10 Tips on How to Build a Shed House That Lasts

Last Updated on November 13, 2024 by SampleBoard

A shed in your garden is more than just a place to store your tools and equipment.

It can effectively be your place to hang out and relax.

If you want to have your shed in your garden, you can always hire a professional.

But if you want to DIY it, here are ten tips you need to follow to make a shed that looks pleasing to the eye and lasts.

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Tips on Building a Shed House

1. Constructing a Raised Foundation

Constructing a solid foundation for your shed home at least a few inches off the ground would help.

If any part of the floor is in contact with the ground, it would provide easy access to rodents and other critters.

Doing so will also tackle the issue of earth erosion and shifting due to heavy rains.

2. Squaring the Walls & Floors

Be sure to avoid sloping when you square up your floor and walls for your shed.

If you leave the square, it will haunt you throughout your project, from decks and roofing to doors and windows.

3. Keeping the Framing Straight

It would help if you double-checked your framing as you're building to ensure that it's straight.

All it takes is a little string.

Start at your floor, stretch the string along the concrete or the rim joist, and adjust the framing to strengthen any deviations from the string.

4. Using Roof Trusses

If you have a helping hand, don't build your gable roof rafter by rafter.

Whether you have made or ordered them from the lumberyard, trusses will enable you to make the shed roof much more easily.

Generally, you will need a truss after every couple of feet.

You can connect the framing with plywood gussets screwed and glued to the joints.

5. Choosing Straight Lumber

All rafters, studs, and joints never tend to be straight.

Therefore, you must take some time to choose the best one.

This is especially the case with studs in the windows, door openings, and corners.

6. Installing Siding Before Raising the Walls

You can also take advantage of the helping hands you have.

If you have sheet siding, save time by installing it, as your walls are on the ground.

Lifting walls tend to be heavy, but your siding will keep the walls square.

Hence, you don't need to worry about lifting the panels into the place for nailing them later on.

7. Dressing Things Up with Trim

Sheet siding, whether plain or grooved, offers an economical and quick way to cover your shed walls.

But it looks plain on its own.

Therefore, you need to add wide corner boards and windows, door casing, and even a horizontal ban right at the base and top.

It will make your shed look much classier.

Moreover, you don't need to buy an expensive nailer to install your exterior trim.

A quality 18-gauge brad nailer is reasonably sufficient for this job as well.

8. Using Pre-Cut Roofing Panels Made of Metal

You can save a lot of your time and energy by covering your shed roof using metal panels.

Cut them with a circular saw with the help of a carbide blade.

But you can always use pre-cut panels to the exact length and color you need.

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9. Building Economical Doors & Windows

You can get that expensive frame-and-panel door look for a fraction of the cost by laminating a couple of layers of thick cardboard to make a frame.

Then, cover the frame with tongue-and-groove boards or panels and hang the doors from an overhead track or rail.

For this purpose, you can also go for custom shed doors and windows.

Similarly, you can go for recycled windows that you might find lying around at your local building materials recycling centers.

10. Renting Scaffolding as a Safer, Budget-Friendly Option

Using leaders for your construction projects is much more dangerous than using scaffolding.

Moving around ladders also takes more time.

When you're working on your roof, it's best to rent a scaffolding with wheels.

It will make your life much easier.

Image credit: behance.net

Conclusion

There are different ways to make your shed project much more straightforward and budget-friendly.

You can hire a professional for this, but if you're working independently, following these tips will enable you to get better results without spending too much.

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