# Shed Build



## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

This is a work in progress as I keep getting delayed by rain, but figured I'd start posting progress here as I go along. The shed is going to be 8' x 12.5' which gives me exactly 100sqft. City allows max of 108 so figured I'd play it safe. I originally was going to drill piers into the ground and try to go below frost level but cheated by just doing blocks. I can shim it as it settles and hopefully eventually it will pretty much stay put. Decided to go with a floating design so nothing is anchored but it allows me to move it if ever I want to. 

My attached garage (where lumber is in now) has been acting as a shed, but I want to use the garage for a shop for woodworking etc so my goal is to build this shed, store stuff in it, then start working on the garage. I want to insulate and put hvac so I can use it all year round. I have lot of smaller projects such as new computer desk that I've been wanting to build for a long time but it's hard when the garage is full of stuff.

Here's pics of progress so far. 

Breaking ground: 




Lumber before starting: 






Main beams in place, getting ready for joists:




Joists and bottom plywood:



Insulation:


Floor all done:


From this point on covered it every day because of rain:


Doing this a little overkill by insulating it but I may potentially want to put some electronic equipment in there at some point like a solar setup and a backup NAS or something. Can't insulate the floor after the fact so did it right away. I can then do the walls later if I decide to. Any electronics would probably be in their own smaller insulated enclosure as well but this would add a secondary thermal barrier. 

Trusses:



Walls:




This project has been going on since like September, because it just won't stop raining when I'm off. So waiting for a day off where it's dry out is like waiting for planets to align perfectly. Our winters start later every year which has been an issue as I just want it to go below zero so it can stop raining. 

I have a good stretch of time off coming soon and it's only suppose to rain 1 of those days (but 1 day of rain tends to turn into a week of rain) so I'm hoping that holds true. Suppose to be below zero for most of the other days which is what I need. I need at least 2-3 consecutive dry days so I can finish it. 

With walls and trusses done, the rest will require that it stops raining until the roof is done, so I am hoping to install the walls, trusses, and sheeting in one day, and tar paper the roof and house wrap the walls. So that is my next step. If I don't run into any issues and all my measurements were right and that everything lines up and is square, hopefully I will be able to get that done. 

Kind of looking forward to this as it will be so nice to clear out the garage and start organizing stuff.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Nice build that you have going.

Too bad that your codes only allow 108 sq. ft.

I personally like a shed of 10' X 16' , 160 sq. ft..

This gives me more room to store, and move around in..

Good idea to insulate the floor in Canada. 

Did you provide a barrier below to keep vermin from nesting in it? Those little buggers like to nest in insulation, and leave behind a nasty mess.

ED


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Looks like it is coming along nicely.

I know it's frustrating when the weather won't cooperate. Had the same problem when I built mine. Wanted to start in the spring when the weather was still cool. We got rain just about every weekend until the end of May. This meant a good bit of work was done at the height of summer when the heat and humidity is most brutal.

Hope the weather is more forgiving for you.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

de-nagorg said:


> Nice build that you have going.
> 
> Too bad that your codes only allow 108 sq. ft.
> 
> ...


Yeah hard to tell from this picture but I put plywood at the bottom which serves to hold the insulation.

I also spray foamed the seams where the plywood edges are and it's screwed and nailed in. Though I'm sure with time it might shift around a bit and leave some cracks, but think for the most part it should be pretty well sealed hopefully. As a precaution I might put some skirting around the shed to stop critters from going under it. Probably screen then cover with lattice or something.


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## ZParrow (Nov 15, 2017)

Looks awesome, how do you plan on doing HVAC? A window unit?


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

No actual HVAC planned, but if I do put electronic stuff in there I'll have some vents for an intake and exhaust that go directly to the box/cabinet that would house the electronics. For batteries if I go solar I'll probably need a separate vent for hydrogen, so I'll design some kind of HRV system so that the batteries don't get too cold and retain most of the heat. That's more of a phase 2 type thing. At worse any electronics I have would see 30C during heat waves. 

I was thinking a dehumidifier or something though, if I can reliably run that off solar it could run whenever there is extra power and it would help keep things dry reducing rust on tools etc.

Suppose to snow tomorrow so if it's a dry enough snow and not wet I can finally start putting the walls together. Looking forward to seeing the actual structure come together.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

For tools and especially electronics, I'd be worried about seasonal relative humidity changes as much as temperature swings. I don't know much about solar, but a dehumidifier has a compressor which draws a fair bit of power.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah I'll probably want to monitor humidity, though I'm not too worried about it. I don't do anything for humidity control in my server room, though that is somewhat climate controlled as it's in the basement so it does not see temps in the negatives just single digits, though that will change as I started insulating the basement.

Though I do know my garage is BAD for rust. That's one of the reasons for this shed is my next project is the garage, it's not insulated or sealed at this point. I'm even debating on removing garage door as it's a huge heat loss as if I can insulate it super well it won't cost too much to heat it just above zero.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Not as much progress as I wanted to do today because I had to leave. But walls are sorta up. Still not leveled/straight and now we are having a huge snow storm so it's going to delay things further tomorrow as I will need to shovel all the snow. The days are much shorter now that it's winter so I always feel like I'm racing against the clock. I might have to stop being anal about having everything 100% level and go with a "good enough" approach. It's all going to settle from expansion/contraction anyway.  

