If you are looking for an easy and cost-effective way to add value to your property or make it easier for you to store your gardening supplies and furniture without any hassle, then this 8×8 Gable Shed is for you! With our easy to follow guide, you will be able to build your very own 8×8 gable shed in no time, no matter if you are an amateur builder or a professional.
Why Choose to Build an 8×8 Gable Shed?
There are a few reasons why this shed is probably one of the best matches for your garden. First, this is a mid-size shed that looks good enough to add some flair to your garden. Secondly, this shed has enough space to store your supplies and even gives you room for additional recreational activities. Whether you are an avid gardener or an artist, this shed will give you the space you need to work on your hobbies.
The most important aspect is that this is an easy to build yet durable shed. The guide is easy for everyone to follow.
Shed Information
In this DIY shed building guide, we will be talking about the materials required, their quantity and sizes and the role of each material in the building process.
The overall height of the shed from the front would be 11 feet and 6.5 inches while the width would be 8 feet and 1 inch from the bottom plate. The overall depth of the shed would be 9 feet and 7.5 inches from the sides and the width from the sides would be 8 feet and 1 inch.
Getting Started…
Before you start with the building process, there are a few pointers to keep in mind in order to make sure the shed is built perfectly.
First and the foremost, make sure you are working on a level surface so that all the corners and measurements of the walls and foundation are accurate. Secondly, you need to make sure all the measurements are being followed precisely as mentioned in the guide. Don’t deviate from the measurements in this guide.
You will use a spirit level to plumb the walls and to check if the top walls are horizontal. Last but not least, you need to decide whether you want to build the doors and windows yourself or if you want to purchase them from a local hardware store. If you are purchasing them then you need to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines precisely.
How to Build an 8×8 Gable Shed
Ready to start? Let’s get building. You will start the building process with the foundation of the shed. It is extremely important to make sure the foundation is resilient since it will be supporting the entire weight of the structure. You will use 2×6 pressure treated timber floor band and 4×4 pressure treated timber skids to build the foundation. The overall width of the foundation should be 8 feet while the height should be 8 feet as well. In other words, you will build an 8×8 foundation for the shed.
Tip: You will use 2 inch nails or screws to attach the joists and skids together.
Once the foundation is built, you will start working on installing the floor. If you have built the foundation right then this step should be a breeze. You will use 0.74 inch thick tongue and groove plywood for the process. Cut the plywood sheet into two pieces of 4 feet height and 8 feet length to make them easier to install. Lay the plywood on the foundation and use 2 inch nails or screws to fix the flooring on the foundation.
Tip: It is suggested to cut the plywood into two halves, to make it easier to install.
Now, your floor and foundation is ready. It is solid enough to hold the walls and the roof. Next, we are going to start building the walls. Note that not all walls are the same in this shed. The right wall comes with a 3×3 window. You will be using pressure treated timber to build the wall frames. For the right wall, you will have a width of 8 feet and a height of 7 feet and 6 inches. Leave out the space for the window to be installed. We highly recommend that you follow the
manufacturer’s instructions when installing the window. Once you have built the structure for the right wall, start installing T1-11 siding on it. You will be installing the siding on the 2×4 trimmer, 2×4 double header, and the bottom.
In order to nail the siding to the wood, you will use 1.25 inches nails. After installing the siding, cut out the window area for the window to be installed.
Tip: Keep the top flush with the top plate while the bottom will have the siding hanging down 1.5 inches past the bottom plate.
After building the right wall, start working on the front wall. Similar to the right wall, the front wall has a single door that will be 6 feet and 4.5 inches in height and 3 inches in width. The overall width of the wall would be 7 feet and 4 inches from the bottom plate and 8 feet from the top plate. You will use pressure treated timber to build the joists and skids for the wall.
Again, similar to the right wall, you will start installing T1-11 exterior siding once you have built the wall structure, keeping the top flush while the bottom will have the siding hanging down by 1.5 inches past the plate. You will be using 1.25 inches nails to attach the siding to the wall. Cut out the area for the door carefully. You can either use the cut out siding for building the door or buy a completely new door and follow manufacturer’s instructions to install it precisely.
