# Building a stick built shed



## LPG (Jan 19, 2017)

Ok so down here in the south, our HVHZ building code calls for majority CMU construction and I personally don't have much experience in the way of stick building.

Im building a personal shed behind my house and am building atop a monolithic slab.

Initially the plan was to frame 2x4 or maybe 2x6 walls and sheath with Zip sheathing, tape, and vinyl siding on top(with PT furring strip for air and water drainage.) Everything to be strapped and sill bolted down, etc.

Im beginning to wonder if the zip sheathing with vinyl is overkill for a shed, and to just go with straight T-111, paint it, and call it a day.

Some of you northern boys or stick builders may be chuckling, but hey- all we do down here is block and stucco.........


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Shed would just be t-111. Make sure you get some metal on there to stop termites, and pt sills.

Having a single layer wall in termite country is a good way to go.


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## paul100 (Dec 7, 2008)

It depends on what you want it to look like when finished. We have built it both ways. Some customers want the shed to look like the house, some just want it the lowest cost possible.


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## TheConstruct (Dec 8, 2017)

Way more cost effective for sure. If you have LP Smartside sheathing in your area it looks like t11 but is rot and termite resistant and comes primed. Nice stuff.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

Also use 2x4s.

Of course, there are sheds and then there are sheds.










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## Big Johnson (Jun 2, 2017)

paul100 said:


> It depends on what you want it to look like when finished. We have built it both ways. Some customers want the shed to look like the house, some just want it the lowest cost possible.


 Those customers live in a double-wide?


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## paul100 (Dec 7, 2008)

Big Johnson said:


> Those customers live in a double-wide?


I should of said "a" house instead of "the" house.
It might look like one but that started out as a small little shed then we added something like a 12 x 14 addition to it. It has a garage door at one end.


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## TheConstruct (Dec 8, 2017)

Here's a little shed I did with the Smart Side sheathing. It paints up really nice. It's a tiny shed but a neat shape. :laughing:


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## LPG (Jan 19, 2017)

so with the LP smartside, is there any sheating or does the LP take its place?

From what I see online it is all you need.. 

With our hurricanes, may sheath below being as it looks to be .33" thick


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## Big Johnson (Jun 2, 2017)

LPG said:


> so with the LP smartside, is there any sheating or does the LP take its place?
> 
> From what I see online it is all you need..
> 
> With our hurricanes, may sheath below being as it looks to be .33" thick


Smartside is 3/8” or 7/16” depending on the specific product. I’d sheath first especially if it’s the hardboard version. The osb versions are only 3/8” I think.


Real T1-11 is 5/8” so that can go directly on studs, which is one reason it’s popular for sheds.


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## TheConstruct (Dec 8, 2017)

The LP product catalogue shows all thicknesses are okay installed directly to framing. The 3/8 and 7/16 look like they require 16" OC and the 9/16" can be installed over 24". Just what I've read anyways, only used it once... Certainly sufficient to stop a shed from racking.


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## Stunt Carpenter (Dec 31, 2011)

I have built a few sheds with the lp 3/8 directly to framing. Never had any problems. Just make sure to buy some extra paint it tends to soak in a lot of paint.


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## Big Johnson (Jun 2, 2017)

Well there’s no enforcement code really for sheds so you can do whatever you want, I like to build better than just what I can get away with. For a 12x12 you have 12 sheets of $12 osb so $150 on a ~$2500 shed is not much extra.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Small structures like sheds are much stronger than something like a house if built the same way. That's why there are a lot of prefab or kit sheds that use 2X3s.

I built a single wall shed just to see what it's pros and cons are. 10X10. 5/8" plywood that edges and corners are joined by nailing onto a 2X4 on the flat. Nailing schedule is every 3 inches.

No studs in a conventional sense, just top and bottom plates.

It's amazingly solid.


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## Mordekyle (May 20, 2014)

Big Johnson said:


> Smartside is 3/8” or 7/16” depending on the specific product. I’d sheath first especially if it’s the hardboard version. The osb versions are only 3/8” I think.
> 
> 
> Real T1-11 is 5/8” so that can go directly on studs, which is one reason it’s popular for sheds.




Make sure to somehow separate the bottom of the siding from the dirt. Maybe a course of block?

I replace lots of T1-11 and older LP siding because it’s too close to concrete or the ground. Rain hits the dirt and splashes up onto the unpainted bottom edge. It wicks up and deteriorates the bottom edge.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

Where you at?

And what is HVHL Code? Or whatever?

You can do it like this with, with T1-11 Structural Sheathing:

Or this one, with rough-sawn redwood and framing, from a bandsaw mill. No plywood at all, just 1x8 diagonal bracing inside.


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## LPG (Jan 19, 2017)

thanks everyone for the input and suprisinginly no flaming!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

HVHZ = High velocity hurricane zone..

We live in South Florida and contend with hurricanes on a yearly basis. The main concepts are probably similar to up north, but just beefed up. Uplift and strapping is huge,elevations, drainage, along with impact ratings, on windows and doors in particular, not necessarily walls, although their typically reinforced block which makes it a non issue.

Although Im not having this inspected or engineered, (as it should be) Im of the opinion that when **** hits that fan, and that category 4-5 Hurricane is days away, I don't even want to think twice about this thing blowing over and my tools and equipment flying away. So overkill is completely fine with me..


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

If everything else is block, why not build a block shed? :thumbsup:


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## LPG (Jan 19, 2017)

cost savings, time savings, and more important, I can put the whole thing up myself after hours...

I really enjoy working with wood whenever possible.

Plus, maybe Ill "need to buy" another tool for the job :laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

I don't have a link, but structures that withstood hurricanes in Florida have been studied. The general conclusions were that hexagonal or octagonal buildings fared better, and lower slope roofs did better than highslope roofs. Also, little eve overhang fared better than more overhang.

Sounds like a hexagonal or octagonal shed with a hipped roof would be good, but you'll have to learn more framing to do it.:whistling


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