Storage Shed Project (2 of 2)

In Part 1 of this series I showed how I terraced a section of hillside, built a retaining wall and poured a concrete slab to get this little construction project started. Believe it or not, the actual building was a lot quicker and easier to build than to prepare the site for it to sit on. When you have to literally make level ground where it wasn't before, it can be a very laborious and expensive process. It didn't hurt that my neighbor who owns his own construction business came over and helped me frame it in. I also worked a few summers as a teenager with my father, grandfather and uncles framing up barns and houses, so as a team the work went quick. I did find however that I forgot quite a bit over the last 20 years, so it was nice to have a pro there who has done it enough that it's second nature.

Here's the first wall already erected and braced up, with parts of the end walls being laid out already. Notice the sill plate (bottom) of each wall is done with pressure treated lumber to protect against moisture and termite damage:

The work went really fast at this stage, so I didn't get a chance to snap any pics until we had all the walls framed in:

Next step was placing rafters. On most of the buildings I worked on we would set trusses, and my father was always the guy who laid them out and made the jig for their construction, then the rest of us put it together like legos. Regardless, I've never laid out rafters myself before, so this was a critical step that I needed help with:

Next was the gable overhangs, the fascia and then roof deck:

The following is a pic from the underside that shows how the gable was constructed on top of the end wall, and how those rafters were notched to accommodate the cantilevered overhang members. You can also see the stringer (referred to as such because it is under tension, like a string) below the center pair of rafters to prevent the walls from bowing out under the weight of the roofing:

Here from the inside you can see a pic in the background of some of the smaller storage sheds this one is replacing:

Next to go on was the roofing. The perimeter was first lined with drip edge flashing, followed by tar paper as a vapor barrier, and finally asphalt roofing shingles. Here's the results:

In the final stages now, the siding goes on. This siding is plywood called T1-11 with grooves impressed to make it look like clapboard siding on a barn:

When I did the gables I added gable vents to prevent heat build-up and moisture condensation problems during different weather conditions:

Next I built a set of bifold doors out of the siding remnant cutouts, and completed the siding with trim around the door opening and edges. The following are pictures of the completed building (minus paint, it was actually too cold here to paint when I finished the siding, about 50 degrees Fahrenheit):

Overall I'm very pleased with how this project turned out. My goal was to have a functional storage solution that wouldn't be an eyesore like the various little shanties scattered about the property when I got here. It's not perfect because I don't do this stuff every day, but it's neat and clean, and most importantly, it will get the job done.

A big thanks to everyone who helped me get this done. It was much appreciated and I couldn't have done it without you.