How to Build a Potting Shed – Mother Earth News

Rough-sawn 1x8 shiplap cedar siding is rot-resistant and weathers well.Photo by David Stiles

Ask a dozen shed owners what they keep in their sheds, and youll probably get a dozen different answers. But a shed doesnt have to be a catchall for storing extra household items. It can have a special use and provide a pleasant space in which to work on hobbies.

This 10-by-11-foot structure is the perfect size for a potting shed. Its big enough to store all the necessary garden equipment and still provide ample room. It features a 4-by-6-foot skylight, which floods the interior space with natural light, and it has an overhang in back for additional storage.

A 10-by-11-foot shed is small enough to fit comfortably in a backyard, but large enough to accommodate most projects.Diagrams by David Stiles

The directions specify using cedar timber framing with simple lap joints; however, they can be easily adapted for 2x4 construction. The walls are built with 1x8 shiplap cedar, but any siding, including board and batten, can be used. Similarly, any roofing material can be used.

Diagram by David Stiles

If you dont want to build your own windows, you can order single-sash barn windows from a lumberyard. Or, to save a bit of money, salvage windows from old houses to use in your shed just make sure theyre all the same size.

Install braces at each corner of the wall frame using 3/8-by-5-inch lag screws.Diagram by David Stiles

When building the roof framing create a base for the shingles with 1x8s and 1x4s.Diagram by David Stiles

Clear a flat surface, and measure and mark the space on which your shed will be built. The floor frame will be supported by concrete blocks under each corner. This will allow you to move the shed, if necessary.

From the 12-foot 2x6s, cut six 10-foot-9-inch boards. (Two for the frame sides and four for the floor joists.) Assemble the floor frame with two 10-foot 2x6s for the front and rear, and two 10-foot-9-inch 2x6s for the sides. Nail the frame together so the rear and front pieces overlap the side pieces.

Diagram by David Stiles

Settle the concrete blocks into place on the ground, and then position the floor frame on top of the blocks. Square the floor frame so the diagonals measure 14.86 feet (178-3/8 inches). Make sure the frame is level. Adjust the concrete blocks with shims if necessary. Install four floor joists at 2-foot intervals. Cut and toenail 2x6 blocking between floor joists. Nail down 2-1/2 sheets of plywood using 6d nails every 8 inches. Create the floor of the open deck by nailing the 10-foot decking boards across the floor frame.

Illustration byDavid Stiles

From the 4x4s, cut four corner posts 691/2 inches long, and two rear posts 56 inches long. Use 1x2s to temporarily prop up the posts while toenailing them to the floor.

Notch the ends of the 10-foot and 8-foot 4x6 beams to form lap joints. Position the 10-foot beams on the tops of the corner posts, and nail a 6-inch spike through each beam into each corner post.

Fit 8-foot beams into the notches in the 10-foot beams, and spike again. Cut ten 2-foot knee braces, and then miter-cut the ends at a 45-degree angle. Install braces at each corner using 3/8-by-5-inch lag screws.

Install 4x4 posts for the door frame. The doorway posts should be 32 inches apart. Cut ten 2x4 studs, measuring 69-1/2 inches long each. Install window studs, spaced 25-5/8 inches apart. Install interior wall studs, spaced approximately 24 inches on center. Install rough sills using screws (to allow for adjustments). Check for plumb.

The walls are covered with 1x8 shiplap boards. Rough-sawn cedar works well for this, because its rot-resistant and weathers to a soft gray. Start installing the siding at the bottom of each wall using 2-inch galvanized siding nails. To prevent rain from entering the shed, make sure each successive board overlaps the one below.

Cut the tops of the 6-foot roof rafters at a 40-degree angle. Using the shed floor as a work platform, lay two rafters down flat, and join the tops using 2-1/2-inch screws.

Diagram by David Stiles

To mark the location of the birds mouth, temporarily lay an 8-foot 2x4 (representing the width of the shed) approximately 6 inches up from the bottom end of each rafter, and mark with a pencil. Cut the ends of the collar ties off at a 40-degree angle. Screw the collar ties to the rafters, making sure the ends dont protrude past the outer edge of the rafters, so as not to interfere with roofing. Cut birds mouth notches, and screw each pair of rafters to the top beam. Use a 1x4 to temporarily hold the rafters in place. Hold the end of one 4-foot rear rafter up to an existing rafter end and rear beam, and mark where the next birds mouth and rafter joint should go. Cut out the notches, and screw the rear rafters in place with 3-inch galvanized deck screws. To provide a base for the cedar shingles, nail a 1x8 to the bottom of the rafters, overlapping the bottom edge of the rafters by 3/4 inch. Space the remaining 1x4s 2 inches apart.

Screw 4-foot-long 1x2 side ledges to sides of rafters 6 feet apart, with upper edges aligned. Build a curb out of 2x4s that measures 46-1/2 by 73-1/2 inches, and then screw it directly over the existing rafters, placing sides over side ledges. Headers arent necessary here, because the rafters remain intact. Bend over four 1/2-by-5-inch metal straps to form J-hooks, and screw them to the bottom of the curb to hold the bottom edge of the Plexiglas.

Lay glaziers tape over the top edge of the skylight curb.

