How to build a wooden shed?

[mikebarker]

Hi all, I am about to build a small wooden garden storage shed (3m wide x 2.4m deep) on a gravel base. I have been soaking up tutorials, reading the various excellent posts on this forum and on wooden framing and feel fairly confident about most stages but there are a few grey areas that I would love the community guidance on (and will likely lean on you for tips along the way!).

I previously prepped the ground and laid a gravel pad. The plan is to put 2 x 6 treated joists directly into TuffBlocks as the base of the shed and build on top of that.

So my questions are:

Flooring

1. I am looking at treated yellow tongue STRUCAflor is this suitable or is there a better alternative? Treated plywood looks very expensive but I don't mind paying if it means increased longevity.

2. Silly question, but given the fact an exposed tongue in these boards will be at one edge of the shed. Do you just cut these off or just fill the gap with sealant?

Walls

1. What options do I have for external wooden wall panels? I would like something that looks nicer than particleboard or OSB. Is there an outdoor option of these slotted panels? I guess I could use weatherboards but curious at alternatives.

2. Should I use building wrap?

Roofing

1. What are my options here? Just colourbond sheets? If yes, should I still put a plywood/OSB roof on and apply the colourbond to that or just attach it straight to the rafters? I assume I would have lots of gaps if I attach directly to the rafters.

2. If colourbond is the way to go, I'm curious to know what you use so that you don't just have sharp raw edges and what to use for the apex of a pitched roof?

Fasteners

I'm going to use screws instead of nails for framing (Personal preference, if I had a nailgun it might be different 😄). So I don't want to have to pre-drill or anything. What gauge is best, 12g? or thicker? Something like these Buildex RapidDrive Treated Pine Screws 12g x 75mm?

I think that's all I need to know at the moment, once I have these answers I can make my materials order and get stuck in!

Thanks so much

[mikebarker]

Ah yeah my bad, now realise you were after the ramp update! 

Thanks for the support, will reach out when needed.

[mikebarker]

Aaaaaand done! 😅

Massive delay as I tore my meniscus and had to have surgery. I tried to get it done before, but came up short. Applied the Croc grip anti slip tape to the ramp today, and it worked perfectly. I ended up creating some supports for the ramp and attaching them between the joists and the retaining wall. Then put some supports under the front of the ramp, painted it all in bitumen paint and set it on a bed of gravel for drainage.

The door turned out great too, 3 x hinges attached through the colourbond trim into the wood. I added a lip of flashing above to stop water going in, but the overhang has worked perfectly so it wasn't really needed.

I can't thank you lot on the forum for your support, considering this was my first build of this nature, the help was invaluable and I feel so much more capable moving forward. 

So here it is: 3m wide by 2.4m storage shed.

[Dave-1]

Afternoon @mikebarker 

Now that is a solid looking shed on a solid looking base! Definently withstand any storms passing through!

Have you fille dthe shed with any junk as yet? And yeah somehow injuries always sem to happen during long term projects 😕

Dave

[JacobZ]

Hi @mikebarker,

I'm sorry to hear of your injury and subsequent surgery. I hope the recovery is going well.

You've done a magnificent job with your shed. I hope you are extremely proud of it. I am sure it will stand proudly for many, many years to come.

Thank you for sharing the journey with us.

Jacob

[Jason]

Congratulations @mikebarker, it looks terrific. 

So pleased that the community was able to provide assistance along the way and it has helped improve your skills and confidence. Looking forward to seeing what you tackle next!

All the best with a full recovery from your injury. Please let us know if you need anything.

Jason

[mikebarker]

Thanks everyone!

@Dave-1 It's currently quite well organised. I got some storage bins and various Tactix organisers to put all my screws and stuff in, finally, it's glorious! Put one of these monster shelves in too, planning to put another in too, probably the one with a workbench on.

[glenn929]

Hi @mikebarker I am looking pretty the same setup except with simply pitched room but just trying to do a cost comparison to building my own timber shed vs garden shed type the Sabco like this one Sabco Shed 

[EricL]

Hello @glenn929 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about the cost of building a shed.

Let me tag @mikebarker as well to make sure they are made aware of your question. It would be interesting to find out how much you should prepare for when building a custom sized shed.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[mikebarker]

@glenn929 So sorry for this comical delay, I made a note to reply to this but it slipped the net!

In short, building your own shed with wood as I did, is in no way cost-effective, especially when compared to metal kits like the one you mentioned. For me, it was about the project, learning how to frame a building like you would a house, in addition to needing more storage. This was a pilot program to see if I could do it, then build a much larger workshop.

My wood order alone was over $1400, not including the sleepers for the retaining wall. Then the colourbond with fixings etc was about $1800. Then fixings etc on top of that.

Unless you would enjoy the project it will be much much cheaper to buy a shed kit. If I build the larger workshop, I will either get a kit or explore a much simpler internal wooden structure.