Garden Shed #33 - Final Post on the Project & Lessons Learned

Looking back through my posts on the garden shed, I didn't see any picture sets showing the entire final product. I took some shots around the perimeter...





Reusing the old shed

This was a definite plus. We reused the cedar siding, framing lumber, foundation beams, hardware and pier blocks. Here in Oregon, we could have recycled all this material - but it was much better and cheaper to use it again.

We did not reuse
- 1x4 flooring - tried but it was too damaged (100's of nails!)
- Cedar shingle roofing - too much moss and mold
- Windows - they were tiny and of poor quality
- Plastic and tar paper - too old and damaged

We also used up a bunch of old paint stored in the shed for primer, which worked well.

When I was grinding the nail heads to get the pier blocks free, I got a piece of metal lodged in my eye - and I need to get an incision to get it out (ouch). I had on safety glasses, but it made it's way up underneath. I'll wear a face shield in the future.

Shed sizing

The shed size is key to using materials well. The 12 x 16 footprints gave the following advantages:
- Used full sheets of plywood for the floor
- Had very little waste in framing the walls. - The 7' height gave us a bunch of 1' pieces, which we used for shelf support blocks.
- The 12' width allowed for 8' rafters on a 4/12 pitch, which was by far the most economical

Sliding door

It was more expensive than a hinged double door - about $100 extra - but I think it was well worth it. It is much easier to use, and stays right were you put it.

Summary

I think the shed build was a good intermediate project, that most DIY people could handle with the right tools and time.