Showing posts with label Building Projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Building Projects. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Akron Shed Building, Part III (The First Wall)
While we were pretty good about sharing our early stages of shed development, I have neglected to keep everyone up to pace on our project.
So... here we go.
So... here we go.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
So much to be thankful for...
The last week went by wwwwaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy too fast!
We did, however, get to spend some time with our incredible new nephew and that... was just perfect. :) Thank you, *Sister-in-law* for making the trip to town!
Next week is, of-course, TURKEY DAY! Wow! Can you believe it is right around the corner?
In addition to some regular posts, over the next week I will share some little projects (kid distractions) and holiday fun over the next few days. If there are any special or unique supplies you may need, I will try to give you a heads-up (because who has time to take extra trips to the store on a holiday week)?
Supplies:
In other news.
The husband and I made some progress on the shed and wanted to share what we learned. Remember, this 'shed' could be used as a playhouse, greenhouse, tool storage, teenage hangout, man cave, she lair, or any other number of things. Sheds are beautiful in that they are so readily receptive to your creative in-put.
If you recall, in the first shed planning phase we called the city to find out the rules and regulations. Then made sure we knew where the property line fell. We decided on the size of our shed (10' x 12') for one main reason-- lumber length. Lumber already comes in lengths of 10' and 12', so we will have less cutting to do... and that is very appealing! Finally, we decided on the best location for our shed at the Rubber City Homestead.
Alright. Now that we are all up to speed, how do we procede?
First, grab four stakes (tall stakes make this easier). If you find yourself short of stakes, grab some long, narrow pieces of wood from the hardware, slice them up to the length you want (height of stake you want). Also, throw the tape measure, a mallet or sledge into your wheel barrel, some gloves, some kite string or fishing line and head on over to your *future building sight*.
Since you have already decided on the location for your shed, you should just throw down some lumber and get to work... right?!?!
Not so fast, neighbor.
First we want to make sure we have a solid foundation for the structure. Take one last glance around and make sure you are confident that the building site is not in an area that will collect water if we get hit by a ton of rain (it is Ohio, afterall). If you are feeling good about that, start kicking around the type of foundation you want for your structure. This is where your particular building plan will come in very handy.
Let's not get the cart before the horse, here. First thing is first. To begin, measure out the space where you want your shed. Do your best to give 90 degree angles to your measurement. When you are rather confident that you have squared-up the space, drive a stake into each of the four corners. Measure the lengths again. Run the tape measure across the space to compare diagonal length, as well (these should match). There is a theme here, as I am sure you are picking up on... measure, measure, measure! and measure again. It will save you a lot of headaches down the line.
If you squared your stakes on the first attempt, great! You did better than we did! ;)
Once your space is staked, take the string or twine and run it from stake to stake around the perimeter. This will come in handy, as you will need an illustration of the space in the next phases.
Next, consider how you would like to level the space that will house your shed.
At the Rubber City Homestead, we opted to rest the base of the shed on cinder block. This is some what of a combination approach. To begin, we measured the space, as above. Next we dug down about 6" in the spaces where the cinder block will rest. We placed the cinder block in the recesses, leveled each block and leveled each 'row' of block.
*Whichever foundation method you choose, try not to become impatient about the leveling and measuring. It will pay off in the long run. AND just imagine, each following step will go a lot faster-- hang in there!
After each individual block, each row of block, the entire mess of block were leveled (ugh!) we were pretty satisfied! *Shed victory #1!
The following week, we headed to Lowe's to grab our foundation lumber (yay!!!).
Our list included:
Shed victory #2!
Given the season, we were sure to stack our lumber on extra cinder block to ensure that it would not soak up too much moisture in the weeks ahead.
***This is where the husband and I learned a little lesson, so I will pass forward what we learned.
First, a little background. Our very kind neighbor offered us some cinder block left over from a job site. We accepted with enthusiasm because we knew we wanted to use cinder block as the foundation of our shed.
If you happen to consult a professional builder about the cinder block, above ground, or 4" x 4" foundation, they will caution you about the 'shifting contents' that will occur. The reason for this is the low temperatures and high moisture of our area. The cinder block will shift over time, due to the variety of temperatures in Ohio.* Given our shed needs, we still felt we wanted to press forward with the cinder block-- consider your options before you begin your project :)
What we FORGOT to do was to consider the width of our building materials when we recessed and leveled the cinder block.
