This is so true. All materials and tools have their limitations. I have been around construction my whole life, and I just finished my home. (Well, almost...)

Just think about tolerances.
The dirt guy uses a dozer.
The framer uses a circular saw.
The trim carpenter used miter, track, and table saws.

That is just the tool side of things. Materials have the same things. My trim carpenter mentor once told me to focus on quality and in time quantity will come. If you focus on quantity, you may never get better. So just keep learning and having fun.

Now one piece of coaching. Get the wall that the door goes in plumb. If you have to adjust the tops of the side walls so be it. If that wall is plumb, it is much easier to hang a door.

I think this is a cool coop. I really like it. Why do you say that metal posts will be hard to attach? People use galvanized posts on wood fences all the time. Are you talking about steel tubing? You need your own thread too. Start us a build thread.

My daughter has agreed to take photos and video as we build. I will probably start my own thread. That could be fun.

My shed next to this has a porch with a glulam beam and 2" round steel columns. I was wanting to match that, but it would seriously bust the budget and I'd have to wire the hardware cloth continuously to the posts while keeping it taut. I could go crazy making it look like high design mid century ranch but I have to stop spending at some point.

Your door is staying flat because you sandwiched it between sheet material. They work against each other to keep it flat.

I have done shed doors before by building a 1" tube welded metal frame and fastening the plywood to that. It's lighter and flatter.

91_Aggie said:

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Sasappis said:

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I have some bad news for you on the door. You can have it perfectly level and a great fit today. However in 6 months from now it will be different. In unconditioned spaces the wood will swell and contract in different ways. You need to remember that it is an outdoor structure and needs to have those extra tolerances accounted for.

If you have the door fit too well you will have to take it down in a year after it has been raining a lot to trim to make it open and close. It may be 75 on the day you build but in August when it is 105 things will not fit the same.

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Thanks for advice. I will keep that in mind and try to leave appropriate tolerances for swelling and shrinkage [/thats what she said]

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Another thing to consider is some eye hooks, aircraft cabling, and turn buckles to tension the door frame and prevent sag. Go from top hinge side to bottom swing side.

ABATTBQ11 said:

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91_Aggie said:

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Sasappis said:

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I have some bad news for you on the door. You can have it perfectly level and a great fit today. However in 6 months from now it will be different. In unconditioned spaces the wood will swell and contract in different ways. You need to remember that it is an outdoor structure and needs to have those extra tolerances accounted for.

If you have the door fit too well you will have to take it down in a year after it has been raining a lot to trim to make it open and close. It may be 75 on the day you build but in August when it is 105 things will not fit the same.

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Thanks for advice. I will keep that in mind and try to leave appropriate tolerances for swelling and shrinkage [/thats what she said]

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Another thing to consider is some eye hooks, aircraft cabling, and turn buckles to tension the door frame and prevent sag. Go from top hinge side to bottom swing side.

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planning on two doors that will latch in the middle... each about 30" wide.

Well the front is framed. So much worry and preciseness for this to make sure door jamb was square and plumb.

But its done and I was relieved that everywhere I checked for being level and plumb, the bubble was dead center all the way around and across the top.

And it still measured 8 feet across at the top in all directions, edges and middle.

Whew!!

So next question. The plans call for installing the siding next before "framing" the roof.

Is there any difference if I do siding first or framing the roof first?

With the siding on it will be much sturdier and wiggle as much, so that might help make sure the rafters are easier to put in. But maybe having the ability to walk through the walls while framing the roof would make it easier.

Or maybe it does not matter at all.

I really should have paid attention when I was a kid and on job sites every summer.

Don't worry about the level bubble, it'll be different after a day cooking in the sun!

Side or brace the walls first! Don't climb up and start framing the roof without bracing the walls and easiest way to do that is with siding. It will keep it from moving around on you for sure.

plumb bob is more accurate than a level. also, make sure your outside of wall to outside of opposite wall is consistent across the length of the wall. Otherwise, your rafters will all be slightly different.

Architelico said:

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plumb bob is more accurate than a level. also, make sure your outside of wall to outside of opposite wall is consistent across the length of the wall. Otherwise, your rafters will all be slightly different.

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Thanks for advice.
Yes that is the main thing I checked for outside walls. Checked both front and back width and also in the middle. Good to go

91_Aggie said:

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ABATTBQ11 said:

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91_Aggie said:

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Sasappis said:

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I have some bad news for you on the door. You can have it perfectly level and a great fit today. However in 6 months from now it will be different. In unconditioned spaces the wood will swell and contract in different ways. You need to remember that it is an outdoor structure and needs to have those extra tolerances accounted for.

If you have the door fit too well you will have to take it down in a year after it has been raining a lot to trim to make it open and close. It may be 75 on the day you build but in August when it is 105 things will not fit the same.

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Thanks for advice. I will keep that in mind and try to leave appropriate tolerances for swelling and shrinkage [/thats what she said]

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Another thing to consider is some eye hooks, aircraft cabling, and turn buckles to tension the door frame and prevent sag. Go from top hinge side to bottom swing side.

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planning on two doors that will latch in the middle... each about 30" wide.

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You could do the same on each door, but likely won't need to. Not enough leverage on doors that thin.

The type of roof you are building is a little trickier than a standard roof. You might want to lay a temporary 2x across the top to hold the middle at the right dimension before you start putting up the trusses.

