Building a shed with a pitched roof yourself is quite challenging, especially if you've never built anything yourself. On the other hand, no matter the size of the property, a shed is essential at the dacha. Because there's simply no room to store all the equipment in the house. Building a frame or other type of shed yourself will certainly reduce the cost. However, design, skill, and knowledge are also essential to ensure a durable structure. Options decorative crafts for decorating the area with your own hands.
Which material to choose?
Whether you're building a frame shed or another shed with a pitched roof, you first need to clearly understand what materials you'll be using. If you built your own house and have leftover materials, they're also perfect for constructing a neat and sturdy shed.
When it comes to the shed's appearance, you don't necessarily need to spend your savings on expensive materials. For example, common and inexpensive siding can help you create a neat shed while saving money. Moreover, modern siding can be made to look like timber or logs, brick, or even stone in various textures. When building a shed yourself, it's most practical to use inexpensive yet practical materials.
A quick and cheap way
A DIY frame shed with a pitched roof is the simplest, most inexpensive, and fastest way to build such a structure. The plans are clear and straightforward, and watching the video will make even the most complex aspects clear.
The shed frame can be made of wood or metal. The exterior will need additional sheathing, then the roof is installed, and the shed is ready for use. If the shed is wooden, it is built from planks and beams. A metal structure requires profile pipes, which are cut to a square cross-section and welded together. This makes joining the sheds easier and faster.
Advice! Alternatively, you can build a pre-fabricated metal frame. Its advantage is that the structure is already prefabricated at the factory, so you just need to assemble it yourself. However, there's a catch: while such a frame is considered inexpensive for a residential home, it's still an expensive option for a shed used as an outbuilding. Assembling the frame takes several days, and the drawings come with instructions.
Which foundation to choose?
A self-assembled frame shed with a pitched roof is easy to build; it's a lightweight structure in itself. Therefore, a lightweight foundation is chosen. A post or concrete blocks installed on screw piles are sufficient. If the soil is difficult, a monolithic or precast strip foundation (shallow) can be used.
Advice! A reinforced strip foundation is essential even if the shed is being built from blocks or brick. Even on difficult soil, the structure will be stable and reliable. The risk of cracks in this situation is minimal, even if the structure moves along with the foundation. How to do it yourself build a brick oven.
In principle, it's possible to build a frame shed without an additional foundation. The structure will need to be treated with a rot- and moisture-resistant sealant, then buried 60-80 centimeters deep and concreted. Attach the bottom rail and support the floor joists on it. This method isn't suitable for a large shed, but you can build a small storage shed for minimal gardening equipment storage.
For soils where water doesn't stagnate and the groundwater table is deep, a shed with a 50 cm (20 in) extension on each side is suitable. To construct the foundation, remove the soil and simply add a sand and gravel backfill. Then lay the timber frame on the crushed stone and attach the floor joists to them (be sure to additionally treat the timber with a preservative, as the wood won't withstand prolonged, constant contact with the soil).
Please note! But building a shed yourself with a pitched roof isn't the best option. Even if the groundwater level is deep and the shed is well-treated with a preservative, it won't last long; the wood will quickly deteriorate due to constant exposure to moisture.
Building a foundation with your own hands
Regardless of whether the foundation is pile or columnar, individual supports are placed strictly along the perimeter. This is done at the corners of the building, as well as at the partitions (if the drawing indicates any). The frequency of installing supports depends on the size of the building. The longer the span, the larger the joists.
Once the blocks are ready, a foundation can be built quickly and easily. Dig pits for the blocks (make them slightly larger than the blocks). Add sand and gravel to the bottom and compact it. The compacted fill should be at least 20 cm and no more than 30 cm thick. Now install the blocks and then attach the bottom frame.
DIY timber frame shed with a pitched roof, step-by-step construction instructions:
1. The shed is 6 x 3 meters. The roof is pitched and covered with ondulin. The front wall is three meters high, and the rear wall is 2.4 meters. Snow does not accumulate on the roof.
2. FBS blocks measuring 600 x 300 x 200 mm were selected for the foundation. They were laid on a 25 cm thick sand and gravel bedding. Roofing felt was laid on top for waterproofing, with bitumen mastic underneath. The groundwater level is high, so everything was done to ensure reliability.
3. Place 150x150 mm timber on top of the roofing felt. Be sure to pre-treat the timber. Secure with nails; butt joints are possible.
4. The frame itself is not attached to the blocks, but if the winds in a particular region are strong, then this should be done using studs.
5. Next, attach the floor joists, setting the boards on edge at 150 x 60 mm. Attach them using staples or nails. Everything should be as level as possible to ensure smooth flooring. If necessary, plane the floor evenly.
6. Once the floor is laid, you can install the walls. You can begin by paneling the walls first, then lift them, position them vertically, and secure them.
7. Once the frame is completely assembled, the frame railing must be installed. Then install it evenly along the edge of the beam and secure it. Nail it through the floor to the frame railing with nails.
8. To reinforce window and door openings, nail two boards in a staggered pattern. The heavier the load, the more reinforcement is required in these areas.
9. Since the roof is pitched, you just need to lay the boards on one edge and secure them. Make the sheathing, cover it with the chosen material, and secure it well. Read about choose a toilet for a summer house.
If you're building a shed with a different type of roof than a pitched one, more work will be involved. In any case, a video, step-by-step photos, and a description of the process for constructing such a structure with a pitched roof will simplify the construction process.