Shed build advice.

[bigenos]

I'm an IT guy and a car guy, not a carpenter. But, I'm not stupid around tools and I've built plenty of shelves and other stuff in my garage. I've laid tile, wood floors, and I'm actually pretty decent at doing trim.

I gotta admit, though, I'm pretty intimidated at the thought of building a shed. Every other thing I've done I have a framework within which to work, but not this. I'm starting with dirt and grass and bunch of raw materials. It sounds like fun, I'm excited, but I feel unprepared. That's where you guys come in.

First off, plans. I've done a very cursory search for plans and most sites tout that they have 'free plans' but it sounds like it's mostly a bait and switch. Thing is, I'll buy plans, but I don't want to buy them twice. Anyone have a place they've used? I don't think I want to use a kit. I need them to be some paint-by-numbers kinda stuff, too. Probably going to go with a 10'x12', but I may go bigger. Nobody ever asks for less space, right? Have to stay under 200 sq/ft to avoid a permit in my county, though.

Planning to pour piers for at least the corners and support the rest with those prefab little blocks with the slots for boards. I know a concrete guy, but even with an in, I think a slab is gonna cost more than I'm willing to spend. We'll see.

Any other lessons learned would be great. I'll probably make it possible to run some electric into it with a conduit or something (probably a bigger deal if it's concrete), but that might have to happen later on.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Philpug]

TuffShed is pretty darn good and a great value. If you have a TuffShed dealer, I woudl suggest there verses Home Depot or Lowes. We are reall happy with ours.

 

[kngelv]

Rather than go through the stress of building these sheds, especially motorcycle storage sheds, you can simply go to "https://upgearly.com/best-motorcycle-storage-sheds/". This website discusses a number of great motorcycle storage sheds that are available at affordable prices. It will help you make informed purchasing decisions.

Damn! Already got a bait and switch response. I look forward to seeing the responses since I'm thinking of doing the same thing. Good luck.

James

 

[bigenos]

HOA requires a build-on-site. Forgot to mention that.

Also, I'm definitely not stressed about it. I was being a little melodramatic in my initial post. I want to build it myself.

I will check out those sites, though.

 

[bigenos]

To be clear, I'm not going to that upgearly site and you shouldn't either, whoever you are LOL. Reported the post, actually.

 

[bigenos]

My neighbor went to shedking to get plans, said he liked them.

https://shedking.e-junkie.com/

$7 for plans seems pretty reasonable.

 

[nadogail]

From your initial post, jumped to the Assumption that you can build a box.

If that is correct is a appropriate assumption, you don't really have a problem because the shed you seem to want is simply a bigger stronger box.

Good Luck

 

[didit]

Any building is from the ground - up. If you are willing to trade off sweat equity for money saved on a concrete pad, do it all yourself, but call in a truck for concrete delivery if you do not want to mix it yourself. One tip that I can give you is to make sure the shed is elevated enough to avoid any future water concerns. You need to remove all the topsoil and get down to undisturbed or compacted ground. If needed build some cribbing, essentially a box to hold in crushed stone. Here we use what we call screenings. It is a finer aggregate, 0"- 3/4" that will compact nicely to support the new concrete. Your concrete forms will be set on this. When pouring the concrete give it some "fall" to the outer edges so you will never get any water pooling. Incorporate a ramp to the access door/s in your plan as it should be elevated from any walkway.
Plan out a building on paper with your needs in mind and using "found on internet" plans adapt time tested building principals. Basically, a box with the four sides being built on the ground and lifted into place. A floor plate, wall studs and headers is all there is to it. Doors and windows (if any) framed and built in on the ground as well. The roof is just a matter of pre-building trusses on the ground and lifting them in place. You can incorporate storage into them as well by leaving a central opening large enough to access above.
If new to building something like this, a forum like this will help greatly, you will just have to customize to your needs. I always liked building sheds, they are fun projects.

