Building an Outdoor Shed for Storage

Sheds come in a variety of sizes, styles and shapes.

Building an outdoor storage shed frees up space in your garage and/or basement. You can buy shed kits from your local lumber supply store that have already constructed sections and include directions on putting the shed together. Sheds are available in wood, vinyl, and metal or aluminum construction and come in a variety of sizes, styles, and shapes. Some shed kits also include a sub-floor upon which the shed will sit. You can also buy plans to build your own custom shed.

(These instructions are for prefabricated sheds that are built on a cement patio stone pad with a wood sub-floor.)

Things You'll Need

• Rubber mallet
• Level
• Set square
• String
• Stakes
• Safety glasses
• Measuring tape
• Ladder
• Power screwdriver
• Circular saw
• Jigsaw
• 3-1/2" deck screws
• 1-3/4" deck screws
• Crushed stone
• 3/4" plywood (for floor)
• 2" x 4" lumber (for floor)
• Cement patio stones
• Gloves

Instructions

1. Map out the area where your shed will be built, allowing an extra 10 inches on all sides. Hammer in a stake at each corner and run string around the area, tying it to each stake. Use an edging tool to cut around the edge of the stringed area and skim the sod, if there is any, off the top of the ground. Remove three inches of dirt.

2. Put a three-inch layer of crushed stone in the area where you removed the sod and dirt. Take a piece of 2 X 4, eight to 12 feet long (depending on the size of your shed) and sit it on its edge on top of the crushed stone first from corner to corner. Put the level on top of the 2 X 4 to see if the area is level. Rake the stone until the area is level. Do the same for the length and width of the area.

3. Place the first patio stone in one corner and use the level to check if the stone is level. Take a 24 inch long piece of 2 X 4, place it flat on the patio stone and hit it firmly with a rubber mallet. Check to see if the patio stone is level from corner to corner and from side to side. Stone may have to be added under the patio stone or taken away until the patio stone is level. Place the second patio stone next to the first and level it the same way. Place a piece of 2 X 4 on its edge along both patio stones and make sure the second stone is level with the first one. Repeat this with all the patio stones. When all the patio stones are down, place the long piece of 2 X 4 on its edge diagonally on top of the patio stones and put the level on top of the 2 X 4 to ensure the area is level. Do the same for the length and width of the area.

4. For the wood sub-floor, build a frame by laying the 2 X 4s on their edge on top of the patio stones. The outside frame of the floor will be the same size as the shed. Screw the side pieces of the frame together with 3-½" deck screws. Use a set square to make sure the frame is square. Additional support 2 X 4s will be placed on their edge inside the fame, measuring 16 inches from the center of one 2 X 4 to the center of the next. Screw the ends of the inside 2 X 4s to the outside frame. Again check to make sure the frame is square and is still level. Center the frame on the patio stones so 10 inches of the patio stones extend past the frame on all sides.

5. Put the first piece of ¾" plywood on top of the frame and make sure it is flush with edge of the frame. If your shed is larger than a sheet of plywood, make sure the one end falls on the center of an inside 2 X 4 support; if necessary, use a circular saw to cut the plywood so it does sit on half of the 2 X 4. Cut another piece of plywood to finish that section and screw the plywood to the frame using 1-¾" deck screws. Start the second sheet of plywood at the opposite side of the frame, cut a piece to finish that second section and screw that it to the frame. Repeat this until the floor is covered with plywood.

6. Sit one side of the shed on the wooden floor and secure it into place. Put the second side in place and secure it to the floor and to the first side. Repeat this with the remaining sides. The side with the door(s) will be the last side. The sides of wooden sheds will usually be one piece and will require at least two people to handle it while the sides of vinyl and metal or aluminum sheds are in sections that one person can handle.

7. To put the roof on your shed, set up the stepladder inside the shed and build the frame of the roof as per the instructions that came with the kit. Then start attaching the roof sections to the roof frame and the sides of the shed. While the roof of a vinyl or aluminum shed will be made of the same material as the rest of the shed, wooden sheds can have a wood, metal or aluminum roof. However, they all require that you build a frame, then attach the roof sections. For wooden sheds with a wood roof, you have to finish the outside of the roof with shingles. Finally, put the cap on the peak of the roof.

8. If your shed does not have vents in the peak of the front and back of the shed, you will want to buy vents. Outline the shape of the vent on outside of the front and back of the shed. Drill a hole inside the outline you drew. Insert the jigsaw blade in the hole and cut out the area for the vent. Insert the vent to make sure it fits. Take the vent out and apply silicone around the edge and set it into the hole.

Tips & Warnings

• Check your local building codes to see whether or not you need a building permit to construct a shed.

• Wear protective eye-wear at all times while building your shed.

References

• Building a shed
• Shed plans

Resources

• Storage sheds