I have been building sheds and making things with wood for more years than I’d like to recall! I got the woodworking bug from my pop and it’s allowed me to have great memories of him as well as develop new memories with my own children (and grandchildren).

I’m constantly being asked by my friends for tips on various woodworking projects they’re working on and I’m always happy to help. Late last year, one of my neighbors, Bob, decided he wanted a new shed in his backyard.

Bob and I had chatted before about woodwork and I knew that Bob didn’t have much experience in the woodworking department. Being the neighborly sort, I checked-in with Bob to see if he wanted any help (and to give me something fun to do!). And do you know what? I was pretty blown away with what I saw.

Not only had Bob already started putting everything together, he’d done a great job at it too! Anyway, this got me a bit suspicious – did Bob buy the shed in sections and put it together himself? I was getting ready to call his bluff when he said to me:

“I’ve spent less on the raw materials for this shed than I ever spent on ready-made sheds in the past. I’ve literally saved myself hundreds of dollars”

Well, the cost-saving didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me was that Bob had made the shed by himself. I demanded to know how he’d done it and he showed me a print-out of a shed plan he’d downloaded from My Shed Plans Elite.

I took a look at the plans and not only were they detailed with everything you’d need to know, but they were all laid out in really easy-to-understand sections.

On returning home, I immediately purchased my own copy, which I have been using ever since. There are literally 12,000 shed plans and other woodworking patterns contained in the download. I have way more projects to do than I have time to do them in.

I really can’t recommend My Shed Plans Elite more, so why don’t you check out their site by clicking here. Let me know what you think.

Happy woodworking!

Stan

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Naturally, when you decide that you want to build a shed, you do not need to build it from wood.

It’s actually really easy (perhaps easier?) to build a shed from breeze blocks. Instead of wood, you will need breeze blocks and cement, and probably a corrugated iron roof. You’ll also need some fasteners which are suitable for fastening metal to bricks.

Essentially, you will need to build a small ‘house’. Obviously, you will need to make sure you build adequate foundations, as a shed made from breeze blocks is likely to be heavier than one made from wood. In addition, you may want to consider whether you would prefer a wooden shed, as sheds made from wood are more likely to be approved by your local council than one made from breeze blocks. However, it is obviously important to verify this with your local council.

If you understand the basics of how to build a wooden shed, you should not have any problems understanding how to build a breeze block shed, beyond knowing how to mix and use cement. There are plenty of plans available on-line.

If you have any projects you would like to share, please send them to us and we’ll be happy to share them with our readers.

photo credit: shlomp-a-plompa

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• Building A Wood Shed In Your Backyard : Intel Better Newsletter

November 22, 2009
- Good summary of the basic points. Stan

• How to *build a shed*

November 22, 2009
- Good tips here. Stan

• Building A Garden Shed: Some Preparations Are Needed

November 22, 2009
- Shed plans are a good idea! Stan

• *How to Build a* Ramp for *a Shed*

November 22, 2009
- Some basic tips on how to build a shed ramp Stan

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Sometimes it’s nice to see what other people have done to use this for inspiration for your own design and efforts.

As such, check out this video which is someone’s how to build a pole barn video, showing a slideshow of pictures they took when building their own pole barn.

Let me know if you have any videos of your own efforts that you would like to share on the site to inspire others.

A longer post tomorrow

photo credit: jdj150

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I can just about remember when I was really young and asked my dad to build me a fort in the backyard. Dad was a carpenter, so was more than capable of obliging. And he did.

What I ended up with was a two story fort which wrapped around a tree with a flagstaf on top. It looked amazing; even looking back at pictures, it looks amazing even today. When you’re that young, you don’t really appreciate the amount of time, energy and planning which would have gone in to something like that, but it was great because I had years of enjoyment from it, even as a teenager (when it became a place I’d hang out with my friends).

However, when I think about how I would go about making one today, I recoil a little bit! Knowing how to build a two story playhouse is only half the deal, as you then have to make it.

One of the reasons dad built it around a tree was for support. The second story was not really resting on the first story, but on some low hanging branches.

Therefore, any design that you come up with has to take into account the fact that either (i) the first story needs to be strong enough to support everything above or (ii) the playhouse needs to be attached to a sturdy tree in order for the tree to lend its support.

