How to Calculate Materials for Building a Shed
Calculating the correct amount of materials that you will need for building a shed is imperative to the efficient construction of the shed. If every piece is not thought about before starting to build, errors and problems will begin to pile up. It's a good idea to sketch a design of the shed on paper to get an idea of the materials you will need so that you can make a list of supplies to purchase before you start. Take into account every piece that will be needed. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Draw the frame of the shed on a piece of paper with a pencil. The drawing will help you to see the pieces needed to construct the frame of the shed. Draw the shed frame exactly how you would like to build it. Write down the measurements next to the different pieces that will be needed.
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Draw a finished version of the shed next to the drawing of the shed frame. This finished version will help you to decide on the materials needed for the exterior of the shed, such as the walls, floor, doors and roof. Write the necessary measurements next to each piece on the drawing.
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Categorize all of the pieces by type and list them to figure out how much of each type of material you will need. List all your 2 by 4's, sheets of plywood, shingles, nails and other hardware. Calculate the total amount of each piece of material by adding all of the 2 by 4 lengths, the area of plywood and amount of nails together from the drawings.
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Total all of the measurements in a list and take the list with you when purchasing the materials. Follow the design that was drawn.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not leave any piece of material out of the original drawings. Draw the shed piece by piece to make sure you account for every piece.
Do the math twice. Make sure all of your calculations are correct by doing all of them twice. This will protect against silly errors and mistakes.
References
- Photo Credit White Shed on Lake image by Luke Haverkamp from Fotolia.com
