I am about to build a new shed, step by step piccies included

[keletkezes]

Spreader clamps: seriously need some of those in my life! The reversible bit is awesome

I empathise with the nailing: we tried nailing one of the boards back on (that we'd removed off the bottom of the playhouse to put the tunnel hole in) but it was too flexible and bounced all over the place so I gave up and screwed it in with my modified drill :evil: Did the job and still fine, but wouldn't want to do it too often as we split a few (unimportant) things screwing stuff in, but that could be my electric screwdriver inexperience :mrgreen:

 

[CrispyClaret]

For putting in screws you are always best to drill a pilot hole first, slightly smaller than the screw

 

[CrispyClaret]

So, part the next. Another side wall. Now forgive me for not including many pictures for this bit as oddly enough it is just a mirror of the opposite wall.
How to make sure they match? Dead simple, lay the wall already made onto the trestles with the weatherboard underneath. Fairly obviously this reveals the inside frame facing the sky. It is now just a simple matter of laying your wood on top to get an exact match, use clamps to keep them all matched up and screw it together. Nail on yoyr weatherboards and job done in about a third of the time.
For the first side I wasted about an hour measuring the weatherboards to a roughly correct size. Doh, I bought the boards 4.8m long and the longest one I needed was under 2.4m....cut the damn things in half, no fancy measuring need and then out with the saw to cut to length once nailed.

Todays tip, my spreader won't work on very narrow gaps, just use a piece of wood as a lever...sorted

To get a marked line to cut along the sloping top rail, just use a chalk line and then follow with your saw. Chalk lines cost nearly nothing from all popular diy shops. Pretty obvious I had abandoned exact measurements today.

 

[CrispyClaret]

Weather was absolutely disgusting so, instead of building the front wall it was decided to put up the 3 sides I have made and brace them.

Oops forgot, I have put damp proof membrane on the bottom rails, just stapled on. It is the same stuff you see used in house walls, just chopped on half with my saw. Wood is a smidge damp. Flippin weather.

Now the two person bit. Roughly manoeuvre the walls into position. I then worked out where I wanted the left hand wall, in my case about 2" in from the concrete edge and 3" back. The front gap allows fir the front wall and boards to be level ish with the front edge of the concrete. I don't want to be stepping over a concrete lip to get into the shed. I just put a bit of rail on the floor with weatherboard next to it to get the gap.

So, left wall in position. Up the steps and I nailed a rail to our fence, just to stop it wobbling and falling over, plus means our 2 pairs of hands are free.
Forgot to take a pic, this will have to do. The dark, angled rail just has one screw at the top and into the fence, it is only acting as a 3rd hand.

Now it just a case of positioning the back wall to the OUTSIDE of the left wall and clamp, then position the right wall to the INSIDE of the back wall. In other words, both side walls are sandwiched between my front and back walls.
A quick couple of screws to hold it all in place, once the rail edges were square. Next a couple of coach bolts fitted, holes drilled to correct size for the bolts, 10mm in my case. The bolts go from outside to in, only using 2 for attaching the walls at each corner. If you look in the corners you will spot the silver of the coach bolts.
As the weather is not good I screwed a temporary long rail across the front.

That will do for today, I am soaked through. Walls should stay in place safely overnight...he said.
Tomorrow it is front wall building time, with a doorway...wow

Just as a note, I am going to use concrete screws to fix the shed to the base. Nothing weird, you just screw them in.
I will take pics in the morning of the bits that need finishing off at the corners and how it bolted together. Really not in the mood right now.

 

[Zoobec]

It looks great :thumb: and massive :shock:

 

[keletkezes]

Yeah, just a bit damp, ain't it! :S I'm really enjoying this, and it's inspiring me (damnit!).

 

[CrispyClaret]

It looks great :thumb: and massive :shock:

Well it is for me to use, so its 2m high at the back and 2.4m at the front. The bunnies will be able to sniff the outside of it and be jealous.

 

[Fluffybunny54]

It's looking fab CC, concrete screws? Sounds like my hubby's 'glass hammer' and 'sky hooks'!!

 

[CrispyClaret]

Screws for concrete sound better for you? If you are searching for them, look for screw bolts.

Pity the poor soul that has to put these in by hand. This will be where my, every home has one, tool idea goes out of the window. It will be pursuaded into place by a battery powered beast that normally takes off car wheels.

 

[Barn Yard Bunnies]

Wow, doing well. Shame about the rain.

 

[CrispyClaret]

Now, as the weather has been unkind and my sister has my bits in a vice. Another little section on laying concrete for a shed base.
Earlier you saw my shuttering that holds back a tonne of concrete while it sets.
Ok the next step is you find a slave or someone that absolutely loves trowelling concrete so much she has her own tools for the job. Meet my twin sister...

Concrete just doesnt look right when its slopped down, lots of stones and holes etc but it gradually gets dragged into shape

In next to no time, or 2 hours we arrive at that heart warming moment, the last barrow load.