Either way it's nice to be at the stage where it's actually starting to look like a structure.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Our last house was a Victorian farmhouse with a detached garage. Since the basement was very low, my only option was to use one of the garage bays as my workshop. The humidity was really hard on a number of my tools, particularly the top of my table saw. I suppose the dripping vehicle in the other bay didn't help.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Hey, Red,

Those corners need another stud so you have backing for the inside corners.
(At least if my eyes are working okay. It is late in the day here.)

The red ones on the attached image.
Now is the time to put them in there. Before the walls and sheathing are on.

Looking good so far. :vs_cool:


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

jlhaslip said:


> Hey, Red,
> 
> Those corners need another stud so you have backing for the inside corners.
> (At least if my eyes are working okay. It is late in the day here.)
> ...



Can't really tell from the pics but I sorta did that, though your way looks better than what I did, I just put another stud in same orientation slightly offset so the corner is inside. Though I did it so that if I want to sheet the inside I have a corner to butt to. I can still screw the walls together from the inside though. The front wall that's not there yet will butt up against the two walls. I actually messed up when I installed the side walls, I thought I missmeasured when I built them because there was a huge gap so I just moved the walls forward but then forgot that gap was for the other wall to fit in! So I do need to move a few things around. 

I'm also going to have a double top plate, will tie the walls together as well. 

We got about a foot of snow if more, so going to have to shovel before I can even continue. Thinking of calling it quits for the year as having to shovel snow every time I want to work on it is going to make the job that much harder. I need to at least get it to a point where it's protected from the rain though. With global warming it rains even in winter now, which sucks.

Having coffee before I go out to brave the storm. lol


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Not that much done in grand scheme of things today, but the shed walls are done, squared off, and solid. (yesterday they were just kinda hanging there temporarily since I had to stop early)

Downside of working in winter is having to shovel before I can even start/get to the work site. Then I also had to do the actual driveway. So used up a lot of time doing that. Days are short. 


(before I started)









Debating on calling it quits for the year. Just need to protect the floor from rain and spring snow melt. Might paint it, if I broom it very good to get rid of the snow and then wait for a day it does not snow I can probably get away with using oil based paint or something. Worse case scenario I leave it as is, but that's going to be a lot of water just sitting there. I do plan to put another layer of plywood though. 

It's Pretty much Christmas time, I just want to take that time to relax and wind down. I always end up being caught up with some kind of project and don't really enjoy the season. I did not even put my decorations up yet and it's almost December. 

On the other hand it would be awesome to finish it to the point that I can put stuff in it, so I can start on the garage throughout winter. There's always after Christmas, it's colder, but we don't really get the super extreme cold anymore like we used to.

The ice on the studs is going to make it hard to put sheeting on as well, as it will leave a gap when it melts. On the other side it's like 2-3mm thick. I may try a heat gun to see how effective it is.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Darn it --- don't show me pictures of snow, its only mid-November. :wink2:


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

SPS-1 said:


> Darn it --- don't show me pictures of snow, its only mid-November. :wink2:



I awoke to an 1/8 inch today, 10 miles south they had over a foot.

So you might want to adjust your thinking.

Around here anytime after haloween is snow time, until nearly Easter.


ED


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Red Squirrel said:


> Debating on calling it quits for the year. Just need to protect the floor from rain and spring snow melt. Might paint it, if I broom it very good to get rid of the snow and then wait for a day it does not snow I can probably get away with using oil based paint or something. Worse case scenario I leave it as is, but that's going to be a lot of water just sitting there. I do plan to put another layer of plywood though.
> 
> It's Pretty much Christmas time, I just want to take that time to relax and wind down. I always end up being caught up with some kind of project and don't really enjoy the season. I did not even put my decorations up yet and it's almost December.
> 
> ...


I think its way too cold for paint or any other finish now. Go to Canadian Tire or Princess Auto and buy a new tarp, cover the floor, hold it down with some lumber until the snow does it for you and call it a season. Even if it 'warms up', cold hands and clomping up and down a stepladder in snow covered boots simply isn't fun. The one upside is, if you whack your finger, you won't feel it until your hand warms up.

If you're in the northeast, big snow tonight.

As for getting your decorations up, hey, it just isn't Christmas unless there is frostbite involved.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah I got a tarp but kinda awkward to set down with the studs, water might still get around. 

But I'll probably end up doing that, still better than nothing. I plan to put another layer of plywood anyway so not a huge deal if it rots out a bit.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

SPS-1 said:


> Darn it --- don't show me pictures of snow, its only mid-November. :wink2:



Back before global warming was bad we used to get our first snow by end of October. Was typical to get snow in September too but it would not always stay. We'd have several feet on the ground by now.

Downside of this milder weather is it rains so much. Like you'd think it would be over by now, but there is still more rain coming this week. That is what kept delaying this project, pretty much had to wait till it gets cold enough to stop raining.

