Outdoor Storage Shed Plans
If you’re someone who likes to garden or build DIY projects, then you probably have all of the tools needed to build your very own outdoor storage shed. Outdoor storage sheds are ideal because they allow you to organize and protect all of your tools, without taking up garage space. It’s like a second garage for all your tools. You may be under the assumption that outdoor storage sheds are difficult to build, but with a good set of outdoor storage shed plans, they are quite easy.
• Step 1 is to get yourself a good set of outdoor shed plans. There are lots of downloadable storage shed plans online. Look at the various plans and choose one that has the look you want and that is in scale to the size of your house. You don’t want it to be as big as your house, but you also don’t want it to be the size of a doghouse. You also want to ensure that you are in compliance with regional construction laws and this will most likely be municipal by-laws. In most areas, a structure less than 100 square feet does not require a building permit but you should check with your local building authority to be on the safe side.
• After choosing a plan, you need to figure out where you’re going to put the shed. Mark the perimeter as you need to be very precise right from the foundation stage. Use tracing triangles or right angles to mark out stakes and then attach strings to line out the perimeter. Make sure the perimeter is a perfect square or rectangle by measuring the lines before starting to work on the foundation.
• The next step is to create a foundation and this can be made with concrete piers or concrete slabs. When determining what to make your foundation of you’ll need to consider the ground it’s being built on.
• The floor system is next. This is done by setting floor joists in such a way that the dimensions on the outside are in line with those of the shed. Use pencil marks about every 12 inches on two parallel joists and draw right triangles using the triangle method. After this, the brackets need to be nailed down and they should be centered also every 12 inches and begin to slide in stringers and then nail then down as well. The last step to complete the floor is to nail plywood over the entire surface. Tighten up by placing plywood perpendicular to the joists or applying strong adhesive.
• The next step is the wall. Lay down pre-cut rows of timber all round on plywood laying one next to the other and nailing them down fast. Do this for the four walls and then get help raising them up. Lay down temporary bracing to hold the walls before you nail them down to each other. Finish with a plank of wood all around on top of the walls. You should now have a shed with four walls, a floor and no roof which is the last step.
To finish the roof, lay down four wooden beams perpendicular to the roof to form a triangle at the center of the shed. Then, nail down wooden planks one by one to complete the roof, nailing them down as well. The second last step is to get the door attached using hinges and lastly the window. You can choose to use shutters instead of windows with glass panes.
Most people will then finish up with a nice coat of pain, often choosing to match the shed to their home. This decision is completely up to you. Some will choose to keep the natural wood appearance.
