Go Ahead and Build That Shed

DEAR TIM: Outdoor storage sheds are popular in my neighborhood. Since I can barely squeeze my cars into my garage, I now need a storage shed in my yard. How do I develop shed plans for this project? Should I just purchase a prefabricated storage shed? The gardener in me wants a garden shed as well. I don't know how to build a shed, but I have all the free time in the world. Do you think I can tackle this project with minimal errors? -Marybeth B., Louisville, Ky.

DEAR MARYBETH: Years ago, extra stuff swallowed half of my garage. Then, not too long after that, I lost my other indoor parking space to a growing collection of mowers, mulchers, tractors, bikes and so forth. Two years ago my wife finally said to me: "We need a shed. Build one that matches our house."

I had my marching orders from She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, and three months later I had a deluxe storage shed in my back yard. As long as you have some helping hands at critical stages of the construction process, I feel you can do the same.

Free shed plans can be had on the Internet, but you should probably develop your own plan. It is very easy to get the overall size of the shed by taking all of the things out of your garage that will be stored in the shed. Organize these things on your lawn in the shape of a rectangle or square.

Allow enough space around each item so you can easily get to it without having to pull several things out of the way. Use stakes and string to create an outline around everything, and this overall dimension will become the footprint of your shed. I'd wager that your dimensions will approach or exceed 16 feet by 14 feet.

This basic method of planning uncovers a problem with far too many sheds: They're too small. You may look at an assembled shed kit at a retail store and think it's huge. But once you put your things in it, you quickly discover it's too small. To get things out that you need, you have to move several things outdoors to make a pathway. My shed is large enough so that I don't have to move anything to get to each wheelbarrow, mower or mulcher.

My shed does double duty. One-third of it is a garden shed for my wife. It has shelving for all her pots and supplies and a clever drop-down potting bench that tilts down from a side wall like a Murphy bed.

If you can build a deck, you are halfway to completing an outdoor storage shed. Use treated lumber for the posts that support the shed floor joists, and treated plywood for the shed flooring. Wet tools and machines will not rot these critical structural members.

Framing the exterior shed walls is very easy. The key is to make sure the walls are square, plumb and level. I prefer to apply plywood or oriented strand board on the exterior of the walls for strength, but this material makes any wall over 10 feet long fairly heavy to lift into position. You will probably need help when you tilt up your shed walls.

The roof framing may be an obstacle. The good news is that any decent lumberyard can order small trusses for you if you don't want to explore the wonderful things you can do with a simple framing square. Roof framing is not hard to learn, and since you have time, practice cutting some simple rafters before you start to actually build the shed. There are many great books available that show you how to cut simple roof rafters.

Be sure to include a small overhead garage door in your outdoor storage shed, as well as one or two skylights. Many people don't realize you can get mini-garage doors that are just 6 feet wide. This is the perfect size to get a lawn tractor in and out of a shed. Skylights brighten up an otherwise dark space. There are many affordable skylights. Consider getting ones that open to allow hot air to escape in summer months.

More information: AsktheBuilder.com

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