How to Build a Gable Shed or Playhouse

Gable Shed Construction Diagram

Shed Construction

A skid foundation can be made from three 4-by-6 pressure-treated beams laid 3 feet apart.

Precast concrete piers or poured footings should be set in 6 inches along the front and back sides of the shed and spaced 3 feet apart. Along the length of the shed, they are set in 16 inches and spaced 56 inches apart. The piers or footings are spanned with 12-foot pressure-treated 2 x 6s and attached with anchor bolts.

1To construct the floor frame, start by cutting the rim joists and floor joists from 2 by 4s. Cut the rim joists 7 feet long and the floor joists 141 inches long (12 feet minus 3 inches). Lay the floor joists along the rim joists, 16 inches on center, and attach them with 16d nails or joist hangers. Place the frame on 2-by-6 pressure-treated runners and make adjustments with shims until the frame is level. Also check that the frame is square to the runners and then toenail them together. Complete the floor with a layer of 3/4-inch plywood sheathing.

Shed Wall Framing Diagram

2The walls are constructed independently and then raised. Start by cutting the top and bottom plates and the wall studs from 2 by 4s. You will need 10 6-foot-long king studs, spaced 16 inches on center. When the frame is assembled, make the cuts for the door and window openings, adding the required headers, cripple studs, and jack studs.

3To affix the walls, raise the first wall, drive 3-inch screws through the bottom plate into the frame, brace it in place, and repeat with the other three wall sections. After checking for plumb, attach the walls at the corners. Mark the locations for the roof trusses 24 inches on center on the double top plates and attach them. Cut the bottom plate for the door.

4The roof framing consists of seven trusses, spaced 24 inches on center, with each one composed of an 8-foot-long ceiling joist and two 50-inch-long rafters that meet a 21-inch-long truss support; the members are held together with a 5/8-inch plywood gusset.

5Attach each end truss to the double top plates so they overhang front and back equally and are flush with the wall frame’s sides. Position the other five trusses on the marks you previously made on the double plates so they align with the end trusses and then attach them.

6If you are roofing with asphalt shingles, lay 5/8-inch plywood sheathing on top of the trusses, working from the bottom up, and then cover it with 15-pound roofing felt, the shingles, and the ridge caps. If you are roofing with cedar shingles, install 1-by-4 battens spaced for the desired exposure, and then, working from bottom to top, attach the shingles.

7To finish the walls with cedar channel siding, start 3/4 inch below the bottom plate and install the siding horizontally until you reach the top plate. Install the siding vertically on the gable ends above the top plate. Finish by installing all the exterior trim.

8Install the windows and hang the door. Trim the windows with 1-by-3 cedar.

Original article and pictures take http://www.hometips.com/diy-how-to/gable-shed-build.html site


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