Building a Shed -- Outdoor Sheds, Outside tool shop, Outdoor Storage

Jenn and I have been mulling over the idea of building a ‘snowblower/lawnmover seasonal yard tools type shed (to get these out of my shop…uhh garage). I don’t think it would be too difficult to draft one up yourself, that is what I intend to do once I get a little bit of time.

-- "Checking for square? what madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2

When I built my shed I got a book on storage shed from the reference book section at Lowes. It was a helpful guide to get the project started.

I built a 10×12, and that has turned out to be a decent size for our lawn and garden equipment.

You can find plans for sheds at Menards and I’m sure the other box stores, but may I suggest buying pre made trusses insted of building them, makes the build faster and I think the cost of the trusses vurses the time to build them is a push.
Good luck with your build !!

-- Charlie............Only time will tell if it was time well spent.

Charlie’s right about pre-made trusses the cost to self-build is minimal and time saved is great as for plans make your own you decide were you want stuff just remember its just a box

http://www.selfstorage-london.com/Free_Storage_Shed_Plans.htm

try is site

Andy

-- cut it saw it scrap it SKPE: ANDREW.CARTER69

Why 9 feet as a base dimension? Nothing wrong with it but it seems to be a waste of materials or the use of a lot of little pieces. A standard shed, especially as narrow as 9 or 10 feet is a simple rafter and joist system. Trusses are expensive and rafters are cheap common material and easy to cut once a pattern is made. Don’t forget the birds-mouth to lock the top plate and use joists to keep the walls from pushing out. You’ll be fine and the money saved can push the dimension out a little. Linear feet are cheap because you have to build the end walls anyway. Go as big as you can, you’ll be glad you did when it starts filling up.
Hope this helps, BTKS

-- "Man's ingenuity has outrun his intelligence" (Joseph Wood Krutch)

+1 on building your rafters. I was nervous about that when I started, but like BTKS points out, once you decide on the pitch of your roof, using a Swanson framing square will get you through the rafter portion.

Mine was a fun learning experience and it is in the end just building a big box.

I went 5/12 on my roof and that worked well for my shed. Once you mark and test fit one rafter pair then use one of them and mark all your others for consistency. I used 1x wood for my ridge board and held it in place with a 2×4 until the rafters and plywood tied everything together.


I did add lattice work and a planter under the window.