Have you ever noticed how often a home improvement project is inspired by a problem? Not long ago, Ron ran out of room to store his garden tools and his best solution was to build a garden shed. An online search lead Ron to a company called Handy Home Products that makes a shed kit that looks like a miniature barn.
In just a few days the kits was delivered by the local home improvement center.
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To save a lot of time and energy moving all of the pieces, you should have your kit delivered as closely as possible to the location you have selected for your new shed.
It is a good idea to lay out all of the parts and check each one against the parts list. The easiest kits come complete with everything you need except for the roofing materials and the paint.
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| A shed should be built on pressure treated 4 x 4s. The shed frame, made of 2 x 4s, sits right on top. Nail the floor joists every 16 inches and then nail the joist to the 4 x 4s.
When all the pieces are precut, the shed assembly moves along pretty quickly.
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| Check the flooring frame for level, and then begin attaching the decking on top. When the floor is finished, and the decking is in place, the next step is to begin on the walls.
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| Since the new shed floor is both flat and level, it naturally makes an excellent surface on which to assemble the wall sections. These parts are also all precut so all that is necessary is the nailing.
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| After the wall framing is complete, the siding can be attached.
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If you are working alone, you will need help with tilting the walls up and attaching them in place.
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| With the wall in position, attach a simple brace to hold it upright while you nail it into the floor. This process is repeated with the remaining walls.
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| Begin constructing the roof by attaching 2 x 6s to the tops of the walls.
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| If you are working alone, you will need a little advance planning to deal with the rafters. First, set them in place upside down and then flip them up one by one and toenail them into the 2 x 6s that were just installed.
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| Once the rafters are up, the next step is to start putting on the roof sheathing. At first, the rafters are only held in place by the toe nailing, but as soon as the 5/8 sheathing is attached, the whole roof assembly becomes rock solid.
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| The gable ends come in two sections. Nail up the first one, install a cleat, and then put up the second half.
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| The trim, which is precut and primed, covers any remaining raw wood, unfinished surfaces and joints.
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| The shed door comes pre-hinged, but it is very heavy and is awkward to hold in position. With help, use a couple of adjustable clamps to jack the door into place and secure it while you fastening the hinge rail with nails and screws. Adding trim pieces like the cross braces help create the barn look of the shed. The simulated hayloft door adds another bit of interesting detail.
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| Windows come as an option with this shed kit for those who like the idea of letting in a little more light. To install a window, begin by removing a section of stud wall so you can frame out what will be the window opening. When the framing is complete, bore a hole from the inside out at all four corners.
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| Next, insert a jigsaw into one of the holes and begin cutting away the siding. The window is attached to the frame with screws.
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