On the other hand because it's not really that cold out I was able to work without gloves most of the time so that's nice. Normally it would be much colder at this time. It would be awkward to handle screws with gloves on. I only put them on when I was moving pieces of lumber as they're all full of ice from the rain we had a few weeks ago.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

I put the trusses up today. Got up earlier hoping to do plywood and tar paper too but it took way longer than I figured. Tricky to know if they're straight as no easy way to use a frame square or do the right triangle check. So I used the spacers as a guide which more or less worked but it's not perfectly level. Good enough, I guess.  Suppose to rain tomorrow so that sucks. Literally just one day, but enough to ruin everything and add a thick layer of ice making it so I can't put the sheeting on without it leaving a gap in spring. At some point if I feel inclined I'll go up there with a heat gun and melt it all, but otherwise think I will call it quits for the year and resume in spring. I don't like the floor being exposed like that though but I'll just shovel it throughout the year so there's not too much water in spring. I plan to add another layer on top anyway.


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## ZackRight (Nov 4, 2017)

Good project, please send pictures of this week progress... 

ZackRight - Right Now


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

I've been back at work so did not touch it yet, but I'll be off Monday so hoping to put some time into it if this garbage rain wet weather leaves. 

Suppose to be decent weather on Monday though, like -10 or so which is good weather to work in as it's dry. I really need to get the floor protected as we get rain even in winter now because of global warming, which sucks. We don't get normal winters anymore, it's always all over the place.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

You should move to the USA.

No global warming there according to their government websites.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Hahaha. Lots of coal jobs too! It's a really safe industry to work in.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

I wouldn't waste time trying to protect the floors. Sheath the walls and roof, even if it's only eight nails per panel and then tarp the roof and you're all set until the spring.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

I may as well finish it properly at this point, so once I'm off work for a few days I'm probably going to get the plywood done and then use tar paper on the roof and house wrap on the rest and then leave it at that. I may do the shingles too. 

If I feel confident enough in my roofing job I might even start moving stuff from the garage immediately instead of waiting till spring when snow melts, as there are a lot of projects I want to work on but don't have any space to work in there. I'll do soffits and other smaller touches in spring though.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Right on...when you said floor protected, I thought you meant you were going to try and cover the floor only.

Ya, sheathing doesn't take long...if our lousy weather stays OK.
Too bad you couldn't do it today. Very nice out there now.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah been at work, but I'm off for a few days starting tomorrow so will hopefully be able to get it done then. Both days are suppose to be nice, but Tuesday it rains again so I want to finish by then. That will be a good day to put the Christmas tree up since I have not even gotten around to that yet.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Red Squirrel said:


> That will be a good day to put the Christmas tree up since I have not even gotten around to that yet.


Don't panic - it's still November. It seems a general rule in our area Seems to be that the outside lights go on Dec 1st (regardless of when they went up) and the tree goes up around the the second week. Not like the stores who seem to decorate just after Labour Day. I'm visiting my daughter about 3 hours away and noticed last night that lots of Christmas lights are already on.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Haha I'm one of those that usually has the tree up by the last week of November, if earlier.  I did get the house lights up though! 

I just spent a couple hours snow blowing and shoveling snow from what has accumulated today. Did the driveway and all around the shed, so that will save me some work tomorrow. Will still have to do it again but won't be as much. 

As a side note I also bought myself a Ryobi cordless drill and a spare battery so it will go better as all my tools are corded and figured I should have at least a cordless drill. I was only there to buy a door knob...


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Got the tool bug now.

Woo Hoo!

New toys to play with.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Did not get as much done as I had hoped, but roof sheeting is done and most of tar paper is on. Crazy how fast time goes by because I started at around 12pm and this is the only progress I did by 10pm. I had to call it quits as I would probably get a noise complaint. I was starting to feel bad every time I was using the drill or putting in staples but had to finish up so it's not flapping around.

Also did not realize how tedious it is to work on a new roof, plywood is too slippery to just walk around on so had to put a 2x4 edge to put my feet, but when it came to doing tar paper it was a kind of orchestration to try to get it on while the 2x4 being in the way. Did the best I could, but missing the end pieces, not sure how to do those without the 2x4 ledger, I guess I can put another on top of the existing tar paper but don't like to put holes for nothing in it. 

Glad this is more or less done though. I still need to do drip edge, and one end is crooked so will need to trim it. Drip edge should have gone in first, but I was starting to run out of time. On the other hand putting it after will create a nicer finish by holding down excess tar paper instead of having to cut it straight. Then I can line shingles to it. 

The walls will go way faster, less maneuvering around in weird positions. I will just screw a 2x4 at the edge then lay the sheet on and start putting in screws. Less measuring to do as well, since I can just let sheets overhang then cut with sawzall. Was too awkward to do that on the roof. 

Overall, got some progress. Will be a while before I get a day off again but next time I will do the walls and tyvek, and add the missing tar paper. May also put in more staples, I kinda put bare minimum to avoid excess noise so hopefully we don't get too much wind till my next day off. 

Other than the random spurts of rain I've been luckier with the weather than I was in summer though. 

Anyway enough yapping, here's a few pics. 

In progress shot: (camera in window doing time lapse)



End of night:





Shot of roof after tar paper:




As a side note, is it normal for a small structure like this to feel so flimsy? When I was on the roof the whole thing was shaking. Will it get stronger once the wall sheeting goes up? I do have some temp cross braces but maybe it's not enough.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

The drip edge on the bottom should go under the tar paper and the gable edges go on top of the paper.

Either pop the staples up and slid it under or not. It won't be the end of the world for the shed. 

