After buying a large commercial mower and not having any room to park my car in my garage, I decided it was time to build myself a shed. Not just any shed though, I wanted one that would look nice, be made of quality materials and be built to last. I also wanted to build it entirely by myself.
After looking through several books on sheds I found a colonial style I liked the looks of. Ironically the book was written by Fine Home Building author Joe Truini. I also benefitted from another Taunton publication, Working Alone by John Carrol.
I made a three dimensional CAD model and a set of detail drawings of my 12 X 16 colonial shed then I started the physical work by putting four tons of crushed bluestone on the site. I built the floor on top of 6 X 6 runners using Pressure Treated 2 X 6 joists and ¾” PT plywood. I supported all of the plywood edges using blocking cut from the 2 X 6s. I made all of the framing throughout 16″ on center. For the walls I wanted a siding that looked nice and would be durable so I chose western red cedar tongue and groove boards. Not cheap but worth every penny.
Getting the 16 foot walls up by my self wasn’t easy, more difficult though was getting the 260 pound end trusses up, the tops of which are 15′ high. It’s amazing what can be done with a come-a-long, some simple wood fixtures and patience.
I made the roof with a 45° pitch so it would match that of my house and provide plenty of space for the storage loft. For the finishing touch I used faux slate shingles on the roof.
In the end I spent around $6300 and six months of weekends building it. For me, it was worth it. I now have a nice shed that will probably outlast me and I have the satisfaction of having done it myself.
Other photos which show the construction sequence are available for viewing at:
http://www.flipdrive.com/nov141992
You may be interested in an animation of the shed that allows one to see construction details not possible with a single photograph. This can be accessed at:
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finished - Left
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Raising wall usingcustom fixture
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Raising Gable end truss
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Installing faux slate shingles
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finished - Right
View Comments
I had a look through you extra photos. Very impressive in both the result and the process. It would be good to read about the project as a feature article in FHB. You must feel very satisfied. Well done.
Awesome job! I'm going to read the book about working alone.
Nice work. You did a good job with the details. I'm currently building the same size shed at my house. My younger boys need to know how to swing a hammer and read a tape. Good luck with the next project.
Love the design of this shed! Seems that the construction sequence photos link is broken/missing, would it be possible to re-post these? Thanks