These garden shed blueprints will help you build a garden shed with extra headroom for storing tools and equipment and window at the rear for letting sunlight into your shed. This garden shed can also be easily converted into a workshop.
1. Placement Of The Shed
Select a location for building the shed. Pick the spot such that there will be free space around the shed after it is built. Preferably the soil should be dry. There should be no water collected on the construction site. Lay the floor joists such that the shed base will be at least 6 inches off the ground. Check that there is enough space for the ramp to slope at an angle of 45 degrees or lesser.
2. Posts & Footing
Dig the holes for the footing making they are deep enough to be lower than your local frost line. Measure the diagonals to ensure that that the holes are at right angles to each other.
Dig the holes bigger than the size of the posts to keep space for making adjustments later.
Install four 4×4 posts in the 4 holes and brace them with timber pieces to hold them in place. Make sure the posts are plumb. Don’t pour the concrete yet.
3. Building The Frame
Suspend the rim joists from the posts using joist hangers such that the outer sides are flush as shown in the garden shed blueprints.
Suspend the floor joists from rim joists on the side with joist hangers measuring about 16” or less on center. Build the floor deck using plywood referring to the garden shed blueprints.
Build the wall frame on the ground using sole plates and studs at 16 inch on the center.
Build the openings for door and windows while keeping the sole plate beneath the door.
You can also add an additional surface for nailing if you require sheathing on the inside of the shed. Secure the walls in between the foundation posts using 16d galvanized nails.
Verify that the foundation posts are level and flush, and afterwards fill up each foundation hole with concrete such that the top surface is at a slope. This will allow the water to drain away from the concrete.
After the concrete has dried completely, remove the temporary braces from the posts and check once again that the posts are flush with the wall faces. Install another wall plate such that it extends over the top of the foundation post. Finally install another wall plate covering the rear and front walls connecting the other way on top of the peaks.
4. Install The Ridge Beam & Rafters
Secure the ridge beam between the rear and front walls using nails. Cut out the bird’s mouths on the rafter such that the seat cuts are 3 1/2 inch long where they will rest on the top plate.
Don’t trim the tails of the rafters yet; let them run over the edge of the shed frame.
Install the rafters on the ridge beam by evenly spacing 5 rafters as shown in the wood shed blueprints diagram.
5. Install The Siding
Cover the entire shed with building wrap. Skirt above band to stud walls and nail band to the rim joists. Draw the cutting line for the plywood according to the enclosed patterns such that the grooves do not overlap a corner board. This will ensure that the facade center is positioned between two grooves.
Installing the roof flashing and the overdoor trim beneath the siding before you nail it to the studs. Keep the Z-flashing below the siding bottom and above the skirts.
6. Building The Roof
For finding out the length of the rafter tail, test position the fascias over the front facade according to the dotted lines in the detailed diagram of the garden shed blueprints.
Cut out the tails of the rafters such that the fascias cleanly fold around the corners of the shed.
Ensure that the siding grooves fit with the sub fascia with enough space left over for the roof to vent. Cover the roof with sheathing. Install the roof felt and shingles according to the instructions given by the manufacturer.
7. Fitting The Door And Window
Cut out the door from the siding and install 2 x 4’s boards on it for make it stiff. Install a brace from the lower end of the swinging side of the door to the top hinge.
You can optionally install a small window, trim it with little window stops and utilize thin lattice strips as ornamental muntins.
Suspend the door from the opening in the wall with strap hinges secured on top of pads to make sure they remain level to the door trim. Let the sole plate remain beneath the door as it will act as a door stop. Setup the window within the rear wall.
8. Install The Trim
Install the fascia and sub fascia over the siding. Install cove molding for trimming the top and bottom edges.
Setup a drip edge on the fascia top beneath the roof deck. Cut out the corner boards such that they fit between the fascias and skirts.
Install the corner boards on the rear and front facades and butt the corner boards on the side with them such that the caulk joint is hidden from view.
Setup the window and door casing and the overwindow and overdoor trim.
Install the drip edge over the top and side faces of the overwindow and overdoor trim.
9. Build The Ramp
Construct the ramp using 2×6 joists made of pressure treated timber having decking nailed over their tops. Build it of sufficient length so that it can have a slope of less than 45 de
In case the ramp becomes very steep or long, install footholds at intervals of 12 inches. Verify that you can move equipment like lawnmower over these footholds. For a bicycle shed it would be convenient to have two sets of footholds with a separation in between.
10. Building The Interior
The interior of the shed will depend on the purpose you wish to use the shed. If you wish to use it as a tool shed you can use hardboard interior panels. If you want to use the shed as extra living space then you can use insulation on plywood panels.
If it will be used as a potting shed then you can install cabinets and shelves on the inner walls of the shed. If the shed will be used as a workshop you may want to build a workbench.
11. Building a Trellis (Optional)
Install the lattice work according to the elevation diagram in the garden shed blueprints.
Mark the overlap of boards using a pencil line. Cut out and chisel about half of the wood’s depth between the draw lines for making half-lap joints. Build the final layout by securing the boards to each other.
To provide additional support for plants, weave plastic coated wires amongst the boards.
Once the patter has been built to your satisfaction, screw together the joints.
Suspend the trellis using hooks attached with screws so that you can easily remove the trellis for cleaning without damaging the plants.
12. Paint the Shed
Use caulk to seal the joints between boards. Use weatherproof, oil-based emulsion paint for painting the outer walls of the shed. You can also use stain instead of paint if you wish to leave the grain of the wood visible.
