Projects: Building A Storage Shed
Photos and writeup by Trevor Freeman. December 2007.
THE PROBLEM
When you live in a small house like mine, every square foot of floor space is precious real estate. Now I am pretty good about getting rid of stuff I don't use, whether it's donating junk to Goodwill or selling it on eBay. As my collection of spare and original car parts has outgrown my closet, I decided to find a place to store some of this junk until I have my own house someday. After finding out that monthly rates for mini-storage units are sky-high, I thought to myself: "There has to be a better way." An idea formed in my head that I could put up a storage shed in our backyard and keep my junk out there, free of charge. Once I got the okay from my folks, things began to get exciting.
RESEARCH
I studied our backyard and found a spot against the north wall of our property that was just the right size and was not being used for anything better. Finding a shed that would fit was the real challenge. A deluxe all-weather storage building big enough to hold a boat would not fit in our tiny, suburban backyard. How much space would I need? How big of a shed could I fit in the yard? What was this going to cost? Could I build it myself or should I buy a kit? Should I go with lumber or metal? I considered all of these options before deciding on the Arrow Brentwood BW54 shed. A modest little thing, only 5 feet by 4 feet in the form of a U-put-it-together kit.
I tracked down the owner's manual online and printed out the page that had instructions for making a foundation. With the instructions in hand, I set off for a trip to the hardware megastore. Don't get me wrong, I like Home Depot, but it's very tempting to give in to those impulse buys when you have to walk from one end of the store to the other just to get a few items on your list. This project, like all my other projects, was to be done as cheaply as possible while still doing a respectable job.
GATHERING SUPPLIES
The first thing I got was a big, rolling cart and headed towards the lumber department. I selected a large piece of 5/8" plywood, four 2x4 boards that were 10 feet long, two 2x4 boards that were 8 feet long, a box of 3-inch wood screws, and a quart of some weatherproofing stuff. A quart seemed too small but a gallon was too large, they were the only options. (I went with the quart and it was just enough). The wood had to be cut before I could fit it in the car, and it took a while for the saw operator to show up. He was friendly and I was a little nervous about the cuts I had asked for, hoping I had calculated things correctly. At the front, I told the cashier I'd had eight cuts done and that the sign said they were 50 cents each. She didn't know how to ring them up and she let me have them for free. Good deal! I now had a trunk full of lumber and supplies for $49.97.
BUILDING THE FOUNDATION
I read the directions, studied them, and read them again. I had already chosen a wooden foundation instead of pouring a concrete slab. The directions said to build it on a foundation of loose gravel for drainage, to which I responded "Ah, fuck it." The ground is hard enough where I live and our average annual rainfall is not enough to worry about drainage.
Moving on, I arranged the two-by-fours into a rectangle and joined them together with the wood screws and an electric drill. At least three screws went into every board, spaced about nine inches apart. Once everything was screwed together, I coated it with the weather-proofing wood sealer. It had the color and consistency of chocolate milk, and it made the wood several shades darker. Satisfied, I piled some junk on it and left it for several weeks while I made plans to purchase the shed.
PRICE NEGOTIATIONS
The BW54 shed was selling for about $270-300 online, but I decided to order it locally and not pay for shipping charges. After doing a web search for "Lowes coupons," I discovered that they have a one-time 20% off coupon for people who are moving. Well I wasn't moving, but I sure could use twenty percent off. I punched in my email address and soon had a coupon in my inbox, just that easy. Unfortunately it was only good in-store and not online. So I ventured over to Lowe's to order the shed, and spoke to several different people in the garden department. While Lowe's sells tons of sheds, they only stock a few models. Nobody at our store had done a special order before, but they eventually figured it out and I got it for $275 out the door.
THE PICKUP
I was told it would be ready to pick up in store within two weeks, and was quite surprised when a week later I got a phone call that it had come in. With my receipt in hand, I headed over to pick it up one day after work. It took three people and about thirty minutes of waiting for them to find it in the receiving department, but they did eventually find it. The shed was in a large cardboard box about 6 feet by 3 feet and maybe 4 inches tall. With the backseat folded down, it just barely fit in the car.
