# A Small Woodworking Shop Expansion



## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Introduction 1*

Update: Started expansion finally on what is essentially now, just a 10X8 tool shed. If all goes as planned, 
I will almost triple my sq. footage and the tool shed will become my shop.
ManI like the sound of those words.

Having seen many great shop builds and shop tours, mine by comparison is not much of an undertaking.
I will be building an approxmately 50 sq. ft. extension and then tying this all in to an existing 7×8 plastic
shed that I will reinforce and insulate.

So the tool shed will go from 70 sq. ft. to around 170 sq.ft. Still pretty small, but to me,its a relatively big deal.

The current space is just too small for me . Its bursting at the seams with the modest amount of tools I 
have, and next to impossible to work on projects in there without bumping into things. Not safe to work
that way either.

I have been formulating many space saving ideas. Along the way I will be incorporating some
of those into this project.Actually that may make for a blog all by itself. Anyway, I would welcome any comments 
and suggestions and feel free to follow along on my little adventure.

Thanks

Ron


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## Dez (Mar 28, 2007)

RonInOhio said:


> *Introduction 1*
> 
> Update: Started expansion finally on what is essentially now, just a 10X8 tool shed. If all goes as planned,
> I will almost triple my sq. footage and the tool shed will become my shop.
> ...


Sounds like you have a lot on your plate! Keep plugging away!


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## woodspark (May 8, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Introduction 1*
> 
> Update: Started expansion finally on what is essentially now, just a 10X8 tool shed. If all goes as planned,
> I will almost triple my sq. footage and the tool shed will become my shop.
> ...


Good luck with your dream, keep the flame burning!


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Started Expansion of the Shed *

Finally started the expansion. Its a modest expansion but will end up giving me around 160 sq. feet of shop space. Right now my space is not much more than a place to store my tools. Currently laying down the floor frame and joists. Will post my progress .

Before actual construction began I had to move a small plastic shed that was butted up against the front of my little shop. I ran two tow straps under it, hooked it up to the truck and pulled it forward.










I had previously built a new floating foundation to pull the shed onto, but as expected , I had to do some considerable leveling and jacking up and fixing things underneath. This was done over the course of a few days.










The next thing was to dig out the footprint of the expansion. This involved digging out a 5 foot x 10 foot x 6 inch deep area. All done with a shovel and small wheel barrel.

Ordered a yard of #8 limestone gravel and proceeded to backfill and level the concrete piers.

I thought a half yard would be enough. But I ended up getting two half yard deliveries. This is a half yard of gravel.










Digging out in front of the shed I'm expanding. The front beam was laying directly on the ground. I had to dig under it and expose it and backfilled with gravel and supported with piers.



















Here is the foundation bed and floor beams before leveling . Just sort of a dry fitting.



















Layed some poly over the gravel and built the frame beams










Put down PT 2×6's over the beams . Started building the floor frame and getting ready to lay down Reflectix vapor barrier before I lay in the joists.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

RonInOhio said:


> *Started Expansion of the Shed *
> 
> Finally started the expansion. Its a modest expansion but will end up giving me around 160 sq. feet of shop space. Right now my space is not much more than a place to store my tools. Currently laying down the floor frame and joists. Will post my progress .
> 
> ...


Looks like you're making some progress!


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Update November 28*

Well I worked about 12 hours Saturday and got some of the hangers and floor joists in. I took a break Sunday (football day) and Monday, I was sore , needed to step back. So today I finished nailing the joists to the hangers and started planning out how I was going to install the ridgid foam in the the joist bays. Originally I was just going to fill the cavity with rigid foam all the way up. I decided this was probably not necessary and a little costly.

So I bought some 1 by lumber and built billets on the inside of the joists to set the 2 inch insulation board on. I will use adhesive and lay the board on the billets. Any gaps I will fill with Great Stuff.

After running out to the Home Center and getting set up and figuring out exactly the best way to install, I only got billets put into 3 bays. Now that I have a method I should be able to get the other bays done tomorrow,hopefully the insulation laid in , and at least start putting the plywood floor down.



















Note: It has taken me much longer than I anticipated to reach this point in the expansion but the weather is holding and I just need to start earlier in the day I guess.I usually stop working on it after it gets dark. I really don't like to work too late and disturb the neighbors. But I'm itching to start framing the walls.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Putting XPS Ridgid Insulation Between Floor Joists*

Went out today to pick up more 1×2x8 PT lumber to finish putting billets in-between the joists.

Got 3 done last night and finished them up today. For anyone wondering what a billet is . Its just a ledge made by screwing 1×2s into the the inside of the joist bays.

The ridgid insulation boards rest on these . Glued in place with construction adhesive.

Kind of hard to see. If you hit the control key and the (+) to zoom its easier to see the billets.

Kind of the first time I have worked with rigid foam insulation. Its not difficult to cut but it helps to have accurate cut lines for a good fit obviously. I used a small hand saw and probably should of used the saw horses and some kind of cutting guide . Some of my cuts weren't 90 degrees and had to trim them to get them to fit.

Probably a little easier for thinner sheets and a table saw. I am working with the 2 inch sheets . R value of 13.

Anyway, a pain to put billets into every joist cavity. And a little bit of a PITA cutting and fitting the insulation.But in the end, it should be worth the extra work.

Here are photos of the billets.



















