How to build a shed – Insider Tips

Introduction

A shed is a piece of simple garden equipment that provides storage space for all garden equipment like paint, tools, and lawnmowers. You might be thinking of building your storage shed for your garden but have no idea what to do, don’t worry, I am here to help you with that.

I have put together tips on building a shed, from what tools you need to put walls together, putting doors and roofs, from frame to trim. It doesn’t matter what plan you have for your shed; some of the tips you will give will surely help you complete your project. I will also take time to answer queries concerning building a shed, which helps you save time and work and allow your work of DIY construction done quickly. If you are interested in building your shed, you can read on to know all you might need to build one. For more comprehensive information, check out Shed

Cost of building a shed.

When building your shed, there are several advantages to hiring an expert. Not only do you have full creativity over the design of your shed and the timetable at which it is building upon, but you also find that building your shed costs less than hiring a professional.

It would help if you put a lot of effort when building your shed, and it takes a long time. You will be doing a lot of work for your first time in building one. You are not very experienced in DIY shed construction, which is a reasonable option but depends on the material used for the roofs, doors, and walls.

Generally, it is very likely to build a shed for around $300 for an ordinary one or more for a complex and larger design. If you hire a builder, the cost will be about $3000, which includes labor materials, additional cost, and everything needed to construct a shed. DIY shed assembly cost less if you are willing to build it yourself.

What is the cost of building a shed from scratch?

If you want to build a DIY shed from scratch, then the cost of material is all you need to worry about. It includes the frame, roofs, doors, walls, which are a lot of wood in total. You won’t have to pay for labor, only materials, and tools if you don’t have one.

The majority of sheds are made up of wood, which is sturdy and the most reliable material to use but is one of the more costly options available. Metal sheds cost less than wood, but doesn’t look as attractive and can weather badly. Plastics sheds are very affordable but are weak and vulnerable to sun damage, mainly around the roof. On the other hand, vinyl sheds are a very good option, but they are the most expensive. They are sturdy and reliable, but very expensive.

Building a DIY shed completely from scratch is reasonably cheap, allowing you to save money. In some cases, the cost of sheds made from wood or other related material is around $300. Vinyl is a lot more costly than this, but mostly all other materials are within this bracket.

What is the cost of building a 12 x 14 shed?

12 x 14 is a fairly average large shed size. It isn’t the cheapest as a 12 x 14 frame is a little on the larger end, but it is possible to make a shed at this size for a very good price. A DIY project like this will cost about $500-1000, assuming you are prepared to get to work and do it all yourself. If you go back and hire a builder to help you, it will be a lot more expensive.

What is the cost of building a 12 x 16 shed?

12 x 16 is relatively a large shed size. Meaning it is a reasonably expensive option, but if you decide to put it together yourself, from frame to roof, then you will save more money than when you hire a professional to do it for you. You should expect that a large shed size like this will cost around $1000 or more to build yourself. Before getting started, make sure you know what you are doing or redoing some areas that only add to your expenses and the amount of wood needed.

Top tips in building a shed

There are no proper ways of building an excellent shed from scratch, but all experts or professionals have their tips and tricks that help you out. Here are some tips and tricks that will be useful in building a shed. They cover every part in shed construction, from foundation lay to placing the roof on top when finished.

Prepare a proper site.

Knowing where you keep your shed is important. To decide, think of what you want to use it for and chose the site most convenient for that purpose. For example, a potting should be near the garden while a kid’s playhouse should be near the patio or back door so that you will be able to keep an eye on it. It should also be in an open area so that you don’t forget and underutilize it.

Determine what material to use

There is no exact material to choose from when building a shed; some last longer while others endure the elements better. There are several material options for you, which plastic, timber, and steel. A plastic shed will require low maintenance but tend to fade with time. Steel is built to be durable and require low cost, while timber sheds are prone to rot if not treated properly. Steel and plastic sheds are also free from pest infestation and rooting. It would help if you tried as possible to select materials with low-cost maintenance.

Easy foundations

All sheds need a foundation, but you don’t need to build something complicated for a larger building like a house. It just needs to be stable and secure for the shed frames to rest on. It would help if you first dug a couple of trenches along where you need the shed’s sides to go and fill it with gravel. Then, it would help if you lay a pair of treated 6 x 6s above the trenches. Then level and square those foundations off, and now you are ready to start setting up your frame.

Setting up concrete floors

So far you are building on a slope, a concrete floor is most advisable to use as they don’t cost more than a wooden deck, and are stronger and last longer. That is if you are willing to pour it yourself. Make sure it’s concrete, and you will have no problem setting up a strong solid concrete floor for your shed.

The building of trusses for the roof

It is the most challenging and frustrating part of building a shed, even for experts in the profession. Constant movement from one place to another trying to put up a roof for a rafter can be very frustrating, but you can make things easy for yourself by using trusses in building the roof of your shed. You will generally like the same number of trusses as there are three-foot sections of the roof on your shed.

Try siding your walls before raising them.

It is very frustrating in siding walls once they have been set up, but if you have enough space, you can put a lot of effort into siding them before setting them up. Make sure to align the wall plates completely and square the wall off nicely with the proper tools before you nail on the siding. After doing that, nail the siding completely into place and try getting help putting up the whole wall and assembling the siding into place once done. It saves you the effort to go back to the wall and apply the siding vertically, risking the fact that you can knock it done as you do so.

Using the straightest studs for the frame

In most cases, all the studs used for your frames are perfectly straight, but sadly wood used in studs often tends to twist and warps. Try and pick out which studs are the straightest and smoothest among them and then use them for the corner posts and most important parts of the frame. You should use less straight ones for the walls and roofs, but you still have to go to the straightest one for the door frame to build with.

The building of sandwich doors

If the frame and panel doors you like are beyond your budget, then you can construct a door that looks the same at a much lower cost. To do this, laminate two layers of the thin board simultaneously, then build the door’s front and back layers. Make sure they lined up correctly, and then sandwich them in between trim boards. You can now glue them together, and sand fills the edges to hide the fact that your door is made up of two layers sandwich together. For more information on how doors are built you can check outhow to hang a door

Provide a suitable power source for your shed

A proper power source is required if you intend to work inside the shed, and electricity is key if you plan on plugging in anything. But sometimes, wiring your shed may be a little pricey. If you find it too pricey, you can go for other options like a solar panel or portable generators. They might not provide the same amount of power as an electrical power but can supply power to work lamps. To find out more about solar panels and how they work you can check out How do solar panels work

Conclusion

Building sheds require a lot of effort and focus from you, but if you are preparing to put in that labour, it is rewarding and cost less than hiring professionals. It also gives you full control over our new shed’s design and dimensions, so if you desire to be in charge of the construction project, then the DIY building of your shed is a perfect project for you. Before starting, ensure you have all the tools and materials needed and avoid skipping and pausing in the middle of important steps. So try to be prepared before attempting to build a shed. For information on how to build a treehouse, check out How to build a tree house‘.