Building a Back Yard Shed
Look out! He's actually USING those tools!
I build this shed in 2004. We decided we needed a shed to store the lawnmower, yard tools and such, but when we went to local custom shed builders, they wanted $3400! Since I have, in my wife's opinion "way too many tools," I decided to save some money and build one myself.
The site:
Construction began in June, 2004. "With the money I saved by doing it myself," as the ads say, I bought a DeWalt framing nailer which really sped up the work, and has proven to be an extremely handy tool to have. I framed and leveled the platform on concrete blocks one weekend, then put up all four walls the next weekend:
Who IS that guy?
He acts like he knows what he's doing...
Three walls up, the front one not yet framed.
Um... three walls up, the front one not there yet. (Didn't we just see this?) Yes, but not from this angle. (Oh.)
I'm a lumberjack, and I'm OK... (yes, it was posed)
Progress!
This is the next weekend - actually a three-day July 4th weekend. Framed out the roof on Saturday...
Lookout! Heh, heh... get it? Lookout? Hee hee... huh? You don't? Um... see, those short 2x4s sticking out are called "lookouts." Heh heh... (ahem) nevermind. End of the day Saturday - it was a long day:
It's a good thing OSHA rules didn't apply to this construction site... sheathing the roof on Sunday:
Duh... why won't dese nails go in?? How do you use dis ting? Our fearless construction leader demonstrating the use of a hammer:
Shingled the roof on Monday. I put in the last nail on the last cap shingle as the dark clouds were gathering and it was thundering. The skies opened up just as I was picking up the last tools and going inside. A good test for the roof - it works! I put the window in Tuesday evening after work.
Put the door, deadbolt and doorknob in next weekend; my wife immediately began putting stuff inside.
Then came the vinyl siding (the neighborhood covenants required sheds to match the house).
The shed glows and glimmers in the setting sun... the shadows of the trees splash lovingly on its golden flank:
The view from the deck. That's a huge holly tree right there in the middle of the shot - we loved that tree:
We then added gravel paths around the shed area and I built a ramp up to the door. In late Summer 2005 I dug a trench and ran electricity and water out to the shed, so there was a light and an outlet inside, and an outlet on the outside, with a hose spigot on the front corner, all of which was very convenient to have.
In July 2006, we sold that house and moved to a nicer neighborhood (and bigger house) about 13 miles away. This shed was a definite selling point!