I got every bay except one insulated before I ran out of construction adhesive and silicon sealant.

I will post pics tomorrow of the installed insulation.

Before I start to lay down the plywood floor I will demo out the end wall on the old shed and then proceed to framing out the addition.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Floor Insulation Installed ,Almost Ready to Start Framing*

Been a little frustrating at the time and money its taken me to get to the point where I'm ready to start framing. Little things like chaulk and hardware really start adding up in a hurry.

But enough of that.

Today I finished putting in the ridgid insulation between the joists and then caulked all of the gaps.

I also demoed the two walls on the front of the shed.

Decided I will need to expose or have easy access to the old floor joists of the shed I'm expanding . I plan on redoing the floors in there also and if I don't do it at this time it will be more difficult to do after I lay the ply flooring on the extension. When I put those floors in a few years ago I don't think I used PT lumber. So when I pull up the flooring in there I will see how much if any moisture damage there is .

So I will remove a few inches off the end just so I will have room to remove those floor panels when the time comes.

So tomorrow I will lay some Reflectix over the ridgid foam and then the plywood.

A few more pics.

Demo of the front walls.










Rigid foam put in-between joists.


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## GrandpaLen (Mar 6, 2012)

RonInOhio said:


> *Floor Insulation Installed ,Almost Ready to Start Framing*
> 
> Been a little frustrating at the time and money its taken me to get to the point where I'm ready to start framing. Little things like chaulk and hardware really start adding up in a hurry.
> 
> ...


You'll not regret insulating that floor and it will be much easier on your legs than my concrete floor is.

Good progress.

Work Safely and have Fun. - Grandpa Len.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Laying Out the Wall Frames*

Had to take a step back from my shed expansion project to go over how I'm going to layout the wall framing. I plan on having the front wall practically open, to tie-into the little shed.

That part of it is pretty much dictated by how much of the back walls I will trim off the little shed, and not much debate over whats got to be done there.

Since I am not working from a set of "formal" plans I needed to go over in my mind the side door placement and how I can best frame for this now and not have to do a lot of tearing out and re-framing when the time comes for me to actually put the door in. Might not get to that till the spring.

I made a really unforgivable mistake today

One thing about working without plans is you have to be sure of your measurements ,*before *you go out and purchase wood and then have it cut-down to manageable sizes. As they say measure twice,three times. And cut once.

I had (7) 2×4x12s PT lumber cut in-half thinking the stud length I needed was measured correctly and these halves would be the correct length. I was going from memory. Whoops !

Got home and found each stud was about 3 inches too short. I can still use those later for shop builds and possibly when I frame in the little shed and insulate it . Since the side of the exterior walls in there will be under 6 feet. But in reality , I wasted several hours of time in this screw-up. Grrr ! And had to make another trip and pick up another (14) 2×4x8s. I'm fuming but probably got what I deserved. Lesson learned hopefully.

So I'm taking the time tonight to have more concrete plans so i can get the walls framed in over the next day or so.

Need to step it up. Cold and snow is not far off. Need to get that roof built and covered.


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## GrandpaLen (Mar 6, 2012)

RonInOhio said:


> *Laying Out the Wall Frames*
> 
> Had to take a step back from my shed expansion project to go over how I'm going to layout the wall framing. I plan on having the front wall practically open, to tie-into the little shed.
> 
> ...


Ron,

Woodworking is more about how well you can recover from the err, than the err itself.

Electricity, not so much. 

Work Safely and have Fun. - Grandpa Len


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## BlueFlamme (Feb 23, 2008)

RonInOhio said:


> *Laying Out the Wall Frames*
> 
> Had to take a step back from my shed expansion project to go over how I'm going to layout the wall framing. I plan on having the front wall practically open, to tie-into the little shed.
> 
> ...


Sorry you had to go get more materials. There are two lessons to learn here. One is obvoius (measure twice cut once), the other is more subtle.

One key to carpentry that you'll find is just as useful in woodworking is thinking around a problem. Sometimes you're stuck and the only resolution is to start over again. In your case lets look at some options:

Option 1: extend stud length. This is often done by creating a finger joint. Sounds like a lot of work to me.

Option 2: lower the ceiling height and "tuck" the new roof in under the old roof. This makes sense in large projects where you don't want to rip the roof off an existing house, but in this case sounds like a poor tradeoff

Option 3: "raise" the studs off the floor. Add another top and bottom plate gaining 3" of height. if you were less than that, trim the studs however far you were off (setup a jig on your CMS)

I'm sorry you had to waste time and money but hopefully you can glean some nuggets from this, and at least those 2×4s are not a complete waste, can use those to make a rear door, frame around windows, built extra storage/misc to fill all that new space!


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Laying Out the Wall Frames*
> 
> Had to take a step back from my shed expansion project to go over how I'm going to layout the wall framing. I plan on having the front wall practically open, to tie-into the little shed.
> 
> ...


Scott , I did consider just doubling the bottom plates and adding another plate to the top to recover those ~ 3 inches. But I'm installing a side door in one wall and I'm already working with pretty low ceilings. 
I would have lost a few precious inches.

I will often find a way to recover from carpentry mistakes. Wood is pretty forgiving. But in this instance I didn't want to take that route. Better to just go out and get more studs.