If you don’t have a tree in your backyard, this doesn’t prevent you from building a two story playhouse. All that needs to be done is to build a taller-than-usual shed structure, with the second story built as a separate, unattached structure inside. Obviously, this means a bit more work, but it’ll definitely be worth it.

With any playhouse, you’ll need additional decorative elements to show that it’s a playhouse (e.g. small windows, small door, crooked walls, etc). However, these can all be added afterwards. In effect, the basic structure is easy to build; you’ll then need to inject some of your own creativity to make it unique.

I have seen high-spec playhouses on the internet sell for over $10,000. I was blown away. You don’t need to spend anywhere close to that to get something which is even better – playhouses are not supposed to be polished works of woodworking art; just places where your kids can have a fun time in a place their parents built for them.

photo credit: macfanmd

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Connected to the issue of building your own shed are the other things you might want to think about building. These things are just as easy to build as a shed and are, really, larger versions of the regular sheds we already have in our backyards.

A really popular shed is build is a carport. These are obviously designed to house your car or other vehicle over night, or for particular types of weather. Knowing how to design a carport is really important to ensure your efforts are not wasted.

You will need to think about exactly what purpose your carport will serve. This may seem obvious (i.e. to park my car in!), but how many cars do you want to house there? are your cars of a particular length or height? could you feasibly buy a longer or taller car in the future?

You’ll also need to consider whether you want to include any extra storage. Carports are excellent places to store things like tools and gardening equipment (obviously, only if you have yet to discover the joys of how to build a shed in you backyard!). If you intend to use the carport to store things, you may want to consider how you will need to secure the carport (will you need walls? etc).

When you have decided that you need a particular size of carport, you’ll need to have a think about its design. Do you have an existing carport that you want the new carport to match? Does your house have a particular design that could be complimented by a similar design of the carport? Are you a fan of any specific designs (obviously, if you want, you could follow a different path and – making sure you observe all planning regulations – have a completely different sort of design). It’s up to you.

Once you’ve decided on the design, I would urge you to use pre-printed blueprints or designs to follow which should you how to build a carport as they highlight exactly what materials and tools you need, as well as what you need to do and when.

photo credit: cogdogblog

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We are all guilty of overestimating our abilities. I mainly do this in relation to driving or predicting how many home runs my team will score, but I am also guilty of it when it comes to woodwork.

Perhaps this is a bit ambitious for your first shed...?

It is possible for many people to dream up a shed or other woodworking project, easily predict what materials and tools they will need, and have no problems with the construction. However, I think that these people firstly deserve a medal, secondly need to teach me a thing or two and thirdly are few and far between.

Therefore, how do we resolve this problem? Do we simply give up and get someone else to do the work? No. And the solution I’m offering doesn’t even mean you have to work harder: you just need to know exactly what you’re doing, step by step.

This is where shed blueprints come in. If you are after building sheds blueprints are essential for anything other than a simple cabin shed. They outline in great detail exactly what you need in relation to both tools and materials. Not only that, but shed blueprints are different to shed designs in that they give you very detailed drawings and specifications about your shed. These usually include a detailed sketch of each elevation (front, back, both sides), the roof, and an overview of the floorplan.

This is particularly useful if you want your new shed to not stand out and simply become ‘part of the backyard’. It will allow you to identify which parts of the shed work and which could be improved. Therefore, they allow you to include your own inventiveness in the design whilst, at the same time, ensuring that the basic structure and design of the shed will work.

In short, they are invaluable and anyone but the best carpenters should consider using them to make their woodworking and shed-building experiences more streamlined and more enjoyable!

photo credit: lcm1863

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Trusty old ‘DIY’ (do-it-yourself). Excellent if you have relevant skills in what you are trying to do yourself; disastrous is you are a bit lacking.

I have had varying levels of success with DIY projects in the past. Plastering is something I will now leave to the experts after wasting countless hours and litres of plaster to no avail. One big mess!

Over the years, as I have built more and more sheds and other wooden outbuildings, I have come to rely less on printed designs. If you like, the printed designs have now become imprinted in my skull and I can work out what needs to be done.

However, if I’m building a shed that I haven’t built before (like one with a curved roof or one with a more complex structure), I definitely use printed shed designs to ensure I am doing the right thing.

