For our new years first project we have decided to build an 8x12 shed. In our old house in South Dakota we bought a really nice pre-built shed built by the local Mennonites. Unfortunately when we moved we had to leave it behind. So we are going to try and build it ourselves this time.
The shed going to be 8x12 and 10 foot high.
Materials list (will update as we go along) we built with 2x4's but many people use 2x6's - we are not putting any heavy equipment like riding lawn mower in the shed so we think 2x4 will be fine.
4 - treated 4x4
2 - treated 2x4x12
12 - treated 2z4x8
3 - treated 3/4" 4x8 sheets of plywood
42 - 2x4x10 (10 foot tall wall uses 14 2x4x10's
2- 2x4x10 for the top plates
1 - 36" steel door
15 - 4x8 3/8' OSB primed panel siding
1 - wall vent
26 - 2x4-8 for the roof rafters - we did spaced them at 16" as opposed to 24" -
2 - 2x4 x8 for the top plate
1 - 2x6x12 roof ridge beam
many tubes of silicone
Tools
miter saw
circular saw
square
level
snap line
screw gun
hammer
ladder
wood screws - we use the star bit outdoor screws. You can use nails as well but we prefer the screws and love the star bit ones as they almost never strip out.
First we assembled the floor frame, partially so we would know where to put the blocks for leveling. It also helps in deciding location of the shed.
A note on lumber. It is almost always a bit long, so you should square the ends and make sure it is the exact length you desire.
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| Always wear hearing protection |
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| We carried around the partial floor frame to pick the perfect location for our shed. |
We cut the treated 2x4x12's to exactly 12 foot long. Then you can lay the boards on edge together and mark the floor joist locations for both boards at the same time. Then you cut the floor joists to be exactly 8 foot. You need to minus the width of the 2 - 2x4x12's to get the correct length. We set the 2x4x12's on the ground at 8 foot apart and measured the distance from the inside of the boards. Cut one treated 2x4x8 and then set it in pace and measure to see if it is correct. Then use that board as a template to measure the rest of the floor joist boards. You need 12 for this project. We will use 2 treated 2x4x8's on both ends.
Then we need to level the ground where the shed will live. That was a lot of work for the hubby as we live on a hill and don't have any ground that is close to level.
We built our floor frame out of treated 2x4x12's and 2x4x8's - we will be using 4 treated 4x4's under the frame, in case we ever decide to move the shed.
Once we decided on the location of the shed it was time for leveling. A pick, shovel and a lot of hard work. You can buy gravel for a base, but we are cheep and just used the available soil. I would suggest using solid cement blocks for leveling the shed. We had the other kind sitting around so we used them. The one side of the shed needed 3 blocks to be level. We had 3 that were already cemented together.
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| the 3 blocks seen here are cemented together and solid |
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| we added supports on the ends and in the middle |
Once we got the blocks level we set the 4 - treated 4x4's on the blocks and then put the floor frame down. Then we installed the rest of the floor joists. We used 2 - 3" screws on the end of each board.
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| you can see the marks we made for board location 16" on center |
Then measure from the corner of the frame crosswise to the other corner. Then do the opposite corners. They should measure the same length. If not try and adjust to get them the same as this will mean your frame is square.
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| you can see the 4 - treated 4x4's under the floor frame |
Then we used 3 1/2" screws to attach the frame to the 4x4's. We also used some 4" screws to attach the fame edges to the 4x4's. This is where you can have some trouble as it is hard to get 4x4's that length that are straight. Ours had a bit of a curl to them. We did our best to square everything.
Now it is time for the treated 3/4" 4x8 sheets of plywood. Ours weights 110 pounds each. We used a dolly to move them around. We did one at a time starting from one end. Lay the sheet down and make sure it fits squarely on your frame. We put a screw in the corners. Then we ran a chalk line to mark the location for the screws. We put our 2" outdoor screws every foot.
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| one sheet pf plywood on with one ready. Marking the board locations |
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| we marked to floor board location on the side boards |
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| after snapping a line - we put in the screws |
We had to trim a little off the 3rd sheet of plywood. After we put it on, it was a little long, so we used our battery powered circular saw and cut it even with the end of the frame.
Now it is time to make the walls. Our will be ten foot high. We started with the 12' side walls. We cut 4 - 2x4x12's to exactly 12 foot long. Then just to be more safe we checked the length to the frame to make sure they were correct. We did this after we cut the first 2x4x12. Then you can use it as a template for the other 3. Remember to cut a little off one end of each board and then measure for your final length cut. That way the boards are square.
Then we took 2 - 2x4x12's and set them down on our work space and measured the 10 foot length minus the width of the 2 -2x12's. Grab a 2x4x10 and trim one end. Then cut it to the measured length and set in down into the frame and measure. If it is the correct length, then you can cut the rest of the boards using that board as your template.