But best would be underneath if you can arrange it.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah that's kind of what I read too and it does make sense to let water flow over it. I may fix it when I get back to it and finish up. At the end of the day the shingles really are what protect everything anyway so might just put it on top, tar paper is kind of a secondary protection and to be honest it was ripping so much I would not trust it permanently. I'll know tomorrow with the rain how bad it is. With shingles at least they will provide enough grip so I will be able to move around the roof much more easily so I can take time to do a better job. 

Really what I almost need is scafolding. 

What do roofers typically do to get better grip when working on a sloppped roof, this one is not even that steep compared to some big houses, I know they have a fall arrest system do they just kind of also use it as a way to pull themselves around?


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Running shoes grip better than most boots.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Your trusses need a strong back and they will never move a millimeter. I was stunned to see just how strong it made the roof system when I added it.
A 2x4 across one side is enough.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Actually I originally wanted to do that then kinda forgot to actually do it. Could always go back and add in a couple 2x4's up there. 

It did not rain as bad as I thought it would today, it seems it only rained in the morning so I kind of wish I had gotten up earlier as I probably could have done the walls. I'm pretty much beat though, I have bruises everywhere on my knees and legs from all the maneuvering about in odd positions on the ladder and on the roof haha. I did go back to finish tar paper and put in a bunch of extra staples though, so hopefully this holds. 

I'm off Saturday so I will do the walls, tyvec, install the door and then I can consider it mostly done for the year. I'll put a heater and dehumidifier in there to try to get the floors dried out. They are already starting to warp from being exposed to the rain and melting snow.


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## badtheba (Jul 3, 2011)

Nice looking building. We can get away with 400 sq ft with no permits here. Also if it is "moveable" and under 400 you can basically tell the inspectors to take a hike if they try to enforce anything. But I live in the country  Even had a neighbor drop a 40' shipping container and they tried to give him a hard time, but had to let it go because he was within his rights.


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## badtheba (Jul 3, 2011)

Red Squirrel said:


> What do roofers typically do to get better grip when working on a sloppped roof, this one is not even that steep compared to some big houses, I know they have a fall arrest system do they just kind of also use it as a way to pull themselves around?


When I was working construction we usually used roof jacks if anything felt unsafe. Sometimes it was worth it, sometimes not. On a building your size good ladders would get a lot of it done from the ground, and then the shingles should provide plenty of traction to work above the rows tou complete first.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah one thing that made this hard is I don't have a proper extension ladder, but just an articulating one, so they are a bit awkward if you want to reach a specific height. But when I do shingles I'll be able to do most of it from the ladder then it should give me decent grip to move further. Also someone was telling me that most of the time you only really need the tar paper for the bottom (or ice shield), and then the edges, so that's good to know. I did the whole thing anyway, but some places it ripped so it's not really a perfect seal, but guess that won't matter.


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## badtheba (Jul 3, 2011)

Red Squirrel said:


> Also someone was telling me that most of the time you only really need the tar paper for the bottom (or ice shield), and then the edges, so that's good to know. I did the whole thing anyway, but some places it ripped so it's not really a perfect seal, but guess that won't matter.


Here we do tar paper on the whole roof and the bottom 3' one row of water and ice shield.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

It will get a lot more solid with the wall sheathing on. I've built numerous garages and sheds of all sizes, I don't get on the structure without at least some of the wall sheathing is in place. At bare minimum I want all the corners sheathed and fully nailed to provide lateral support. 

In my opinion you don't have enough bracing to be putting all that weight on the roof, especially on the front. All that added mass plus you moving around, leaning a ladder and carrying shingles could be enough to rack the building out of plumb or even worst case bring it down. I would either get some more adequate bracing installed or get the sheeting on the walls before you go much further. 

For temp bracing go with longer, all one piece 2x's from high on the wall, the higher up you get the better, all the way down to the bottom plate or floor structure at about a 45 degree angle. Fasten to one or two studs along the way so the brace can't bow. Do the same on all 4 sides and the building will be rock solid.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Makes sense, guess the 1 2x4 per side is just not enough given some are shorter and none in front. 

Hoping to do plywood tomorrow or the day after if weather permits since I'm off. Suppose to rain tomorrow but only 1mm so hoping it just passes. 

Getting real close to a point where I can store stuff in it, then the finishing touches I can do next year. Like shingles, soffits, fascia etc. Might do shingles this year though just to get it done and have a better piece of mind.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Do yourself a favor and use "wind strapping" all around the structure before sheathing.

This is usually done with a metal strap band ran diagonally from one corner down to the opposite corner per side, attached to every 2X4 it passes over.

It strengthens the structure extremely well, so any major gust won't tear the shed down.

It also strengthens it so you can get upon the roof before all sheathing is on the walls.

May take a little more time, but well worth it if you ever get any high gusty days.


ED


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Never heard of this. Would plumbers tape (I think that's what it's called? The metal strapping with holes in it) work? I'm guessing the idea is to just do some big Xes for each wall? We do get wind gusts here a lot now - I'm sometimes worried even for the house itself. I can actually hear the entire house shift when they hit.

Was really hoping to start today but the rain is coming down hard. 

Good news is my tar paper is helping, no leaks inside the roof area. So at least the floor is more or less protected now. The doorway section is starting to bulge just from all the past rain in few weeks but the door will be covering that spot anyway.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Our zone does not have strong enough winds to worry about.
The sheathing is plenty to hold it in check.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

The strapping with holes will work, only if you can get the holes lined up correct.