DIY shed designs are great to have. They are created so that the reader can understand exactly what needs to be done in order to reach the end goal (i.e. have a completed shed).

They outline what tools you need, what materials you need and whether you will need any help.

They are an invaluable resource, and ensure that anyone using them is as fully prepared to complete a shed as possible.

There are so many available online that it can be overwhelming. Many online plans come as part of paid-for packages, which require a fee to join and see; some are free.

Generally, if you want a very simple shed to be built, free plans are a good option, particularly if you have some basic carpentry knowledge already.

If you’re new to woodworking and want a complete step-by-step plan which really tells you precisely what you need to do, using one of the paid-for DIY shed plans is a good bet.

photo credit: erichhh

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Children love adventure and the outdoors. How about encouraging your youngsters to spend more time in the fresh air with their imaginations by building them a playhouse?

I’ve just finished building my fourth playhouse because my children now insist on one wherever we move! However, I really enjoy building them.

My key tips on how to build a playhouse are:

Location. If you have a sturdy tree that looks like it could make a great treehouse, think about incorporating the tree into the design. It needn’t be accessed via a ladder, but could be useful if you decide to incorporate an additional floor level above the ground. Plus, children love them!

Size. Children grow! To ensure they get the most out of their playhouse, make the ceilings between five and six feet high. That’s short enough to make the playhouse seem small, but also tall enough to ensure it is used when the kids are older. If you’re incorporating a mezzanine, the overall height should be a little taller to ensure the upper level doesn’t require crawling.

Flexibility. Connected to the playhouse’s size is the theme of the playhouse. Old Mother Hubbard’s shoe-shaped playhouse may look great now, but it may fall out of popularity as your kids get older. Go for a design which is more timeless. A miniature replica of the main house is always popular, and will also look good in your yard.

Home Comforts. Depending on your climate, you may want to think about incorporating some insulation. This is very easily achieved and not very expensive. It will also ensure the playhouse is used throughout the year. A portable heater is also a good idea. In my latest creation, I included a power supply, but this will depend on how far the playhouse is from your house and how old your children are. If you want the playhouse powered, perhaps consider buying a small generator.

Materials. As the playhouse will be used by children, ensure that all of your materials are non-toxic. Children eat anything, so make sure they don’t have the opportunity to eat something harmful. Use non-toxic paint, and safety-glass or plastic for the windows.

Porch. I’d really recommend that you include a covered porch at the front of the playhouse to store muddy shoes.

Involve Your Children. Ask what they want their playhouse to look like and contain. Try to involve them in the process; they may be content with a much simpler design!

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• Do i need planning permission to build a 30 x 15ft hut in my front garden?

November 22, 2009
- Making sure you have the appropriate council permissions is important before you build a large shed. Stan

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Protecting our vehicles from the elements has always been a concern of car owners. Fortunately, bricks and cement are not always necessary ingredients if you decide to build a carport to keep your car in.

If you want some initial pointers on how to build a carport, carry on reading…

Maybe a carport would have been a good idea!

Carport vs Garage. A carport is usually seen as being different from a garage, because it usually has one or more sides open – sometimes it is just a roof. However, this need not be so, if you would prefer to have walls. Including walls in your design would also be a good idea if you wanted to store other items in the carport.

Style. There are many different styles of carport to choose from. At my last house, I built a wooden version which was almost an extension of the house – it was a lean-to. However, at my present house, I built a carport which is a separate structure. Making this choice will depend on things like the style of your house, how far you want the carport from your front door and the local planning regulations. Although the structure of the carport is pretty uniform, you can inject a bit of personality with the style of roof and exterior finishes.

Door. If you decide that you want to include a door, you will need to ensure that the door is large enough for your current car. Also, check that larger vehicles can fit through the door to ensure your carport is still useful if you buy a larger car in the future.

Foundations. Due to the fact that a carport will usually have a car inside, the foundations will need to be strong enough to support the necessary weight (this also applies to the driveway leading up to the front of the structure). If you are building the carport on solid ground or rock, you may not need to lay foundations. However, if you propose to build it on soil or gravel, it would be a good idea to lay at least a shallow concrete slab. If you’d prefer to hire someone else to do this, make sure it’s done at least a week before you intend to build the wooden structure as the concrete will need time to set and cure.

