Your home is full of stuff. There’s stuff everywhere. Drawers are full, you’ve pushed what you can under the bed, and the kitchen cupboards have started to overflow.
If only you had some extra space! But where?
If you’re fortunate enough to have a garden, we might have the solution you’re looking for. Imagine the space an outdoor shed could offer. Read on for more information on building a storage shed.
Build a Shed
A structure is only as good as its foundation, so it’s vital to make sure you start off as sturdy as possible. Concrete is recommended. After you clear out the size you’re looking for of grass and debris, get started.
The goal here is a simple wooden square or rectangle which will be used as a mold for the concrete base. Ensure everything is level, if it’s at an angle – so will your floor be! This option, despite being perfectly sturdy, is actually relatively cheap and simple to complete.
To ensure everything is square, measure diagonally from corner to corner and adjust until equal.
Once you’ve filled your base, smooth it off, double-check everything is level, and wait for it to set. This way, you might find the cost of building a shed is a lot less than anticipated!
Wooden Flooring
Now you have your foundation, it’s time to raise the floor of your shed off the concrete. Since you’ve already taken care that your foundation is level and square, you can go ahead and construct a wooden platform floor directly upon it.
Take care to use treated wood, or if not, give the wood a coating to prevent rot and warping in the coming years.
Connect the beams of the concrete foundation to the beginnings of your floor, then lay horizontal beams along its length as necessary, before reinforcing the space between them with staggered props and covering with plywood.
If you learned to build wooden sheds before their more durable metal counterparts became popular, or would rather have someone else build your shed for you, check out this company for some ideas.
Shed Walls
It’s best to start with the front and rear walls because these need to incorporate the gable end structures. You can use the flooring you’ve put in place to assemble them before lifting them into position, this is best done with some help!
Construct two identical stud walls for the sides after some careful measurements and secure them in place before covering them with your siding of choice. Consider the addition of a windproof layer of fabric between the studding and plywood, depending on what you plan to store.
Make sure you account for door placement between the studs, or alternatively the space can be cut out once erected.
The Roof
Now your walls are up, construct the roof frames and place each truss onto the tops of your wall plates before fastening. Similar to the walls, you can cover these with plywood or OSB as per your preference.
Depending on your budget or aesthetic preference, finish the roof with either felt or shingles to waterproof it.
Finishing Touches
Now you’ve got the structure complete, it’s important to weatherproof it with paint or treatment. After all your hard work, this will ensure it lasts for years to come!
While you’re thinking about whether or not to build a shed, why not read some more of the blog for inspiration!
