If you are thinking of building a garden shed for your tools, equipment and materials, it is always good to first take a look at what you have or what you are planning to store in it. There are times when you think you have everything and they can fit into the shed without problems, and then you forget that you need more and no longer have the space to store them in. Bear that in mind before you build a shed.

If you are thinking of storing some hand tools, flower and nursery pots, watering cans and hoses, these can all fit in a 3×5 foot shed. This is a great size for smaller garden areas which you can just work with the limited tools.

If you have a rototiller thought, then the 3×5 is not enough. Having a rototiller is used for small to large sized gardens. So if you only have this one equipment, make sure the shed that you are building is a little larger, give it enough space for storage. Increase the size to 4×6 square feet. However, if you rototiller is large and electric, you know you’ll need a larger size. Go for the 8×10 square feet. Just make sure that this size will not make your garden disappear.

If you like to do some potting in the garden shed, then make sure that you have the space for it. Measure out an area that would include the tools and the work bench or benches. Add about another two or three feet from all sides of the bench for manoeuvrability. This should allow you to keep on gardening even in the middle of winter.

If you still have a lot of room in the back yard, then adding a greenhouse off the side of the shed is a great idea. This greenhouse will eliminate the need to build a large shed.

If you have equipment that are large like a lawn mower you could drive around in, then look at bigger shed designs like small barns or simply make a shed that is about 12×24 square feet for this will store everything without difficulty.

When I build a shed I always make sure that the doors are wide and could be opened from both directions. This will make it easier for me to store the equipment and to take them out without banging my shoulders or hips against hinges. Think barn and see how the doors are designed.

Last thing; make sure that when you build a shed that there is a lot of room for storage of chemicals and other dangerous materials. I would advise making sure there is a separate storage room with a lock and key just to play it safe, especially with children and pets around.

There are saws and then there are saws. Do you know that there are about ten different types of handsaws and not all of them are useful for building sheds? Before you go out to buy a saw because you want to build something, here is a short guide to the different types of hand saws.

The Crosscut Saw is the one which most carpenters like me use to cut wood. These cut against the grain of the wood and the teeth are set wide and the bevels alternate. That design allows the saw to tear the wood fiber making it easier to cut. These are usually medium sized and are about 20 to 30 inches in length.

The Rip cut Saw is another saw which can cut through the wood. At the push stroke it can cut the wood fiber producing a ragged but. The teeth are sharp and are angled to the right so that the top of the teeth do the cutting. These are also medium sized and could come in lengths of 24 to 28 inches.

The Pane Saw is a smaller hand saw and is quite portable. These are used to cut thinner pieces of wood and some joints. Just like the rip cut, it will cut on the push stroke. They are shorter in length at only 18 to 24 inches.

The Back Saw is what I use for trims, mouldings and woodcutting. They are stiff and the steel edges are reinforced. This type of edge will prevent it from getting kinks when in use. The teeth are smaller than the previous mentioned and they are also longer than the others. They range from8 to 30 inches in length.

The Compass Saw looks different from others. They are thin, the blades are pointed, and they are mounted on handles (wood, plastic or metal). These are used to make holes or small and tight curves on wood. Again, they are quite useful for building sheds. These saws have 10 to 12 teeth for every inch.

The Hacksaws are used to cut metal. They have blades made of thin, fine blades which can be removed and disposed as soon as they are dull. The blades are held on with tension pins on the front and at the back. There is a screw which can be turned for adding or removing blades.

Then there are the Pruning Saw, the Wallboard Saw and the Bow Saw. The Pruning Saw is used to cut green wood off trees and bushes. These have straight or angled blades which can make cutting faster. The Wallboard Saw has thick and pointed blades which are mounted on a turned handle. These I use to puncture wall boards. The last, the Bow Saw is shaped just like a bow. They can be used by two people at the same time and they cut on two different strokes, the push and the pull.

For one thing, I had hammers and drills, both the manual and electric and these were very handy tools to have to make the building faster and easier for me. Nothing could speed up a project more than an electric tool and it was less strenuous on my elbows and back. However, I forgot that the distance from the house meant that I had to rely on an extension cord so I could tap on an electric supply for my tools. It did not help that it rained a lot so I ended up with having to wait out the rain before I could continue working.

The frustration led me to thinking that I should have something cordless. Of course I could do the hammering and the drilling manually, but that would just take up too much time and effort. So I decided to get a cordless drill instead, something which I thought I did not need.

One important thing to remember: not all drills are the same and there are so many out there. When buying a drill, corded or cordless, it is always to best to read the manual first before buying it.

The cordless drill is a convenient tool to have for any type of repairs or building work. They could be charged for a few hours and used for even more hours. It’s a good thing that they are also very powerful tools and work just as well as any electrical drills. But the best feature is that I did not need to deal with the extension cords at all and I did not have to wait out the rain to use it. If you are looking for a cordless drill, get one with a smart charger as it will make the charging faster and will give a longer performance to the usual two batteries that come with the package.

