How to Build a Garden Kit Shed

Small garden sheds are installed in as little as a weekend.

Garden shed kits include all the necessary parts for constructing a small storage shed in your yard. Following the package instructions carefully will leave you with few, if any, leftover parts, no wood waste, and a strong, weatherproof building in which to store your garden tools. Garden shed kits are delivered to your home due to their size and the necessity of moving the banded pallet wood with a tow motor.

Things You'll Need

• Hammer
• Drill
• Framing level
• Measuring tape

Instructions

1. Construct the foundation prior to unbinding the wood from the delivered pallet. Shed foundations may be either concrete slab, concrete pilings, or concrete block. The latter is primarily used for sheds less than 8-by-10 feet in floor space. The slab and pilings are used for larger or permanent buildings.

2. Break the band on the shed kit and separate the materials by how they are used. Devote sections to the roof, floor, walls and final details such as siding, gutters and windows.

3. Construct the floor on top of the foundation first, including the trusses, plywood flooring and the entryway. Follow the kit instructions to provide the strongest possible floor for your shed. For concrete slab floors, install the moisture and termite barrier.

4. Construct the walls individually on the ground near where they will be installed onto the foundation. Raise them one at a time, level them with a framing level, and then support them in place using a single 2x4 piece of lumber nailed to one of the studs and secured to the ground. This will keep the wall in place and perpendicular to the ground while you raise the next wall.

5. Raise the remaining walls as you did the first wall, constantly checking that they are perpendicular at 90-degrees to the ground. As you raise each wall, secure it to the wall you already raised using nails or carpentry screws.

6. Install the roof trusses next, securing them in place one at a time until all are installed. Ensure that they are even with the walls before securing them in place.

7. Install the plywood sheeting over the frame of the shed, both on the walls and on the roof. Also install the doors of the shed. Using a jigsaw, cut out the necessary window holes and roof ventilation holes through the plywood.

8. Install felt paper or moisture barrier included with the kit on the walls and the roof using a staple gun. Pay particular attention to the corners of the shed and the window openings. Install the roof ventilation units.

9. Install tar paper and then finally shingles onto the roof of the shed, taking care to follow the instructions in the kit exactly to avoid problems with leaking roofs

10. Install the windows into the shed, and then mount the J-channel in place to hold the siding when installed. Install the siding, being careful to avoid driving the siding screws or nails too tightly against the siding. Remember that siding is intended to be able to shift slightly as the building expands and contracts with cold and hot weather.

Tips & Warnings

• Follow the kit instructions exactly to obtain the desired result.

References

• "Sheds: The Do-It-Yourself Guide for Backyard Builders"; David Stiles; 2007
• "Sheds & Garages: Building Ideas and Plans for Every Shape of Storage Structure"; Editors of Sunset Books; 2008
• "Building a Shed: Siting and Planning a Shed, Building Shed Foundations, Adding Custom Details"; Joseph Truini; 2003