The mistake wasn't the end of the world , but just kind of a foolish mistake . Also I was more upset at the time I wasted then anything. I have already used up about 3 or 4 of the studs I cut too short in the top plates.

Anyhow, I got two sidewalls framed up today. Tomorrow if all goes as planned I should have the framing pretty much done and can start on the rafters and ridge.

Thanks for the suggestions and input.

A couple pics from work done today.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Getting The Walls and Sheathing Up.*

Just an update on what was accomplished over the last week. Got the walls framed and standing. Cut the sheathing and nailed on. Tonight I lifted the ridge beam and secured it. Tomorrow will measure,cut and start installing the rafters.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*A Few Setbacks and a Race Against Cold and Snow*

My progress has been delayed due to a few setbacks. I had all the rafters cut. All the rafter hardware attached on the ridge, cut out the notches for the lookouts, everything was going fine.

Had all the rafters sitting pretty on their bird mouths and dry fitted nicely into their respective brackets on the ridge beam.

So I'm going over everything this morning, double checking everything before nailing the rafters down and then I saw it. Don't know why I didn't notice it before. Really kind of a dumb oversight.

When I cut the birds mouths on the original shed (a few years ago) I ended up cutting them really deep so they would rest over the entire length of the top plate, and then some. I don't recall exactly why I did it that way but anyway, my addition's rafters were setting about an inch higher on top than the rafters I did a few years ago !

Basically this meant instead of nailing everything down and purchasing ply for the roof and starting on that , I had to take down every rafter and re-cut the birds mouths so the rafters would be flush across the top with the other ones.

Oh well. Such is the life of a backyard carpenter . Ha.

This took up most of my time today. The weather forecast is calling for snow and cold after tomorrow . Have a doctors appointment tomorrow in the afternoon so need to get going early.

In the morning I will try to get the rafters nailed down and run out for the ply for the roof. Hopefully I can get the ply and roofing paper on tomorrow but that may be expecting too much. I don't relish the idea of trying to get the roof finished in snow and cold.

I wasn't a happy camper at all , but in times like these, I try to remain calm and collected as well as philosophical. Believe me that wasn't easy to do at all in this case.

I have however learned a great deal about carpentry, I now feel confident that if or when, I build a structure in the future, I will know some of the pitfalls and things to expect. As well as things to avoid . The good thing is, I didn't have to scrap any of the rafters I mis-cut .

Will try to get some updated pics up over the next few days.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Progress Update December 22*

The cold weather has arrived and the winds were kind of strong all day yesterday and last night. Substained 30+ mph with snow,rain,and sleet. But the tarp held up and everything is staying dry underneath. Not nearly as windy today. And that is a good thing. Didn't really feel like wind surfing with a sheet of plywood in my hands !

Put up the lookouts and the rake rafters yesterday. The rake rafters were a bit of a challenge to 
figure out how to get them in place up there by myself. The solution was to nail a 2 X4 along the 
rafters top edge, and to "hang" them up there over the lookouts. Then I just clamped them
there so I could nail them in place.

Can't begin to say how useful my Irwin Quik-Grip bar clamps have been in this project. Anyone working 
by themselves, they are literally like having an extra set of hands. Constantly am finding ways
to use these in carpentry work.

Today I removed the edge-drip from the front of the tool shed and proceeded to muscle up
the big sheets of ply to the roof of the extension.Thankfully, didn't get airborne. Got them
positioned up snug to the old roof (edge to edge) and put down a few nails to keep them 
in place.

Darkness came so I pulled the tarp back over and called it a day. Tomorrow I 
will finish putting the ply down on top and hopefully the #15 roofing paper and see
how far I can get with the shingles.

As promised below are pics of my progress over the last week.

Yes, I have made mistakes and some of them are evident. But I do feel like I'm getting more comfortable 
with the whole carpentry side of things.

Looking from inside to the front left and front partial walls. Decided to just deal with the side
door framing later on and framed normally. I will need to work in a header into the 
front walls at some point.



















No that isn't a pretty blue sky up above. That is a tarp !  And the ridge beam
looking to the front rafters and the lookouts on the front left.










Looking from front to back. Those gable end studs up top
will be coming out as well as all of the rafter joists and 
replaced with collar-ties. This will gain around 8-12 inches 
of additional overhead room throughout !










These are the lookouts for the front overhang.Looking from the front right
outside corner, to the left front of the addition.









Didn't get a pic of the rake rafter. Will try to get that one up on the next update.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Roofing Paper and Drip Edges Done*

Christmas Eve made a run to HD and picked up a bundle of shingles,drip-edging, and some 
roofing nails.
Got the roofing paper on and edge drips. Need to redo the gable drip-edge.
Got in a big hurry and it looks all dented and crappy. Think I have a spare section
I can redo that . No big deal really.
This morning I went out and put on shingles. Thought I had enough as I bought a bundle and had a partial bundle
left over from the original shed build from a few years back.
No dice though. Ran out with half one side not shingled and everythings closed.

Disappointing, as the weather which has been in the mid 30's,
is going to get wintry nasty. Should'nt take long to finish shingling. 
Just have about 4 or 5 courses and
the peak left to do.

Just didn't want to climb back up there with snow. Suppose to get our first heavy snowfall tomorrow
evening I think.