I use a solid strap, with a 3/16 drill bit , and 1/4 inch screws 1.5 inches long, to hit every stud it crosses.

And yes I get high wind gusts, 60+ mph sometimes. 

All my buildings have stayed together, not some others built by a competitor.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

123pugsy said:


> Our zone does not have strong enough winds to worry about.
> The sheathing is plenty to hold it in check.


Good to know, maybe why I never heard of it. I'll have to check HD to see what I find but I might leave it out as I was not planing to go that way and don't think they'd have anything. The walls will eventually be sheeted on both sides too so that should add extra strength. 

A while ago the rain turned into snow and I got excited that I might be able to work on it... but back to rain now.


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## iamrfixit (Jan 30, 2011)

Just take about an hour and nail on at least one piece of sheathing on each wall. That's all it will take to make the building rock solid. 

Metal is only really needed when you're using foam sheathing or similar product that isn't able to provide enough lateral support. Metal wind bracing is T shaped and is driven into a saw kerf and nailed to each framing member is passes over.

A whole wall sheathed with 4x8 plywood or OSB panels, fully nailed provides a tremendous amount of support. If you need a wall to be exceptionally strong you could just add some adhesive.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Hey Squirrel. You must live in the bad part of the province. Sunny here right now.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

I'm in Timmins and It's been terrible in the past months, too hot, so it keeps raining. It should not be in the positives at this time of year. We hardly even have any snow on the ground because what we did get just keeps getting rained on and melting. Finally suppose to cool off again in a few weeks, but for the past few years our winters have been gross and wet and all over the place so not sure how long it will last. 

Got a couple good days where it was like -10 though but it keeps going back and forth. I'm hoping tomorrow is good then I can do the walls.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Timmins.

I spent a week there one night... LOL


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Only a Timmonite? would call cold weather, good weather...ha....


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Managed to get a day without rain, so the plywood is mostly done. Few minor touches to do such as a small plywood strip on top. Ran out of screws so I need to add screws to all the sheets as I only did perimeter, but it's nice and solid now. Need to do house wrap too, then will probably call it done for the year. Maybe I'll do shingles, really depends on weather next time I get time off. 

Probably should have put the house wrap before the door, but I really wanted the door put in today and get it in a state where I can leave stuff in it.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Looks great!


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Good stuff....the water intrusion into your insulation was causing me grief....:surprise:


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah it was bothering me too. The plywood was already starting to swell in some spots since water would just sit there for days. Just could never get a day to do it because it was either raining or I was at work. At least the insulation is Roxul though so it's not as bad as fibreglass if it gets wet. I did end up using fiberglass in the wall corners though, since I have some batts just sitting there in the garage so figured I may as well use them. So hopefully I can get around to doing house wrap soon. Thankfully it's suppose to get colder for a bit so the rain will hopefully stop. I work today but next day I'm off hopefully the weather lets me finish up the parts I did not finish, and then I can do house wrap.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Doors like windows get condensation and leaks and should be installed the same way and years from now when they leak it is nice if the water never gets to the framing.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Actually is it possible to buy blue skin in small amounts? The more I think about it, I probably should take the door out and apply some. If not I might just use house wrap as it's still better than nothing. As much as I don't want to have to reinstall the door again I will feel better if I seal around it better.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Not sure how small a piece you could buy.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

I think 4 inch can be bought in a 50 ft roll.

Try Home Hardware.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

jlhaslip said:


> I think 4 inch can be bought in a 50 ft roll.
> 
> Try Home Hardware.


You want 6". for 2x4 wall


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

I didn't end up getting a chance to work on this much, today I added the two small strips of plywood on top that were missing which required to move the triangle pieces around a bit and then started to add more screws everywhere as I ran out last time. But days are so short in winter and did not feel like setting up the flood lights so I stopped. With gloves and full winter gear it's a bit more tedious to move around or even just manipulate screws so work goes slower. I feel like an astronaut working on the ISS lol. I also need to come up with a better system for holding screws as while it's handy that my drill has a magnet it can only hold about 10 so I'm always going up and down the ladder. Maybe some kind of tray that can clamp on the ladder then I can put stuff on it. This is not a traditional ladder but an articulating one so no area to put stuff on. 

I'm not that much in a hurry to finish now that the rain stopped though, we're in the -10's and -20's now so stuff is nice and dry. The door actually closes nicely now! When I first installed it, it rubbed a bit. I almost don't want to touch it. I might cheat and just shove the house wrap into the crack when I get to that. When I do the spray foam it will more or less form a continuous seal anyway. If this was a house I'd go the extra mile but think with the spray foam it will be good enough for a shed. Maybe in spring I'll change my mind and at least put some house wrap in there before I start on the siding. Idealy whatever trim I put around once it's all done will be what seals it properly.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Red Squirrel said:


> . . .
> With gloves and full winter gear it's a bit more tedious to move around or even just manipulate screws so work goes slower. I feel like an astronaut working on the ISS lol. I also need to come up with a better system for holding screws as while it's handy that my drill has a magnet it can only hold about 10 so I'm always going up and down the ladder. Maybe some kind of tray that can clamp on the ladder then I can put stuff on it. This is not a traditional ladder but an articulating one so no area to put stuff on.


