Storage shed

[encorehunter]

After remodeling most of the new house, I found myself in need of a storage shed. I looked at several different ones that were built, but am too much of a cheapa**. I am not willing to spend $3-6k on a building that is going to store my "junk." I began scouring Craigslist and building stores looking for supplies.

I found 6'6" 2x4s nailed in 2s for $1 a board, and 2x6x8s nailed in 2s for $3 each. A local builders store had damaged plywood and 4x8 siding that had minor damage. I talked them down to $3 a sheet, but the stipulation was I had to take all 48 sheets, mostly siding. The window was bought at a yard sale for $20, the door salvaged for free from a local building after someone kicked it in breaking the frame. The local ranch store had a sale clearing out 5lb boxes of nails for $.99, and 5 lb boxes of screws for $7.99. Half the shingles came from the fire dept, since they can't be burned anymore for training. The other half was left over from a roofing job. The 4 redwood 2x6x8s were $4 because they were corkscrew shaped. Flooring I had to pay full price of $15 a sheet for 4 4x8 sheets of T&G waferboard, along with 10 2x4x8s at $2.68 each. The total list of supplies is:

4 2x6x8 redwood
18 2x6x8
4 4x8x5/8 T&G
88 2x4x6'6"
9 2x4x8
5 4x8x7/16 plywood
12 4x8 siding
8 lbs screw
2 sq shingles
1 window
1 door

I used roughly 8 lbs of screws, so it should stay together. Fixing the corkscrews was just cutting the boards into smaller pieces and screwing them back to straighter boards. The total cost of the 8x16 shed was just under $300 and about 10 hours worth of work. I did have some cheap help as seen in the first picture, but he got mad and left after he realized he couldn't crawl out of the floor framing. The floor joists are 16", walls are 24". I built my own trusses, nine had flat cross members five were open. This gives me another roughly 80 sq. feet of storage in the loft, along with easy access to put lumber there.

[TheGrey]

That's impressive!

[n2877]

very nice. Thanks for the material list.

[n2877]

did you use a nail gun or drill/impact driver

[flogger]

Nice work! Couldn't see if you had roof or gable vents installed, its a GOOD idea. Youre going to enjoy it.

[OtterbatHellcat]

Yep...that's pretty cool.

[encorehunter]

I used an impact driver. I had it new in the box for months and only used my drill. Now I hate my drill for driving screws. I did not put in any vents, but they are a great idea.

[n2877]

I used an impact driver. I had it new in the box for months and only used my drill. Now I hate my drill for driving screws. I did not put in any vents, but they are a great idea.

Good excuse to go buy and impact driver. Just have a Milwaukee 18 drill That's many moons old. I will do vents as well. Thanks again to all who have helped

[encorehunter]

I did use a nail gun for roofing. I can't tell you how many partial to full cases of nails I have bought at yard sales for $5. A framing nail gun would have been a lot quicker, but I didn't have access to one at the time.

The walls I used the 6'6" 2x4s with one bottom plate and 2 top plates. This made the interior ceiling 81" tall. I started the siding at the bottom of the floor joists and ran the entire height to the top plate. This really solidified the structure. It left about 6-8" over the top plate that I cut off with a chainsaw. Next time I will cut it before I put it up. I screwed a 2x4 to the bottom of the floor joist to create a lip to set the siding on to hold it and screw it in by myself.

I am using the scrap siding to do the soffit. I'm going to pick up a few gable vents today to put in.

With the loft, I think this would make a great little off grid hunting cabin. A solar panel with battery for light and power, gutters to redirect the water into a more "useful" area. A small wood burning or propane stove for cooking and heating.