This simple illustration is of the shed base (view from above). As you can see, when you apply the 12' x 6" x 2" boards to the 10' x 6" x 2" joists (boards across), the base is actually 4" wider than the perfect rectangle we had initially imagined.
Lack of planning and experience on our part.
As with all things Rubber City Homestead, we were able to remedy the challenge, improvise and move forward just fine.
Hopefully, we can spare you the 'improvising' step in the process!
In short, we built the frame...
...we used 16" centers (the center of each joist is 16" from the center of every other joist), which seems to be the accepted length all around.
We did, however, get to spend some time with our incredible new nephew and that... was just perfect. :) Thank you, *Sister-in-law* for making the trip to town!
In addition to some regular posts, over the next week I will share some little projects (kid distractions) and holiday fun over the next few days. If there are any special or unique supplies you may need, I will try to give you a heads-up (because who has time to take extra trips to the store on a holiday week)?
Supplies:
- Hang onto an empty spaghetti sauce jar or peanut butter jar (plastic or glass is just fine) WITH SECURE LID -- don't toss it to the recycle just yet.
- Also, grab a small container of heavy whipping cream when you take your weekly whirl of the grocery store.
In other news.
The husband and I made some progress on the shed and wanted to share what we learned. Remember, this 'shed' could be used as a playhouse, greenhouse, tool storage, teenage hangout, man cave, she lair, or any other number of things. Sheds are beautiful in that they are so readily receptive to your creative in-put.
If you recall, in the first shed planning phase we called the city to find out the rules and regulations. Then made sure we knew where the property line fell. We decided on the size of our shed (10' x 12') for one main reason-- lumber length. Lumber already comes in lengths of 10' and 12', so we will have less cutting to do... and that is very appealing! Finally, we decided on the best location for our shed at the Rubber City Homestead.
Alright. Now that we are all up to speed, how do we procede?
First, grab four stakes (tall stakes make this easier). If you find yourself short of stakes, grab some long, narrow pieces of wood from the hardware, slice them up to the length you want (height of stake you want). Also, throw the tape measure, a mallet or sledge into your wheel barrel, some gloves, some kite string or fishing line and head on over to your *future building sight*.
Since you have already decided on the location for your shed, you should just throw down some lumber and get to work... right?!?!
Not so fast, neighbor.
First we want to make sure we have a solid foundation for the structure. Take one last glance around and make sure you are confident that the building site is not in an area that will collect water if we get hit by a ton of rain (it is Ohio, afterall). If you are feeling good about that, start kicking around the type of foundation you want for your structure. This is where your particular building plan will come in very handy.
Let's not get the cart before the horse, here. First thing is first. To begin, measure out the space where you want your shed. Do your best to give 90 degree angles to your measurement. When you are rather confident that you have squared-up the space, drive a stake into each of the four corners. Measure the lengths again. Run the tape measure across the space to compare diagonal length, as well (these should match). There is a theme here, as I am sure you are picking up on... measure, measure, measure! and measure again. It will save you a lot of headaches down the line.
If you squared your stakes on the first attempt, great! You did better than we did! ;)
Once your space is staked, take the string or twine and run it from stake to stake around the perimeter. This will come in handy, as you will need an illustration of the space in the next phases.
Next, consider how you would like to level the space that will house your shed.
- Some folks will opt to dig down approx 6" and lay gravel to help with drainage
- Others will simply rest the shed base on the ground or on treated 4" x 4" boards
- Others will adapt the ground foundation and rest the shed on cinder block (adding height to the foundation)
- Still others may opt for a pole barn construction (dirt floor) and will simply set the 'poles' in the four corners as the initial framework
At the Rubber City Homestead, we opted to rest the base of the shed on cinder block. This is some what of a combination approach. To begin, we measured the space, as above. Next we dug down about 6" in the spaces where the cinder block will rest. We placed the cinder block in the recesses, leveled each block and leveled each 'row' of block.
*Whichever foundation method you choose, try not to become impatient about the leveling and measuring. It will pay off in the long run. AND just imagine, each following step will go a lot faster-- hang in there!
The following week, we headed to Lowe's to grab our foundation lumber (yay!!!).
Our list included:
- (17) 10' x 6" x 2" treated
- (2) 12' x 6" x 2" treated
- (30) single joist hangers
- (4) double joist hangers
- carpenter's pencil
- joist hanger nails
- 4" nails
Shed victory #2!