. . .

How about a tool belt with pouches or even one of those cheap linen aprons that building centres will often give away. Then again, depending on your work coat you should have lots of pockets. My daughter gave me one of those magnet wrist things which is kind of okay but might be a pain with a coat on as the sleeves might keep knocking of the screws.

Unlike outside trades who have become good at it, I find working in the cold with gloves can be a bit dangerous in terms of holding the hammer, hitting your finger, etc. And clambering up and down a ladder with snow stuck to your boots takes much more care.

By this time your neighbours have probably come to the conclusion that you're a bit eccentric.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah was thinking of just using coat pockets but don't want to puncture holes with screws and still tricky to get to them with gloves, end up always having to take gloves off and cold screws stick to my skin. (I guess that's an idea... lol). Just gave me an idea though maybe I can make a bracelet of sorts with hard drive magnets. As long as I don't fall off the ladder with screws all over me lol. I can basically just put a bunch of hard drive magnets on my left arm with rubber bands or something lol. But yeah I'll figure something out and it will go faster. Maybe even just some kind of hook/shelf that clips on the ladder to bring the whole container up with me. 

I find it's going decently well I just always feel like I'm racing against the clock all the time with the short days, seems time goes by 5x as fast when doing physical work.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Been working in -20's with -35 windchills. Fun fun! Gloves are a must now, so makes things a bit harder. All screws are in and part of house wrap is done, but ran out of staples so had to go to HD, and then ran out of house wrap and then having to go to HD twice delayed me so will finish tomorrow. My "that should be enough" calculation approach did not work out too well.  

I saw those small rolls of blue skin at HD when I was there, so for what it's worth I might just bite the bullet and redo the door next summer before I start the siding. But for winter think I will just tape it up. 

Either way at this point I've been less in a hurry to finish now that the rain stopped, but it will be nice to wrap up (literally) for the year. My neighbours must think I'm insane.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Get a pouch with 2 pockets so when you find a screw with the head is on the wrong end save it for the other side.:surprise:


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Nealtw said:


> Get a pouch with 2 pockets so when you find a screw with the head is on the wrong end save it for the other side.:surprise:


OMG Now you tell me, all these years I been thinking that they were made wrong and throwing them away.


ED


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Red Squirrel said:


> Been working in -20's with -35 windchills.


You, sir, are a trouper.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Some of the toughest people I know are women from Timmins.

:lol: 

just kidding. I don't know any women from Timmins except Shania


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I have met a few people from Timmins, they always make it sound like it is a good place to be *from*


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Pretty solid, hard-working blue collar mining city. My experience is the people that leave places like this do so either to work in their field of interest or long for the big city life (i.e. not enough latte shops or bistros). Timmins may well have spawned more NHL players per capita than anyplace else, including Fr. Les Costello who started the 'Flying Fathers' a charitable hockey team. I played them once and, in spite of them all being men of the cloth, they were one of the chippiest, grabbiest teams I ever played.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Officially wrapped up (literally) for the season. I still need to do siding, shingles, and some stuff inside like electrical, shelves etc but I'll do that in spring. For inside I may end up finishing the walls as it will be easier to do it right away if I'm going to put shelves. But I'll play it by ear. I also want to add a secondary plywood layer for the floor and then weather proof it for when I walk in wet shoes or if something leaks etc. 













I have a beard now, too.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

lenaitch said:


> Pretty solid, hard-working blue collar mining city. My experience is the people that leave places like this do so either to work in their field of interest or long for the big city life (i.e. not enough latte shops or bistros). Timmins may well have spawned more NHL players per capita than anyplace else, including Fr. Les Costello who started the 'Flying Fathers' a charitable hockey team. I played them once and, in spite of them all being men of the cloth, they were one of the chippiest, grabbiest teams I ever played.


Haha yeah Father Costello was quite the character and well known in the city. There's even a street named after him now. 

And yeah sadly there's not much jobs here especially technical/office type jobs. I got lucky to get a job for the phone company as I hated the idea of having to move to a bigger city. 

If anything I would prefer to move to a smaller city if I did move out. Nice big plot of lake front land in middle of the bush, being able to see northern lights from living room window reflecting on the lake, now that's my dream! :biggrin2:


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Nice job. Too bad all your lumber warped. :devil3:


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

lenaitch said:


> Nice job. Too bad all your lumber warped. :devil3:


He needs to run a lawn sprinkler inside the shed so the wood straightens out.

:biggrin2:


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Haha yeah that lens makes everything curvy, was the easiest way to get most of it in a single frame. 

Funny enough I've referred to pictures in the past when working on something and something is closed up, like needing to know or confirm the way something was done behind.


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## profdlp (Apr 9, 2017)

Red Squirrel said:


> ...I've referred to pictures in the past when working on something and something is closed up, like needing to know or confirm the way something was done behind.


That is an excellent idea. I wish I had pictures of the framing of my house before the internal walls were put on. Just to know where the studs and firestops were would be a huge help when doing any project requiring fastening something to the wall. Knowing exactly where pipes were run could save accidentally putting a screw through one of them. Sure beats trying to guess and cutting random inspection holes to find where something is.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

I put all my time lapse vids together and made a video of the whole progress so far.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Made a mistake that was bothering me so I reuploaded the video:


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Red Squirrel said:


> Made a mistake that was bothering me so I reuploaded the video:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJdh_ZhEkXI


I only watched it until I got dizzy. :vs_OMG:


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

You can do 2x speed on Youtube if you want the TLDW version too.


