Building a garden shed

[Chuck Wintle]

I may build a new garden shed with my son's help. I think there is more than one way in which to build the roof. What would be the best way to build the roof wtihout using joists spanning the width of the building?

[Scott Loven]

How big a shed? How much do you want to spend? What do you want it to look like? I built a shed 20 years ago that was a pre-made frame from the lumber yard. 2*4 floor walls and roof frame all in one piece. Floor was 8*16 or something like that. Cost around $350 or so. Very easy to do with minimal tools.

[Chuck Wintle]

The shed will be 8' x 12' on cement blocks, 1 block at each corner. I will level the blocks and build a frame on which to put the plywood. I want to put regular stud walls and for the exterior, probably vinyl siding. I was hoping not to put any roof joists, but rather to keep the interior space as open as possible.

[Scott Loven]

Mine looked something like this (http://www.nor-fab.com/sheds/cougar.html). These plans may give you some ideas.
Scott

[Art Mann]

Contact your local County Extension Agent's Office that is connected with your State's Land Grant University or, failing that, go to the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service website. They will very likely have free plans. The plan I have seen uses combination wall stud and roof trusses that are held together with plywood gussets. These are prefabricated from 2X4s before final construction begins. Sounds like just what you are looking for.

Edit: Oops! I just noticed you are located in Canada. Perhaps your country has a government agricultural service that can provide such plans. Otherwise, free plans should be available from the US Dept of Agriculture or one of many State agricultural agrncies.

[Chuck Wintle]

Mine looked something like this (http://www.nor-fab.com/sheds/cougar.html). These plans may give you some ideas.
Scott
Yes something similar to that. Thanks:)

[glenn bradley]

Just an amusing observation on our different views of things based on geography. Charles' 8'x12' garden shed would be a mid-size shop to some folks ;-)

[Hal Flynt]

I made 2x4 rafters with a ridge board and 1x4 stretchers. I did a small birds mouth notch and nailed the stretchers flush with the top plates (i.e. resting on the top). (A plywood gusset for the ridge board makes it easier for one person to construct.) My shed was 8 x12. I estimated the rise and run for the assembly and cut 2 rafters long and nailed them to a piece of 2x4 to get the spacing of the ridge board. I tack nailed a 1x 4 vertical at the center point of the shed and used a clamp to position it and hold it in the approximate position. Marked it for the birds mouth notches, took it down and cut the notches and tacked on the stretcher and stood it back up. It was pretty close, but I tweaked the fit and position, then nailed the stretcher in place. I took this down and it became my pattern for cutting the rest of the rafters and stretchers. I took the 2x4 spacer out where the ridge board was going and cam up with the idea of a short stretcher to hold the top apart the appropriate width and the right height for the ridge board. On the end assemblies, I put a stretcher on both sides and placed upright 1x4 at the nailing positions for my siding and shimmed the rafter flush with 1x4. I then toe nailed this to the top plate and clamped to my vertical piece and did the same on the other end. I slipped the ridge board into place from inside the shed, nailed it and the rest went very smoothly. Most of the total time was head scratching, since I had never built a roof.

[Pat Germain]

I built a shed just like the one in the picture about seven years ago. I build it from a "kit" from a company here called 84 Lumber. Mine was longer than the pictured shed, but of the same design.

The big advantage in using the kit from 84 Lumber was it came with pre-made 2"x4" trusses. This made building the shed much easier. The only tools I used were a hammer and a good framing saw.

[dan moran]

The only tools I used were a hammer and a good framing saw.

musta been really hard to do without a tape measure, square & a pencil..
:)


im sorry...

[Brian Penning]

I think you'll find that joists are a good thing to have. Especially in a place like Montreal where we get some heavy snow now and then.
My understanding is that they are an important part of a structure for the simple reason that they prevent the walls from being pushed out and the roof from collapsing. Without the ceiling joists to hold the walls together, weight on the roof would simply push the walls out laterally. It would be like a triangle with no bottom chord.
BTW if you want to have a look at my shed I'm in the western tip of Montreal.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f193/Bri68/Miscilaneous/main-2.jpg?t=1182453801

[Pat Germain]

musta been really hard to do without a tape measure, square & a pencil..
:)


im sorry...

Square? As long as it doesn't fall over, who cares?

Tape measure? Cutting by eye works for me.

Pencil? Why bother when you can use a Space Pen. After all, it "writes on anything". (And, by the way, the Russians use the same pen. The old story about them using a pencil is bogus.) ;)

[Ben Grunow]

I think the answer tou are looking for is in a structural ridge. Normally the ceiling joists are nailed to the rafters to resist the horizontal force (pushing the walls outward) created by the roof's weight and that of snow etc on the roof. If you wish to avoid using joists just add a beam at the ridge instead of a 2x6 as you would normally.

In snow country, I would use 2x6 rafters, with as much roof pitch as you can afford (make it tall so the snow slides off and the rafters dont sag) and a 2x12 for the ridge. At either end of the ridge, place a 2x4 stud to support it and place a concrete pier under the frame for the floor at that point. This transfers the roof load right to the ground. Nail the rafters well at the ridge with 12d nails and add joist hangers (they are available with sloped bottoms or just cut normal ones in half and nail each side to the rafter and ridge with TICO nails- just galv nails for hangers). Now when the snow piles up, the roof wont sag.

Does that make sense?

Ben

[Per Swenson]

Yup,

What Ben said.

Also consider putting in a skylight.

No, really. Gets dark in there by that far corner.

Costs less then power.

Per

[mark page]

Exactly like Ben & Per. I built a saltbox design at last home with two angle pitch roof. 2x12 ridge with 2x4 supports. Then birdsmouthed rafters to give an overhang of about 12 inches. I even put guttering on it to keep from getting rained on at the entry door. If in high wind areas or tornado areas like I am, add hurricane ties to the rafters. Think mine were about 30 cents each at the time. My shed sustained no damage during the last tornado that went through, oops--weather man said straight line winds--yeah right!!

[Eric Gustafson]

http://www.toolcenter.com/SOMERSET/90028.htm

I bought these plans ($12.95) and built the 10x16 version of the shed. I like the barn style roof a lot. Plus the high roof let me put a wrap around loft that in can still walk under. The one set of plans covers a bunch of different sizes. I have since run a subpanel out to it, insulated and air conditioned it. I am going to do my assembly and finishing of projects there.

http://www.toolcenter.com/SOMERSET/images/pics/90028s.jpg

[Mike Seals]

I did the gambrel roof (barn) and it went up very easy. I drew up the angles in CAD an pre cut everthing. I like the extra head room, I put in a small loft for storage of large things, it was on a 10x18 pad.

[Greg Deakins]

I wouldn't span 12 feet with your floor frame, but rather stick an extra block under those two longer sides in the middle. THe barn roof should be a good choice, provided your angles are tight, and you utilize steel or plywood gussets. I built a shed to house four kayaks, and used that type of roof, it provided enough space up there for the fourth boat. That would be a nice sized shed, and the skylights are a great idea. If you plan on building some barn doors, be sure to beef up the posts on each side, and overbuild the doors. Dont forget to run a ridge vent down the lenghth of the ridge, and one at each gable. You can find windows being given away on Craigslist, or in the paper real cheap. Oh, and if you want cabinets eventually, or to attach a solid countertop, make sure you put the blocking in the when it is easy. -Greg