Diagram by David Stiles

Carefully lay a piece of Plexiglas on top of the glaziers tape. The Plexiglas and J-hooks should overhang the curb by 1 inch to allow for water runoff. After the skylight is installed and youre shingling the roof, make sure to use stepped flashing where shingles meet the skylight curb. Once shingling is finished, complete the skylight by screwing aluminum angle bar to the sides and top.

Trim the two gable roof ends with 1x4 cedar. Nail the ends of the spaced sheathing to the top of the gable trim. Add the front and rear 1x4 fascias, the 1x2 gable trim, and the 1x2 fascia trim, in that order. Cover the four corners with two 1x4s nailed to each other and to the walls. Attach the eave trim and insect screen.

Diagram by David Stiles

Install flashing. Cover the 1x4 spaced sheathing with cedar shingles. Use 1-inch galvanized roofing nails. Double the first row of shingles, and overhang the edge of the roof by 3/4 inch. Stagger each row so the seams are unaligned. Make each row 5-1/2 inches above the previous one, using a 1x6 board as a guide on which to rest the bottom of the shingles before nailing them in place. Cap off the ridge with two 1x4 beveled boards caulked and nailed together.

On a flat surface, place the shiplap cedar boards side by side. Saw off the edges on the two end pieces so the door measures 32 inches wide. Cut two pieces of 5/4x8, each 31 inches long, for battens. Screw the battens to the door. Mark and cut the 5-foot-long 5/4x4 as a diagonal brace to fit between the top batten and the hinged side of the bottom batten. Screw two 10-inch strap hinges to the front of the door.

Diagram by David Stiles

To hang the door, screw the other half of the hinges to a piece of 2-1/4-inch cedar door casing. Hold the door in place, and, allowing for a 3/16-inch clearance, screw the trim and the door to the shed. Add the pent roof and the 2-1/4-inch casing to the doorway. Install door latch hardware of your choice.

Diagram by David Stiles

Alternatively, A wooden latch can be made from a piece of 1x2, two pieces of 2x3, and an 1/8-inch diagonal dowel. Cut a 1-1/4-by-3-inch slot in the door for the dowel to extend to the exterior. Mount the latch on a piece of 5/4x8, and screw it to the inside of the door.

Diagram by David Stiles

For each of the three windows, cut two 33-inch-long pieces of 2x3 for the stiles and two 22-inch-long pieces of 2x3 for the rails.

Using a table saw, make a 7/8-by-1-1/2-inch rabbet cut in one edge of each 2x3. Cut a 2-1/2-inch shoulder notch in each end of the 33-inch 2x3s. Make a 5/8-inch-wide, 5/8-inch-deep dado cut in the middle of each 2x3 to accept the muntins, which youll add later.

Diagrams by David Stiles

For each window, glue and screw the sash together using 2-inch screws. Lay a bead of clear silicone in the rabbeted groove provided in the window, and insert a Plexiglas panel into the groove. Use brads to nail waste strips (left over from cutting the rabbets) over the edges of the Plexiglas to hold it in place. Cut and glue 5/8-by-5/8-inch muntin strips to the front of the window. Install a window catch to the top of the window.

Diagrams by David Stiles

To hang a window, build a 4-3/4-inch-wide window frame to fit inside the rough opening, allowing 1/8 inch of clearance between the window and the frame. On the 30-5/8-inch-long windowsill, bevel the front and back edges at a 15-degree angle. The windowsill should extend 1/4 inch past the outside edges of the 2-1/4-inch casing. Install the sill over the rough opening. Cut the bottom ends of the two window casings at 15 degrees to fit the sill, and nail them in place. Frame the inside and outside of the window opening with 2-1/4-inch casing. Mortise a small hole for the window catch bolt, and install a screw eye and cord to hold the window open. To keep the window in place, cut and nail 3/4-by-3/4-inch stops to the side window frames. Open the window by releasing the catch and tilting it back. No rain will get in, and the window can be easily removed for maintenance. Repeat with the other two windows.

Excerpted with permission from Sheds: The Do-It-Yourself Guide for Backyard Builders, 4th Edition, by David and Jeanie Stiles.

Build the ultimate garden shed with this Boscobel Garden Shed E-Plan! This e-plan has all the instructions you need to build this 10-by-10-foot shed, including a complete materials list and step-by-step instructions. This product is available at our storeor by calling 800-234-3368. Item #5033.

Do you have a great garden shed thats dressed to the nines? Or a versatile shed thats creatively built with repurposed materials? We want to see it? From top to bottom, photos by Barbara and James Stanley, and Sharon and Dan Clements, respectively.

Do you have a tool or garden shed thats a beautiful focal point on your property? Mother Earth News invites you to enter our Great Garden Shed Showoff! Any small structure used to store garden tools and equipment or house livestock is eligible. Well choose grand prizewinners in two categories:

Each winner will receive a $250 gift certificate to the Mother Earth News store, where they can choose from hundreds of gardening and farming tools and books, plus a years access to our online courses and webinars.

To enter, email a photo of your shed and at least 50 words describing it and what makes it outstanding, with subject line Great Garden Shed Showoff, to: Letters@MotherEarthNews.com by May 1, 2021.

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How to Build a Potting Shed - Mother Earth News