Well, I tarped it over and just going to relax and enjoy Christmas day. Not far off from phase II of 
the shop expansion.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Roofing Paper and Drip Edges Done*
> 
> Christmas Eve made a run to HD and picked up a bundle of shingles,drip-edging, and some
> roofing nails.
> ...


The end is in site, congtrats


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Roofing Paper and Drip Edges Done*
> 
> Christmas Eve made a run to HD and picked up a bundle of shingles,drip-edging, and some
> roofing nails.
> ...


Thanks NormG. Yeah, should be able to get the siding and trim as weather allows 
and can start concentrating on the inside and get out of the cold !


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

RonInOhio said:


> *Roofing Paper and Drip Edges Done*
> 
> Christmas Eve made a run to HD and picked up a bundle of shingles,drip-edging, and some
> roofing nails.
> ...


allways encouraging 
to hear of shop expansions

mine has been on hold for over a year now
but have the means now
to make a 12' tall corner section of walls
and build an 8' spray booth with temp tin lean-to roof

so i have a place to finish some hopefully 
for sale tables i want to make
so i can afford the remainder of the shop
some time in my lifetime

hope you are warm and dry soon


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Getting Back To It.*

Well its been almost two weeks since I have made any updates on my shop expansion so here is a 
a quick update and a look at whats next.

I had most of the roof shingled by Christmas and only needed another bundle to finish it up. Had some snow and 
cold stormy weather from Christmas day and for about a week after. But as soon as things cleared up I finished the roof about a week ago.

Then I started to put in the collar ties . Only got a few up and then I took a break and have stayed inside and 
tried to catch up on some house-cleaning chores that I had gotten behind on.

Getting some mild weather again, so today I went out to the shed and just cleaned up and organized things 
a bit. Had quite a mess out there. Usually I will try to pick up after myself ,when each day of work is done.

But in my rush to get the roof done and beat the winter storms that moved through around Christmas , I got slack with the cleaning up and I had scrap wood and tools everywhere.

So thats done, cleaned up and open to move around.And it looks like we will be getting some really mild weather over the next four or five days.

So the plan is to get an early start tomorrow and see how close I can get to putting in insulation.

My focus tomorrow will be putting in gabel studs and then collar ties along the lenth of the roof.

Was going to get a new table saw by using the HF 20% off coupon on the 31st of Dec. I was so close to going and getting it but just couldn't pull the trigger. Want to get the shop in more of a state of completion
before I bring more stuff in. Its still pretty crowded out there at the moment.

I did order the Rockler FX router lift and assembled my Bench Dog Pro Top table. I really hope to get a lot of 
use out of my router set-up as I have spent close to 700 dollars and still don't own a single router bit yet !


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## BenStewart (Dec 19, 2012)

RonInOhio said:


> *Getting Back To It.*
> 
> Well its been almost two weeks since I have made any updates on my shop expansion so here is a
> a quick update and a look at whats next.
> ...


Informative and nice post!


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Soffit and Siding Underlayment*

Weather was good today. Took advantage of that to start the soffits. 
Also put up some xps GreenGuard siding underlayment. Still have one side and the
front gable to do. Weather is going to turn again and its suppose to rain tomorrow.

If its not too bad I will try to finish up the underlayment. And also try to get the soffits 
completed on one side at least.

The only other time I did soffits I just used ply. This time I decided to 
give the shed a cleaner and more professional look by buying 
vinyl soffit panels, j-channel, and aluminum 6" facisa trim.

I watched a good tutorial on youtube on installing soffits and facsia boards but 
it still took a little time for me to get the J-channel positioned right and 
get the over-all hang of it.

Also the drip-edge didn't have enough of a lip to catch the upper indent of the
fasicia and still have room to wedge the soffit panels into the bottom of the
fascia.

So this meant another run to HD to pick up wider drip-edge.

A little frustrated I didn't get as early of a start as I would of liked. But
turned on the lights and worked on it till after 10 pm tonight.

Tomorrow weather permitting I should be able to fly through the soffits.

Can't wait to get those done. Its about the only keeping me from putting 
insulation in.

Still have some trim work and a little underlayment around the gable 
end .


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## Tugboater78 (May 26, 2012)

RonInOhio said:


> *Soffit and Siding Underlayment*
> 
> Weather was good today. Took advantage of that to start the soffits.
> Also put up some xps GreenGuard siding underlayment. Still have one side and the
> ...


I have an 8×10 shed i built over last summer with scrap lumber, framed up and was up beginning of september.. still have 2 sides to put aiding up…this winter has been a pita for getting anything doe outside…all iy does is rain…grrr


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Finally Weather Is Breaking*

Been awhile since I last posted to this shop expansion blog, but there has been little to no
progress over the last few months. Most of March has stayed at a steady 32 degrees and just
didn't motivate myself to go out there.

I may be getting a new table saw if all goes as planned. Going out tomorrow to look at a Ridgid
3560.

The shop was a mess and I mean a mess. I'm dealing with a lot of construction grade lumber 
left over from the expansion and its really a pain trying to keep it in the shop out of the
weather. Cutoffs, pieces of sheet ply, 2x lumber,etc.

So I spent 4 or 5 hours out there today cleaning up and moving lumber around (again), to
make sure I will have a spot for the saw if I in fact get it.

I also had a bunch of fiberglass insulation I had to sort through. Had it bagged in some construction
grade garbage bags. Some of it got wet and ruined anyway.