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A pole barn is the simplest form of shed. It is constructed using poles onto which a roof is placed. They are traditionally used to shelter cattle or store agricultural equipment, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use one in your yard as they can be whatever size you want. Here are some tips on how to build a pole barn:

Suitable. The first step to building a pole barn is to decide whether any other structure would be more appropriate. Traditionally, pole barns are less secure with open sides, though you can obviously adapt the design to suit your ideas.

Approvals. After you’ve decided that a pole barn is for you, you’ll need to obtain the necessary local approvals. If your proposed pole barn is on the large side, you may have additional hoops to jump through. Your local planning department can help with this as rules vary from state to state (and country to country!).

Size. You’ll need to decide how large you need the structure to be, both in terms of floor area and in terms of height. If you need to have a second floor within the pole barn, this will not usually affect the exterior structure as the second floor is usually built as a separate addition once the pole barn is constructed.

Materials. Many pole barns are now made using metal. These tend to be the more expensive ones to construct as specialists are usually needed. A wooden frame is much easier to construct, but it will depend on how much time you have, how much money you have and the weather conditions in your area – metal pole barns are usually more sturdy.

Foundations. The depth of foundations required will depend on the material of the roof. The poles are inserted vertically into the ground to support the roof, so deeper foundations are required for a pole barn than for a regular storage shed.

Layout. Traditionally, a pole barn will be square or rectangular, as they are the simplest layouts to build. There’s no reason why you can’t have a different layout, but bear in mind that this will impact what sort of roof you can have.

Roof. Usually, there will be a pitch (or gable) roof. This is made up of two sections, each held up separately by opposite walls of the barn, and which join together in the middle, resting on top of slightly higher poles. This ensures the rainwater does not collect on the top of the roof (as it would do with a flat roof). However, there are many other roof styles to choose from, as outlined in this post.

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In a word, “yes”!

Shed blueprints do sound rather dramatic. Aren’t they what builders use to build houses? However, one of my early mistakes was not planning one of the sheds I made sufficiently well. I had made plenty before, so I thought I had it worked out. I didn’t factor in that the design I wanted to make was different from all the other sheds I had made (gambrel instead of gable roof), so I wasted a fair bit of money to rectify my mistake.

In addition to helping ensure you don’t waste your valuable time or money, blueprints are a great way to get a flavour of the elevations and floorplan of your shed before it has been built. Using one will help ensure that you get the right dimensions. Perhaps you have a lawn mower which is particularly wide. Having blueprints of the shed layout and elevations before you build the shed will remove the guesswork from whether your mower will fit through the doors!

Not only that, but they’re a great way of focussing your mind on what materials you need. I don’t think I’m the only person who has come back from the hardware store with enough materials for just three rather than four walls! After this post, I’ll hopefully be the last!

Shed blueprints are also perfect for highlighting where you might need help from someone – particularly if the roof is higher than usual or the materials you’re using are particularly heavy.

To accompany the blueprint, I highly recommend that you create a list of everything that you intend to keep in the shed, and try to assign each item to a particular area. If you intend to hang some tools up, this will prompt you to ensure that that elevation of the shed is correctly reinforced with extra supports to take the weight.

After you have thought about the blueprint, I recommend that you use string and some tent rods to mark out the floor area in your yard. Try and put everything you want to have on the floor of your new shed into this space, and ensure that you have enough space to comfortably walk around inside the shed without falling into your garden tools!

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When I am planning a shed, I sometimes get carried away and want to start straight away. Experience has shown me that I need to apply the brakes to ensure the shed I build is what I really need. After all, it’s my money.

With this is mind, the key aspect of your shed that I’d recommend you think about is what style of roof you want. That may sound strange, but once you’ve decided on the style of roof, the rest of the shed design falls into place.

Most of the sheds I’ve built in the past have matched the style of the main house. This ensures the shed looks in its correct place, but it’s entirely up to you if you want to try something different.

Pent Roof. This is the simplest of roof styles, and is also the easiest to build! Basically, the front wall is higher than the back wall and the roof is therefore placed on a sliding gradient. This is good for ensuring any rainfall runs off the back, though I’d recommend having the front and back portions of the roof jutting out slightly from the walls to ensure the water drains onto the floor rather than down the walls.

