Building A Shed: A Brief Overview

Building A Gable Shed (Click Here)

If you need extra storage space in your garden for tools and gardening supplies you may want to consider building a shed. Not everyone is an accomplished handyman, but you do not have to be an expert builder to build a shed.

The first thing to decide is how big your shed should be and where it will be located. Often garden or other storage sheds are built on skids, rather than a concrete slab, so they can be moved if required. You can find very good, detailed plans online. A simple search for 'how to build a shed' will bring up quite a few results that include actual blueprints for you to follow along with step by step details and a list of all the material you will use.

Once you have your plans you can begin to organize your tools and building material. To build a simple or basic shed you do not need a lot of tools. You should be able to construct it just using a hammer and nails, a power saw (or hand saw if you do not have power tools), a level, a measuring tape, roofing nails or screws and a screwdriver. Power tools can be extremely useful if you have access to them. They will make building easier and faster.

The plans should tell you exactly what building materials you will need and what size they should be cut to. Typically these would be decay resistant lumber of various sizes for the skids and floor joists and regular lumber for the ridge beam, framing, studs, beam supports and rafters. Plywood works nicely for flooring and for roof sheathing. If you are using lumber boards for the exterior of the shed you should make sure that you purchase treated lumber. Corrugated roofing iron works well for roofing as well as asphalt shingles. To make building the doors simple you will need to purchase a pre-made door as well as window.

One thing to check before you start building a shed is whether or not you will need a building permit. In many places free standing sheds that are under a certain size can be erected without a permit. As this does vary from place to place, depending on local laws, you should double check this with your local building department before you start.

Building kits are also available online. They are great for people who are not accomplished builders and who feel they need more structured instructions for building. Shed kits also come complete with all of the materials you will need. You can often build a shed for less money by purchasing the items yourself than you would pay for a kit, so if you are able to follow a plan well and you enjoy the challenging of building something from scratch you may enjoy building a shed without buying a kit.

Building A Gable Shed (Click Here)