Each type of drill, again cordless and electric, have their own variable speeds, their own clutch settings for the different driving screws, should have reverse setting and electric brakes. Although not all features are present in all models, it is best to look for a model that has these, even if they may seem more expensive at first.

Make sure that the handle has a good grip on it. This will make it easier to handle. There are some models which have ambidextrous grips which should suit both the right and the left handed users.  But before taking the dive and buying it, test it out first in your hands. If the grip is easy to handle but when it is put on your hand it slips, then don’t choose that one. Put on the drill and hold it, if it remains steady in your hands then that is the one to choose.

Also, make sure that the trigger is sensitive. I like to use a drill where I don’t have to squeeze the trigger too tightly just to get the speed that I want. You should think about your comfort always, as building a shed could be quite exhausting if your tools are troublesome.

And last, when you buy a drill, make sure that the chuck is single sleeve which could be tightened with one hand. So even if you are not that strong you can still tighten effortlessly without extra tools.

Roofing felt is a tar paper made of fibreglass or polyester that has been impregnated with tar or asphalt. These could be bought in roll form and is used to waterproof the roofs and to prevent moisture from creeping in. These are usually placed under the shingles and could be installed using roofing nails, adhesives, or staples.

The first thing I do is I always measure the roof area as this will make it easier for me to calculate how much material is needed. One roll should cover about 400 sq ft, however there are others which are sold smaller than this. When measuring the area, always add in extra inches for the necessary overlapping where two or more rolls need to join.

Before placing the felt roof material, clean the roof well. Make sure there is no debris or dried leaves stuck on it, that there are no protruding nails or any other materials which could cause damage to the roof felt.
After the cleaning, make sure that the area is dry. It is not good to place the roof felt material on a wet or moist surface for this could cause warping or buckling, in some cases, there would be rotting and rusting. I always change the rotten or rusting material for the roof decking. Some say that a simple cleaning and anti rust would do, I don’t trust that.

Never begin placing the roof felt from the top, always start from the bottom and go up. When building shed roofs always begin at the hip and allow about a foot or more of the felt to hang over that hip. Roll the rest of the material along the edge of the roof. Leave enough material to overhand the eave about half or a three fourths inches to allow water to drip and not get the decking under the material to get wet.

Hold the material in place by tacking the end from where you begin rolling it. Allow the rest to remain unrolled. Then pull the material tight from the opposite end, do not pull too tight as this may rip it. Make sure that it is tight and flat on the surface of the roof. You can staple or nail the material with felting staples and nails. These should be placed a foot apart and centered at the edge. Make room for staples on the overlaps. Flush the nails so it does not penetrate all the way through or you may end up with leaks.

On the opposite end of the roof, cut the felt and roll in the opposite direction, again leave four inches to overlap the bottom layer. I always use the guidelines on the material to make sure that I do this right. The ridge of the roof should have an overlap of about a foot, again mimic this on the other side.

Once everything is done, I make sure that all the nail heads are covered with tar or roofing mastic for this will provide more water proofing.

For A more in depth guide on building a shed I suggest “My Shed Plans” By Ryan Henderson:

>>>Click here to visit Ryan’s Website now!<<<

Starting the center position of the sliding chop saw it is possible to change angles from 90 degrees down to 45 degrees. Likewise, using the center position as 0 degrees, all angles can be possible up to 45 degrees. These angles can be cut immediately in two directions if the blade bevel function is added. Considering this versatile function of the tool, I’m sure even a person with not much experience is able to get professional results in doing the following works such as cutting square joints for wall framing, mitred joints for picture frames and compound mitred joints for installing crown molding, includes less demanding wood cutting jobs.

The saw capacity or the size of wood that can be cut is determined by the size of the blade. I often use a 10 inch sliding chop saw in cutting small crown moldings and other trim carpentry jobs. For cutting larger crown moldings as well as most other wood projects such as building a shed, a 12 inch saw will serve better. I suggest one should use larger saw if it intends to cut a lot of wide boards or large timbers like a 4×4 size. This can be true when cutting work involves fence posts or wide boards for planters and other similar jobs. Buying the best and largest saw one can afford is always better. Importantly, one should get used to having better saw at the start rather than getting it as ones skills develop and the projects grow.

For the purpose of keeping wood immovable while the cutting action is performed the sliding chop saw is equipped with a fence table. The table would turn left and right to facilitate mitre cuts in both directions. Use the mitre feature only in making cuts for the joining two pieces of wood form some flat, angled joints that may be needed for a certain project. Simple projects for doors and windows can be done by using the mitre feature with the bevel feature.

I’ll talk more on the bevel features of the compound mitre saw in part two of my sliding chop saw tool guide! But for now………….Watch your fingers!