Still looks rubbish but now its magic time. One long, flat piece of wood has been pushed back and forth in a sawing action as the concrete went down. This produces an even thickness by dragging the excess towards an area still in need of filling.

As a family we like our toys, so my sister just happens to have this large heavy piece of aluminium with extendable rods to smooth out the concrete. It, by the way, is a concrete float.

You basically push and pull it across the concrete in both length and width. Gradually it semi liquifies the top of the mix, stones magically disappear and you are left with a hell of a gorgeous, flat piece of new shed base. Thanks Helen it was and is much appreciated.

End result, a thing of beauty

Leave it a few days, whack off the shuttering and put a shed on it.

 

[CrispyClaret]

A special mention has to go to Bunny Rabbit Hare who taught my sister the correct way to lay concrete, never underestimate the knowledge of our little friends.

 

[CrispyClaret]

It has been a while since I last posted.
Quick reminder, the shed has a sloping, pent roof. Front taller than the back so all that lovely rain water flows onto nextdoors property, well nearly anyway.

So obviously the front wall will be taller than the back wall. Because of the slope of the roof we havent built it to the exact height, we have left room for a long fillet, cut to the correct angle to make up the gap. Just seemed easier that way.
Anyway. The frame is built exactly the same as the others, with one important difference. It needs a doorway. Picked a suitable distance from the right side and fixed our long battens to leave a gap of 29 inches, ie a standard door width.
Door header rail at a nice 6ft 6", my old shed has a door about 5ft 8" tall and keeps peeling the skin of my scalp.

 

[CrispyClaret]

A few planks of wood, much heaving and hernia inducing weight produces....

Ooooo nearly looks like a shed

A few quick screws to hold the frame in place and then, coach bolts. Only used 2 per corner, feel free to add more if you are bored.

Looks nice and neat from the outside

You may remember the side walls boards didnt run to the edge. This allowed us to exactly cut the end boards to overlap at the front and rear.

Next job, The Roof

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Blimey, this is some building project :shock: Very impressive and I hope that Bunny Rabbit Hare received a good Consultancy Fee !!

 

[yaretzi]

Really interesting to read, thanks for posting! Looking forward to updates

 

[CrispyClaret]

The Roof he said, well he we go...

Bit of a 3 in 1 picture. You can see the fillet on the top rail, cut to match the slope of the side wall. Below that is a support for a roof beam, it's top edge is again cut to the roof slope angle and happily sitting on top of it is our first roof beam.
So far this shed has been very over engineered, 2x2 rails, thick weatherboard and to continue the theme, 4x2 roof beams. Feel free to use thinner wood and save money.

At the front my roof beams are not in line with my uprights, simple solution, a batten across the front of the shed and voila

Beams are screwed from the outside in. Once they are in, add noggins the same as we did for all the walls and your roof will look like a ladder.

 

[CrispyClaret]

Ok, choices time. Solid wood roof or something a smidge lighter. If you opt for solid you will need decently thick plywood, around 3/4" and roofing felt. It will weigh a hell of a lot and the felt will eventually shrink and fail, can't be avoided sadly.
Me? I wanted a workshop, so transparent corrugated plastic is the way I went. You can buy opaque sheets made from plastic or a material similar to roofing felt. Either way it is light as a feather.

Up the ladder we go.
Another 3 in 1 pic, sorry.
Start with first sheet flush to the edge. One end of the sheet will have a corrugation forming a ridge, the other end it will be a hollow. You need it so that the first corrugation is forming a ridge, looks neater and easier to waterproof the edge at the finish.
Use a soldering iron to make nice neat holes in the plastic and fit your screw with its matching waterproof cup. Screws go in the ridges, not the hollows.
Each sheet has a foam finger placed at either end, keeps the draft out mainly.

Then its just a case of screw down one sheet, overlap your next by one corrugation and repeat.
Looks cool from inside.

End view of foam fingers and showing how sheet starts, or ends, with a ridge.

Meanwhile at the other end, the overlap is bigger just so i could end on a ridge and not need to trim any plastic. Looks a bit rough I know.

So neaten it all up with weatherboard that has had its tongue and groove cut off. Saves money and matches the finish. This will stop rain driving in and as an added measure I have put a silicon bead around the top where the plastic meets the wood.

Rear wall looks a lot tidier.

 

[CrispyClaret]

Base done
Walls done
Roof done

Door next

 

[CrispyClaret]

Chunky door, I used 6x2 for cross rails and 4x2 for the uprights. 2x2 sag bars form the diagonals. Note the hinge is to the left, it is important that the sag bars are placed in this pattern. The door will try to droop at the lock side just from sheer weight of wood, the sag bars resist this.

I have fitted a proper lock or more to the point my saviour Paul did as I am clueless. Suffice to say it is a 3 lever lock just like an old style house lock and it works.

Door is mounted on 3 large T hinges, do not buy pre-painted black ones, they use thinner steel.