Last summer, I built a small shed in my yard. I thought I’d post it here, since I did things a bit differently than is usual.
The shed is relatively small, with a 4×8 footprint, and a maximum 7 ft. height.
First, here’s a pic:
http://electrical-contractor.net/forum/RS/Shed_front550.jpg
The first thing that makes this shed different is that I set it on pier blocks as a foundation. I found this an easy method to level the shed. I also need not worry about ground moisture, ants, etc. It is set a bit high … the next time, I might sink the blocks into the ground more.
The basic frame- and I mean basic – is a handful of 2×4’s assembled with Simpson Strong-tie connectors. Again, were I to do this again, I would rout the sheathing, so that it would lie flat over the connectors. I did not lay out a stud pattern; the uprights are 4 ft. apart.
A lot of the strength comes from the sheathing. I used a variation of T-111 (3 slots per foot, rather then one), 1/2″ thick. The doors were cut directly out of the sheathing.
The roof slopes forward, as there will be a second shed set behind this one. I found it necessary to lay a row of cement pavers where the water fell. I extended the roof, so as to shelter me when I was at the doors.
The doors are set on the long side, so I can reach every place within the shed. There is no need for aisle space.
Edited 6/16/2007 11:46 am ET by renosteinke
Replies
reno, is the roof fiberglass or tin ?
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, wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
Actually, the roof is PVC. I should have looked further than the box store ... I wanted the roof to let some light in. The white PVC is absolutely opaque.
Hey, youse steal dat outa my back yard and paint it? <G>
Haven't missed it though .....
The roof was the one part that I didn't think through ahead of time ... I pretty much winged it. Here we have extreme solar heating, and our summer is one of sustained heat. For your skin, you tan/burn twice as fast as at sea level. Yet, every night, we have a 3o degree drop in temperature - as soon as the sun sets. Sunset is usually accompanied by a few minuted of 30 mph gusts. There are also the 'zephyrs' that blow through fairly often, with 70 mph+ winds. Shingle crews keep busy- and folks often put rocks on their roofs to help hold the shingles down. The roof survived last summer just fine.
It survived last winter's winds just fine. Nor did the shed blow over.
We only had one snowstorm ... where we had maybe 4" of wet snow accumulate for a day or two. So far, so good.
Your shed roof should last a long time.
My oldest garage (26'x50 ft) has clear 4 0z fiberglass roofing. Built 31 years ago, still the same roof. Does not however, get much sun as in the shade of large D Fir.
Main maintenance is patching holes where falling branches punch thru.
I did not post this so much for pats on the back, as to show a workable alternative design. The usual shed seems to lose half of it's volume to a center aisle; my 'aisle' is out in the grass. Likewise, you always seem to have to move half the stuff out, in order to get at what you want. The side doors seem to solve that issue. Making the doors by cutting the siding works really well - as long as you don't skimp on the hardware. All hardware is mounted using nuts & bolts, not just wood screws. After seeing several sheds suffer from flooring failures, I did really overbuild the floor. The price difference between proper 1 1/8" subfloor material, and 3/4" plywood is almost nil .... and I covered it with a sheet of vinyl flooring material. Another common failing I see in sheds is the degradation of the siding over time. Though "rated" for unfinished use, I did bother to prime & paint it. Finally, I often see several sheds in a yard. Indeed, I think most would be better served by several small sheds, than one massive structure. This shed was specifically designed to look decent when grouped with other, similar sheds. When finished, there will be a mirror-image shed behind it; at a glance, it will appear as one shed with a gable roof - rather than the usual assortment of odd buildings cluttering up the yard. Overall, I would give this design an "A-." My execution of it, however, is only a "C." As mentioned earlier, I believe the roof, and it's attachment to the structure, needs some improvement.
The actual cutting out of the doors was somewhat sloppy, and the roofing material should let light through. Those are the 'construction' defects. BTW, total cost of materials was $660. Were I to do this again, I could likely drop that to about $500.
did not post this so much for pats on the back
OK, just the opposite -- HOW did you manage to spend $600 on that size shed??
One dollar at a time. Rough guesses here ... but, let's see ... 3 gal primer @ $34 ea. T-111 really soaks it up. I used an oi;-based, penetrating primer from a pro shop.
Finish coat was 2 gal (2 colors, 1 ea).. $15 gal cheap stuff. The T-111 was, I think, about $30 ea., for 6 pieces. So was the subfloor. So, I'm already at about $325 .... and that's without the pier blocks, Simpson connectors, roof panels, or framing lumber. Can you make a cheaper shed? Sure. Indeed, this very shed has, on either side of it (neighbors' yards), sheds that were more 'economical.'
The one to the west probably cost less than $20 to build. Made entirely of salvaged material, it lacks any two pieces the same. It looks like a third-world shanty. The insurance company actually demanded it be removed, or the insurance would be canceled.
The one to the east is / was three times as large, and cost about $500. This figure is misleading, as, having been built by "friends who knew construction," it collapsed after less than three years. Even now, rebuilt at substantial additional cost, it is not completed. I invite all to look at any 'home center' ad paper. You will see many 'shed kits' that cost substantially more. It's hard to find more than a closet for less. The only cheaper ones I've seen are those tin-foil types, that like to fly away in a stiff breeze. (I can actually say I once has a shed run into me ... and I wasn't drinking!) Nor should you let floor area define the cost. That's the point of this design: ALL the area is usable storage. No losses to aisles, and no need to move everything multiple times. Heck .... these days, $100 won't even fill my gas tank. (34 gal @ $3.39 here)
does it hold up in the heat ? .I would think it would deform , One year I put a bunch of fiberglass on a leanto off the barn falling ice broke every single sheet.
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They make lexan roofing that is about as durable as anything you can find.
I didn't think about it until it was too late, but it happened because the pitch was too flat.
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., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?