Walls

Using the floor as a guide, I built all 4 walls.  Below is the 12 foot wide back wall.

This is the 12' front wall and includes the shed door opening with a 6 inch header.

Below is my little workshop where I cut the wood and keep all my supplies.  It's a small red garage next to the shed.  

The golden rule is to measure twice - cut once and don't forget it!

 Both front and back walls are completed so and I moved them off the floor and started to build the 16 foot side walls which have the windows.

 I had to think of a way to lift the wall up by myself without it falling off the edge so I attached 2 - 12 foot 2x4's to the top of each side and lifted up into place.

 Attached shorty 2x4's to the floor so the wall would not slip off the edge.  Once the walls were up, I used 2 - 3.5 inch construction screws every 16 inches and screwed the lower sill plate through the plywood to the floor joists.

Just need to add 2 header boards yet.

Walls are up now.  Lots of rain on the way so I set some long 2x4's on top of the sill and draped a tarp over.  It worked okay but ended up trapping a pile of bugs under the tarp and big pools of water on top of the tarp.

Shed floor

Building the floor was pretty easy and was a opportunity for me to show my sons some simple framing skills.

Started with pressure treated 4x4's running the full 16' length.  Then set the 6"pressure treated cross boards and the end boards in at 4' intervals and screwed them all together and toe nailed to the 4x4's. Used a square in all corners to square it up and double checked measuring.  Set the level on top all around and to my amazement, the bubble was right in the middle.  Leveling the stones paid off big time.

Stone Pad

Secured the permit from the township.  I provided them a plot plan and a very simple diagram of how the shed will be built.  1 week and $35 later I had the permit in hand.
The shed must sit on either a stone or cement pad.  I opted for stone to keep the cost down.

Using small stakes and string, I identified the location of the shed.
Measured, squared and oriented the shed with the same angle of the house.
No! that's not the house in the background, that's the neighbor's garage.

Started to place and level the pressure treated 4x4's for the stone pad box where the shed will sit.   The reciprocating saw was used to remove some larger roots - very effective.

 Once I started the second level of 4x4's, I toe nailed them together on the inside of the box using 3.5 inch construction screws.  This will hold them together until the rebar is added and gives me an opportunity to line each 4x4 up perfectly and secure as some were bent and twisted.

Completed placing all the 4x4's

Using a 9/16 paddle bit with a 16' extension, I drilled the holes for the 1/2 inch rebar and hammered them in place.

 A baby birdie stopped by to say hello.

This is where I created more work for myself but it was worth it.
I dug a few yards of topsoil out of the pad area as I needed it for other projects.  Topsoil is quite expensive so this saved me money in the long run.
I then back filled with chunks of concrete and cinder blocks which were on my property next to the stream.  Yea ugly.  I guess the previous owner dumped them there and i had to get rid of it anyway so killed 2 birdies with one stone.  (No I didn't hurt the birdie)
The pic below only shows it about half completed but most all the topsoil was removed and back filled with concrete.

 I added a 2x6 pressure treated board down the middle of the pad for more strength.

The local stone man delivered 10 tons of number 2 clean stone.  I used clean stone as it drains very well and will help keep the underside of the shed as dry as possible.
The dump truck driver could not get close to the pad so he dumped all 10 tons in the driveway about 60 feet from the pad.  Using only a shovel and a cheap wheel barrow, I slowly began filling in the pad.

~120 wheel barrow loads and 2 weeks later, the pad was filled.
When calculating, I figured there would be about a ton of stone remaining but it sucked up all 10 tons.
It took about 16 hours of shoveling, moving it to the pad in the wheel barrow and raking but I only worked on it for an hour or so at a time in the evenings when it was cooler outside.
Yes I know - I should have rented a skid-steer but again I'm trying to keep the cost down.

Used a 2x6 to level the stone out.  It worked well but was not easy doing it by myself.  Definitely a 2 man job.
All done with the pad as of June 19th, 2015!

First Blog EVER!

I'm building a 12 x 16 shed from scratch and figured I'd start a blog to document my progress. Entertainment value is slim to none

This is a picture of the general look I want.  English Colonial with Board and Batten.
Yes my sights are set way high as the Board and Batten may end up to be T111.  Well see how it works out.