Shed - Handyman Club of America

5
LESSON LEARNED
Roof panel
30-pound
building felt
Toenail the rafters to the top
plates, starting with the back
rafter, which should be flush
with the back siding, and
spacing them 16 in. OC.
Attach the blocking boards
between each pair of rafters.
Rake
flashing
Installing the shed’s metal roof taught me a
hard lesson about the importance of positioning
the panels so that the rake (angled roof
edge) flashings connect correctly. The rake or
gable flashing is designed to contact and fasten
to a specific section of the roof panel
(either on a ridge or on a flat section between
the ridges). If you simply attach the roof panels
and cut the overhanging excess off of the last
panel, the rake flashing may not fit correctly. In
that case, you’ll either have to order a different
style of flashing (which can take a couple of
weeks to arrive) or do what I did: remove all of
the screws, shift the panels and trim the opposite
overhanging edge so that both rake flashings
fit (not a fun process).
To avoid this mistake, lay the panels out on
the ground, check how the flashing is designed
to fit and then determine how much to trim off.
You might be able to cut the excess off of one
panel, or you might have to split the difference
and cut some off of both rake-edge panels. — DC
6
Eave
flashing
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installing the
metal roof panels, flashing components and weather stripping.
The panels are fastened to the roof with 1-in. screws
that feature rubber gaskets under the heads. The panel
overlaps are secured with self-tapping metal stitch screws.
7 8
Siding
panel
Interior
paneling
1x4
The faces of the small door are attached to a 1x4 wood frame
with exterior-rated glue and 1-in. brad nails. The outside face is
the exterior siding, and the interior face is the 1/4-in. interior
paneling used on the playhouse walls.
Closure
strip
24" O.C.
To see more photos and learn more
about metal-roof installation, go to
www.HandymanClub.com
and click on WEB EXTRAS.
Secure the window frames in the openings with 2-in. screws.
Then install an acrylic panel and interior trim pieces. (If you
prefer, you can install screening instead of acrylic.) Finally,
attach the exterior trim boards with 2-in. galvanized finish nails.
length supports the fly rafter and roof
overhang on the front of the shed.
Building the front wall wasn’t as
easy because it contained the roughopening
framing for three windows
and two doors (photo 1, p. 37).
I added vertical framing members at
48 in. OC where the siding panel
seams would be located.
Rather than raise the walls and
fight gravity, I attached the siding,
cut out the window and door openings
(photo 2) and painted the
siding before I raised the walls. I used
Louisiana Pacific SmartSide panels,
which serve as both the sheathing
and siding.
You’ll need a helper to raise the
walls. Secure each wall to the deck
framing and the adjoining walls
(photo 3). Check each wall to be sure
that it is plumb and square to the
adjoining wall.
The roof is framed with rafters that
rest on the side walls. A bird’s-mouth
notch is cut in each rafter where it
rests on the side walls (photo 4).
Attach the rafters to the top of the
side-wall top plates (photo 5, above),
and attach blocking between rafters.
INSTALLING THE METAL ROOF
Any roof material that is used on a
house can be used on a shed. I chose
metal panels (roughly double the cost
of asphalt shingles) because they have
a commercial appearance that works
with the shed’s style. I was also interested
in learning more about this
product, which has become increasingly
popular in residential structures.
Exposed-fastener metal roofing is
relatively simple to install (see photo
6 and Web Extras), but figuring out all
of the seals, screws and flashing components
you need can be a little confusing.
Most home centers sell this
type of roofing and should be able to
help you determine what you need.
The panels and flashing components
are made from 24- to 30-gauge
steel. The panels are typically 3 ft. wide
and are bundled and shipped in stacks
that are very heavy and awkward to
handle, so it’s worth the money to
have them delivered to your house.
Once you remove the strapping, a single
panel can be lifted into place by
two people. Most metal roof systems
include instructions on how to handle
and install the components. (See
“Lesson Learned,” above, for a tip you
won’t find in the manual.) It only took
an afternoon for me to install the roof.
BUILDING WINDOWS AND DOORS
With the roof in place, I moved on to
the windows and doors. I installed a
prehung out-swing steel door in the
large opening. Because the deck
boards on the landing are 1/4 in.
thicker than the plywood, I installed
the door on top of a piece of the siding
material, which raised it enough
that it could swing freely over the
deck boards. (I accounted for this during
framing by making the rough
opening 1/4 in. taller.)
For the playhouse, I made a small
custom hollow-core door using a
piece of siding panel for the exterior
face, 1x4s for the core frame and a
piece of interior paneling for the interior
face (photo 7). I was careful to
position the exterior face so that the
grooves aligned with the grooves on
the shed siding.
Next, I built the eight window
frames out of 1x cedar and pine. To
speed up construction, I designed the
shed so that seven of the windows
were the same size. I stained all of the
window frames before installation
(photo 8). I installed screens in the
windows that are most protected by
the roof overhangs and acrylic panels
in the other frames.
The window, door and corner trim
is made from 1x3 and 1x2 cedar. All
of the trim pieces intersect with simple
butt joints. To make finishing easier,
stain all of the trim before attaching
it to the shed.
FINISHING TOUCHES
The divider wall inside the shed isn’t
structural; it simply separates the two
spaces. I framed it with 2x4s and
attached 1/4-in. paneling to the playhouse
side. I used the same paneling
on the rest of the playhouse walls. I
also built a couple of 2 x 4-ft. platforms
for the kids to sit on and under.
(Rather than do too much inside, I
wanted to let the kids decorate it as
they like.) On the shed side, I left the
studs exposed and simply installed a
few hangers for garden tools.
You can find plans online (see
Web Extras) for the shed that I built.
However, I encourage you to use the
information only as a starting point.
Modify the plans to suit your needs,
or create a new design that’s perfect
for your yard. Don’t be afraid to add a
few custom features that you enjoy.
This is your opportunity to build a
structure exactly the way you want it.
Maybe one day you’ll get to build the
home of your dreams, but in the
meantime, have fun building your
dream shed. u
To find plans for more sheds, go to
www.HandymanClub.com
and click on WEB EXTRAS.
38 HANDY
HandymanClub.com 39