Shed Project: Soffits and Trim

[jteneyck]

Here's a link to the last installment:  House Wrap and Windows

To install the vinyl soffit material I attached an F-channel to the side of the shed level with the end of the bottom of the fascia board.  Then I made up this little bracket from left over OSB and 2x4:



It is screwed to the side of the shed at the end of the side walls.  




Then I cut the vented soffit material to length and screwed the outboard end to the bottom of the fascia board.



When I got to the other end I modified the last piece of soffit by cutting off the nailing edge and bending an L section about 1" long by heating the vinyl with my heat gun.  







To cover the side of the bracket I flattened a piece of unvented soffit material by heating it with the heat gun and pressing it flat on my workbench.  Then I formed a F shaped lower edge.






The gable ends were done with two F-channels, and back to back J-channels at the peak.  To get the unvented soffit panels into place I had to slide them in from the lower end.  



When the soffits were done I cut the outside corners to fit.  



I made the trim around the doors and lower windows from solid PVC board.  This stuff is outrageously expensive, about $75 for a 1 x 10 board, 18 ft long.  I needed two of them to do both doors and windows.  But it will never rot or even need painting if I stay with white.  After I ripped it to width I cut rabbets on the back on outboard edges to eliminate the need for J-channels.  I also cut some shallow rabbets on the inboard edges to fit over the window flanges.  



I used simple butt joints to install the trim, and made the rails project out an inch on both sides over the vertical trim pieces.  I used trim head screws to attach the trim.  No pre drilling required with this PVC board. 



About ready for siding.  Thanks for following along.  

John

[MarkSingleton]

Trim before siding??

[jteneyck]

Trim before siding??

I made the trim so that it replaces the J-channel normally used around door and window openings.  Therefore, it has to be installed before the siding.

John

[goaliedad]

Looking good. What are you going to use for siding?

[Snipe Hunter]

I like what you did with the trim. Considering doing the same when I put in our new kitchen door. Routing vinyl makes a mess doesn't it?

[jteneyck]

Looking good. What are you going to use for siding?

I'm using Gentek Concorde vinyl siding, double 4.  It's one step up from their lowest cost series and cost $72/sq.  Still, I was a bit surprised by the $940 total, but all those channels and corners add up.  

I like what you did with the trim. Considering doing the same when I put in our new kitchen door. Routing vinyl makes a mess doesn't it?

Thanks.  Normally, I see the soffit birdsmouth bracket extended out to the rake boards, but I don't like the big box that creates if the roof has much overhang and pitch as this one does.  That's why I stopped it at the end of the walls.  I like the narrower profile of the rake board going all the way to the fascia.  The PVC trim design is pretty similar to what I see used on commercial sheds around here.  It looks good to my eyes, is simple to install, and should avoid the problems that often happen with mitered corners.  I considered making the bottom trim around the windows look like a classic window sill design but once I realized I'd have to buy another board to do that I kept it simple.  And I briefly considered using aluminum trim over common lumber trim boards but my metal bending skills are limited and aluminum dents and kinks just looking at it so I decided to suck it up and buy the PVC.  And of course wood trim would have been the cheapest option but I ruled that out because of maintenance.  When I'm done the only things that should require any sort of routine maintenance will be the doors.  

I cut the siding and channels with a pair of tin snips and utility knife.  I used a Japanese pull saw to cut the angles on the outside corners, and to cut them to length, and the tin snips and utility knife for the cutouts.  My chop saw doesn't have enough reach to cut the siding, and trying to cut the outside corners with it seemed like a bad idea.  

I made the cuts on the PVC trim board on my TS.  I was happily surprised that my DC system captured nearly 100% of the chaff from the dado blade I used to cut the rabbets because you are absolutely right, that dust makes a heck of a mess.  I milled some PVC trim a few years ago with a router and had dust all over me and my shop.  The static makes it cling to just about everything.  I was happy to avoid a repeat this time around.  

John

[K. L. McReynolds]

Slot in the trim for the siding to fit into?

The soffit looks really good!!

That shed will probably outlast your house.

[srv52761]

Then I cut the vented soffit material to length and screwed the outboard end to the bottom of the fascia board.




John

John, 
The soffit material going into the channel on the shed wall is probably sufficiently loose to allow for expansion, but I am wondering why no F-channel on the fascia board.  It would have given you another 1/2" for contraction in the winter, and it would have closed up the 1/2" openings on the ends of the soffit boards.  You are inviting wasps and such to set up residence.

[jteneyck]

I did it this way to make up for a difference in elevation between the rake board and fascia just about equal to the soffit panel. I will install aluminum fascia trim and it will cover the wood fascia board and the open ends of the soffit panels. That trim goes after the rake board trim which is why it's not done yet.

John

[Admiral]

I did it this way to make up for a difference in elevation between the rake board and fascia just about equal to the soffit panel.  I will install aluminum fascia trim and it will cover the wood fascia board and the open ends of the soffit panels.  That trim goes after the rake board trim which is why it's not done yet.

John

John, you're doing a really, really nice job on this.  I brought this project up with my bride, and her response was that if I were going to build something as nice as that as a shed, that I should put in heat and plumbing and go live in it!