Building a wood shed
The first step to build a nice shed in your garden is deciding the size and style construction. Choosing the right design for your needs and tastes is a challenge, but once you know styles available, you could ease the process. Nevertheless, you should be aware that the design of the shed will have influence directly cost of construction and the its functionality. Therefore, the are several types of sheds according to their design and destination: barn, gable roof shed, firewood shed or the lean to sheds. Although they share many construction details in common, they are significant differences between them, making your decision a hard task.
On one hand the barn shed has a traditional design and shape, which adds character character to your backyard, while creating an useful storage space. On the other hand, the gable sheds are the most common constructions of this kind, as they have a nice appearance, come at a decent cost and the construction process is fairly simple. Basically, the simple roof makes the difference, as you need to install a top ridge in the center of the shed and many rafters, every 16 or 24''. Nevertheless, even it might seem as a simple structure, you can customize the appearance of the shed, by choosing the slope of the roof, the materials or the colors.
Firewood sheds are designed to store wood, therefore they are really simple to build as compared to the more complex barns. Generally speaking, you have to leave small gaps between the floor boards to allow air between the wood, as well as you have to leave the front wall open (to have an easy access, to dry the firewood properly). The most common roof design is the lean to, as it is easy to build and appropriate for a small firewood shed plans.
Understanding the differences between the sheds is a good starting point, otherwise you won't be able to design the ideal construction for your needs and budget.
On one hand the barn shed has a traditional design and shape, which adds character character to your backyard, while creating an useful storage space. On the other hand, the gable sheds are the most common constructions of this kind, as they have a nice appearance, come at a decent cost and the construction process is fairly simple. Basically, the simple roof makes the difference, as you need to install a top ridge in the center of the shed and many rafters, every 16 or 24''. Nevertheless, even it might seem as a simple structure, you can customize the appearance of the shed, by choosing the slope of the roof, the materials or the colors.
Firewood sheds are designed to store wood, therefore they are really simple to build as compared to the more complex barns. Generally speaking, you have to leave small gaps between the floor boards to allow air between the wood, as well as you have to leave the front wall open (to have an easy access, to dry the firewood properly). The most common roof design is the lean to, as it is easy to build and appropriate for a small firewood shed plans.
Understanding the differences between the sheds is a good starting point, otherwise you won't be able to design the ideal construction for your needs and budget.
choosing the right shed plans
After you know in rough lines, what you want, it is the right time to choose the right plans for the construction. You have several options to get the job done in a professional manner, starting with buying the storage shed plans from a specialized site up to planning everything by yourself.
Nevertheless, we strongly recommend you to go to the local building department, as there are a lot of legal regulations you must comply with. Only after you become accustomed with the legal regulations and building codes, you can start the actual project and select the free garden plans.
Without a proper planning you will face many issues and you will most likely spend more money that in the cost estimates. Building a shed is a complex project that requires several days of work and costs several hundreds of dollars, therefore you shouldn't waste your money and invest in quality plans. Basically a good plan should provide a complete list of components with the exact size, accurate blueprints and a cost estimation. Knowing the total cost of the shed from the very beginning would help you to organize better and to see if you afford hiring the best contractor in town to get the job done. Nevertheless, if the wooden structure is straight forward, you can get the job done easily, provided you know the basic woodworking skills.
After you know the material you need for the construction of the wooden shed, you should go to the local diy store and choose the best wood you can afford. Basically, you should buy lumber designed for outdoor use, such as pressure-treated lumber, redwood, cedar or pine. The pine is the cheapest lumber and it's quite easy to work with, but it's not as durable as the cedar or the pine.
Top Tip:
We recommend you to buy all the materials you need at once, otherwise you would have to make many trips to the lumber yard, which means more expenditures. In addition, when buying the lumber, you should keep in mind the size and shape of the wooden components, in order to reduce the waste (buy 10' lumber beams, if the rafters should be cut at 9 1/2', and 8' lumber if the rafters should be cut at 7 3/4').
Nevertheless, we strongly recommend you to go to the local building department, as there are a lot of legal regulations you must comply with. Only after you become accustomed with the legal regulations and building codes, you can start the actual project and select the free garden plans.
Without a proper planning you will face many issues and you will most likely spend more money that in the cost estimates. Building a shed is a complex project that requires several days of work and costs several hundreds of dollars, therefore you shouldn't waste your money and invest in quality plans. Basically a good plan should provide a complete list of components with the exact size, accurate blueprints and a cost estimation. Knowing the total cost of the shed from the very beginning would help you to organize better and to see if you afford hiring the best contractor in town to get the job done. Nevertheless, if the wooden structure is straight forward, you can get the job done easily, provided you know the basic woodworking skills.
After you know the material you need for the construction of the wooden shed, you should go to the local diy store and choose the best wood you can afford. Basically, you should buy lumber designed for outdoor use, such as pressure-treated lumber, redwood, cedar or pine. The pine is the cheapest lumber and it's quite easy to work with, but it's not as durable as the cedar or the pine.
Top Tip:
We recommend you to buy all the materials you need at once, otherwise you would have to make many trips to the lumber yard, which means more expenditures. In addition, when buying the lumber, you should keep in mind the size and shape of the wooden components, in order to reduce the waste (buy 10' lumber beams, if the rafters should be cut at 9 1/2', and 8' lumber if the rafters should be cut at 7 3/4').
building techniques
Locating the shed in the backyard play a significant role in the success of the project. Generally speaking, the building departments impose many restrictions on where you can build a storage shed, therefore make sure you comply with the legal regulation.
After you buy the lumber and choose a proper location for the wooden shed, you should start the actual building process. Firstly, you have to lay out the shed in a professional manner, making sure you follow the plans and the corners are right-angled. Next, you should frame the floor, (using 2x6 floor joists), frame the walls (using 2x4 wooden studs), build the roof (from 2x4 rafters), install the roofing and the rest of the accessories. Don't forget to sand the wooden surface with a sander and fill the cracks and gaps with wood putty.
Top Tip:
Afterwards, apply several coats of protective paint or varnish to avoid water damage or wood decay. If you follow these guidelines, the wooden shed will be a sturdy construction, which will improve your life. You can store tools, materials or outdoor furniture in the garden shed, as to organize better and protect them from bad weather.
After you buy the lumber and choose a proper location for the wooden shed, you should start the actual building process. Firstly, you have to lay out the shed in a professional manner, making sure you follow the plans and the corners are right-angled. Next, you should frame the floor, (using 2x6 floor joists), frame the walls (using 2x4 wooden studs), build the roof (from 2x4 rafters), install the roofing and the rest of the accessories. Don't forget to sand the wooden surface with a sander and fill the cracks and gaps with wood putty.
Top Tip:
Afterwards, apply several coats of protective paint or varnish to avoid water damage or wood decay. If you follow these guidelines, the wooden shed will be a sturdy construction, which will improve your life. You can store tools, materials or outdoor furniture in the garden shed, as to organize better and protect them from bad weather.