If you are ready to start building your garden shed, you want to plan each phase carefully when working on a large project, such as building your garden shed. You can always spend more by adding to your original plans; however, you will save money by building your own rather than having someone else custom-build your garden shed. You would have to pay for the supplies and labor; in some cases, you might be charged a delivery fee. Also, when you are finished, you can be proud of yourself and your completed job.
Where are you going to build your garden shed?
- A flat area
- Close to the garden
- Room for the door to swing out.
- Will you need a ramp
- Are you going to have windows
- Will you need to rent or buy any tools
When you build your garden shed, you should purchase a guide or blueprints to give you proper measurements. You can find them at your local hardware store, do-it-yourself stores, and on the Internet. You can find them with directions for one single shed or multiple options that you can mix and match for the perfect garden shed. You can also find blueprints and guides with in-depth photos or videos.
Before you start, ensure you have all the materials and tools you need to begin your shed-building project. You do not want to have to stop in the middle because you do not have something you need. A general list of garden shed building materials (your directions will have a specific list)
- 8 x 4 – ¾ inch plywood
- Two x4s
- Nail
- Tin sheets
- Hinges for your door.
- Joints or metal brackets
- Window caulk and caulk gun
- Paint or stain
- Paintbrush and roller
The amount and length of each piece of material will vary depending on your blueprints or directions. The directions will give you specifics, such as how many items you need. You will need pressure-treated wood. You want the correct type of wood to protect your shed; if you choose not to use pressure-treated wood, you risk weather rot. The tools that you will need:
- Hammer or nail gun
- Nails
- Circular saw,
- Two saw horses
- Measuring tape
- Pencil and or chalk box
- Screwdriver
- Ladder
After you have your materials, tools, and a plan, you will be ready to start building your garden shed.
Building Your Garden Shed – Where to Start? Step 2
If you take a shortcut or put a ‘spin’ on the displayed instructions, you may be very disappointed in the final product. Step 2 of building your garden shed starts with the floor.
Building Your Garden Shed – Laying Your Flooring
Measure twice; cutting once is the wisest direction to live by when building anything. If you stick to the directions, you will have a very stable building.
When you start changing the plans and stop following the plans, your building may look like the Tower of Pisa instead of the shed you intended to build. If you take a shortcut or put a ‘spin’ on the displayed instructions, you may be very disappointed in the final product.
Start with the floor. First, cut all the wood for your frame, nail the four sides together, and lay it on the prepped surface. Before you add anything to secure your floor, take your measuring tape and measure from corner to corner to ensure you are square; the numbers should be the same for it to be even. You want to add your support beams; make sure you equally space each support beam before you nail them to the frame.
Cut your floor and add each piece to the frame individually. You want to ensure the side is flush with the frame before you nail it down. When you add the next piece, you also want to ensure your next sheet is flush on all sides. If the last piece you add is not flush, do not nail it down; measure and cut it again.
Cut all of your wood for the frames of your walls. This will allow you to work on one thing at a time instead of going back and forth from saw to hammer. You can build each side individually and follow each direction for stability. After finishing each side, you can stand up one wall frame at a time, hold it over the floor, then nail it. As you add each wall, ensure you are flush with your already square floor.
After you add your wall frames to the floor, you can measure the open space for your door from corner to corner to ensure you are square once again. This will keep you from going back or starting all over again. You want to measure as much as possible so you do not find your project harder than it is.
After you cut your plywood for the walls from what your directions state, stand your wall up to the edges of the floor. You can nail your wall one nail in each corner; this will keep you from having to hold the wall as you nail it off.
You then want to nail your wall to the frame and one row in each stud. When you nail your wall off, you want to add a nail every eight inches, starting from the top and going down. Then go to the next stud and repeat this step on each stud until your wall is entirely nailed to the wall frame.
Building Your Garden Shed – Door Installing Made Easier – Step 3
When building your wooden garden shed, installing your door may seem like a two-man job; however, you can do this with a few simple tips.