 

[bigenos]

Thanks, didit! Concrete around here is a little weird. There is solid limestone about 4-6" down in most spots. The homes use sandbags and flexible cables to anchor and foot foundations. I grew up on the East coast which had relatively normal ground with a frost line. West side of San Antonio it's all rock. I doubt a shed foundation would be as complex, but I'll let them figure that out. If I go concrete I'll be leaving it to the pros. If I do piers I can handle that. I've had to replace enough fencing here for a lifetime, and my neighbor owns a jackhammer which is pretty much mandatory if you want to dig a deep hole. Luckily the stone is relatively soft for a device like that.

If I do a wood frame floor, what's the minimum wood size? Not sure what the option would be to keep the ramp angle as low as possible.

 

[Bolson32]

I built an 8x12 out of the 2x4 kit you can get from menards or HD and did it, mostly by myself in 4 days.

Wood foundation on deck blocks was really easy and I would recommend those over print footings. A tiny shed like that isn't going anywhere so I don't see any reason to pour your own footings.

It's really easy to do and I didn't even have plans. Send me a dm if you have any other questions that don't get answered here. Happy to help.

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[FlaGman]

I will be building a shed next year myself. I have looked at shedking and may order plans from them once I decide to move forward. I think it would be worth it just for being able to purchase the correct amount of materials and having some finished elevations. Plus, I would feel more comfortable modifying existing plans to my liking than working from scratch in Sketchup (which I **** at).

I can’t go bigger than 12 ft in any direction without a permit so I will probably do a 10 x 12. If I could go to 200 sq ft like you I would go more like 12x16.

 

[egdede]

Building things the size of your materials. Plywood is 4X8 so plan your floor based on multiples of uncut plywood. For example: 8X12 or 12X12.

 

[MushCreek]

I like to design my own stuff, just because. You can get a basic framing book at any home center. Once you have the 'rules' for prescriptive framing, you can doodle away to get exactly the shed you want. If you're not that creative, just get some cheap shed plans and start building. Every shed I build has a small loft area accessible by a flap on a gable end. Perfect storage for lumber and pipe.

I'm a big fan of barnplans.com. Nice looking traditional barns, and the gambrel roof leaves more room for a loft. In their design, you buy the plans based on the width you want, and you can make it whatever length you want.

As for a floor and footings- concrete is nice, but I've built several wood floor sheds sitting on deck blocks, and never had a problem. Pressure treated floor frame and deck plywood, of course.

 

[bigenos]

Great stuff, all. Yes, pressure treated base boards are pretty much a given. If I were to do a wood frame floor on some kind of blocks/piers would I want to fill in the voids with gravel or something? Keeps critters out I guess?

 

[NewShockerGuy]

Any reason why you don't want to go with a kit?

I was in the same boat. Also in IT, not stupid by any means but never built a shed. Years ago I made a thread on here. I ended up buying a Costco Yardline wood Aston shed when it went on sale. All materials came with it minus the roof shingles/caulk...misc things like that. I did change the plans slightly and made it way stronger but it turned out to be a good deal and is still standing/no leaks or anything of that nature almost 5 years. I even did solar panel and interior/exterior lighting..lol

Looking forward I would probably do plans though and follow it. That's pretty much what the kit was minus everything already labeled and or cut to size. I know it would probably be about the same price for me if I bought plans and then bought all the materials.

It's not as hard as what some might make it out to be on the web. Definitely spend the time to do the foundation correctly and make sure it's level/plum..etc. That will take a good chunk of frustration out of the equation!

-Nigel

 

[Bretny]

Why do you feel the need for plans? Build it 16in On center and use the rafter calculator that blocklayer.com offers for free for the rafter dimensions. Becids the rafters everything is just plumb, level or/square with 16in Oc or 24in Oc.

 

[DFB]

If need more knowledge get a decent building book and should you follow basic building construction recommendations for loads and span and other framing techniques for walls roofs and rafters about anything you do building a little one story shed will be overkill

Honestly many small sheds are cheated wicked with lumber sizing and spacing economics is a factor for many small projects and even in the prebuilt/prepackaged shed industry often only the most minimum standards usually apply.

