Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Contemporary Sheds: Complete plans for 12 Sheds, Including Garden Outbuilding, Storage Lean-to, Playhouse, ... Tractor Barn

242 Pages·2008·114.31 MB·English

by  Philip Schmidt

I •. ., r I
CONTEMPORARY
Complete Plans for 12 Sheds, including:
• Garden Outbuilding
• Storage Lean-to
• Playhouse
• Woodland Cottage
• Hobby Studio
• Lawn Tractor Barn
by Philip Schmidt
Creative Publishing
international
MINNEAPOLIS. MINNESOTA
www.creativepub.com
Creative Publishing
international
Copyright © 2008 PreSident/CEO: Ken Fund
Creative Publishing international, Inc. Vice President for Sales & Marketing: Peter Ackroyd
400 First Avenue North
SUite 300 Home Improvement Group
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1-800-328-3895 Publisher: Bryan Trandem
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All lights reserved Senior Editor: Mark Johanson
Editor: Jennifer Gehlhar
Printed at R.R. Donnelley
Creative Director: Michele Lanci-Altomare
10987654321
Senior Design Manager: Brad Springer
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-publication Data Design Managers: Jon Simpson, Mary Rohl
Schmidt, Philip.
Lead Photographer: Steve Galvin
The complete guide to contemporary sheds: complete plans for 12 sheds,
Photo Coordinator: Joanne Wawra
including playhouse, garden outbuilding, storage lean-to, lawn tractor barn,
hobby studio, woodland cottage / by Philip Schmidt. Shop Manager: Bryan MCLain
p. cm. -- (Complete guide) Shop Assistant: Cesar Fernandez Rodriguez
At head of title: Branded by Black & Decker
Summary: "Provides practical information for planning and building sheds
Production Managers: Linda HailS, Laura Hokkanen
of ali types" --Provided by publisher.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58923-335-5 (soft cover) Author: Philip Schmidt
ISBN-l0: 1-58923-335-2 (soft cover)
Page Layout Artist: Danlelle Smith
1. Sheds--Design and construction--Amateurs' manuals. 2. Toolsheds--
Photographers: Peter Caley, Andrea Rugg, Joel Schnell
Design and construction--Amateurs' manuals. 3. Outbuildings--Design and
Shop Help: Dan Anderson, Taml Helmer, John Webb,
construction--Amateurs' manuals. I. Black & Decker Corporation (Towson,
Md.) II. Title. III. Title: Branded by Black & Decker. IV. Series. Glenn Austin, Scott Boyd, Lyle Ferguson, David Hartley,
Russ Reininger, Syd Thomas, Kevin Weber
TH4962.S532oo8
Technical Review: Arien Cartrette
690.89--dc22
2007039143
The Complete Guide to Contemporary Sheds
Created by: The Editors of Creative Publishing international, Inc., in cooperation with Black & Decker.
Black & Decke~ is a trademark of The Black & Decker Corporation and is used under license.
NOTICE TO READERS
For safety, use caution, care, and good judgment when fo llowing the procedures described in this book. The Publisher
and Black & Decker cannot assume responsibility for any damage to property or injury to persons as a result of misuse
of the information provided.
The techniques shown In this book are general techniques for various applications. In some Instances, additional
techniques not shown in this book may be required. Always follow manufacturers' instructions included with products,
since deviating from the directions may void warranties. The projects in this book vary widely as to skill levels required:
some may not be appropriate for al l dO-It-yourselfers, and some may requ ire professional help.
Consult your local Building Department for information on building permits, codes and other laws as they apply to
your project.
Contents
The Complete Guide to
Contemporary Sheds
Introduction . . . . . .. ... . . . . . .. . . .. ..... .. 4
Essential Outbuildings . ................. . . 6
Clerestory Studio . .. .. .. . 86 Sunl ight Garden Shed . . . . 100
Building Basics . ........... . ... ... .. . ... 20
Choosing a Site for Your Shed . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . . .. 22
Working with Construction Drawings. · . . .. 24
Anatomy of a Shed . · .. .. 26
Lumber & Hardware . · . . .. 27
Building Foundations . . .... . . . . . . . · .. . . 28
Framing the Structure . . . .. 40 Lean-to Too l Bin .... .. ... 114 Convenience Shed ..... .. 124
Siding & Trim ................ .. ......... . ........... 62
Doors & Windows .. .. . .. . .. . . . . • . .. . . .. . .. . . . .. . . . . .. 70
Ramps, Steps & Decks ... . ..... . . ... . ..... . •......... . 74
Shed projects . . ..... . . ... . . ... . . . .. . .. . 84
Clerestory Studio . .. .. . 86
Gambrel Garage .. .. .. . . . 138 Simple Storage Shed . .. .. 154
Sunlight Garden Shed · . . . 100
Lean-to Tool Bin ... .. . .. . • . .. .. 11 4
Convenience Shed . · .. . 124
Gambrel Garage. . .. . . .. .... . . .. . . . . . 138
Simple Storage Shed . . . ....... 154
Gothic Playhouse .. .. . .. . .. . . ... . .. . . .. . ... . . .. . . . . . 166
Timber-frame Shed . .. .. .. 180
Timber-frame Shed . .. . .. . .. . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . 180
Service Shed ................. .. ......... .. ......... 192
Metal & Wood Kit Sheds . . .. .. .... . 202
Shed with Fi rewood Bin .............. .. .. .. ... 220
