How to Frame a Shed
By: Shed Mechanics
Tags: Shed Plans, Planning, DIY, Sheds

Framing a shed doesn’t have to be a tricky job. Although it might be a little difficult for a complete beginner, it is not that complicated, especially if you follow our guide. Also, if you want to build an entirely new shed, be sure to check out the My Shed Plans website. They offer more than 12,000 shed plans at a very reasonable price. For now, though, let’s get into how to frame a shed.

Measurements

This is a very important tip before we start. You should always pay a lot of attention to your measurements, and do a double, even triple check before starting to cut. The fact is, if one piece of wood is cut incorrectly, it might affect the whole shed, even if you are off by just an inch. Measure twice, cut once! When framing, you will notice that you have many pieces of food, like planks, that go all around the house. Since they are all of the same sizes, after you cut them, you should stack them one on another to see if they actually are the same. You might notice that some of the planks need to be cut again or modified.

Layout Simplified

There isn’t one exact tutorial on how to frame a shed, since it depends upon many factors, primarily upon the actual shape of the shed. However, there are some tips that can be applied when framing any kind of shed. If you have ever used SketchUp, it would be beneficial to assemble the frame in a program, first. The fact is that things such as plates, cripples, headers, and backing all have a specific place and purpose. Therefore, you might find the final assembly a little bit confusing. A good side of creating a model in SketchUp first is that if you want to make the framing a bit more advanced, you can do that on a PC, and realize any potential downsides instead of realizing when you start building.

Every Room Has a Door

One of the first lessons that many carpenters are taught is that they should remember that every room has a door. It is pretty common to forget that rule when designing a frame for the shed and can cause troubles in the later stages. Also, a rough opening should be created for other things besides the doors. It is also required when installing windows and vents. When planning, you should also consider which to which side the will door open.

Planning

Planning is sometimes overlooked but should be considered the most critical part of the whole process. This is the primary part, and the entire process of framing will go relative to how you planned everything up.

If you are not experienced with computers or with the SketchUp program, you should draw the actual plan. Anyway, you should have the whole thing drawn or modeled, so that you can see any potential flaws. However, if you find that to be difficult, you should check out the My Shed Plans website. As we already mentioned, they offer over 12,000 shed plans at a great price, and you will definitely find what you have been looking for.

Framing the End Walls

Framing the end walls can sometimes be a little different than framing the rest of the structure. At first, you should know that it’s recommended to make the studs around 16 inches apart. However, when it comes to a shed, even 24 inches can be pretty good, and you will also save on the materials. Another good thing to do is to attach the exterior panels to the wall frames before putting walls up. This will require a little bit of planning, so don’t do that unless you are completely sure that you know what are you doing. Note that the bottom edge of the exterior panels will extend past the bottom of the walls; therefore, the panels the desk sides will be covered once the walls are put in place.

Putting Up the Walls

This is a very exciting part of the process. Although it is technically a part of the framing, this has to be done sooner or later. When putting up the walls, you will see if all your cuts and measurements were done correctly. There is a chance that not all of the parts will fit, but don’t worry about that. Most probably, you will be able to fix it in just a few cuts. You can start by putting the back wall in place first. The best choice is to use 4-inch screws to fasten the wall to the floor frame board. Then, you should lift the sidewalls into place and attach them firmly against the back wall frame.

Also, note that the corners at which the frames meet should be screwed from the inside of the sidewall frames to the end wall frame; that is how it’s usually done.

Conclusion

As you may have noticed, framing a shed doesn’t have to be difficult. However, there are specific rules that you have to follow. The first thing that you should do before you start is to plan everything. Either create a model on a program such as Sketch Up, or draw the model on a paper, but be sure that you have all the dimensions and everything set up correctly. Then, before you start to cut anything, be sure that you have done a double, maybe even a triple measurement. If you cut something wrong, you will waste both the time, the material, and your nerves.

In the end, we should mention that you should have the right tools. The fact is, framing the shed doesn’t require any special, high-tech, expensive tools, but still, you must have some basic tools ready before you even start. Additionally, always buy a little more material than you will need, so you won’t have to go back and buy more planks while you are in the middle of the job. That’s it! We are sure that our guide will help you on your journey of framing the shed.