I retrieved my lawn mower from a storage locker for the last time, the shed is complete.  The only items left were installing the soffit and front side trim.  I thought 30 minutes top.  The soffit went fast, the real work with that was already done.  The plans called for attaching with 2″ 6d nails, but screw that.  Nailing upwards bites, I pulled out my mini gun and shot with 2 1/2″ 16 gauge nails.  My fit was almost perfect.  Where it wasn’t I put a bead of caulk.

I ran into a snag with the trim.  I followed the plans, but there was a gap at the top.  I looked over the plans and really don’t see what I missed.  Maybe they intended for there to be a gap, but that just invites bees and birds to find a home.  As with the soffit I needed to notch the front corner trim.  Unfortunately I had already cut one side, so I installed it and as I did with the back, added a filler piece.  The opposite side I notched.

More caulk, touch up paint and the shed project was practically complete.  The missing t-hinges for the doors came in, so I added them.  I also added about a 3″ wide strip of scrap T1-11 board, painted yellow on inside of one door to cover the gap between the doors.  At the bottom of that same door I added a surface bolt latch, so the side stays closed until I pull the latch.  While I was building the doors constantly blew open and shut and I figured that couldn’t be a good thing over time.  Those last two steps was just me over achieving and so are the tool racks I will make out of the scrap 2x4s.  I did one just to see if it would work, it did.  You can’t tell by the picture, but I cut the back side at a 20 degree angle.  I knew the upward tilt would help keep them in place.  It does.

People have commented to me, why not just buy a shed.  I could have, but I’m so thankful in this stage of my life that I have the skill set and physical ability to build something of quality myself, ESPECIALLY, given these trying times we’re in.  This project gave me something positive to focus on when the world is filled with negative thanks to Covid-19.  I built that…….from scratch.  There is nothing I can’t do when I put my mind to it.  I need these projects to reaffirm that I am essential because the world is telling me I’m not.

This is not my first shingle project.  In 2010, my father helped me build a new deck with a gazebo at my old house.  He worked for 19 days before needing to return home.  I had to finish the shingles and all decorative trim myself.  That’s me in the picture.  The shed is a piece of cake compared to the gabled roof of the gazebo.

I bought Owens Corning Oakridge shingles, color Driftwood, from Menards to match the shingles on my house.  The plans called for two packs and I did not want to run short.  In laying shingles the first row you actually lay upside down, it’s your starter row.  Remembering that I went to the Cincinnati ReUse Center and spent $2 on 4 loose shingles.  With the starter row in place all you really need to do is follow the installation instructions on the shingle packaging.  My mother always told me if you can read you can do anything and she was 100% right.  The instructions called for six courses, starting from the left  after row 1 that started with a whole piece; the next 5 had to be cut 2, 6 1/2″; 3, 13″; 4, 19″; 5, 26″; and 6 32 1/2″.  A scrap piece of the roof sheathing was a perfect cutting board, becoming the perfect jig.  I only got half done before the rains came, which was fine because I needed to go back to Home Depot and get a different drip edge.

It appeared I had already gotten the widest drip edge, I kept what I had, but also bought 10′ roll of 6″ wide aluminum flashing.  That covered the gap at the top and I was able to attach the drip edge.  With that complete I laid my felt paper and continued with installing the shingles.  When I got to the last row, which I knew wouldn’t have strong nail contact, I applied roof cement caulk.

It was a cold, muddy, day, so I decided to call it quits after painting the foundation gray to match the house.  I also took the measurements for the soffit cut outs I’d have to make.  I must have read something wrong in the instructions because the top trim piece for the door was too high and it interfered with the soffit placement’; I would need to notch around it.  The T1-11 siding was to be used for this.  Luckily I had plenty of scraps thanks to my mis-cut of the door.  I got the right side spot on with the first cut.  The left took three tries before I got it right.  I drilled the vent holes, painted them, and applied the screen mesh, so they’d be ready to install.  I also cut and painted the front corner trim.  Unless something unforeseen happens the shed should be completed the next day I work on it.

With more rain in the forecast and my days tied up with clients, Monday evening I was determined to get the two narrow pieces of siding up over the door opening and the back siding installed.  The goal is to be entirely finished by the weekend as its supposed to be beautiful and my grass needs to be cut.  If I finish the shed I can retrieve my lawn mower from my cousin’s storage locker one final time.

I decided to paint the back panels first, so I brought my saw horses up from the basement in order to paint outside.  Even though I was able to carry the full sheets downstairs to cut the side panels, it was a struggle and I decided against that just to paint.  I got one panel complete, but realized I would not have enough paint for the entire second panel.  I quickly installed the small strips above the door and decided to call it a night.  Tuesday I was able to pick up a quart of paint from Lowe’s on a lunch break, so Tuesday evening I started up again.

I painted the second panel and then proceeded to hang the first.  I pulled out my house jack thinking this would be a piece of cake.  NOT!!!  First off it was windy with winds blowing towards me, which meant the panel was being blown towards me and not the shed.  I was able to turn my clamps into helpful extra hands, but I could not get that board positioned correctly.  I struggled for over two hours, until dark.  I accepted the revelation that my wall studs weren’t level; I had a lean that was making it impossible to split the middle of the center stud.  I was real close to getting my work light, plugging it in and working until the back panels were hung, but my inner voice spoke to me and said, remember your final door, go to bed.  So I re-tarped the panels and did just that.

Rain was headed our way late morning, so I struck out early.  Clearly the walls weren’t level, but I knew my floor was, so I screwed three screws to span the 48″ width of the panel were the bottom of the panel should set.  They became my ledge.  I used clamps to hold the top as it was windier.  I got the bottom corner aligned and revealed that the top extended past the edge of structure by about 2″.  I needed to draw the structure to meet the board and that I accomplished by using my 50″ clamps.  I cranked it as far as it would go and only closed half the gap, so I grabbed my 36″ clamp, piggy backed it on top of the other clamp and cranked until the top corner was flush.  Doing so made that panel almost perfectly centered on the middle stud.

The second panel was much easier.  I did have to use the house jack as I placed the screws slightly too low. I needed to raise the panel about a half inch.  I’m not quite sure what I would have done if the roof rafters weren’t exposed for me to anchor to.

In less than two hours the back was complete, just as the rains started to fall.  I know now that placing the rafters exactly perpendicular to the wall joist is crucial.  Having level wall studs is crucial, however all in all for a shed rookie working as a solo act, she ain’t half bad.  Doors and trim and this shed is a wrap.