Given the season, we were sure to stack our lumber on extra cinder block to ensure that it would not soak up too much moisture in the weeks ahead.
***This is where the husband and I learned a little lesson, so I will pass forward what we learned.
First, a little background. Our very kind neighbor offered us some cinder block left over from a job site. We accepted with enthusiasm because we knew we wanted to use cinder block as the foundation of our shed.
If you happen to consult a professional builder about the cinder block, above ground, or 4" x 4" foundation, they will caution you about the 'shifting contents' that will occur. The reason for this is the low temperatures and high moisture of our area. The cinder block will shift over time, due to the variety of temperatures in Ohio.* Given our shed needs, we still felt we wanted to press forward with the cinder block-- consider your options before you begin your project :)
What we FORGOT to do was to consider the width of our building materials when we recessed and leveled the cinder block.
Lack of planning and experience on our part.
As with all things Rubber City Homestead, we were able to remedy the challenge, improvise and move forward just fine.
Hopefully, we can spare you the 'improvising' step in the process!
In short, we built the frame...
...we used 16" centers (the center of each joist is 16" from the center of every other joist), which seems to be the accepted length all around.
We hung the rest of the joists and now we are ready to lay the floor boards!
Shed victory #3!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Breaking Ground
The husband and I have taken an important step... we broke ground on our new shed!
Pretty exciting for us!
From what I hear amid friends and family, there are a number of folks interested in shed construction. So, my first thought was, of-course, to include it in the blog so that (perhaps) our experience will help others.
What to do when you decide your yard is lacking the essential shed??
FIRST, first, first, call the city. Find out what the 'rules' are about sheds in your specific area. Now this took a bit to figure out, but I have it here for you: 330-630-7305. They are often out of the office, but go ahead and leave a message. I have had wonderful luck getting a prompt return call.
***As always I practice the 48 hour rule, though. I give the office about 48 hours (during the week) and then I give a second call.
We are building a shed here... no time to loose!
Go ahead and contact these folks and they will be happy to relay where your shed can sit according to property lines. Additionally, they will offer info about what size shed will require a building permit and those that will not. For longevity's sake, I am not going to quote what I learned, but instead offer where I found it. That way, when you choose to break ground for yourself, you will have the opportunity to go straight to the source. Sound good?!
Next, find your property line. It just so happens that we had the back yard fenced last year, so we were already set on this particular point. Not only is it beneficial for you and your neighbors to know where the property line is, it may also serve a very specific purpose for your shed project. (keep you out of trouble with Johnny Law or the neighbors!)
If you have trouble finding the location of your property line, check out this site for assistance:
http://scids.summitoh.net/gpaws2internet/
This site is certifiably awesome. You can pull up your property by address and learn the specific dimensions. Truthfully, the hubby is a bit more computer savvy and he was easily able to add or remove layers... I took a little more time to get comfortable with the resources on this fantastic site. You should be able to view an aerial shot of your yard, which (though it includes shadows) will be able to help you get started.
If you are uncomfortable or too busy to measure your own property line, contact a surveyor. There are a number of firms in the area, just check on-line or the phone book. Be mindful that these folks are usually over-booked, so allow for time between the moment you contact them and when you hope to have your lot surveyed. They will also charge a pretty penny for their work, but then you will have a tidy and confident assessment of your property line.
The next step for Mr. & Mrs. Rubber City Homestead was to select a location for our shed.
Things to keep in mind when selecting your shed location:
After we determined where we thought we might like to put the shed, we began our research. Lowe's and Home Depot offer a number of shed kits that you can easily walk through to get a size reference for your shed. While the sheds offered by these large locations seem just fine, we were looking for something a little different. On a slow day, I headed over to Carter Lumber at 1763 Wadsworth Rd,330-753-6631. If you ask me, true lumber yards are an under appreciated resource these days.
The shed kits over at Carter Lumber were superior to the 'large mart' hardware stores in my mind. Prices were very reasonable, delivery and construction of supplies were also good options. I took the flyer home and the husband and I chewed on our options for a bit.
Crazy or not, we decided that of all our shed options... we wanted to take a totally different approach. WE DECIDED TO BUILD THE SHED OURSELVES. eeeekkkk! ha ha ha!
Take a moment and we will soak that in.
