How to Build a Shed By Justin Beaumont

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● How big do you want the shed?● What purpose(s) does it need to serve?● What materials do you want to build it

out of: metal, aluminum, wood, etc?● Make a material list and price the items

to prepare a cost sheet.● Inspect property and decide where to

build the shed.

Planning Stages (Planning 2 - 3 hours; Buying materials 2 - 3 hours)

● Prepare site by clearing debris and leveling ground.

● Use a mixture of pea gravel and sand and compact under footings.

● For larger structures, you will need to pour cement footings or purchase premade cement footings.

● Note: make certain that footings are strong and level before building.

Prepare Site (Plan 6 - 12 hours depending on sqft and amount of manpower)

● Begin foundation with ground level beams and joists, 16 inches on center(size according to weight).

● Critical that foundation is level, square, and structurally sound.

○ Install subfloor on top of foundation beams (use at least a 3/4in plywood).

Build Foundation

● Frame walls, use 2in x 4in wood or metal studs.

● Note: Plumb (Vertically level, or straight up and down), square, and 16 inches on center. Which means that you need to have a stud centered on the 16th inch, every 16 inches for the length of the wall. Critically important for finishing exterior sheeting.

Start Structure

● Built walls need to be raised up, aligned, and attached to subfloor.

● This is a two person job.

Structure

● Build roof joists all even with the same pitch while on the ground.

○ Raise the joists one by one, attaching then to the outer walls, and then to eachother at the apex of the joists.

● Critical that the roof joists are plumb to eachother and 16 inches on center.

Roof (Take your time and do it right the first time!)

● Start by sheeting exterior walls with 1/2 inch ply wood.

● Sheet the roof after the exterior walls with 5/8 inch ply wood.

Begin Exterior Finishes (Measure twice, cut once!)

● Lay down a moisture barrier on top of the roof sheeting and then apply roof shingles or metal sheeting.

● If applying shingles, begin at the bottom of roof line, making certain that seams overlap to shed water.

Exterior Finishes Continued...

● Siding

● Install Shed Door(s)

● Trim and Paint with exterior paint

Final Exterior Finishes