This is a well house I built several years ago. Maybe more your speed:

Builder93 said:

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This is a well house I built several years ago. Maybe more your speed:

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Would probably take me as long to build.

Builder93 said:

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The type of roof you are building is a little trickier than a standard roof. You might want to lay a temporary 2x across the top to hold the middle at the right dimension before you start putting up the trusses.

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Thanks for the tip.

I went at lunch to get the siding. Most expensive part of this project.

Will try to start this tomorrow at lunch.

Got 1 wall sided today. Unwieldly to do alone. Had to get youngest daughter to help hold until i could temporary screws in place.

But the wall is built.

All other 6 pieces of siding cut to size. Will try to get those done this weekend if wife/kids can help

Got 3 walls up. Still need front but I am taking my time. No hurry.

Setup some bricks underneath to hold up the siding at the right level since my wife was sick. Worked out well. Everything still all square. And, of course, the trim work will hide any small flaws.

Have to cut the front siding now. Going to take my time and make sure I get those cuts right since the remaining will form the doors

Ready to start working on the roof.

Have a question about material for the roof.
The plans call for 3/4" plywood for the roof.
Can I use 3/4" OSB sheathing instead? Old shed used this and roof was still solid after 22 years... might have been 1/2" OSB.

tia.

91_Aggie said:

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Ready to start working on the roof.

Have a question about material for the roof.
The plans call for 3/4" plywood for the roof.
Can I use 3/4" OSB sheathing instead? Old shed used this and roof was still solid after 22 years... might have been 1/2" OSB.

tia.

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Yes, OSB is fine!

For attaching plywood/OSB gussets to rafter, are Drywall screws good enough or should I use wood screws?

Almost all roof decking is done with nails (8d common nails).

Drywall screws are definitely not structural, but I'm sure they would be fine. I wouldn't use the typical 1 1/4" length though.

This would be for this part.

[img][/img]

And use an 8d nail for those gusset plates. Drywall screws aren't meant to handle that kind of shear.

If you really want to use a screw, needs to be a GRK type or something similar.

Okay. Was watching a lot of youtube videos. Almost all using screws. I bought wood screws for exterior use. Figured it was not that big of a cost difference.

And some were using OSB for the gussets. So I went that route. Might have to return it to lowes and get plywood.

Glue would be good also. It would make it more rigid. You could do some polyurethane glue and 1-1/2" screws. Rock solid. GRK screws are great. They tend to bite better, they don't split the wood as much, and the steel is stronger.

Builder93 said:

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Glue would be good also. It would make it more rigid. You could do some polyurethane glue and 1-1/2" screws. Rock solid. GRK screws are great. They tend to bite better, they don't split the wood as much, and the steel is stronger.

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Thanks for the tip about glue. What would I be looking for at Lowes for a good glue?

I got started today in cutting the 2x4s and the gussets. Got the first one made and then setup a jig on an old 4x8 piece of OSB panel i had left over from a previous project.

Got a rafter piece and gusset piece made as perfect as possible to use for tracing onto each piece I cut to make it go faster along.

But it started raining right after I was ready to go to town on it.

okay, looked up polyurethane glue, and looks like Gorilla glue matches the description.
However, will that glue expand too much?

Anywho, got all the gussets and rafters cut to length.

Made a "jig" so that everyone will be exactly the same.

Tomorrow at lunch (or maybe tonight some) I'll start gussetting them.

An actual wood glue will give better adhesion. They sell Titebond III at blue/orange and it's an exterior rated wood glue with decent open time.

When you go to install your two end trusses attach at each end of the shed two 2x4s vertically (like a football goalpost) to your end walls. These will help hold the truss when you lift it up there. You may not need to do this if you have strong help.

will.mcg said:

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When you go to install your two end trusses attach at each end of the shed two 2x4s vertically (like a football goalpost) to your end walls. These will help hold the truss when you lift it up there. You may not need to do this if you have strong help.

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Great Idea! Thanks!

I have completed all the rafters/trusses...the Glue tip was great as well... definitely a solid piece with that in there.

Next step will be attaching the siding to the two end trusses before putting those up. Plans said to put that on after, but it will be much easier to do that on the ground.

Rain coming in the forecast, so I'll try to get everything I can done on the ground, but want to get trusses up and the roof panels on all on the same day.. don't want the trusses up by themselves and then storm a-comes and blows it all down.

So might be doing nothing this weekend depending on the forecast.

91_Aggie said:

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Next step will be attaching the siding to the two end trusses before putting those up. Plans said to put that on after, but it will be much easier to do that on the ground.

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Not sure what type of siding you're using, but if it's lap siding, I'm not sure how you'd be able to put it on first. (as opposed to working from the bottom to the top)

If you're using lp smartside panels or hardieplank panels I guess it would work.

txag2008 said:

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91_Aggie said:

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Next step will be attaching the siding to the two end trusses before putting those up. Plans said to put that on after, but it will be much easier to do that on the ground.

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Not sure what type of siding you're using, but if it's lap siding, I'm not sure how you'd be able to put it on first. (as opposed to working from the bottom to the top)

If you're using lp smartside panels or hardieplank panels I guess it would work.

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It is a 4x8 panel that will be cut down to size. Not individual planks.

It's better to do it after putting up the trusses because you get a good joint with the panels below. Otherwise, you have to be dead nuts on your measurements and where you attach the panel to make sure you hit the joint correctly.