With the upcoming summer months comes the upcoming summer yard work. And with that, you’ll need a place to store all your equipment. Some homes may come with enough room in the garage, but you might be looking at building a shed for a way to store your shovels, outdoor tools, and even the lawnmower. Here’s how to make a shed.
There are many options when undertaking this project: you can buy a prefabricated shed, you can buy shed instructions from many home project stores, or you extend beyond a DIY novice and build your own. For the do-it-yourself crowd, below are a few steps for you so that your shed building goes as smoothly as possibly.
Identify the Purpose
Before anything else, first determine the purpose of the structure. Is this a gardening shed or a storage shed? Will you need room for bigger equipment like lawnmowers or will a small amount of space for holiday decorations be enough?
It is important to know the purpose of the shed because that will then dictate the layout. However, be flexible. Sheds are often multi-purpose spaces, and you might end up putting tools, sports equipment, and the Thanksgiving ornaments all in the same location.
Plan it Out
After you have decided what you’ll be using the shed for, it’s now time to start building a floor plan. While you may choose to test your architectural skills and design the shed on your own, there are plenty of websites that have shed blueprints available to download.
Getting dimensions, deciding on materials, and taking tool inventory to use are key parts of this step. Essentially, you’ll want to be able to take the shed plans and use it as a shopping list for your favorite hardware store. This will help you work quickly by not having to make frequent trips back for more supplies.
Select a Location
Now it is time to find a location. You’ll need to make sure that your yard can hold the size of shed you need. It might be helpful to mark off the area using stakes and twine. Be sure to leave room for any swinging doors, windows, or any other moving parts.
When choosing a location, make sure that the area is level. It would be terrible putting all the work in, only to have it shifting and leaning months later. Now, it may be necessary to clear a bit of grass or even do a little bit of leveling work yourself, but the manual labor will be worth it down the road.
A Little Prep Work
After all these steps, you may be itching to start on your project. But, just a little more preparation will save you time as you start working. Run through your shed materials list and make sure you have everything you need: hinges, wood screws, any specialized tools. Place these close to the work area so that you won’t be running back and forth to the garage.
Along with this, measure out and cut all wood to the sizes needed. Remember, as the adage says, measure twice cut once. As with the tools, place all of these near the building site. This may seem like extra work that wastes time, but it will make for an easier, more efficient construction process later on.
The Foundation
Now that all the pieces are ready to go, it is time to start the shed construction process. The first part of this is laying the foundation. There are three main types of foundations:
• Cement blocks. Using cinder blocks as a foundation is a cost effective method and can be a sound, sturdy base when assembled correctly. Often times, it is necessary to add multiple layers as well as adhesives to make sure that everything is sturdy.
• Wood. Because wood frame foundations are built out of the same wood as the rest of the shed, this type may be the most cost effective method. However, make sure that the wood you’ll be using has been treated to stand up to whatever you will be putting it through.
• Poured concrete. Slab floors like this are quite a bit more work, and it might be worth it to hire a professional. The advantage of concrete slab floors is their durability and stability.
To make sure that your foundation is square, measure diagonally from corner to corner. Make sure that you have everything squared up or else the doors might not fit properly and you would have to start over.
The Walls and Floor
If you choose not to use the bare foundation as the floor of your shed, make sure all your dimensions are square so that the rest of the shed won’t be crooked. After the floor is to your satisfaction, the walls come next.
It is easiest to assemble the wall when they are lying flat on the ground. Just like the foundation and the floor, make sure everything is square. A speed square is a helpful tool for this. You will need the help of someone else when you raise the walls and secure them in place. Once everything is in place, make sure the tops of the walls are level so the roof sits level too.
The Roof
In the final stages of shed construction, you’ll need to assemble the roof. There are many different types of roofs you can decide on, but below are four of the most popular ones.
• Gable Roof. This roof is one of the simplest types of roof and maybe the most common. It’s a center support with two sides that slant down, similar to an A-frame house.
• Gambrel Roof. These roofs look a lot like barn roofs and are a great use of space since you get vertical space as well as floor space. This roof takes a bit more investment, but it’s worth it for the extra room.
• Lean-to Roof. This is a one-sided roof that slants one direction. Typical, these roofs are built against fences or other structures.
• Flat Roof. Just like the name suggests, flat roofs are flat. Because they don’t drain water very well, these roofs aren’t used very often.
You can add benches, shelves, and windows if you’d like or even stain and paint the outside, but these are just the fundamentals of shed building. Once you have it to your liking, your shed is ready for your upcoming summer projects.