Plans to Build a Shed

Building your own shed in DYI (do-it-yourself) fashion can be a lot of fun. Starting a project - and then following it through until completion - can be a very rewarding experience. Of course, when you get started, you'll want to have an idea in advance about what types of materials you will need. Here is a partial list (the materials you need will vary a bit, depending upon the plan you get):

1. 4 x 4" natural decay-resistant lumber (used for skids)
2. Plywood sheets (flooring)
3. 2 x 8" lumber (ridge beam)
4. 2 x 4" framing lumber (studs)
5. 1/2" plywood (roof sheathing)
6. 1 x 6" lumber (roof purlins)
7. Roof underlay (vapor and wind barrier)
8. Corrugated roofing iron (roof cladding)
9. Ridge capping (covers the apex of the roof)
10. Barge flashing (covers the gable ends of the roof)
11. Cladding underlay (vapor and wind barrier)
12. 1 x 3" lumber (vertical cladding battens)

1. Start by collecting everything that you think you may want to store in your shed. Make sure to raid your garage, your side yard, and even indoor closets, as necessary.

2. Lay everything out in your yard. At this point, everything is just a candidate for storage in your beautiful new shed. Frankly, it's too soon to tell what will go and what won't. So, don't filter or edit out your choices - you can also put stuff back where you found it later.

3. Now, start to sort the items into piles by type of item. This basic sorting process sounds like a pain, but it can be quite liberating. Just going through your old stuff can feel really good. And, make sure to get rid of anything that seems like it is clearly trash.

4. Next, go through the items and put them into three piles: "to shed," "back to where you found it," and "to the garbage."

5. Before you start moving stuff into your shed, put up handy items like pegboard with nails (to hang extension cords and such), an old leather belt (on which to hang tools), and even old dressers or trunks (to organize/keep smaller items).

6. Finally, start moving things into your shed. Larger items - as well as those you don't think you'll need to access very often - should go toward the back. Meanwhile, items to be accessed more frequently should go nearer the door.

7. Be sure to leave enough room to get in and out of your shed. Avoid over-stuffing it with your things. You want your new shed to not only be a good piece of storage, but user-friendly, too!