Tip: Make sure the siding is flush with the top plate and is hanging down 1.5 inches past the bottom plate.
Now, you have completed the structure for the two most complex walls of the shed. You are left with the back wall and the left wall. Both these walls are comparatively easy to build since they have no windows and doors. The total width of the back wall will be 7 feet and 4 inches from the bottom plate and 8 feet from the top plate. On the other hand, the total width of the left wall will be 8 feet from the bottom plate and 7 feet and 4 inches from the inner top plate and 8 feet from the outer top plate as shown in the image. You will use pressure treated timber to build the skids and joists for both the walls. Once built, you will start installing T1-11 exterior siding to the walls using 1.25 inch finishing nails. As with the previous walls, make sure the siding is flush with the top plate and is hanging 1.5 inches past the bottom plate.
Tip: Make sure the T1-11 exterior does not overlap from the edges as this will compromise the entire purpose of the siding.
With all the four walls built, you will now need to mount the walls on the foundation and give your shed a proper shape. Make sure the walls are flush with the edges. You will need to use 2×4 temporary brackets to hold the walls in place while you nail them permanently. In order to do it, you will first use the brackets to hold the walls in place and then plumb the walls with a spirit level.
Once they are plumbed, start nailing the walls in place with 3.5 inches screws. Drive the screws through the plates into the joists.
Tip: You can use galvanized nails as well but we recommend using screws as they can be easily removed and reinstalled.
After fitting the walls on the foundation, the next step is to install the wall frames in place. However, before you do that, you need to make sure that they are plumb by using a spirit level to set the wall frames in position.
Once done, start using 3 inch screws to attach the frames with the structure.
Tip: It is important to make sure that all the frames have proper measurements. If not, they will cause complications during the installation process.
With the frames and walls mounted, more than half of your shed is now complete. Now, the only part remaining is adding a roof to the shed.
When it comes to building roofs, many people think of it as a task not for amateur or first time builders. But, if you follow our guide carefully, you will be able to build the roof in no time without any additional help.
The first step of building the roof is to build its rafters. These rafters will be used to construct trusses later on, which is why it is extremely important to make sure that the rafters are equally sized. You will need to cut and build 15 rafters of 4 inches in length and 2 inches in height. Each rafter needs to be 4 feet and 8.5 inches long.
Tip: We suggest building all the rafters beforehand and measure them to check their accuracy.
Once the rafters are built, the next step is to start assembling them into trusses. Each truss would be 8 feet in width and will have a 30 degree slope for water to easily drain out. The height of each truss would be 4 feet and 8.5 inches in diameter. After you are done assembling the rafters into trusses, you will install T1-11 exterior siding on the two outermost rafters with 1.25 inches finishing nails.
Tip: Make sure the T1-11 exterior siding does not overlap from the edges as this will compromise the functionality and beauty of the siding.
Now that you have built the trusses, you need to place them over the walls to give your roof a shape. This is a crucial step and you need to carry it out with precision. Make sure each truss has a gap of 11.4 inches from the other. Use 3.5 inches galvanized screws after drilling plot holes to attach the trusses to the walls.
Next is installing the roof sheathing once you have attached the trusses to the walls. This is an easy task. You simply have to rip 6.5 inches for the ridge and 2 inch pieces for the rake side fascia boards. Once done, start installing roofing felt to the roof.
Tip: You need to make sure that the sheathing overlaps with at least 2 inches. Also, lock the tar paper to the plywood sheets using staples.
Finally, you will now start installing the asphalt shingles to the roof. This is the most important part of the roofing process. You will be using roofing tacks to make sure the shingles stay in place during the process.
Tip: Follow manufacturer’s instructions to install the shingles properly on the roof.
After installing the shingles, you will start building the trims for the shed. You will build two trims each with a height of 7 feet and one with a 30 degree bevel cut on top and the other with 30 degree miter cut on top.
That’s it! Add some finishing touches like paint and any embellishments and your 8×8 gable shed is ready to be used!
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