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## ZParrow (Nov 15, 2017)

One thing to keep in mind if you're considering Solar is shade. You want your roof to go East-West or true North-South in order to get maximum exposure. Should work well if those are true though!


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah roof faces west, so it won't be the best exposure as it will only get sun set, and the tree is going to block most of the southern light that could hit the panels. Though it will act as a decent test to see how viable it would be to do the house. On the south part of the roof I have room for about 3kw. For the shed, I figure maybe 600w of 100w modules. 

Still need to find a source to buy solar stuff though. Found a few online sources but shipping on that is quite crazy. I may just wait till they go on sale at Canadian Tire. The normal sale price is ridiculous, but when they go on sale they are a decent price. 

Will need to figure out how to mount them properly too, mounting kits made for solar are not really something I would find locally.


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## ZParrow (Nov 15, 2017)

Can't say I know much about a canadian solar company. I sold in Baltimore for a little bit. Google Maps ought to tell you what you need to know about your home roof (again, you want south facing smooth sections without many breaks). Trees can be removed and while the high price is a pain up front, most companies offer decent financing. Just make sure you're paying to own your panels at the end, not leasing (unless you're looking to move, in which case leasing is a smoother process at least in the US).


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah I am debating on cutting that birch. It feels wrong to cut a tree for the sake of solar, but I guess nothing stops me from planting another somewhere else to make up for it. 

And yeah I want to fully own the system. For the shed it would be a full DIY install, for the house I would probably hire out the roof part as I don't feel comfortable making roof penetrations. But then I'll see how it goes for the shed, I might find that it's so easy that I'll be comfortable to do the house. My roof is awkward because it's a split level house, so I only have room for about 3kw based on rough dimensions of some panels I looked at, all the other areas are not suitable. If I do cut that tree, then I could probably put another 3kw on the west roof. I would probably want a separate MPPT controller for the west side given the total different exposure. Minor details I'll figure out when I get to that point though.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Red Squirrel said:


> I may just wait till they go on sale at Canadian Tire.


 
Make sure you check $/Watt, not just $/sq. foot.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

There are tree moving services that might be able to move that tree for you, depending on it's size, access to it and where you would want it to live again.

The service is a truck mounted unit with at least 4 hydraulic activated spades, that are placed around the tree, and a giant root ball is scooped out of the ground with the trunk in the center, then driven over to a prepared location, and planted in one piece .

Then they fill the old hole with the dirt from the new location.

With a little landscaping the area looks almost undisturbed.

It is up to you to decide if you want to spend any money on this service though.

As you said it seems a shame to just kill it because it has done it's job by shading and beautifying your yard.

ED


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

SPS-1 said:


> Make sure you check $/Watt, not just $/sq. foot.


Yeah, looking online, A bit over $1/watt seems achievable. If the Canadian Tire ones go to $2/watt I would probably buy considering that's the end price. Ex: no shipping cost. Their 100w modules normally retail for like $700 which is hilariously high, but I've seen them go on sale for much cheaper. That would probably be my best bet. Then I can get a beefy pure sine inverter and charge controller online at a solar site. Would not trust Amazon for something like that, lot of Wun Hung Lo crap that will probably set all my stuff on fire and kill the neighbour's dog just because it can. :biggrin2:

The tree moving service sounds interesting, though I'm not aware of anything like that here, and I'd be worried it might pull on very deep roots and end up damaging the city sewer system as it passes by the fence line. So if I do decide to get rid of it I'd probably cut it and just plant a new one somewhere else. Come to think of it, putting a tree at the other end instead of there would really open up the yard...


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

I would suggest you trust no one except your self for your roof penetrations.
"Experts" out there usually are not.

Do your research and then do it right.


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## ZParrow (Nov 15, 2017)

i mean good roofers aren't that hard to come by. It's the realtors who throw fresh shingles on top of old ones and call it "a new roof" that you need to watch for. Saw one home with at least 3 layers of shingles. The top ones looked decent but the lower ones were definitely rotten


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

There's some good well known roofers in my city so I think I could trust them, but I may find it easier and less daunting than I realize when I do it on my shed, so may end up doing the house too. TBH that is the part of solar that makes me the most nervous so if I realize it's not even that bad I may end up doing the house sooner than later. Another fear too though is the huge wind bursts we get. Solar panels are kind of fragile and I'd be scared it just rips them right off the mounts or causes the ends to flex enough to crack the glass. I'd probably want to build some kind of deflector shield so the wind can't go under them. 

We never had winds like that before, this is a new thing in the past few years. I can hear the house roof shift sometimes.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Figured I'd update this. Shingles, siding, soffits, fascia is all installed. 

Roof: (still need to seal those nail heads but no leaks so far!)



Lights:


Temporary solar setup: (goes to a small 60w panel outside on the lawn)


Siding:








Only thing left is ramp up front. Had 2 weeks off but it went by so fast I didn't have time to fully finish. I was debating on whether or not I insulate it so I can try to keep the solar stuff from getting too cold, but think I'll just build out a separate insulated box for that. Then a separate one for battery with two small vents (intake/exhaust) for hydrogen. Don't think I'll do the permanent solar setup this year though, I want to start on a deck.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

I don't get why my pics don't load on this forum. Really not sure what to do. If you click reply you'll have to copy/paste the links.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Yup, by golly, that looks like a shed. Looks good.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Nealtw said:


> Yup, by golly, that looks like a shed. Looks good.



