How to Build a Board & Batten Run-In Shed

A run-in shed is designed to be used so that livestock---usually horses---can have a dry place to feed. As a result, most run-in sheds are rectangular, with a doorway or opening present in one of the two long walls. This opening is both wide and high, with no doors, so that the livestock can feed at any time. Board and batten siding is a common way to give an exterior sheathing to the shed. Board and batten are commonly used with wooden siding material that has not completely dried. It is a very attractive way to finish off your project.

Things You'll Need

• Level area Sand and/or gravel 2 X 4 lumber Rough-cut planking Circular saw Saw horses Source of electricity Framing nails Roofing nails Exterior grade plywood Drip edge Rolled asphalt roofing Felt paper

Instructions

How to Build a Board and Batten Run-In Shed

1. Plan the dimensions of your shed. Don't forget that the shed opening has to be high enough and wide enough to accommodate anywhere from one to several animals. Our shed will be 14 feet long and 10 feet deep. The back wall will be 8 feet high and the front wall will be 10 feet high, forming a lean-to roof.

2. Prepare the surface of the ground so that it is level and has some drainage. A packed gravel floor will work best for your shed. Many such sheds are built on a packed gravel surface surrounded by a 2 X 6 or 2 X 8 wooden frame. The frame extends past the perimeter of the shed for at least a foot and it is filled with packed gravel.

3. Build the back wall first. The back wall will be exactly 8 feet high and 14 feet wide. Use standard 2 X 4s for the frame---all you will need is one top plate and one bottom plate. The studs can also be placed 24 inches apart on center, but don't forget you will have to do a lot of horizontal blocking, so purchase extra 2 X 4s. Soak or paint the bottom plate in creosote before construction or use pressure treated wood for that piece.

4. Build the front wall. Build this wall as if it were going to be a solid wall. Add the opening later. Build this wall 10 feet by 14 feet, with 14 feet being the length. The front wall should be built in the same manner as the back wall. Use galvanized 16-penny common nails for all framing.

5. Cut four 2 X 4s to the length of exactly 10 feet. Two of these will go on each side and they will act as braces.

6. Put the front and back wall of the shed together using the four braces. Nail each brace to the side of the frame wall in at least two places. All you will have is two walls, but the general outline of your shed will be defined.

7. Cut eight 2 X 4s at a length of 12 feet. These will be your rafters, and they will extend past the front and rear of the building. Use one as a template and set it in place on top of each of the two vertical walls. Mark one of the 2 X 4s with a pencil and framing square, so that it will rest snugly on top of each 2 X 4 plate. Cut a notch at each mark with a framing square and see if it fits. After you get the first 2 X 4 to fit, cut the rest to match and nail these at 2 feet on center. Each end of the rafter can be cut so that it is vertical with the ground, or it can be left as is with a 90-degree cut.

8. Build the two side walls, one board at a time. Put the bottom plate in first after it has been treated. The rest of the wall will consist of six vertical 2 X 4s, each one cut progressively longer, with a notch at the top so that it will fit around the roof rafter. An upright goes at each end to form a corner. This leaves you with four vertical studs placed 2 feet apart. Make sure each stud is plumb in both directions before nailing. Nail the four corners of the building tight and remove the braces.

9. Cut the opening for the door. A door 7 feet high and 6 feet wide should work well. The door needs a header---two 2 X 4s turned sideways and nailed together. You can double up on each post with an extra 2 X 4.

10. Block in all the walls every 2 feet. You can use the wood that you just took out of the front wall for some of this. Since board and batten siding is vertical, each wall has to be blocked at 2, 4, 6 and 8 feet. The blocking should make a continuous, horizontal line around the shed.

11. Install the siding. Put the boards up first. They do not have to be perfectly tight, but put one right next to the other. Cut each board so that it is flush with the roof, and treat the bottom of the board with primer or creosote. Next come the battens. Most likely you will have to rip some wood stock to the width of 3 inches. These will be your battens. Each batten should cover a vertical seam. Unless all the wood is kiln-dried, just nail the battens on one side of the vertical seam. Cut the battens flush with the roof line.

12. Cover the roof with plywood. Extend the plywood one inch past the battens on both sides and one inch past the end of the rafters on both the front and back.

13. Put down the drip edge using galvanized roofing nails to nail the metal strips to the plywood roof.

14. Cover the roof with heavy-weight felt paper.

15. Cover the felt paper with asphalt rolled roofing. Use roofing tar to go underneath the roofing and nail the roofing material with roofing nails.

16. Install a kick board around the inside of the building. You can use the same planking that you use for the siding, except that this time the planking gets run in a horizontal direction. The planking should cover the first 2 or 3 feet of the interior walls. It is meant to save wear and tear on the hooves and legs of the horses.

Tips & Warnings

• Orient your shed the rear of the building faces the prevailing winds.

• Adjust the size of the opening and the overall dimensions to the size of your livestock.