Most however was salvagable and I installed it the wall cavities of one wall. That eliminated 
3 large construction garbage bags from the mess in the shop. Then I moved and seperated as best I 
could all the sheet and board lumber . Put all the cutoffs into some garbage cans for storage ,swept and
tidyed up and called it a day.

I did have a temporary lumber rack of sorts along the outside of one wall of the shop. Basically
a few fence posts spread about 6 feet apart with some heavy duty brackets to hold the lumber.

This worked ok as a temporary solution . I covered it with a tarp. The lumber tended to get wet anyway.

I took all of that racked lumber down and moved it to a pile on the ground out back supported by some landscaping brick and tarped it.

The plan is to build a long "lean to" addition to the side of the shop to store dimensional lumber and a DC system
when I get one.

In the coming days I will finish siding the shed and I need to install soffits on one side yet. Then I will start on phase II of the expansion.

Phase II will involve marrying a smaller shed to the exiting shop to give me a much needed 50 extra sq. feet of space. Doesn't sound like a lot but it will definitely make a big difference.

If I get the saw I will post pics of it . In the next installment of this series I will hopefully have the siding on and the soffits up. I will post pics of that also . As well, I will post pics of the before and after when I marry the little shed up against the shop.

I will have to literally slide the shed back about a foot and raise the roof to increase head-room.

My first few projects after the expansion will be to put all of that extra lumber to good use building
shop cabinets and the like.

Well thats about all I have for now. Till next time !


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Every Day Brings Me Closer To The Goal.*

Got to keep saying that to myself because it would be easy to become frustrated. I realize construction projects
create a lot of disruption and some chaos. I try to work smart and somewhat organized, but things can get out of
hand fast.

One thing creating some grief is the lumber and stuff that is taking up all the room in my shop. I kept my construction lumber surplus on racks outside , on one side of the shop. I kept it tarped to keep it relatively dry. Before I could do the soffits and siding on that side of the building, I had to take all of that lumber down.

I would be needing some of this lumber in the short term so I put it all inside the shop and some in a pile tarped over outside.

It quickly filled the shop and took up most of the room . Can't even get to one end of the shop. I figured it would be okay for a few weeks until I get the siding and trim up on the outside. But its just taking up too much room and I find myself needing stuff thats located at that end of the shop of course. Then I have to move stuff around and it can sometimes take 10 minutes or longer to shift things around .

Okay, enough complaining. The last two days have been nice weather-wise. Yesterday I took down the old siding and put up the rest of the fanfold underlayment . Ran out so I had to make a trip to pick up another bundle . Also need some more aluminum soffit trim and j-channel.

So today I got the soffits up on the other side of the shed and removed a 2×10 bottom trim board. Moisture had leached through and behind the trim board and a little rot was evident on the ply sheathing near the bottom .

These trim boards won't be going back on. They trap to much moisture behind them and add little in the way of appeal or function. I cleaned up good behind them and will dig out the ground there underneath and put in some gravel. Seems there is moisture not draining from the top of the ground there.

Tomorrow I will finish putting up the fanfold and run out for some Smart Panels to side withl. I will need longer pieces to run down to within about 4 inches of the ground. The old panels were cut short and seated to the top
of the 2×10 trim boards.

After reading up on drain channels and the like. I will be adding an additional (three or four ) 4" wide pieces of fanfold vertically that run the entire length top to bottom on top of the fanfold. This will create an airspace between the underlayment and the sheets of siding. This space wil provide a channel for moisture to weep away.
Keep away termites and other moisture related problems.

The siding I'm using are the SmartSide composite siding sold in the 4×8 sheets. These seem to hold up well to the elements . They are also relatively inexpensive and easy to put up.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Every Day Brings Me Closer To The Goal.*
> 
> Got to keep saying that to myself because it would be easy to become frustrated. I realize construction projects
> create a lot of disruption and some chaos. I try to work smart and somewhat organized, but things can get out of
> ...


Sounds a lot like my chaos..LOL! I've used smart siding 4×8 sheets. Gets harder to do the older I get….LOL! And it never seems to go as I plan?

Good Luck!


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Every Day Brings Me Closer To The Goal.*
> 
> Got to keep saying that to myself because it would be easy to become frustrated. I realize construction projects
> create a lot of disruption and some chaos. I try to work smart and somewhat organized, but things can get out of
> ...


Pictures might help in the story?


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Every Day Brings Me Closer To The Goal.*
> 
> Got to keep saying that to myself because it would be easy to become frustrated. I realize construction projects
> create a lot of disruption and some chaos. I try to work smart and somewhat organized, but things can get out of
> ...


DocSavage replied *"Pictures might help in the story?"*

Sorry. I had to get some batteries for the camera and just didn't take time to do that yet. I just tacked the siding up today and finished the underlayment. Will be taking the sheets down (a few anyway) to apply some construction adhesive to the seams. Before I put them back on I will post a bunch of pics to show my progress. Pics tomorrow, I promise !

And thanks for reading !!


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Light At The End of the Tunnel ?*

Or is that a train ?

Currently am in the process of taking down the old siding and applying a fanfold moisture barrier on the sheathing . The old siding is being replaced with new siding sheets that will run down the entire wall to within a few inches of the ground. The old siding will be reused on a lumber storage lean-to, which is to be build in the future. ASAP.

