LeeG
Well-known member
After several months of talking about it, I finally got busy and got it done. I had several constraints on my build. First of all, the section of yard that I had to place it in was only 16'w x 25' deep (surrounded by block wall, house, and my wife's section of the yard). City code further restricted me to 120 square ft or less, unless I wanted to go through the permit process. Realistically 120 was about as big as I could go anyway, so I decided to forego the permit. My only access to the back yard was through a 42" wide gate.
My goal was to have a place to store my non-woodworking tools, and to have a place to practice welding away from all the dust associated with woodworking (my primary hobby).
With that as a background, here's how things progressed:
Ground Prep Building height was going to be an issue due to HOA rules. So I needed to remove some dirt so my slab would be only a few inches higher than the original ground level. The ground here in Arizona is very hard to work with, so I rented one of these and got about 4 tons of dirt removed in under 4 hours. $150 well spent.
Formed up and an additional problem
Just basic forms. I had an existing slab that my garbage and recycling bins sit on that was being washed out. I figure while I am ordering cement, I'll get this fixed too. Rebar probably isn't necessary, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Forms off
I had some extra concrete, so I added that little slab along the wall. The lip around the existing slab goes down 14", so I shouldn't have to worry about it being undercut. I used some 1/2" rebar dowels to tie the lip into the existing slab.
Framing
My initial plan was to have the back wall of my shed the same height as the block wall, and then angle up to a full 8' height.
Rewind
Well, apparently this was a bit higher than my HOA liked. Well, that's why I have a Sawzall. I ripped off all of the roofing and dropped it down so the highest wall is the same height as my block wall. Fortunately, I am only 5' 10" and will not have to worry about bumping my head inside. The roof only has 4" of slope, but snow isn't a concern here. Everything is built on 16" centers
Finishing up
My door ended up being 71" high by 42" wide. I priced getting a custom door made, and decided to build one myself. I made a basic figure 8 from dried 2x6's with half laps at each joint. I filled the open parts with plywood, and skinned the whole thing with 1/8" plywood. I added trim on all the exterior joints and caulked everything.
Finished!
I painted to match the house, and brought in a few tons of quarter minus and compacted it around the perimeter. I used the outside of the back wall to store my shovels and rakes.
Interior
I added shelving across the back wall, and a lumber rack on the left wall. Since the lumber rack took up a lot of precious wall space, I added in this pivoting wall to recover most of the missing space. I moved an old bench in from the garage to give me a place to work.
It took longer and cost more than I had planned, but I am quite happy with the result. The door is wide enough that I can put in anything I can get into the back yard in the first place, and high enough that I don't have to duck going in. My garage is de-cluttered, and I am ready to start on real projects again.
Lee
My goal was to have a place to store my non-woodworking tools, and to have a place to practice welding away from all the dust associated with woodworking (my primary hobby).
With that as a background, here's how things progressed:
Ground Prep Building height was going to be an issue due to HOA rules. So I needed to remove some dirt so my slab would be only a few inches higher than the original ground level. The ground here in Arizona is very hard to work with, so I rented one of these and got about 4 tons of dirt removed in under 4 hours. $150 well spent.
Formed up and an additional problem
Just basic forms. I had an existing slab that my garbage and recycling bins sit on that was being washed out. I figure while I am ordering cement, I'll get this fixed too. Rebar probably isn't necessary, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Forms off
I had some extra concrete, so I added that little slab along the wall. The lip around the existing slab goes down 14", so I shouldn't have to worry about it being undercut. I used some 1/2" rebar dowels to tie the lip into the existing slab.
Framing
My initial plan was to have the back wall of my shed the same height as the block wall, and then angle up to a full 8' height.
Rewind
Well, apparently this was a bit higher than my HOA liked. Well, that's why I have a Sawzall. I ripped off all of the roofing and dropped it down so the highest wall is the same height as my block wall. Fortunately, I am only 5' 10" and will not have to worry about bumping my head inside. The roof only has 4" of slope, but snow isn't a concern here. Everything is built on 16" centers
Finishing up
My door ended up being 71" high by 42" wide. I priced getting a custom door made, and decided to build one myself. I made a basic figure 8 from dried 2x6's with half laps at each joint. I filled the open parts with plywood, and skinned the whole thing with 1/8" plywood. I added trim on all the exterior joints and caulked everything.
Finished!
I painted to match the house, and brought in a few tons of quarter minus and compacted it around the perimeter. I used the outside of the back wall to store my shovels and rakes.
Interior
I added shelving across the back wall, and a lumber rack on the left wall. Since the lumber rack took up a lot of precious wall space, I added in this pivoting wall to recover most of the missing space. I moved an old bench in from the garage to give me a place to work.
It took longer and cost more than I had planned, but I am quite happy with the result. The door is wide enough that I can put in anything I can get into the back yard in the first place, and high enough that I don't have to duck going in. My garage is de-cluttered, and I am ready to start on real projects again.
Lee