Pitch (Gable) Roof. Each sidewall supports roof trusses that angle towards each other and meet in the middle of the front wall, at a height higher than the height of the walls. The roof therefore has two parts. These are great for extra roof storage.

Hip Roof. This is a slight variation of the usual gable roof. This is because the roof is made up of four sections. Each side wall supports one section of the roof, and each of the front and back walls also support sections of the roof which lean in towards each other. This is more difficult to construct, but is really satisfying to have made!

Saltbox Roof. One side of the shed (let’s say the left side) is higher than the other. This side supports some roof trusses that angle upwards and towards the middle of the front wall. However, the right side supports trusses which meet those of the left side off-center of the front wall. It almost looks lopsided, but is great for storing items which range in height.

Gambrel Roof. This is a variation of the gable roof in that each of the left and right hand sections of the roof are made up of different sections with different sloping gradients. As such, they can increase the amount of storage held (almost in a curved pattern). They are more difficult to build.

Once you’ve decided on the roof style, you’ll need to decide how large you want the interior to be and whether you want it have a rectangular layout or something more challenging!

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Over the years, I’ve invested a small fortune in tools for woodworking and the garden. I could keep them in the garage, but I prefer to keep them in a separate shed because I like to keep sharp objects well away from my car!

When building a shed, there are various things which I need to consider. These are outlined below to give you an idea of how to build a shed:

Rules. Check with your local council to make sure your new shed conforms to any applicable rules and policies. It would be a shame to invest so much time in the build for you have to demolish it.

Location. Firm ground is obviously better than soft ground, and higher ground is better than lower ground as there’s less risk of flooding.

Foundations. These have to be strong enough to ensure the new shed is steady and doesn’t sink. The extent of foundations required will depend on how large the shed is and how heavy the materials used are. Also, remember that the foundations will need to withstand the weight of whatever you want to keep in the shed.

Floor. This will need to be flat and raised from the ground to prevent damp damaging the structure.

Walls. Think about how many access points you want (perhaps a door you can walk through to get the garden tools and a double door to get at the lawn mower?).

Roof. What sort of style do you want? A peaked roof is better than a flat roof as it will resist rainfall a lot more. Try and think about whether you want the roof to mirror the roof of your house. This will help ensure your new shed fits in.

Materials. These will need to be weather resistant and hard-wearing. Perhaps they should also match those used on your house (or at least look like they do).

Tools. Ensure that you have all the tools you need before you start. You don’t need to buy them – hire them from your local tool hire shop or borrow them from friends. I’d recommend borrowing them from friends as they may ask if they can help out! Two pairs of hands are better than one!

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Welcome to my new blog! My fondest boyhood memories are of the hours, days and weekends that my pop and I spent doing woodwork. Pop was a carpenter by trade and by passion.

As such, our house was filled with tables, chairs and cabinets all made with his own hands. They’re a great legacy now and I like to think that I contributed to them in some small way as a boy.

My love for woodwork has therefore been with me for many years and, although not as naturally gifted as my father, I thrive on making things with my own hands. I get a real sense of achievement from coming up with ideas and then seeing them come to fruition.

Sheds are one of my favorite woodworking projects for a variety of reasons.

First up, we moved houses a fair bit when I was younger, so my dad always seemed to be building new sheds. I guess we could have taken the one from the previous house with us, but that would have taken away the fun of making a new one. (Plus, dad liked to match the style of the shed with the style of our house!)

Second of all, subject to local planning and zoning regulations, you can pretty much build whatever sort of shed you want. Even if the square footage has to be under a specified amount, you can be creative with the various trimmings you add to the exterior. Matching the shed’s exterior to the exterior of the house is great fun!

Finally, the process of building a shed is quite fast. You can decide on the design, pull some basic blueprints together, get hold of the materials, arrange the foundations, do the framing (and obviously comply with all necessary local regulations!), and your shed can be made from scratch in a weekend. You can obviously outsource it to a company, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll enjoy the woodworking process.

My top tip would be to involve your family. Memories will last longer than the shed, so use it as an opportunity to create something that will last forever!

I hope you enjoy reading this site as much as I have putting it together. Let me know if you have any suggestions or comments. We’re in it together!

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