Monday, August 28, 2006

How To Build a Backyard Shed (in 12 easy steps)

All you need to know about building a shed. I'm going to tell you. If you don't want to know, just skip through and look at all the cool pictures of all our hard work! We worked very hard. Appreciate.


Step1. Find spot to put the shed. Here we found a corner where the sun don't shine. Measure properly to ensure that shed will fit in chosen spot. Space is 8'x8'. Perfect for shed.

Order shed. Shed will be 8'x6'. Perfect for shed spot.





Step 2. Resecure fence posts with lots of concrete. Shed will be leaning right up to fence so must be strong. Was leaning into neighbor's yard before as can be seen by above picture.










Step 3. Cut wood for floor/foundation of shed. Must be 8'x6'.









Step 4. Lay exterior grade treated plywood over exterior grade treated lumber frame of floor/foundation.








Step 5. Lay floor/foundation in shed spot and measure to make sure all is well. Fits right up next to where fence will be and secure with now cemented post. Level with dirt and rocks.







Step 6. Pick up shed from home store. 8'x6'--perfect. Open shed to find building instructions and more specific sizing. Hmm. 8'9"x5'8". But the shed spot is only 8' wide. It is not possible to fit in 9 more inches. There's that fence there. And the house on the other side. And the floor/foundation is already the exact size that the shed is not.

Swear at box of shed parts. Return shed and decided building it your own way is better. Buy piles and piles of wood and nails and screws.




Step 7. Frame and put up wall on right and then wall on left. Nail into floor/foundation.







Step 8. Individually attach roof joists to right and left walls. Check continually for level-ness of each wall while attaching roof.
















Step 9. Cut, frame and nail on the front and back walls of shed. Front wall has window so cut carefully so as to fit precisely. Continue to level all vertical and horizonal edges.

Start priming wood. With pink primer.





Step 10. Lay sheet of plywood for roof and cover with shingles.









Step 11. Put in window and secure according to directions. Cut and attach all trim to be sure of fit and position.

Finish primer and begin painting. With red paint.






Step 12. Cut and hang door. Prime & paint all trim. Hang trim. Screw in hinges and latches. Shed is done! Shed is red! Go shed go!




Additional fun steps. Buy and hang hooks, brackets, shelves, etc. Put all garden equipment into new best shed ever.





Shed is organized. Neat, tidy, perfect. Perfect size, perfect color. Perfect little door and perfect little window.

Many growing things will be nurtured in this perfect little shed. Plants will be potted, seeds will be stored and then brought out for sprouting. Weeds will be killed. Planning and plotting will be done.

9 comments:

Jean said...

You should write a How-To book. :) I'm glad you have a shed to put all your fun gardening tools and accessories in. It'll come in so handy come planting time next year and continued weeding season this year. :)

sarah cool said...

This is adorable!!! Wow - I am impressed! I love it!

anne said...

Thanks! I love love love it!! I just potted some houseplants out there...raining outside, but I was all dry in my little perfect shed!

BeckyD said...

Hey quick question...how did you and your dear hubby get to be so handy? I don't recall you doing projects like this when we were younger?!?! My hubby and I plan to construct a small flagstone patio off our current screened-in porch so that we can put our grill back there and have some place other than the porch to put it. Don't want to muss up our nice new siding and porch roof with the smoke from the grill. But now I have to figure out how to do it. Maybe I'll just check out the self-help books at Home Depot or Lowe's. The shed looks great though! I wish our yard was big enough to do something like that in...would definitely relieve the garage of some much needed stuff! Enjoy it!

Carbon said...

WOW!!! GREAT job! I can't believe how cute it turned out. Man, you are soooo organized too. Can you come over and "Clean Sweep" my house???

anne said...

Beck...I don't know. I don't think I ever even built a birdhouse as a kid. Just played amongst the leaves and twigs... :)
But Andy just seems to be really good at figuring things out. We do have two do-it-yourself home books and he does drag them out now and then. So that's definitely a good idea.
Oh, and you can't tell me that your yard is smaller than ours. There's no way.

Thanks, Maki! I do like to organize... :)

BeckyD said...

Well, our yard is about 35 feet wide and maybe only 20 feet deep. Not even big enough to warrant putting a fence around...I'm afraid it would make it seem smaller. I'll have to take a pic for you to show you.
Only 5 more days until the hubby returns! And wouldn't you know...we're sitting right in the path of Tropical Storm (potential Hurricane) Ernesto?!?! I just hope it doesn't delay the guys' return. The storm is supposed to hit Thursday and the guys get back Sunday...we'll keep praying, right?!?! That's all I can do! Flexibility is the key to Air Power!! :)

Kat said...

I need you at our house. We're doing a whole house remodel on a poor old fire damaged POS. No, actually I love the house - it's not a POS...it just wants to take all of our money. Seriously! Wanna come to NY?

anne said...

Kat, I might be coming out to NY in a couple months...I don't know if I'll be by your side of the state though.

And these old houses always suck the money right out of you. They're a little evil, I think...