Shed Size: 5’x8’x8’
Carpentry Skill Required: Basic – Intermediate
Estimated Cost: Variable; approximately $200-750, dependent on quality of materials used
Build Time: 2-6 Hours
Tools: Circular saw, hand saw, tape measure, drill, level, paint brush
Materials: 56 – 1”x6”x8’ boards; 5 – 2”x2”x8’; 5 – 4’x8’ sheets of plywood; 1 – 1”x6”x10’; 2 doorknobs; 1 hook and eye; shingles; wood glue; weather treating stain; waterproof paint; wood screws; hinges; weed killer; 2-3 bags of building grade sand . Alternative Materials: Use 5 additional sheets of plywood to replace 52 of the 8′ boards to cut costs. To save time, buy pretreated lumber.
Yard Preparation Using the weed killer remove all vegetation from the area where the shed will stand. Pour sand and smooth it with a board until an area slightly larger than the dimensions of the shed is completely level.
Shed Frame Start by cutting the 10’ boards in half. Screw 2 of the 5’ boards and 2 of the 8’ boards together to create a 4’x8’ rectangle. One end of each board should be flush with the side of the next at the corner. The other end of each board should be exposed. Create a second rectangle with 2 more 8’ boards and the other 5’ boards. Attach one 2”x2” into each corner of the rectangles, with one rectangle approximately midway down the 2”x2” and the other at the bottom. Screw 1 sheet of plywood to the bottom of this frame to create a floor and place onto the cleared area.
Walls Run a bead of wood glue about 2’ along the top and bottom frame boards, starting at the left corner of the front side and working right. Take an 8’ board and place it so that the right side lines up with the end of the glue. Screw it to the middle and bottom board. Continue attaching boards, working to the left, placing about 2’ of wood glue at a time, until you have created 3 complete walls and there is a 4’ opening in the front wall, with 2’ of boards on either side.
Double Doors Cut 1 sheet of plywood in half to form 2 – 2’x8’ rectangles. Attach 2 hinges on the left side of one 2’x8’ sheet, 6” from the top and 6” from the bottom and in the same places on the right side of the other half sheet. Affix the hinges to front walls of the shed. Attach the door knobs and the hook and eye to the front of the doors.
Angled Roof Cut 1 sheet of plywood in half to create 2 – 4’x4’ squares. Take one square and cut it in half diagonally to form 2 triangles. Cut the remaining 2”x2” board in half. Screw each half to the center of each 5’ wall, on the inside, so that 2’ sticks up above the top of the wall. Run a bead of wood glue down the outside of the post. Take one of the triangular pieces of plywood and attach it to this post so that the post lines up with the highest point of the triangle, and the long edge is flush with the top of the wall. The corners will overhang a couple of inches. Repeat on the other 5′ side. Run wood glue down each edge of each triangle, then screw the remaining 2 pieces of plywood to these edges to form a peaked roof. Run wood glue down the center join of the boards. Weather treat the entire structure, then apply the waterproof paint to the exterior of the walls. Shingle the roof.