Ok. Truth be told, we have plans for some other building projects down the line. Consistent with these 'building' goals, we figured we had better strive for some experience. How to obtain experience? Practice, right?!?
So, our shed will be our 'practice' building experience.
...and we began our research.
Here are some wonderfully informative links that we stumbled across as we looked for the building plans of our dreams.
http://www.buildeazy.com/shed_2.html
http://www.mybackyardplans.com/gablestorageshed.php
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/sheds/4303628?click=main_sr
http://www.todaysplans.com/ls1014ess.pdf
Have a glance and see if you can guess what size shed we decided on. Don't work at it too hard, though, we changed our minds a number of times.
More to follow...
Pretty exciting for us!
From what I hear amid friends and family, there are a number of folks interested in shed construction. So, my first thought was, of-course, to include it in the blog so that (perhaps) our experience will help others.
What to do when you decide your yard is lacking the essential shed??
FIRST, first, first, call the city. Find out what the 'rules' are about sheds in your specific area. Now this took a bit to figure out, but I have it here for you: 330-630-7305. They are often out of the office, but go ahead and leave a message. I have had wonderful luck getting a prompt return call.
***As always I practice the 48 hour rule, though. I give the office about 48 hours (during the week) and then I give a second call.
We are building a shed here... no time to loose!
Go ahead and contact these folks and they will be happy to relay where your shed can sit according to property lines. Additionally, they will offer info about what size shed will require a building permit and those that will not. For longevity's sake, I am not going to quote what I learned, but instead offer where I found it. That way, when you choose to break ground for yourself, you will have the opportunity to go straight to the source. Sound good?!
Next, find your property line. It just so happens that we had the back yard fenced last year, so we were already set on this particular point. Not only is it beneficial for you and your neighbors to know where the property line is, it may also serve a very specific purpose for your shed project. (keep you out of trouble with Johnny Law or the neighbors!)
If you have trouble finding the location of your property line, check out this site for assistance:
http://scids.summitoh.net/gpaws2internet/
This site is certifiably awesome. You can pull up your property by address and learn the specific dimensions. Truthfully, the hubby is a bit more computer savvy and he was easily able to add or remove layers... I took a little more time to get comfortable with the resources on this fantastic site. You should be able to view an aerial shot of your yard, which (though it includes shadows) will be able to help you get started.
If you are uncomfortable or too busy to measure your own property line, contact a surveyor. There are a number of firms in the area, just check on-line or the phone book. Be mindful that these folks are usually over-booked, so allow for time between the moment you contact them and when you hope to have your lot surveyed. They will also charge a pretty penny for their work, but then you will have a tidy and confident assessment of your property line.
The next step for Mr. & Mrs. Rubber City Homestead was to select a location for our shed.
Things to keep in mind when selecting your shed location:
- Grade (or slope) of your yard
- Convenience and accessibility. You do not want the shed to sit too far from your home or work area or tools will never get returned.
- Your property line -- cannot emphasize this point enough
After we determined where we thought we might like to put the shed, we began our research. Lowe's and Home Depot offer a number of shed kits that you can easily walk through to get a size reference for your shed. While the sheds offered by these large locations seem just fine, we were looking for something a little different. On a slow day, I headed over to Carter Lumber at 1763 Wadsworth Rd,
The shed kits over at Carter Lumber were superior to the 'large mart' hardware stores in my mind. Prices were very reasonable, delivery and construction of supplies were also good options. I took the flyer home and the husband and I chewed on our options for a bit.
Crazy or not, we decided that of all our shed options... we wanted to take a totally different approach. WE DECIDED TO BUILD THE SHED OURSELVES. eeeekkkk! ha ha ha!
Take a moment and we will soak that in.
Ok. Truth be told, we have plans for some other building projects down the line. Consistent with these 'building' goals, we figured we had better strive for some experience. How to obtain experience? Practice, right?!?
So, our shed will be our 'practice' building experience.
...and we began our research.
Here are some wonderfully informative links that we stumbled across as we looked for the building plans of our dreams.
http://www.buildeazy.com/shed_2.html
http://www.mybackyardplans.com/gablestorageshed.php
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/sheds/4303628?click=main_sr
http://www.todaysplans.com/ls1014ess.pdf
Have a glance and see if you can guess what size shed we decided on. Don't work at it too hard, though, we changed our minds a number of times.
More to follow...
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