Shed Project: Sheathing

[jteneyck]

Here's a link to the last installment:  Framing 

Sorry, I didn't take many photos when I was sheathing the walls and roof.  But here are a few of where I'm now at.



I used 7/16" OSB on the walls and 5/8" on the roof.  As I mentioned earlier, the walls have to be really, really plumb in order for the wall sheathing to go on square.  I had to redo the first wall twice before I realized the corner wasn't really plumb.  Once I corrected that, by bracing a 2x4 from the top corner to the floor, the sheathing went on w/o problems.  This is another case of screws being a big advantage for someone like me.  Anyway, I put up the lower sheets and then filled in under the eaves and the gable ends.  I had to add a few pieces of temporary blocking between some of the studs to straighten them where the sheets butted together.  Truly straight studs is a rare occurrence.  

To get the sheets up to the roof I made a ladder rack similar to the one I saw in Modern Carpentry.  That allowed me to get the sheets half way up, one at a time, and then I pulled them up to the roof standing on 2x6's spanning between the lower truss chords.  To keep the sheet from slipping off the trusses before I could screw them down I first screwed some short blocks of 2x4 to the ends of several trusses.  After I got the lower row in place I screwed 2 x4 cleats to the lower edge as a my security blanket in case I slid while putting the upper rows on.  I didn't need them but it made me feel better.  A 7/12 pitch is pretty steep to me; I'm glad I didn't make it any steeper.  I left the sheets at the ends long, snapped a chalk line, and then cut them off after they were all up.  The sawdust from doing that made the roof pretty slippery and I was extra careful getting off it, then immediately went and got the leaf blower and cleaned it all off.  Like with the walls I had to add temporary blocking between some of the trusses to get them aligned with the sheet edges.  I used metal spacers between the sheets to stiffen the joints and to control the gap between them.  You might be able to see them in this photo.  



With the sheathing up I got a start on the roofing prep. by putting up some scaffolding, which you can see in the first photo.  Pretty simple, just 2 x 4's screwed together with some bracing.  A section of an extension ladder spans over the cross members and some scrap roofing OSB lays over the rungs.  Then I started adding the fascia and rake boards, 1x6 primed pine.  To get those flush with the roof deck I screwed some blocks to the roof then clamped the fascia or rake board to them and screwed them to the rafters.  I left the fascia boards long and then cut them flush with the end rafter afterwards.  Of course I had to miter the top of the rake boards first, but the other end I left long and then cut it to length afterwards as well.  I plan to add vinyl trim over the fascia and rake boards so I didn't feel it was necessary to miter the corners.  

Today I went and bought the roofing shingles, ice guard, ridge vent, drip edges, etc.  I have a friend who does roofing and he's coming on Saturday AM to put it all on.  He stopped by today to look at things.  He hopped up onto my scaffold w/o using a ladder and then up to the roof - in what amounted to flip flops.  Clearly, he feels more secure on a roof than me.  

It's starting to feel like a building.  

John

[Bill Wilson]

Looking good John!  You're well on your way to having a fine shed.

I know what you mean about the steepness of the roof.  Even when I was doing carpentry stuff on a regular basis, I never got comfortable on anything over a 6/12 pitch, but I worked with guys who could walk around on steep roofs like they were on the ground.  I was never cut out to be a roofer.

Good job and looking forward to the next installment.

[jteneyck]

Looking good John!  You're well on your way to having a fine shed.

I know what you mean about the steepness of the roof.  Even when I was doing carpentry stuff on a regular basis, I never got comfortable on anything over a 6/12 pitch, but I worked with guys who could walk around on steep roofs like they were on the ground.  I was never cut out to be a roofer.

Good job and looking forward to the next installment.

Thanks Bill.  It's strange how the roof seems so steep to me.  I go skiing down much steeper grades than that.  But I stay away from cliffs, which is what the edge of the roof looks like to me.  Hopefully, we'll finish the roofing tomorrow and then I'll be done with it.  In the meantime, I have to finish the rest of the fascia and rake boards and cut the slot for the ridge vent at the peak.  

I had forgotten how heavy a bundle of shingles is.  I moved them off the car trailer onto a little trailer behind the ATV to get them up to the shed, then carried them only 10' or so into the shed.  Those things got heavy, and there are only 13 bundles.  Unless my friend can carry them up to the roof I'm going to have to take them up a few shingles at a time.  The shingles probably weigh as much as the rest of the roof structure.  

John

[APZ]

... 
I had forgotten how heavy a bundle of shingles is. ...

John

Heh, I thought same last time I tried.  It ain't easy getting old.

[jteneyck]

Heh, I thought same last time I tried.  It ain't easy getting old.

My nearly 92 year old mom, who still lives independently, likes to say "Getting old ain't for sissies."  Her father lived to 93.  I think she's got a good chance of beating that.  However long she lives, I always get a chuckle whenever she says that.  

John

[Bill Wilson]

I had forgotten how heavy a bundle of shingles is. 

John

Ain't that the truth.  In my younger days, I could carry a bundle over one shoulder, up to a 2nd story roof, with my free hand full of tools.  When I re-roofed my house last August, I was fortunate to be able to use a FEL on a tractor to hoist the shingles up to the roof.  No one had to carry any up a ladder.  My 2 young buck SIL's loaded the bucket, so I didn't even have to handle many of them at all.  Age has some advantages. 

[crokett™]

That looks good. Hey suggestion for you on your next shed is when the wall is still laying flat on the floor after you frame it square it and put at least one piece of Sheathing on it before standing it up. This will make it easier to keep it plum . This means the floor has to be level first

[jteneyck]

That looks good. Hey suggestion for you on your next shed is when the wall is still laying flat on the floor after you frame it square it and put at least one piece of Sheathing on it before  standing it up. This will make it easier to keep it plum .  This means the floor has to be level first

Thanks.  That is absolutely good advise.  I was worried about the walls weighing too much to be able to lift them alone, or with my wife's help, but a single sheet of OSB probably would have been OK.  If ever I build another building I definitely will do it as you suggested.  Or do all the sheathing and find several friends to help lift them.  


John

[Stwood_]

Last roof I did, before I got all the bundles up there, I was busting the bundles in half, carrying them up the ladder. Yea.......they get heavier.

[lift mechanic]

Nice shed. 1 thing I do not see is any diagonal bracing on the center chord to keep the trusses from dominoing. the sheathing nailing helps. You made your own trusses with wood gussets, how hard were they to build? they look nice my next shed maybe I'll do the same.