shed will not only be perfect for storage but an attractive addition to your existing outdoor space.
Required Tools
Hammer
Saw which should be circular or crosscut
Framing square
Screw driver
Stakes
Line and Level
Measuring Tape
Shovel
Required Materials
Treated lumber in a variety of pieces: 2x4s, 4x4s, 2x8s (and additional sizes for the joists, beams, rafters and skids.)
Treated plywood may be optional depending on the design.
Cable tie downs and wooden skids (for mobile sheds)
Concrete/Compactable gravel (for foundation)
Roofing material
This will depend on the style you choose, it may be shingles made from wood or fibre glass, aluminum sheeting, clay tiles, etc. Additionally wood sheeting for base of the roof structure and a few metal pieces for support.
Doors
Windows
Nails
Hinges
Screws
Wood glue (optional).
Paint
Wall Studs
Cladding Boards
Instructions
1. To start you should make the foundation. The foundation of course will be dependent on the kind of shed you have decided to construct. For a shed that will be cemented to the ground you will have to use your concrete or compactable gravel at this part of the process. Mix the concrete with a shovel and pour it into the space you have chosen to build your shed. For the compactable gravel, prepare and then layout to cover the complete area as you would with the concrete. For a shed that will use no foundation you will begin by positioning your skids in place with hammer and nails.
2. Construct your flooring using the lumber you have purchased for this purpose. If you were using a concrete base it is actually possible to tile the floor for more posh designs or leave it with only the concrete base as a kind of flooring, this can be made more becoming with paint or any other method of adding colour to the concrete. For wood flooring you will create the frame of the flooring with pieces of lumber spaced at a specific distance apart in accordance with your design, secure these in position with your hammer and nails. Put the plywood over this floor frame utilizing a drill and screw or hammer and nails in relation to the method of your design.
3. Create your wall frames. You will need to measure these correctly using your line and level, measuring tape and framing square. Try to be as methodical as possible to ensure that the building will be sturdy. Cut the pieces of lumber with a saw or power saw. You will first be required to erect the wall studs and nail them in. You may position them at 2 feet apart. This should allow greater ease of putting in the 4 foot cladding boards that will be used in building of the walls. When the structure is created you may go ahead and install the wall frames, a second person would make this part of the process easier. You should drill these pieces in place firmly so that they will not fall apart as soon as you start using your shed. Nail the corner studs in place thereby completing your wall.
4. Now you need to create your roof. This will commence by using your largest piece of lumber to make a single roof beam which will be placed above two supporting structures. You can then allot sections for the end rafters, which should allow four at the rear and front positions. You will then cut smaller sections to create smaller rafters to complete the foundation of your roof structure. Be sure to use your level at this point for improved accuracy. You can then put up your ply-board over the now finished base structure. When this has been nailed in you can then add your cover over roofing material to finish the job. You may want to consider priming your roof with paint or some other form of water proofing material before putting on the final layer of roofing material.
5. You can then put in your doors and windows by making spaces for them and putting them in place with your, hammer, wood glue and hinges. You may possibly only need one door and quite likely no more than two windows depending on the design.
6. You may now paint your shed and install a few shelves and cabinets for storage.
Tips and Warnings
Make certain the materials you choose are durable and will not deteriorate once they are exposed to the elements.
When using power tools be sure that you are not near any sources of water to avoid electrical shock, this is especially crucial if you are working during rainy periods.
To aid the design phase think about using plans that may be found at hardware stores or even on the internet to make construction a lot more simple.
Make certain you have meticulously planned your building requirements, i.e. make sure you have obtained all the essential materials and tools before you begin constructing your shed. Buy in excess to avoid any delays that may arise because of inadequate materials. Some stores may enable you to return the materials within a specified time, hence eliminating the possibility for wastage.
If you may be running electricity into your shed, speak to an electrician to avoid any possible post-construction electrical problems.