Of course we don’t really need an expert or even a relative to tell us, ‘hey, fix your stuff’. We just need some good advice on the right way to build a shed to solve the mystery of our unending clutter problems and in doing so increasing our property value.

Where you might ask yourself is where does this clutter come from anyway? First we have all that old stuff we kind for memories sake. Like all the ‘firsts’ – that is – first outfit from the hospital, first Halloween costume, first pair of shoes, first toy, and so on. Then we have clothes we have out grown but simply can’t part with because of too much sentimentality – pants, sweaters and the like. Not to mention all the things that aren’t needed anymore but we still keep because we might use it someday. Lastly, we have Christmas decors, coats and boots, items we do not use so often but feel we need them – all of which are actually filling the spaces in our homes but aren’t really that essential at the moment.

Remember, our homes are for our family’s security, health and comfort. Not storage space for old stuff and memorabilia.

So then what’s keeping you from building a shed? I bet when you get to start with your storage shed and see the outcome of it, you’ll just tell yourself – wow! I can do it!

So if your building a shed for storage you need to:

• Pick-up a copy of some good quality plans such as Ryan Henderson’s ‘My Shed Plans’
• Select the shed plans that best fits your design needs.
• Select your building site and prepare the site for the build.
• Use the list of materials that are included in the set of shed plans to purchase everything you will need.
• Call on a few of your pals to help with the heavy lifting, I like the term ‘Shed Building party!’ (beers and a BBQ after?…)
• Let your clear out begin!

I will be covering the actual building process in far more details in future posts so please subscribe to my RSS feed and you’ll get my future posts automatically!

Claw hammers can be described as ‘T’ shaped; the handle being the vertical line and the head being the horizontal line. This is a very rough description as the head is in fact far from a straight line; the impact end is short and cylindrical with a flat end for hammering and the other end is bent down towards the handle, with a flat, cleft end.
It is this cleft or, ‘claw’ end that gives the clawhammer its name. Its primary use is pulling nails out of wood and its secondary use is prying two separate pieces of timber apart. A variation on this is the ‘rip hammer’ which is the same apart from the cleft end is straighter, becoming less like a claw. The rip hammer is more geared towards ‘ripping’ and prying boards apart and is useful for hard to reach nails are close to walls or joints as the handle is at a right angle when in the pulling position; rather than leaning into the angle. I usually have both types with me when out building a shed, but either one will be ok for most garden constructions.

Types of Claw hammer

There are various types of builds of claw hammer, the most common is the one-piece made from forged heat-treated steel where, the handle is integrated into the head and is covered with a polymer sleeve which adds comfort & reduces vibrations. You can also get wooden handled claw hammers, the handle is usually made from ‘Hickory’ and the head

I would recommend buying a 20oz hammer as they are the most versatile, they have enough weight to drive in large nails but are not cumbersome so can easily remove nails. I always use one-piece hammers, as you know they can take the pressure and strain of a lot of nail pulling and panel prying. The last consideration is ‘waffle’ or ‘finish’ heads. This refers to the impact surface, finish heads are smooth and slightly rounded whilst ‘waffle’ heads have a cross-hatched surfaced. Finish heads are better as they don’t mark the timber; waffle heads are only really used for industrial framing jobs where the speed is the only concern.
You should now know what type of hammer you’ll need for the types of jobs I will be discussing in this blog. Keep checking back or, even easier, subscribe to my blog by email or RSS and you’ll be notified of my next post.

..and remember: watch your fingers!

Welcome to my new blog ‘Building a Shed Headquarters’.

My name is Ray Kirk, I’m writing this blog so that I can share my expert knowledge of the carpentry industry with anyone who will listen!

I’ve been a carpenter since I started working as my Dad’s apprentice when I left school, yes my father was a carpenter and his dad before that…was a policeman, but hey I’m second generation and I’ve got almost 20 years experience!

Since I was a boy I’ve always had a love for the outdoors, I used to spend summers in the garden helping my father with his projects, everything from small dog kennels to the European style log cabin that was made big enough for our pool table (that we never ended up getting!)

I always knew I would follow in my Father’s footsteps, and I have never regretted it. The smell of freshly cut timber on a summer’s morning still takes me back to those long summers in my childhood. The satisfaction I get from finishing my latest project, standing back and thinking, ‘I made that’ is still as strong as with my first project!

Most of my work over the years has been on Sheds, Wendy Houses, Summer Houses, Dog Kennels, Chicken Coops, Tool Sheds, Barns, Cabins; you get the running theme right? I have also worked with garden furniture, rose arches, fencing and anything else that belongs in garden and is made of wood!

I’m going to use this site to offer professional tips, how-to’s, tool guides and product reviews.

So don’t miss out! Subscribe by RSS or email to keep up with all the latest posts and hopefully we can build a community of like minded people!

Cheers,

Ray.