Building a Garden Shed - How to Build a Garden Shed

Garden shed, most often used to store your gardening equipments, can also double as an outdoor store house for storing several things. Building a garden shed is relatively an easy task, when properly planned. Read on to know how to build a garden shed...
Building a Garden Shed - How to Build a Garden Shed
A garden shed is a small structure built outside the house to store the various equipments required for gardening. Garden sheds are popular among individuals, who treat gardening as a hobby and invest a lot of time in it. These garden sheds protect your gardening equipments, and thus are considered as important components of gardening. Many people find it difficult to figure out how to build a garden shed, but with some basic knowledge of carpentry and a proper plan, you can easily build a garden shed.

Requirements for Building a Garden Shed
Make sure that the area you choose for building a garden shed is firm, and doesn't retain water. A leveled ground will make the construction easier. If the ground is not leveled, then you will have to level it, as it is very difficult to construct a shed on a rough ground. Most often, garden sheds are made from wood, owing to the abundant availability of the raw material at a reasonable price. You will require pressure treated wooden frames and planks to make the walls, joists and trusses for the shed, and concrete blocks to make the floor of your shed. You will also require hardware components such as power tools, level, hammer, driller and a ladder.

How to Build a Garden Shed?
An ideal way, especially when you are building a garden shed alone, is to start the construction from below. First of all use the concrete blocks to lay the foundation of the shed. This will avoid water seepage even when the ground is moist. You can also construct a wooden floor for the shed. The second step would be to erect the walls. Use the drilling machine to drill holes through the wooden planks and the concrete floor, and screw the planks, meant for walls, into the floor. You have to decide about the door and windows for the shed before you start constructing the walls. When building the walls make sure you leave the space required for the door and windows, if any. You can either buy a ready made door or construct one of your own. Second option is ideal, in case you want to wind up, the activity of garden shed building, in a limited budget. Use hinges to attach the door and windows to the walls of the shed. The last part of building a garden shed is to build a roof. To build a roof you need to fit a strong frame of wood in the center of the front wall and back wall of the shed. You can use two 2 ft pieces of wood in order to raise the height of roof in the center to facilitate water drainage. Once you have the mid frame ready, you can start fixing the trusses for the roof. Use a rope or a piece of wood to support the first truss, and subsequently use the first truss to support the second truss. Continue in the same method, wherein each truss will support the subsequent truss, until the network of trusses is ready on both the sides. Use half an inch plywood or vinyl covering to cover the roof and install a tin cap at the center of the shed wherein both the sides meet. Caulk the roof to ensure that there is no water seepage from the roof.

Garden sheds are the best options to keep your hand gardening equipments protected from harsh weather. This sheds can also act as storage sheds for storing other small items. Knowing how to build a garden shed can cut down the cost, you would have otherwise incurred in buying a ready-to-assemble garden shed kit or hiring a professional to build the shed for you. Contradictory to the usual belief, it is very easy to build a garden shed, something which can be just done over a weekend.

By Abhijit Naik
Published: 7/28/2009
 
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