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April/May 2011 http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/garden-shed-plans-zm0z11zgri.aspx By Steve Maxwell Enlarge Image Customize your garden shed to be a decorative focal point of your yard or garden. PHOTO: FOTOLIA
Almost all of us need a little place to store outdoor stuff garden tools, recycling bins, the lawn mower, bicycles or other outdoor gear and building a shed is one of the best ways to create additional storage space. Our garden shed plans are simple and require only basic carpentry skills. A garden shed can be strictly functional, but it can also be a decorative focal point around which you design your garden or yard. These plans will help you build a basic shed, but dont stop there! To customize your shed, you could create a combination toolshed and greenhouse, put a martin house on top, or use part of the shed for a chicken coop or rabbit hutch. If youre feeling even more adventurous, you could create a living roof of moss or succulent plants.
Start by setting deck blocks on the ground, positioned as shown in the plans. While the area doesnt have to be perfectly level, you should make the ground roughly level where each block will rest. Temporarily place some straight 2-by-6 lumber on edge in the top grooves of the blocks to orient the blocks in a straight line. Arrange two rows of four blocks parallel to each other to form both long walls, then measure diagonally across the outside corners to determine how square the arrangement is. If the two long walls are parallel, and diagonal measurements taken across corners are equal, then each corner is guaranteed to be 90 degrees. Finish up by placing one deck block in the middle of each 6-foot wall after you have aligned and squared the 8-foot walls. Remove the 2-by-6 lumber guides, then put a 12-inch length of 4-by-4 lumber into each deck block, positioned vertically in the central recess. These 4-by-4s will be slightly too long right now, but thats exactly what you want. The 2-by-6s that form the outer perimeter of the floor frame rest on the outside top edge of the deck blocks, tight to the outer faces of the 4-by-4 posts. Use a 4-foot level and an 8-foot 2-by-6 to determine the highest deck block in the group, then use this as your starting point for installing the floor frame. Use a single galvanized 3 12-inch deck screw to lock the 2-by-6 to the 4-by-4 on the highest deck block, then raise the other end of the 2by-6 so its level before locking the other end of the 2-by-6 to its 4-by-4. The 2-by-6 wont rest on all the blocks, but should rest on at least one. Continue working all around the floor frame in this manner until all perimeter 2by-6s are in the same level plane. Trim all excess 4-by-4s flush with the top of the 2-by-6s using a chain saw or reciprocating saw, then add 2-by-6 floor joists running between the two 8-foot walls. Make sure each joist fits tightly within the outer edges of the floor frame, and then fasten the joists to the side of the 4-by-4s with screws. Complete the floor frame by driving three 3 12-inch deck screws per joint, then custom-cut spacers out of 1 12inch-thick construction lumber to fill the gap between the underside of the 2-by-6s and the top of the deck blocks. You cant rely on screws alone to hold up the floor frame in the long term. Finish up by installing a pressure-treated, five-eighths-inch-thick plywood subfloor on top of the floor frame, secured with 2 12-inch deck screws driven every 6 to 8 inches.
deck screws. Add a second layer of wall plates on top of the first, overlapping across the corners. Complete the walls by covering the frame with sheathing. Exterior-grade plywood siding is an easy, inexpensive choice. It includes vertical grooves for decoration and accepts any kind of paint or stain. Regardless of what you use, dont wrestle with the complication of cutting window openings before adding sheathing. Instead, apply sheathing to the walls from the outside, covering them completely, then cut the window and door openings afterward, following the framed openings from inside using a chain saw or reciprocating saw.
6 or 7 sheets*** wall sheathing (plywood or OSB), 7/16 to 1/2 x 48 x 96 4 1/2sheets roof sheathing (plywood or OSB), 7/16 to 1/2 x 48 x 96 Metal rafter hardware Note: All materials should be construction-grade lumber unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are actual for example, 1 1/2 inches x 3 1/2 inches are the actual dimensions of a 2-by-4. *Cut to length as needed **Cut upper top plates to overlap corners ***Depending on the size of door and window you select
Great Garden Shed Showoff: Win a $500 Certificate for Tools of Your Choice!
If you have a shed thats a beautiful focal point on your property, MOTHER EARTH NEWS invites you to enter our Great Garden Shed Showoff. Any small structure used to store garden tools and equipment or house livestock is eligible. We will choose grand-prize winners in two categories: 1. Most decorative and/or colorful 2. Best use of repurposed materials and/or most versatile The winner in each category will receive a $500 gift certificate from Lee Valley Tools, which has a great selection of tools and hardware for woodworkers and gardeners. They offer many innovative hand tools that are difficult to find elsewhere. To enter, send a photo and at least 50 words describing your shed to Letters@MotherEarthNews.com by Nov. 1, 2011.