Why am I replacing the siding ? The old siding stopped short about 10 inches from the bottom. A 2×10 framed out the bottom all the way around the shed. These 2×10s weren't mitered or beveled on the top to drain off moisture, nor were they sealed to prevent moisture from draining and wicking in behind them.

As the pictures show , water damage is evident. Rotting was minimal and decided to let it dry out and decide whether to cut out the bottom 10 inches and replace. The white that is showing is Kilz that bled onto the wall from the 2×10 trim boards.



















Decided to dig out the soil down to and under the joist and get the soil away from as much of it as possible and will back-fill it with compactable gravel and finish with #8 crushed limestone gravel hopefully tomorrow.










I actually dug the trench you see deeper and exposed the side and underneath the beam. Just didn't take a pic.

Just a few days ago did a dry fit of the siding on the north side you see below. I used strips of fanfold as "furring" to create an airspace/drain channel under the siding.

Noticed today some of the furring is coming loose. Will need to use bigger staples. Also got the soffitts on this side installed. They are secured but not quite done.

The soffitt trim also dry fitted, has some nails showing that will eventually be hidden with a larger drip edge, and apron, and gutters.

Admittedly this is all new to me so while I'm taking my time, its far from perfect.  The learning process has been invaluable.

This is the north facing wall. Maybe next year I will put in a few small windows. Thats up in the air as space will be limiting as it is.



















This is the side I just got the siding and soffitts sort of dry fitted . I will be trenching the bottom like the back and backfilling with gravel to increase the drainage around the shed.










As I posted yesterday, things are in a state of chaos again ! I am reluctant to post pics of this chaos, but here goes.

P.S. I would like to say I have "after" pics. But that hasn't happened yet. This is the current and present chaos I'm dealing with. Tomorrow maybe, I will move stuff around again for the dozenth time.



















There is a shop in there someplace.










A few misc pics .


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## crashn (Aug 26, 2011)

RonInOhio said:


> *Light At The End of the Tunnel ?*
> 
> Or is that a train ?
> 
> ...


Not only a train, but its coming your direction!


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Progress Update For May 2013*

In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.

Also I had some water damage along the back that I addressed. Dug it out, replaced rotted sheathing, and layed in some drainage gravel.

Since then I installed the rear gable vent , measured ,cut ,and primed some trim, put up fanfold water barrier and some siding on the back. Also decided to put up a lean-to on the back to get the lumber and sheet goods out of the way. Going forward I will be using up a lot of the extras in various projects but the goal is 
to not clutter up the shop or the lot with an eyesore of extra lumber. Also it will provide dry storage.

The weather went from really dry and nice to cold and rainy. So a slight delay, but I should be able to
resume work this afternoon .

I'm still constructing the pallet frame for the lean-to but should have that done by tomorrow if I get motivated.

A few pictures of my progress.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


I would like to build the lean-to larger (deeper), but I have a utility easement issue. Another lean-to is already 
in the plans for one of the sides. It will house a DC, air compressor, and a steel locker for finishing supplies and
flammables.


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## rhybeka (Nov 8, 2009)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


Hi Ron! looks like good progress! your shed looks about the same size I'll be shooting for when I get kicked out of my half of the garage. If you're anywhere near Cbus let me know if you need a hand


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


@rhybeka.

Thanks. It has been slow going but I keep plugging away. Not very close to C-bus unfortunately
but I appreciate the offer. I'm up by Cleveland.

The shed is about 10×12 and have a smaller shed that will be connected, to make it overall about 160 sq. ft.

Small , but will be much better than nothing. Will be insulated for these cold Ohio winters.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


Hey Ron,

I commented on your progress awhile back. Looks like you are continuing to make progress. Great that you are insulating, insulating, insulating. I started my small barn rehab many years ago from a skeleton. Made lots of mistakes I had to redo.

I have missed the parts of your story, but I am adding you to my buddies list so I can track your journey.

Oh yeah, don't save everything. LOL!


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


Doc,

I started in Oct. and worked right up till the beginning of January. Then hibernated until late
March. . Kind of sporatic but am back in full swing I think. Thanks for the buddy add. I will do the
same.

Its funny you mention mistakes. If I took the time to fix all my goofs as I go ,I would never get 
done. I have made quite a few. I guess most of them can and will be fixed eventually. As we know,
these shop building projects are never really done .


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


A work in progress. What came first, the work shop or the project


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


@NormG

The workshop. But I felt that having a place to store all my lumber was something to do now
to open up things inside, and have working access in there. Pics on the chaos inside the shop, 
in the blog post before this one, pretty much explains the dilemma I'm having.


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## hiptech (Jan 10, 2011)

RonInOhio said:


> *Progress Update For May 2013*
> 
> In my last entry, I talked about the issues that this expansion has caused with all the construction
> lumber crowding up the inside of my small shop and in the yard.
> ...


Say Ron,

I just read through all your posts on this project and must say you are far more ambitious and talented then I, nice work!

One comment I would make is your gable vent, have you given any thought to a thermostatically controlled electric gable fan? Not too pricey and HD carries these out here in AZ and it makes a world of difference in removing heat and possibly some of the dust you will create…


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

* Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*

I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off. 
Now its coming down steadily so its holding up things a bit.

As mentioned in my last post, I detoured the expansion to build a lumber storage lean-to
on the back of the shed. Since the last blog entry, I have finished framing the lean-to .