 

[bigenos]

Why do you feel the need for plans? Build it 16in On center and use the rafter calculator that blocklayer.com offers for free for the rafter dimensions. Becids the rafters everything is just plumb, level or/square with 16in Oc or 24in Oc.

Plans appear to be about $7-$20. Seems like short money to have at least a guide on some of the stuff I might not know. I'll check out those sites, though.

 

[bigenos]

Sounds like most people who have used kits had to mod them or were just disappointed with the materials.

But, the biggest reason is because I've never done it before. Sounds like fun. Ask me afterward if it was

 

[Bolson32]

Great stuff, all. Yes, pressure treated base boards are pretty much a given. If I were to do a wood frame floor on some kind of blocks/piers would I want to fill in the voids with gravel or something? Keeps critters out I guess?

I wouldn't bother. I had some rabbits under mine but the dog kept them mostly at bay. I was more interested in keeping the wood off of ground contact than keeping critters at bay.

 

[MushCreek]

You can put some stout fencing material to keep critters out. Bury it to prevent digging, staple it to the side of the floor deck, then put your walls up and sheathe over it. Or just let it be a critter habitat, like I do.

While we're talking about putting walls up- I build them and sheathe them laying flat on the deck, then stand them up. A small shed you can do single-handed; get your buddies to help if it's bigger.

 

[Bolson32]

Sounds like most people who have used kits had to mod them or were just disappointed with the materials.

But, the biggest reason is because I've never done it before. Sounds like fun. Ask me afterward if it was

I used a 2x4basics kit and for the most part I was happy with it. Having said that I probably would just buy cheap trusses from Menards if I were to do it again.

Something like this:

https://www.menards.com/main/buildi...n-truss-62/1885004/p-1444448813218-c-5658.htm

You can get 8-10' span trusses for ~$40 a piece. You're definitely going to spend a little more than building your own but you'll get a nice overhang and save a **** load of time. I bet I would've saved nearly a full day. I used the 2x4 basics kit but didn't like the base bracket so I built the walls with a bottom plate, then essentially used the kits to build rafters. It turned out really strong but wasn't the easiest thing to do as I had some twisted lumber to account for. Building 4 simple walls then popping small trusses on them would be a slam dunk.

 

[555]

Thanks for the tip on Shedking. I found a 10 x 12 shed that was exactly what I had in mind. I just finished down loading the plans and it will be perfect for my needs.

 

[bigenos]

You can put some stout fencing material to keep critters out. Bury it to prevent digging, staple it to the side of the floor deck, then put your walls up and sheathe over it. Or just let it be a critter habitat, like I do.

While we're talking about putting walls up- I build them and sheathe them laying flat on the deck, then stand them up. A small shed you can do single-handed; get your buddies to help if it's bigger.

Building them and then raising them up would be much easier now that I think about it. Also no toe nailing. I feel like I'd mess that up a lot.

I'll have to mull over the critter thing.

Thanks for all the info. everyone!

 

[bigenos]

I used a 2x4basics kit and for the most part I was happy with it. Having said that I probably would just buy cheap trusses from Menards if I were to do it again.

Something like this:

https://www.menards.com/main/buildi...n-truss-62/1885004/p-1444448813218-c-5658.htm

You can get 8-10' span trusses for ~$40 a piece. You're definitely going to spend a little more than building your own but you'll get a nice overhang and save a **** load of time. I bet I would've saved nearly a full day. I used the 2x4 basics kit but didn't like the base bracket so I built the walls with a bottom plate, then essentially used the kits to build rafters. It turned out really strong but wasn't the easiest thing to do as I had some twisted lumber to account for. Building 4 simple walls then popping small trusses on them would be a slam dunk.

Will check out those pre-made trusses, but no Menard's around here. I'm sure someone here sells similar.