We took our stack of 2x4x10's and first trimmed all the ends square. Then we cut the other ends to length using our template. We know we need 28 2x4x10's for the side walls and at last 12 for the ends walls.
For the 12' side walls we start with 3 - 2x4x10's on each end. Then from the middle of the inside 3rd 2x4x10 we measured 16" and marked where each board will go. We like to take the top and bottom board and mark the 16" location at the same time on both boards. In fact we did 4 boards for the 2 walls. That way they will all be exactly the same.
Since our shed is located a bit away from the house, we only partially assembled the wall and then carried it over to the shed location. If you are building your shed near a power source then you can build the walls right on the floor of the shed. We set the partially assembled wall on the floor of the shed and then screwed in the rest of the wall boards, again using two 2" outdoor screws in each board end.
Time to add the 4x8 sheets of siding. We started each sheet about 4" below the wall. I had intended it to cover the treated 2x4 floor frame, but I did not take into account the 3/4" floor, so it is a little short for covering the floor frame. Live and learn.
For the first wall we put up, one of the long 12 foot walls, we attached the 4x8 siding before we put up the wall. This is where I went wrong with trying to cover the floor framing 2x4. Since we attached the siding on the wall before putting the wall up. Too late - or too much trouble to change. We braced the wall with 2 braces, one on each side and used a level and once happy with the level screwed in the braces.
With the wall braces screwed into the floor of the shed, we could not build the remaining walls on the shed floor. We partially built them on our concrete pad and then carried them over the the shed and put the remaining boards in. We next attached the 2nd 12' long wall. We decided not to atatch the 4x8 sheets of siding as it makes the wall heavy. After leveling and bracing the 2nd wall, we built the end wall. We measured the space left between the side walls and cut 2 - 2x4x8s to length for the top and bottom wall boards and then added in the 2x10's for the walls. This was the easiest wall to attach as it was smaller. Again for this wall we did not put the siding on ahead of time.
Then we added the top plate, making sure the boards overlapped the seams of the wall boards. For extra support, we took 2 2x4x8 boards and screwed them across the shed - top plate to top plate.
We did not side the front as we need to install the door and window first.
This step is not necessary, but we liked to have plywood on the inside of the shed. In South Dakota I even added insulation. We used 4x8x 7/16 osb plywood. I installed the sheets the tall way on the insulate of the shed walls, except for the front wall which is not finished. Then I cut pieces to fill in the remaining 2 feet to cover the full ten foot walls. Then, since we will be using the shed for storage, at 7' we added a row of 2x4's to create a frame for the attic floor. I then used 2x4x8's to support the floor of the attic. I am creating two attic spaces at both ends of the shed with an open sot in the middle of the shed for access. Each side will be 4' wide and a little less than 8' long as one looses the width of the walls. It should give us lots of space for storage and a nice platform for installing the roof.
I screwed up here again. for the attic floor on the front side of the shed, I did not put in the final board as the door needed to be installed first. I installed the door (this was when I realized we did the header board wrong) and the I also realized the attic floor needed to move up at least an inch to allow the door to open. So much to consider. I decided to move the attic floor on the front side of the shed up 4" so it will not be a problem. The other attic floor in the back of the shed I left at 7'.
Materials list for the attic floor –
2 sheets 4x8x 7/16” plywood
11- 2x4x8 6 along the walls, 4 floor joists – I spaced the floor joists at 2’
1 – cut and screwed between the floor joists for more support – 2 supports for each joist
We installed the plywood on the roof as well before installing the metal. We had our house roof replaced the previous fall and used some of the leftover pieces on the shed. I had to paint some of the metal roof to match as they had used some green metal roofing to protect the red in transport. I used automotive paint on the green metal.
My husband just picked a height for the roof (not very scientific I know) and we then made the trusses to fit that. We used a 2x6 and cut the 2x4's to attach to it from both sides. It was very steep, especially when you ahd to be on the roof as I was to attach the top cap and roofing sheets. We were somewhat limited as to having an overhand as we only had some much roof material and did not want to buy any. He made a template for the side supports and then cut the rest to match. We did ours 16" on center as we have high winds and want lots of support. WE do not have much rain so we are not as worried about leaks.
We installed the plywood in sections so we could access the roof from my attic space inside. It made it easier and safer. I am a big fan of silicone. When in doubt I use it. It is supposed to last for years and is an extra safety precaution for not a lot of money.
With the roof on and the door and window installed it is time to paint. On the corners we used hardiboard trim. Should last forever and it looks great. Along the back wall of the shed we added a vent.
It looks pretty nice and has lots of storage. I have since sealed up the bottom with aluminum and wire to try and keep pack rats from nesting. I also added a ramp to the front door. Makes it easy to get the garden cart in and out.
We finished the shed in February and I made the ramp in March. Still getting the inside organized.