I started cutting the roof sheathing. It will be done in three pieces of 1/2" OSB that I had cut
at the home-center, slightly over-sized.

I didn't really follow fundamental building practice when I built this lean-to. Its sort of a hybrid.Between a free standing, and a real lean-to. So when I attached the top ledger, where the roof joists are connected, I didn't cut away the siding on the shed and install flashing. I just attached the ledger directly.

This may give me some problems in sealing things from rain and moisture down the road, but I'm not too concerned.

The plan is to use roof cement/adhesive, sheet-metal aprons as flashing, and chaulk.

So today, the rain held off long enough for me to cut the roof sheathing, but then it came in buckets. Will start cutting and putting up the wall sheeting (7/16") OSB as soon as the weather permits. Sheathing the walls is 
probably over-kill. Maybe should of just gone with siding on frame. Oh well. The one pine 2×4 sticks
out like a sore thumb.

Needed one more treated board and just decided to go with what was available.

Here is an updated photo of the lean to with framing done.




























A few days ago few curious inspectors showed up. They were staring with great interest almost mesmerized.




























Then after chattering amongst themselves a bit, I guess everything passed inspection as they eventually went along their way.

The other day I went to the local HD to pick up a few metal framing brackets and as I walked to the check-out,
there was a cart loaded up with a bale of insulation batting.

The bale had been cut up into 96" lengths. Otherwise nothing was wrong with it. It had been wrapped with plastic and banded making it easy to load up in the truck. So I bought it . Reduced to 16 dollars for all of that insulation ! Just about enough to finish off the wall bays in the shed. Got most of it put in yesterday when it rained.

Another score I got was some Jorgensen Clamps on discount at an Ollie's store. I ended up spending 350 dollars but saved over 200 had I purchased them at HD's price.










Its suppose to get hot and muggy in the next few days. Not looking forward to that but will work through it to 
get this thing done.

Till next time. Thanks for reading and happy woodworking !


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


Looks like a clean run on the construction, 2×4's ? How steep a pitch on the storage shed? 8'on studs or precuts? OSB is running about the same cost as ply here in MN. Use to get it for 7 bucks a sheet.


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## Tugboater78 (May 26, 2012)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


osb in n ky is running 15 dollars a sheet for 7/16 give or take..used to get for 7-8. makes me cry nice score on the clamps, wish there was an Ollies nearby, never heard of the place till someone mentioned them on here.
the hot muggy weather is depressing, luckily most rain has passed us by, we getting showers at night, wake up to a sauna in the morning. in a way I am glad it is raining at night but wish it wouldn't at all.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


Treated 2×4s for the framing. Built on 4×4 pallet and 3/4" treated ply for the floor. The OSB was 16 a sheet for 1/2" and 11 dollars a sheet for 7/16. I got 7/16 for the walls and 1/2" for the roof. Seems like a big difference for 1/16".
Ply is considerably more around here.

Still not decided on shelving for the lumber. Leaning toward steel adjustable brackets, so its versatile and I can change the racks to meet my needs.

Also thinking about 2 sheet goods cabinets on PVC pipe rollers that will run along the front and allow for easy
access.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


@ Tugboater. I was dancing for what I got those Jorgys for. And half price on the insulation was timely too.

Its a steam bath and will get worse. Suppose to get into the 80's for next few days. Thunderstorms on and off.

@ DocSavage. 18 degrees on the slope.


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


The local HD stopped carrying Jorgs. Probably nationwide. Now selling Irwin. What a shame. Very nice score!


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


@ David Roberts

I have heard from several that some HDs are discontinuing them. I don't think its nation-wide 
just some stores. I noticed my local HD is still carrying them. At 30-40% more for what I got 
mine for.


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


Ron,

HD may be a phasing out the Jorgs. I would love to find some of their parallel clamps at a discount. You scored. Lowes dropped CMT TS blades and replaced with Irwin, at least in my neck of the woods. Seems to be the trend. I've had very good luck with the Jorg heavy duty F-style clamp. They are legendary. And what really surprised me is at HD, they are modestly priced compared to the quality of the brand. I still like the Jet parallel clamp, even if I can only afford them one or two at a time, on sale.


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


great prodress on the extension.nice score on the clamps…


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


Well it coming along nicely, did the inspectors give their approval


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


*"Well it coming along nicely, did the inspectors give their approval"*

@Norm See pics above earlier in post. Well they (the squirrels) haven't been back, so I think,
I'm good to go for now.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> * Ready to Sheath the Lean-to. A Few Scores. And a Surprise Inspection !!*
> 
> I was going to wait till I had the lean-to sheathed before making another post, but decided to go ahead
> and bring things up-to-date. Its been raining the last several days on and off.
> ...


Got most of the sheathing up today on walls and roof.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

*Roofing and Siding Going Up On the Lean-To.*

Despite all the rain I managed to make some progress on the lean-to. A neighbor was kind 
enough to give me a whole bundle of unopened ridge shingles.

They aren't the color I would have chosen but I decided to use them anyway. They really don't
look to bad. And can't beat free. Couldn't see not using them and saving 30 dollars. The one bundle
covered the entire lean-to with 3 or 4 left over.