How to Build Your Garden Shed – Door Installation
Installing your door may seem like a two-man job; however, you can do this with a few simple methods. You first want to hold the door in its opening to ensure it will fit before adding it to the shed. Once you see it fits into its home, lay the door on the ground and add both hinges.
If your directions do not say where to add them, you can add each one four to five inches from the top and bottom, then measure four inches on the side of the opening where you will place the door. Remember, most shed doors swing out, so you want to make sure you have room for your door to swing in the direction you want, whether left or right.
Stand your door in its home, screw one of the screws of the top hinge, and do not tighten it to its fullest; however, make sure it is secure, then move to the bottom hinge and do the same. Remember not to tighten the screw all the way. Your door is now attached but not fully secured. Move back to the top, tighten the other screws, and again at the bottom.
If you use an outside pull handle and add a latch to keep your door closed, ensure your door is lined to work correctly, then finish tightening your screws on each hinge. If you are using a doorknob and the holes are already set, ensure they are lined up while tightening the hinge screws. This will help you when you add your doorknob.
You can use trusses or rafters for your roof. You can use joints or metal brackets to cover the joints of the trusses; this step will strengthen the roof. Follow the same kind of steps as before. You can build your trusses on the ground, lift them up to the top, and nail them in. You place your ladder inside your garden shed and lay your truss standing up, leaning against the shed.
From the inside, you can throw a rope over the side and attach one end of the rope to the truss; then, stand on the ladder and pull the truss up to the top of the roof; this is the easiest way to bring your truss to the top.
You want to measure one side of the roof from top to side. You want at least a six-inch overhang; this will help protect your garden shed from the elements. You may or may not have to cut your sheet of tin. However, if you do, you can use your circler saw to cut it and use a chalk box to have a straight line.
One tip when cutting tin: you can use masking tape to cover where you have made your line to cut. If you can still see your line, that is fine. Suppose you cannot measure one more time and chalk another line on the masking tape. This tip will help to prevent any slivers from the tin. When you are finished, take the masking tape off. You must nail the roof of each truss or stud eight inches apart.
Building a Garden Shed Step 4
Congrats! You’ve practically now finished your wooden garden shed! Now for the finishing touches.
How To Build A Garden Shed – Your Final Outside Finishes!
For instance, your outside finishing touches will vary depending on your selection of extras, such as a window. Installing a window can be fast and easy. From the outside, run a generous amount of window calks a half inch from the window hole on all four sides.
Set your window in its place. If you are doing this task and do not have someone to hold the window, you can hold the window in place for a minimum of five minutes. The calk will start to set, and you can start running your screws around the window; most windows have pre-set holes. Then you want to run the window calk around the outside frame; you can also cover every preset hole and screw for extra precautions.
The final thing to do on your brand-new garden storage shed is to stain or paint it. If you use a stain, there are so many tints. You also want to ensure the stain is for the outside and has a sealant. If you are going to use paint, you want exterior paint.
This will come with weatherproofing in it. You can use a paint roller to apply either choice and use a paintbrush for touch up or hard-to-reach places. You can also use a hand-pump paint sprayer. They are inexpensive and can be faster than a roller or brush. Another tip is to add the paint or stain before adding your windows. That way, you will not have to worry about taping, covering, or getting paint on the window.
You can customize the inside of your new garden shed by adding inside walls using plywood or anything you might want to use to cover the studs. You can add electricity for lighting, any tools that might need to be plugged in or charged, and plumbing inside and outside for a sink and hose. You can add shelves for small tools and to stay organized. You can add cabinets and places to hang shovels, brooms, and rakes.
After you have finished the inside and the outside of your garden shed, you can insure your new building. You can call your insurance agent, who will tell you the steps needed. This is highly recommended if you will have high-priced tools and items stored in your shed. Now that you are finished, you should be proud of building your garden shed. All your friends will also want you to build garden sheds for them!
Manny J. Williams is an accomplished home builder, remodeler, master plumber, roof cutter and installer, master woodworker, carpenter, and wooden crafts expert. Manny also enjoys learning all he can about recycling and eco-friendly wood options.
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