Wintershed

Once the Outhouse got to a functional point, (if not completely done), I moved on to my storage shed. My need for a locking dry storage place is more important than having the outhouse “done”. My definition of done is that the outhouse is weather proof and there is a closing toilet seat over the hole in the ground.

Local building code allows me up to 200 square feet for a non- residential building. I assume that that means no electricity or plumbing either. We’ll see how that works in real life because I do want the shed to be a safe place for storage of my tools and stuff, as well as a place for battery storage and solar panel mounting. It should also work as a workshop when I am there. And who am I kidding. It will be fitted out with sleeping arrangements.

I didn’t use any plans, just an idea in my head. I was hoping to have a shed roof to have it match the outhouse but because it faces south, solar panels would have to stick up on the high end and the winds would be problematic. Instead I went with the standard gable roof that allows me to have a loft space that I can almost stand up in.

The downside of that loft space is that the roof pitch is 12:12, 45 degrees. I realized after I got the rafters up that it was going to be hard to safely work up there to get the roof on. Not to mention, getting solar panels mounted. I like the loft headroom though. I stuck with the design but will put the panels closer to the ground when the time comes.

I dug 9 holes for the concrete support pillars about 3 feet deep. Frost line is about 24 inches. I used 12 inch diameter Sonotubes on the 4 corners and the remaining were 8″ diameter. The overall foot print is 12 x 16 feet. I used three 4×6 pressure treated beams laid across post bases I set in the concrete pillars. On top of that, I laid out the 2×6 pressure treated joists.

I decided on the dimensions to stay under the permit requirements and to line up with standard 4×8 sheets of plywood and OSB. I ended up being pretty square. Probably off by an inch. I think that is pretty good since I was working alone. I I knew I would pay for inch as I worked my way up to the roof but it would all be workable.

I laid down the r-13 insulation between the floor joists, supported by 16″ support rods with additional support of aluminum screening to prevent pests and rodents from getting into it.

The subfloor Is 3/4″ OSB screwed to the joists. I was going to use construction adhesive in addition to the screws but just never got around to it. We’ll see how just the screws hold up in OSB.

The walls are 2x4s. I made a mistake and didn’t factor the base and top plates into the wall heights. So the walls are 8 feet plus 4.5″ high. That threw off the 4X8 panel measurement convenience and added a couple of days to cut and install the extra sheathing around the rafters.. Lesson learned. The benefit is that there is a little extra knee wall height in the loft. I like it but it would have been easier to have finished the wall sheathing before I did the rafters.

The roof is supported by a 6 foot long 4×4 post on either side of the ridge beam. Because of the weight, I built the ridge beam in place. Raising a 16 foot 2×8 first then gluing a piece of 1/2 inch wide plywood ripped to match the 2×8. Then another 2×8 glued into all that. The 16 ft length of the 2×8 had a bit of a warp to it that impacted the rafter fit. I had to do some cutting to fit which slowed down the process.

I cut each of the rafters individually because they weren’t all exactly straight and because I was paying for the 1″ alignment inaccuracy now.

It took a few days and the bird bites aren’t as pretty as I would have liked. I  had concerns on structural strength and integrity. I resolved that concern with the magic of Simson strong-tie brackets and 2×4 supports connecting the rafters as additional strength at the peak.

The 45 degree pitch was now my main concern. I had to get the 1/2 plywood sheathing up there and installed. I broke down and bought a fall prevention harness. I used it but realized that its design would leave me hanging halfway to the ground with no way out of it. I also bought brackets that screw into the roof for a platform to walk on a 2×6. Then I built a roof ladder out of 2×4 that hooked to the other side of the roof. In the end, it all worked but was extremely cumbersome. Especially when I was trying to lay the roofing felt. Lesson learned. Working by yourself? Lower the roof pitch.

I decided on metal roofing for look and ease of installation. Much lighter than shingles. I left a gap between the two sides of the roof as a vent. I messed up and measured the roofing length to the edge of the sheathing and not further. The ridge cap didn’t cover the gap so I had to order a wider cap. a week delay and an extra $160. Another lesson learned.

I ordered the widest edge trim I could get to cover up the 1″ error out of square error. I think it will take a pretty close look to see the error but I can live with it.

The windows were from Lowes. Standard sizing. They just needed to be ordered. I think the wait time was 2 weeks. I installed them with plenty of flashing tape and expanding foam. They should be weather tight. I did smash one of the windows when the ladder I was on slipped and fell into it. I called Lowes thinking I would have to buy a replacement. It turns out that the Jeld-Win Windows come with construction insurance. Free pane replacement and It includes someone to come out and fix it. Since it is so hard to get to my place, I just had them send me the pane and I would fix it myself. As usual, it was more difficult than I expected. Then again they have all the special tools. I got it done but it took a day.

The door was right off the Home Depot rack. It is a weird fit though because to get it to line up with the Cedar board planks on the outside, I am short by 1/2 inch on the inside. The thickness of the drywall. Will work on that in the future.

I thought I would get fancy with the double wide Shed Door opening. Instead of two swinging doors, I found folding door hardware on line, It was much harder to get fitted than I expected. In the end, I was not too happy with how it works. The doors fold a few inches into the shed as they open making it impossible to have a screen someday. I decided that the double doors were taking up too much wall space and the folding doors were just not working as well as I hoped. The following summer, I pulled them out and reframed the wall for a single door and a window that I found lying around the property. I like it much better now.

Wintershed Build Remodel:

Before

After

 

I built a ladder to the loft out of 2×6’s. I want to be able to lift it out of the way so attached it with hinges at the top. I was going to go with a winch until I learned that winches are for pulling not lifting. Winches can slip so a bad solution for heavy items overhead. I didn’t pull any wires to power the hoist so I ended up with a manual crank screw drive. I could have spent a lot more money for an electric drill mount but made my own. It seems to work well so money saved.  Running the pulleys and cables was a challenge since the mount points are out of reach without a precariously placed ladder.

The kitchen wont have running water. I just didn’t run the pipes after the fact. The outdoor kitchen will be fine. I do have the 12v refrigerator from the old trailer. I bought a small butane stove for inside but mostly use the 2 burner camp stove in the outside kitchen. I also pulled the old trailer  countertop that I built. and put it on top of a used cabinet that fixed up a bit.

The lighting is 12v DC as well as some power points for recharging batteries and phones. There are also a couple 120v AC ports for the occasional gadget.

I have posted a video walk thru to youtube if you are interested…Linked HERE.

As of Dec 2024…..

I have been sleeping in the shed loft for most of this summer. It does get too hot (Really Really Hot!!!) after a summer day so that has been challenging. Otherwise it stays a bit warmer up there then the rest of the shed. The squirrels tried but I was able to plug the holes before they got all the insulation.

The cooler style refrigerator is on its last legs I think. It is extremely inefficient and cycles pretty frequently even when it isn’t that warm in the shed. The DC side of it quit working but I am still able to run it with 120v.

Once the cabin is done, this will still be a good bunkhouse for overflow visitors.

 

Wintershed Build Progress

the start