How to Build a Wooden Shed | Complete Guide

Do-it-yourself construction allows you to go beyond and create a spacious and aesthetically pleasing box, complete with a large flat roof that can be quickly covered with ground cover plants.

How to build a wooden garden shed? There are different solutions … but often the result is an ordinary “neither fish nor fowl” box. At the heart of this project is the search for originality, the end result is not much different from the cost of a bicycle box, garden equipment or equipment used in spare time.

Despite retaining elementary criteria, our homemade construction differs significantly from the wooden houses on the market, almost always with a pitched roof and an appearance that makes them look like each other.

The original design of the log house

Here’s how to build a wooden garden shed whose distinguishing elements are essentially two: a batten that covers the perimeter and a flat roof that becomes a large hanging flower bed.

The walls are made of frames clad in OSB panels, aesthetically pleasing and also durable, thanks to the surface moved by uneven scales pressed randomly; if you can find panels with interlocking edges, as happens with beads, some steps are easier and the joints are more accurate.

How to build a wooden garden shed without joints

As shown in the construction sequence, in order to understand how to build a wooden house, there is no need to make connections, the whole structure is completed with a large number of screws. It is this characteristic that makes us analyze an important element that is often overlooked: in such an important construction, intended to be used for many years, it is not worth skimping on the choice of screws, it is better to spend a little more, but use top quality products .

Self-tapping screws (SPAX) are used for all wooden garden sheds. They are equipped with ribs under the head that directly create a countersink and a wavy thread that creates a very deep counterthread that contrasts with the natural back-out.

The square point does not expand the wood, but cleanly cuts through the fibers, avoiding splitting of the material: an important factor both for inserting into OSB boards and for deep digging into beam heads. They work faster, you can rely on them, and the treatment they undergo ensures a long service life.

For how to build a log house we use OSB panels

OSB boards ( Oriented Strand Board ) consist of wood flakes glued with synthetic resins and pressed into crossed layers; depending on the purpose, they are divided into 4 types for use in a dry, more or less humid environment or for carrying out functions in wet rooms.

OSB/3 type 22 mm thick is used; panels are usually available in sizes 2440×1200/1220mm and 2500x1250mm; prices for OSB panels are around 13-15 euros/sq.m. For the construction of a wooden house, it is recommended to use spruce slats with a section of 70 × 70 mm, and external finishing, located horizontally, from Douglas fir with a section of 44 × 70 mm.

OSB boards and structural battens can be purchased from the most well-stocked DIY centers; for Douglas fir, you need to go to a lumber store. An entire wooden DIY house can be made for 1,000-1,200 euros.

Preparation of frames for the construction of a log house

1. The beams that make up the wall structure must be cut to size, keeping in mind that the studs remain closed between the top and bottom beams.
2. A pair of screws Ø 6×120 mm ensures a strong connection, it is better if the glue brush on the contact area helps with this, and excess glue must be removed immediately after screwing.
3. On the side facing the floor, the OSB boards should be bevelled at a 45° angle to facilitate rainwater drainage. As best seen in the following photos, the panel should be assembled with the chamfer facing inward and projecting from the bottom cross member of the frame.
4. Once the frame of each wall is completed, the bottommost panel is screwed to it. On the left side, the panel should be flush with the outside edge of the stud, and on the opposite side, it should protrude approximately 92mm (the thickness of the corresponding stud plus the thickness of the corresponding panel), so that the walls can be traversed.
5. The door frame is a simple frame made from the same battens and sheathed with OSB board: three sides must remain flush with the outside of the frame, the bottom must be beveled and protrude down like the rest.
6. It is recommended to alternate the preparation of the frames with the finishing coat on the Douglas fir slats that cover the outside: since there are many parts that must be treated with a primer and two coats of enamel, it is necessary to wait for the products to dry between one coat and the next, following the design of the garden box . If you don’t have a large drying area between coats, you will also need to process one piece of board at a time.
7. To assemble the legs, use bushings with internal threads with washers: drill a hole on each vertical with the same diameter as the bushing, insert it and, with a mallet, drive the pin into the wood so that it ends flush with the plane.
8. The legs are screwed into the bushings, allowing them to protrude by about 15 mm; after installing the walls on the base, proceed to the correct adjustment for a flat support.
9. Each wall, ready for assembly on site, consists of a frame and a base panel, so they can be easily moved.

The wooden house is assembled on site

The assembly of the arena must be carried out on an even and flat floor. When moving, the frames should always be off the ground, and the legs should not slip, as they are designed to absorb vertical loads, but not traction.

During the positioning steps it is good to have two people to check the alignment and proceed with the wall installation: a millimeter difference on one side can be a source of displacement of more than a centimeter on the opposite side.

1. An auxiliary board, at an angle, as seen in the photograph, clamped with a clamp, serves as a support to support the first side while the second side is approached for its assembly.
2. A shovel, spade, or any other similar tool will help raise the second wall, placing it next to the first, so that both are perfectly level in height so that the foothold can be adjusted.
3. Using 3 self-drilling and self-reversing screws, two walls are connected through the posts. At this point, you need to pay attention to the vertical alignment on the outer edge.
4. At this point fine adjustment of the legs can be made, making sure that the ground is stable and balanced and that the structure is not raised more than 3 cm from the ground, otherwise the threads will not have sufficient engagement in the threaded bushing. Once the adjustment is found, secure the screw with a locknut to prevent accidental rotation.
5. After the perimeter is completed, repeating the procedure for the other walls, a layer of adhesive is applied to the top profile of the pre-assembled OSB panels and a second row of panels is applied.
6. The panels are attached by inserting screws through the panels and into the racks.
7. After the installation is completed, the walls look like a solid surface, which is easy to treat with a wood preservative. Surfaces do not require pre-sanding, but the edges should be smoothed with several passes of coarse abrasive. It is preferable to choose a synthetic resin topcoat over plain acrylic: the outer strength is higher, and when working outdoors, any solvent odor and longer drying time do not adversely affect performance.
8. Horizontal Douglas-fir purlins are installed after the roof has been prepared. Each circle of the crate should be laid out in a pattern, so each piece should be 70mm longer than the wall. The exception is the door and sections of the wall on the sides of the door.
9. The work starts at the top, and it is important to start with perfect alignment, since the first element serves as an analogue of the second, the second – the third, and so on; calibrated spacers are used to maintain a constant distance between the rails, which must be fixed with screws inserted from the inside so as not to leave visible connecting elements.