I got the tar paper up last evening and sealed the top where the roof of the lean-to meets the shed wall. Found out after the fact that you aren't supposed to use Aluminum Coating (wet) Roof Sealer Cement on wood. Oh well, too late now.

It got a good test last night as it rained very hard for hours and hours. No sign of any leaks. I still am
going to put up some flashing up there that will hide the black sealant that is visible in the pics. Stuff
is very messy. I will install the flashing with construction adhesive. That stuff is awesome on wood.

Anyway, got the shingles up. Still need to do the last row. They needed cut in half and will go over the flashing
at the back edge.

I'm not sure of what the consequences will be from using ridge shings on the roof. Guess time will tell.

I started cutting and fitting the siding this evening. Got a few pieces cut and tacked up. Hopefully will start the doors tomorrow and start putting in the lumber storage racks and sheet lumber cabinet.

The piece of siding at the door opening is not cut to size yet. The doors will go up to about 6 - 8 inches from
the roof. And the trim that is up is just tacked in. With nails that are too large !

Put a few pieces of trim up and have more to prime. Some of the mistakes will have to wait to be fixed as I'm falling behind on things. Want to get this project wrapped up.

My carpentry skills are improving but I still have a long way to go. Learning as I go and 
I'm certainly no speed demon. Going to probably have to redo some of the siding where
the gaps are. Or try to patch it up so its not so obvious. Maybe I can put some trim up to 
hide them.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Roofing and Siding Going Up On the Lean-To.*
> 
> Despite all the rain I managed to make some progress on the lean-to. A neighbor was kind
> enough to give me a whole bundle of unopened ridge shingles.
> ...


Looks good! You put OSB under your siding? This is a wood shed? The siding is engineered OSB as well I used tounge and groove Styrofoam insulation where you use the OSB.

As long as everything is away from water it should work OK.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Roofing and Siding Going Up On the Lean-To.*
> 
> Despite all the rain I managed to make some progress on the lean-to. A neighbor was kind
> enough to give me a whole bundle of unopened ridge shingles.
> ...


There is no need to insulate this lean-to. Its strickly a storage unit . I cut corners on the underlayment using OSB for sure. Almost wished I had used ply on the roof at least.

Not something I would do on the shed itself. The shed has plywood sheathing with an overlayment of 1/8" Owens-Corning foam water barrier.Then the siding. Started to insulate the walls in the shed with R13 in the walls, R19 overhead,and 2 inch foam in the floors.

As for the lean-to , had a tremendous down-pour yesterday, and no sign of leaking around seam where it ties into the shed. And don't even have the flashing up yet.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Roofing and Siding Going Up On the Lean-To.*
> 
> Despite all the rain I managed to make some progress on the lean-to. A neighbor was kind
> enough to give me a whole bundle of unopened ridge shingles.
> ...


I'm thinking of using your idea if I get a few dollars ahead to move my lumber out of a working area. I was just going to put 3/8ths engineered siding up as it's almost the same price here as plywood and OSB. I was thinking about a door on the end and 2×3 lumber racks? with walking space on the side? I know you are thinking metal tracks on the wall. If you can live with drywall inside you can add 3/4 reflective sheathing? I am heating a 12×6 ft space with two infra red brooder heat lamps to 60 degrees in the winter for my cats outside. You could also add it to your ceiling joists? warm and toasty for a few more bucks if you have them LOL! I'm in Southern MN so I'm talking 10 below outside and 50 in the shack.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Roofing and Siding Going Up On the Lean-To.*
> 
> Despite all the rain I managed to make some progress on the lean-to. A neighbor was kind
> enough to give me a whole bundle of unopened ridge shingles.
> ...


Gotta go feed them critters. LOL!


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Roofing and Siding Going Up On the Lean-To.*
> 
> Despite all the rain I managed to make some progress on the lean-to. A neighbor was kind
> enough to give me a whole bundle of unopened ridge shingles.
> ...


Lol. Yeah, I'm gonna have a door on one end, and two double doors on the front. Thinking of some kind of sliding or rolling cabinet for sheet-good storage on the front end inside. Lumber racks on the opposite side, and ladder racks
hanging from the ceiling in the center . Not going to have room for much else. But it will be nice to have a seperate
covered area for my lumber and a place to store the ladders. Get them out of the shop.

I probably should of just not sheathed the walls at all. Just put up the siding. It was rock solid 
before any sheathing went on.

Gotta love fresh eggs !


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

RonInOhio said:


> *Roofing and Siding Going Up On the Lean-To.*
> 
> Despite all the rain I managed to make some progress on the lean-to. A neighbor was kind
> enough to give me a whole bundle of unopened ridge shingles.
> ...


Whoops. Meant to post this in the "State of Shop" thread. Oh well….

Spent a few hours tonight putting away loose tools and then swept out and did some tidying 
of the shop.

As time permits I'm starting to gather up all my hand tools and give them the once over. Cleaning, removing rust, oiling them, etc.

Got all of my spade bits and and sprayed em down with WD-40 . Let them
soak awhile. Then I sanded the rust off,wiped them down with oil. 16 bits done.

Then pulled out the box saw thats covered with surface rust. Sprayed it down on both sides and going to let it 
soak in overnight. Tomorrow I'll see how well I can clean it up.

Trying to fit these maintenance and organization type of chores in around my shop expansion. As time permits in the evening , relaxing with a beer or coffee.


----------

