How to Build a Small Shed for Washers & Dryers

Do you have limited space in your home for a washer and dryer but need them for yourself and your family? A small wood shed next to your house is a great solution to add space for a washer and dryer. All that is required to build one yourself are a few basic tools, three types of lumber, wood stain or paint and hardware.

Things You'll Need

• Four 10-foot-long 6-by-8s
• Two 4-foot by 8-foot sheets of 3/4" durable plywood
• Measuring tape
• Circular saw
• Pressure treatment liquid
• Hammer
• Nails
• 2-by-4s
• 4-foot by 8-foot sheets of 1/2" plywood
• Water sealant
• Tin sheets
• Hinges

Instructions

Building Your Washer and Dryer Shed

1. First, prepare the area where you want to build your wooden shed. Make sure the area is on solid ground and that it is also reasonably level. Level ground is easiest to work with, but if there is slight height variation, level the area with wood or brick support posts.

2. Cut the 6-by-8s for the base of your shed. Take the four 6-by-8 boards and cut two 8-foot long pieces and four 5-foot long pieces.

3. Assemble the floor frame on top of your prepared and leveled area with penny nails. Nail the 5-foot long pieces between the 8-foot long pieces at each end and the remaining two 5-foot long pieces equally spaced between them for floor support.

4. Cut two 8-foot by 3-foot pieces of 3/4-inch plywood and nail them down to the base for the floor. Lay them so that the 8-foot side of the plywood matches the 8-foot side of the base. After you do this, the floor will be perfectly covered.

5. To frame the 6-foot long sides, build a 6-foot by 7-foot rectangle out of 2-by-4s and nail it together. Cut additional pieces of 2-by-4 to fit vertically between the top and bottom 6-foot pieces and space them eight inches apart. Build two individual wall frames for both walls.

6. Build a 8-foot by 7-foot rectangle out of 2-by-4s and nail it together for the 8-foot wall without the door. Frame it in by adding additional 2-by-4 pieces vertically between the 8-foot pieces.

7. Incorporate a 4-foot wide by 7-foot high space for your door when building the other 8-foot wall. Use two 2-by-4s side by side on each side and along the top of the door. Build two 2-wood wide and 7-foot high wall frames if you want the door centered.

8. Stand all four walls up on the correct sides of the base and nail them together. Nail them to the base about every six inches and to each other about every four inches. You now have a rectangular frame eight feet long by six feet wide and seven feet tall.

9. Add a slanted roof to the frame -- this allows for water runoff. Determine the position of the slope for your roof and cut a 2-by-4 to expand the length of the shed parallel to the slope. Nail it across the top of the shed in the middle.

10. Cut sheets of plywood to form the roof and nail to the top of the frame up to the 2-by-4 forming an A-frame. The roof needs to extend six inches past each edge of the shed.

11. Cut 1/2-inch plywood and cover the outside of the walls with it. Apply waterproof sealant to the new walls and cover the floor with sealant.

12. Cut holes in the eight-foot long wall for the water and power lines and also for the dryer vent.

13. Cover the roof with tin sheets by cutting the pieces to fit and nailing them to the roof.

14. Have plastic doors cut to fit the doorway or build your own using the framing technique. Hang them with hinges.

Tips & Warnings

• Be cautious when using power tools.