ASSEMBLY
The next day was Thanksgiving, a perfect day off from work to get started. How could a whole shed fit in such a tall and thin box? I wondered. When I sliced open the box, I found out: the metal was probably about as strong as a soda can and even more flexible. I think the box it came in was stronger than the walls of my shed. Wasting no time, I got started right away. Using a chair to prop up the walls, I was able to get all four of them up before lunchtime. The instructions recommended two people, but you can do it with just one if you're determined.
Because the summertime temperatures can and do reach 120°F here, I reasoned that the dark brown roof was not intended for the harsh desert climate. I made a quick trip to the store and got two cans of flat white Rust-Oleum spray paint. With zero prep work, I simply painted the roof with a steady and even coat. It covered the brown completely and looked perfect, as if it had come that way. After letting the paint dry overnight, I continued with the assembly the next day.
With the walls up and interior supports in place, I was nearing the end of the project and I could see that the bag of extra screws was more than plentiful. I began adding additional screws as I saw fit, all over the roof panels and on the walls. The door was a bit tricky to get on its track, but I managed to do it right on the second try. Once the trim was on the roof, everything was completed. I chose not to get the "highly recommended" anchoring kit that the instruction manual advised, and just screwed it down to the foundation with a LOT of screws. The whole thing feels rock-solid and it's definitely not going anywhere because of the weather.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Before moving my junk in, I went around the outside edge of the foundation with a tube of clear window sealant to keep the moisture and bugs out. Finally, I made one last trip to Lowe's and got a five-tier plastic shelf for $20 dollars. With that put together, I was ready to move my junk inside. The extra storage space was well worth the money and a week after construction, the shed passed the rain test and kept everything inside nice and dry.
Lumber and building materials: $50
Arrow Brentwood BW54 Shed Kit: $270
Plastic shelf: $20
TOTAL: $340 dollars
-Trevor Freeman
21 December 2007
FOLLOW UP
It's now August 2008 and I have been using the shed for almost a year now. It has held up very well to the few storms we've had and I'm very happy there are no leaks or other problems to report. I've also added a few updated pictures below.
THE PICTURES
Photos and writeup by Trevor Freeman. December 2007.
THE PROBLEMWhen you live in a small house like mine, every square foot of floor space is precious real estate. Now I am pretty good about getting rid of stuff I don't use, whether it's donating junk to Goodwill or selling it on eBay. As my collection of spare and original car parts has outgrown my closet, I decided to find a place to store some of this junk until I have my own house someday. After finding out that monthly rates for mini-storage units are sky-high, I thought to myself: "There has to be a better way." An idea formed in my head that I could put up a storage shed in our backyard and keep my junk out there, free of charge. Once I got the okay from my folks, things began to get exciting.
RESEARCH
I studied our backyard and found a spot against the north wall of our property that was just the right size and was not being used for anything better. Finding a shed that would fit was the real challenge. A deluxe all-weather storage building big enough to hold a boat would not fit in our tiny, suburban backyard. How much space would I need? How big of a shed could I fit in the yard? What was this going to cost? Could I build it myself or should I buy a kit? Should I go with lumber or metal? I considered all of these options before deciding on the Arrow Brentwood BW54 shed. A modest little thing, only 5 feet by 4 feet in the form of a U-put-it-together kit.
I tracked down the owner's manual online and printed out the page that had instructions for making a foundation. With the instructions in hand, I set off for a trip to the hardware megastore. Don't get me wrong, I like Home Depot, but it's very tempting to give in to those impulse buys when you have to walk from one end of the store to the other just to get a few items on your list. This project, like all my other projects, was to be done as cheaply as possible while still doing a respectable job.
GATHERING SUPPLIES
The first thing I got was a big, rolling cart and headed towards the lumber department. I selected a large piece of 5/8" plywood, four 2x4 boards that were 10 feet long, two 2x4 boards that were 8 feet long, a box of 3-inch wood screws, and a quart of some weatherproofing stuff. A quart seemed too small but a gallon was too large, they were the only options. (I went with the quart and it was just enough). The wood had to be cut before I could fit it in the car, and it took a while for the saw operator to show up. He was friendly and I was a little nervous about the cuts I had asked for, hoping I had calculated things correctly. At the front, I told the cashier I'd had eight cuts done and that the sign said they were 50 cents each. She didn't know how to ring them up and she let me have them for free. Good deal! I now had a trunk full of lumber and supplies for $49.97.
BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONI read the directions, studied them, and read them again. I had already chosen a wooden foundation instead of pouring a concrete slab. The directions said to build it on a foundation of loose gravel for drainage, to which I responded "Ah, fuck it." The ground is hard enough where I live and our average annual rainfall is not enough to worry about drainage.
Moving on, I arranged the two-by-fours into a rectangle and joined them together with the wood screws and an electric drill. At least three screws went into every board, spaced about nine inches apart. Once everything was screwed together, I coated it with the weather-proofing wood sealer. It had the color and consistency of chocolate milk, and it made the wood several shades darker. Satisfied, I piled some junk on it and left it for several weeks while I made plans to purchase the shed.
PRICE NEGOTIATIONS
The BW54 shed was selling for about $270-300 online, but I decided to order it locally and not pay for shipping charges. After doing a web search for "Lowes coupons," I discovered that they have a one-time 20% off coupon for people who are moving. Well I wasn't moving, but I sure could use twenty percent off. I punched in my email address and soon had a coupon in my inbox, just that easy. Unfortunately it was only good in-store and not online. So I ventured over to Lowe's to order the shed, and spoke to several different people in the garden department. While Lowe's sells tons of sheds, they only stock a few models. Nobody at our store had done a special order before, but they eventually figured it out and I got it for $275 out the door.
THE PICKUP
I was told it would be ready to pick up in store within two weeks, and was quite surprised when a week later I got a phone call that it had come in. With my receipt in hand, I headed over to pick it up one day after work. It took three people and about thirty minutes of waiting for them to find it in the receiving department, but they did eventually find it. The shed was in a large cardboard box about 6 feet by 3 feet and maybe 4 inches tall. With the backseat folded down, it just barely fit in the car.
ASSEMBLYThe next day was Thanksgiving, a perfect day off from work to get started. How could a whole shed fit in such a tall and thin box? I wondered. When I sliced open the box, I found out: the metal was probably about as strong as a soda can and even more flexible. I think the box it came in was stronger than the walls of my shed. Wasting no time, I got started right away. Using a chair to prop up the walls, I was able to get all four of them up before lunchtime. The instructions recommended two people, but you can do it with just one if you're determined.
Because the summertime temperatures can and do reach 120°F here, I reasoned that the dark brown roof was not intended for the harsh desert climate. I made a quick trip to the store and got two cans of flat white Rust-Oleum spray paint. With zero prep work, I simply painted the roof with a steady and even coat. It covered the brown completely and looked perfect, as if it had come that way. After letting the paint dry overnight, I continued with the assembly the next day.
With the walls up and interior supports in place, I was nearing the end of the project and I could see that the bag of extra screws was more than plentiful. I began adding additional screws as I saw fit, all over the roof panels and on the walls. The door was a bit tricky to get on its track, but I managed to do it right on the second try. Once the trim was on the roof, everything was completed. I chose not to get the "highly recommended" anchoring kit that the instruction manual advised, and just screwed it down to the foundation with a LOT of screws. The whole thing feels rock-solid and it's definitely not going anywhere because of the weather.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Before moving my junk in, I went around the outside edge of the foundation with a tube of clear window sealant to keep the moisture and bugs out. Finally, I made one last trip to Lowe's and got a five-tier plastic shelf for $20 dollars. With that put together, I was ready to move my junk inside. The extra storage space was well worth the money and a week after construction, the shed passed the rain test and kept everything inside nice and dry.
Lumber and building materials: $50
Arrow Brentwood BW54 Shed Kit: $270
Plastic shelf: $20
TOTAL: $340 dollars
-Trevor Freeman
21 December 2007
FOLLOW UP
It's now August 2008 and I have been using the shed for almost a year now. It has held up very well to the few storms we've had and I'm very happy there are no leaks or other problems to report. I've also added a few updated pictures below.
THE PICTURES