 

[Bolson32]

Will check out those pre-made trusses, but no Menard's around here. I'm sure someone here sells similar.

I'm sure lumber yards sell something similar, probably a little more but certainly doable.

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[redm18]

In 2014 I bought plans from https://www.icreatables.com/ and built their shed. I have to say I was pretty pleased with the plans. Well worth the $15 for me. They have videos on youtube that you can use as well.

 

[DFB]

Building them and then raising them up would be much easier now that I think about it. Also no toe nailing. I feel like I'd mess that up a lot.

I'll have to mull over the critter thing.

Thanks for all the info. everyone!

Almost all walls for modern platform framing are built on the deck and stood up, years ago balloon framing techniques with long studs were more common.

I have 8 x 12 shed I built entirely by myself from scratch bought all the material after figuring the layout...someone earlier told you to do measurements based on 4 ft increments (or any dividable portion of that 2 ft or 12" or 16") That is most cost effective.

I built this out on rural piece of land with no cordless and no electric power, all the framing was cut off site to measurement, I laid out and built my own gusseted truss type roof supports, hauled them to the building site and was easy to put up by myself. Of course ALL the nails were driven with a HAMMER

Window and door openings in the T 1-11 were mocked up, marked, and cut off site and then installed small cuts for 3/4" trim were done with hand saw.

I even built decorative window shutters from furring strips and a window flower box from the T 1-11 scraps.

Oh the deal on that was a pallet of sheeting got damaged at the lumber yard so ALL the sheets were broke on one corner for about 6" or so. Gave me a wicked deal on it as they couldn't sell it on the floor with that damage.

I just made my wall height 7 ft and was good to go

You can do this

 

[Joemctag]

Don’t do like I did and use a lot of pressure-treated lumber and not know to use hot-dipped galvanized (or stainless) bolts and nails, like the p.t. industry says you need to do. It’s the dis-similar metals thing due to the copper compound. Way worse than with previous preservative compounds. Nails will rust away in 5 years. I’m now changing out a whole lot of fasteners. Oh, and I used p.t. lumber for purlins under metal roofing, so I had to slip pieces of ice-and-water shield between them to separate for the same reason.

 

[zak77]

First off it's a shed, so dont over-think it. 99% of the sheds i see delivered or built are set on a stone base. My house came with a shed set on stone over 10 years ago and no issues at all. Use pt 4x4's as the "foundation" and once leveled and braced to together, build off that. Walls are easy but it's the details of the openings that can be tricky. As for the roof, make your own trusses or build it out of 2x6 rafters. Personally i'd probably build my own trusses. Before you build decide what siding, access, roofing, and over design before you start getting materials. You dont need plans, just goto a shed dealer and take pics of how they did it for a similar shed you want to build. Even online pics help a lot.

 

[BigGarage]

Building them and then raising them up would be much easier now that I think about it. Also no toe nailing. I feel like I'd mess that up a lot.

I'll have to mull over the critter thing.

Thanks for all the info. everyone!

Here is a simple 4' x 8' shed I built. Except for the shingles and the siding there is not a single nail in it.

You could go with 8' x8' or even 8' x 12' easily. Just buy more sheets of plywood for the floor.

I gave this shed to a friend a few years ago and his city inspector made him pour a foundation with ratwall and take it off the concrete pylons I had it on. Codes vary I guess.

Dennis

 

[MushCreek]

When I moved and refurbished my 8X12, I added a small, cheap window. It's surprising how much nicer it is with the added light in a non-electrified shed, and it helps air out exhaust and gas fumes when I put everything away.

Make sure you know what you're going to put in it, and how it will all fit. I built my shed with a small side door, but when I got my zero-turn (8 years later) it wouldn't fit through the door, and if it did, it would have blocked both ends of the shed. When I did my re-furb, I put a double door on the end instead, and closed up the side door. In 8x12, I can get the ZT, my tiller, spreader, all hand tools, and small tools like a chainsaw, string trimmer, blower, etc., with room to spare. I have a small bench at the end for gas cans and small stuff. The ZT nose fits under the shelf.

