Categories

Five Easy Steps To Build An Outdoor Shed

by

Tony Clifton

Is it possible to build a garden shed yourself? And if it is possible, why do so many people prefer to buy ready sheds or build their outdoor sheds by using shed kits?

The answer to the first question is of course yes. There are thousands of people who do it all over the world. The answer to the second question is only a bit more complicated. One of the reasons to prefer the pre-built kits is that building from scratch is more complicated. But the real reason is that people simply don’t know how to build sheds from scratch and think it can’t be done. Well, this article is going to prove them wrong.

There are just five steps to get a garden shed built:

1. Preparation.

Before you can start building your outdoor shed you need to do some preparations. First, check in your local zoning and building department whether a permit is required for such type of construction. Then choose a place in your backyard where the shed is going to be. Ensure that your shed will not be positioned over important land lines such as water or phone lines.

Finally, pick a design for your shed. You can design it yourself or buy cheap shed plans online. The second option is highly recommended if you are not very experienced, because the plans contain full instructions and drawing and you will be sure you are going to build something functional.

2. Build the foundations.

The most important part of the wooden sheds are their foundations. There are two main types of foundations – skid and concrete. Building a skid foundation is considered simpler and cheaper. It requires some gravel and a lumber lattice which is used to stabilize the shed and ensure no water goes inside.

The concrete foundations are permanent and can’t be moved (well at least not without special equipment) so think twice before building it. It’s however a lot more stable and long living than the skid foundations of course.

3. Build the walls.

If you are building a wooden shed you can make each wall of two pieces of plywood and a lattice between them. This way the walls will be robust enough and will provide a good insulation. You can start building by preparing frames of skids and joists which to form the entire construction.

Alternatively you can build much simpler walls with wide planks, joined with 2 or 3 beams together. This however is not a very good solution because the walls will not isolate well from the outside temperature and sweat.

4. Build and install the door.

Building the door is an important step because you need to calculate its size very precisely, otherwise it may have troubles when closing and opening. The door must also be robust because it’s the part of the shed that is moved most often.

Most shed doors are made of boards reinforced by horisontal and diagonal beams for maximum solidity.

Building and installing the shed door is not hard if you don’t mess the sizes and positions of the elements.

5. Build the roof

There are many types of shed roofs probably because the roof has not only functional, but also aesthetic functions. Most people prefer to build a barn or gable style shed roof because they are beautiful and functional and the complexity of building is reasonable.

When building such a roof you will need first to prepare roof trusses which will be positioned on each 5 – 15 inches to support the roof. On the top of the roof you can put sheet iron, bituminous compounds or PVC sheets.

Each of these five steps is going to take you from a couple of hours to a couple of days, so building the entire shed from scratch can be done by yourself in a week or two.

This article of course is only an introduction to the shed building process. If you really want to start, you need visual guides at least for the most complex stages. Here you are:

how to build a shed foundations

and

how to build a shed roof

.

Article Source:

Five Easy Steps To Build An Outdoor Shed