Additional Shed Plans . ..... . , . . .. . .. ... 230
Resources & Credits ....... . ... ... ..... 236
Index .. . ............................ 238 Service Shed. ....... . ... 192 Metal & wood Kit Sheds . .. .2 02
I
Introduction
he contemporary backyard shed is much more than a place to park the lawnrnmver. Sheds are st ill grea t for
Tstorage, of course, but many homeowners are flndin g added va lue in the ir sheds' less ta ngible qual it ies-
privacy, personal expression, a connection to the outdoors. Pe rhaps mos t of all , peop le like the separation from
the ma in house. A shed is the perfect place to forget you r duti es or you r day job a nd spen d a fe w hours absorbed
in a hobby. For mclllY, it 's an open invi tatio n to come out and play in th e dirt.
Keepi ng in mind that every s hed ca n have a nmge of uses, the custom bu ildings in thi s book a re designed
to be versa til e, prac tical, and adaptabl e. They' re a lso designed for good looks. In terms of prope rty val ue, a shed
can be e ithe r an asset or a lia bi lity. Everyone ca n pi cture the fa m ili a r di lapidated t in shed \,vith doors hanging by
one wheel and propped sh ut with conc re te blocks . T hi s is a world apart fro m a handsome building with solid
proportions and fittin g a rchi tectural de tails . A well -bu ilt shed ca n evoke the cha rac ter of a m iniature house or
a small, private cabin or playhouse. A shed can be an appealing outdoor retreat and a so lid compleme nt to yo ur
home's landscape.
You can acq uire a DIY shed in o ne of t\VO ways: bui ld it fro m sc ratc h or buy a kit shed made for easy
assembly. This book covers both opt io ns. Eac h of the 10 custom shed projects includes a co mplete set of
constructio n drawings, a detailed materials list, a nd step-by-step inst ructions and photos for building the shed
from the ground u p. For those who prefer the easy-assemb ly route, the re's a full d iscussion of c hoosing a ki t shed ,
plus two projects shm'ving the bas ic steps for asse mbling popu lar kit bu ild ings .
If you don 't have a lot of experie nce with carpentry, don 't worry- the Bui lding Bas ics section of the book
wa lks you th rough the entire construction process . It wi ll a lso help you c hoose the right foundation fo r your s hed
and give you the knowledge to make custom substitu tion s to the projects as shown. Many shed kits involve a fair
amount of freehand \vork, as \ve ll , so you're covered even if your kit comes withou t roofing o r a floor.
One of the best aspects of building a shed is that it does n't disrupt da ily life in your home. This makes the
project infinitely more pleas urable than, say, a com plete kitchen remode l. So take your time, enjoy the process , und
look forward to years of ge tting away from it a ll. You'll find tha t ge tting even a fe\-\' ya rds away is something special.
• 5
I
Essential
Outbuildings
sk <1 dozen peop le what they would do with a
A bas ic shed in the ir backyard and you 're bound to
hear as many di fferent answers. Some would certai nly
usc the outbu ilding for storage- yard and garden
supplies, play equ ipment, bicycles, cllld other spi llover
items fro m the garage. Others would claim the shed
fo r more specific pursu its: raising exotic flowers,
turn ing pottery, wa tchi ng spo rts on a big-screen T V.
Some may eve n imagine the shed as a fu lly equ ipped
home office Of, going in the opposite d irection, a
sim ple, quiet retreat for reading and medi tat ion.
Regardless of the answers you get, one note \vou ld
ring true: Eac h person could picture himse lf in that
sa me building, doing his own thing and Il lling the
space with personal stuff. T hat's v,fhat sheds are a ll
about. Like a house, a good shed offers more than
shelter and square footage; it's a lso an opportuni ty fo r
self-express ion . Perhaps best of a ll , a shed offers t he
addit iona l advantage of privacy. You don't have to c lean
it up for guests or worry about tracking mud on the
carpet. And if you set it up just right, you v.,ron't even
hear the doorbell ringing in the ho use ("Sorry, I must
have been ou t in my works hop .... ").
The fo ll owing pages featu re backyard sheds of
a ll desc ri ptions a nd for any number of persona l uses.
See if you can pictu re yourself in some of the m . Then
try to identify features that make those s heds spec ial
to you. Chances arc, you can apply those same ideas
when bu ilding you r own backyard getaway.
Whether it's perched at the water's edge or tucked away
in the trees, a well -appointed outbUilding can feel a lot like a
vacation home.
• 7
Believe it or not, this graciously ornamented shed is easily built from a panelized kit special details like the dormer appear to be
the work of a highly skilled carpenter but can actually be assembled by the average do-it-yourselfer.
Door placement impacts a shed's appearance and Its No need to get fancy. This humble shed has plenty of charm
interior layout This centralized door flanked with windows and blends perfectly With its surroundings.
transforms an ordinary shed into a quaint cottage.
8 • THE CO~!IP LETE GUIDE TO CONTEM PORARY SHEDS