I made my own trusses out of 2X4's, with plywood gussets glued and screwed to brace the corners. I attached them to the top of the walls with hurricane clips. I put 2X4 purlins running lengthwise, and screwed tin roofing directly to them. It's a shed; the loads on everything are pretty small unless you get yards of snow.

 

[CraigStu]

I am following because I need to do this too. My only comment is this. Go up to 12x12 mainly because it divides by 4 (width of plywood sheets) easier. The extra materials will probably be a $100 and the extra work about 2 hours. One thing to watch because it is so easy to get tricked since we don't do this for a living--that 12' is the outside dimension. So if you build a 12x12 floor you might have two 12' walls but the other two walls will be 12' minus the thickness of the first two walls or about 11'5". Oh and I need to back up to that floor. It may need to be 12' minus the thickness of your plywood wall sheathing. Depends on whether you will use some kind of trim on the outside corners or not.

 

[Kaizen]

I do IT as well. Just built my garage myself. First thing I built was a 10x12 shed. Recommend just removing grass and putting down 9-12 blocks to get it off the ground and good air flow. Once you have the dance floor to lay out walls you will feel better. Start with the long wall that has nothing. Get that up and move on. I built mine to fit my lawn tractor in one corner. Just like eating an elephant- one bite at a time.


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[Kaizen]

I used 2x8s. I at that time was storing two tons of wood pellets in winter so I added more blocks for a total of 12. Honestly getting those level took the longest time. Make sure it’s perfect so rest will be easy to plumb. Bury the blocks to keep the wood off the ground but low as possible. Lay metal hardware cloth around the blocks in the ground and stake it in to keep animals from making a home. My ramp is like 3 feet long. Don’t worry about it yet. All depends on height of deck and height of ground.



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[couch67]

I'll have to mull over the critter thing.

Yes if you have a raised floor, attach metal screen around the bottom perimeter. Use the thickest material you can get as it will last longer, I used 1/2" grid but I guess a bit larger would work too. Dig a trench about a food deep and 16" wide around the base, and bend the screen so you have 12" lying flat in the bottom of the trench (prevents the critters from digging under it), and enough vertical to nail to the bottom sides of the shed. Do this before the siding goes on and you will not see the screen until you are close up to the shed.

Around here, this is a must due to skunk and groundhog dens. The screen also allows airflow to keep the floor dry.

 

[TriumphFan]

The kids and I built our 12x16 shed with plans by barnsplans.com. Since the ground was sloped we used a pole foundation and stick built it from there. If you build it yourself you can make changes and modify as you go. You can also over build it (which we did) The only thing I would change with ours is more of a roof overhang.
I have since added a porch in the front and an overhang on the right side for my tractor.

 

[bigenos]

Good advice on the hot-dip galv for the pressure treated stuff. I would have totally missed that!

All this is really good. I asked a buddy who does concrete for a notional price on getting a slab done. Never know, can't hurt.

No snow here so roof load is not going to be much, but good points on the overhang, too. I will have to consider the windows, i was uncertain about that, but I think being able to get some airflow in there might be important in case I have to be in there in the summer. I was thinking I'd use the radiant barrier sheathing on the roof if it wasn't much more. The sun is really strong around here and I have been impressed at how (relatively) cool the attic stays in our house even on the hottest days here.

I know, I know, it's just a shed!

Thanks everyone, hoping to get going on this soon. Still undecided on size.

 

[Kaizen]

Lay out a rectangle in the yard with paint or such. Put items in it. Do common tasks with real equipment like putting mower away to see about size.
Hard to move sheds on concrete. I believe it’s regional with your area loving concrete. Make the roof pitch high and put shelves up in the eaves


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[shepherd]

Familyhandiman.com magazine has a few fee shed plans on their website...popular science and fine home building magazines too.