Can you see the pics?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

123pugsy said:


> Can you see the pics?


Yes I can


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

123pugsy said:


> Can you see the pics?


No picture, no links, here.

A whole lotta nothing.


ED


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)




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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

de-nagorg said:


> No picture, no links, here.
> 
> A whole lotta nothing.
> 
> ...


 Can you see the one I posted


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Nealtw said:


> Can you see the one I posted





nope....


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

I see the photos in posts 92 and 98. Nice shed.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Nealtw said:


> Can you see the one I posted


Still blank.

Windows 10++++, IE , Hp desktop.


ED


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

I can see photos with IE11 on Windows 7


Can't see photos with Chrome (V67) on Windows 7


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

de-nagorg said:


> Still blank.
> 
> Windows 10++++, IE , Hp desktop.
> 
> ...



win 10. Firefox
Microsoft update just last night.
Logged out and in
Cookies cleared


Still nothing


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

123pugsy said:


> nope....


 Strange......:vs_mad: I am on windows 7 with explorer


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah it's weird they don't work. Here's the direct links:

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/dsc_2188.jpg


Lights:

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/dsc_2370.jpg

Temporary solar setup: (goes to a small 60w panel outside on the lawn)
http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/dsc_2357.jpg

Siding:

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/img_20180621_1548158.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/img_20180621_1548264.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/img_20180621_1548428.jpg


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Funny, there are lots of picture I don't see, I feel like a winner today.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Yeah it's odd. 

Did ramp today:

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/dsc_8357.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/dsc_8355.jpg

At this point it's more or less done, just need to do some stuff inside like shelving, and then I can start organizing everything. Debating on if I do the permanent solar system now, or wait. I'm probably going to end up waiting. Though I'm looking at getting roof solar panels at the very least for this year. I will just tie them into the existing charge controller provided it can handle the voltage. I THINK it's ok to give a charge controller more amps than what it can handle as it's only going to draw what it can, but I will need to do more research. I do plan to get a beefier charge controller. The one I have is like maybe 7 amps or something.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Out of curiosity can you guys see pics on this thread at my forum?

https://www.uovalor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6715&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

I wonder if it's a forum issue, or some weird browser issue where it seems my site as a threat?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Yes...............


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

All the links that you posted today 6/24/18 are working.

Remember seeing much of the first sets on your website previously.

So it is working well.

Probably something wrong with the "new" system that the admins are monkeying with, trying to improve the site, my guess anyway.



ED


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Red Squirrel said:


> Out of curiosity can you guys see pics on this thread at my forum?
> 
> https://www.uovalor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6715&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
> 
> I wonder if it's a forum issue, or some weird browser issue where it seems my site as a threat?



Yes, everything showing there.


If you have images hosted at another site, and you copy paste them here, only people logged into both sites can see them.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Shelves are in! Took a while, since it was always so hot out so was not working on it. 

Went with a rather simplistic design, but it's strong enough, I can sit on those fine. I made the side ones high enough so I can easily walk under so it does not feel clausterphobic, and leaves plenty of room for things that can just hang off the wall.

Now I need to actually organize everything. I just threw everything randomly for now to get the floor less cluttered. Lot of that stuff is tools etc that won't actually be stored there once it's fully done. That's another thing I need to organize, my tools. They're all over the place, some in the house, some in the shed, some in the garage... That's a whole other project and a half.

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/thumbs/lrg-4512-dsc_9521.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/thumbs/lrg-4511-dsc_9524.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/thumbs/lrg-4508-dsc_9523.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/thumbs/lrg-4507-dsc_9531.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/thumbs/lrg-4510-dsc_9532.jpg

Larger res pics here: https://www.uovalor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=39300#39300

Forum keeps blocking when I post images directly for some reason.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Started on the roof solar system. Had been debating on if I even wanted to do it this year and figured may as well. It's rain season so not getting much done but I did manage to get the racking and one panel up. Will have to take it down and readjust stuff and possibly look at rust proofing the unistrut as it's already starting to rust, but at least I'm more or less set now. Just need to wait for a good day off so I don't feel as rushed. 

Next step will be to wire things more properly as its temporary right now. 

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/img_20180926_1829295.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/img_20180926_1829331.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/img_20180926_1834184.jpg

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/img_20180926_1827246.jpg


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Rest of panels are in! Waiting for a few parts so I can actually wire them all up, but got 2 of them wired up so far. 

http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/img_20181014_1842549.jpg

It's rain season so trying to find a day off where it does not rain is hard. Jumped on the opportunity today.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Nice looking shed. My first rental house when I moved out of the folk's home built as well!
Love your tag line in the other forum.


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## CanadianSal (Sep 29, 2019)

Red Squirrel said:


> Rest of panels are in! Waiting for a few parts so I can actually wire them all up, but got 2 of them wired up so far.
> 
> http://gal.redsquirrel.me/images/house_projects/shed_build/img_20181014_1842549.jpg
> 
> It's rain season so trying to find a day off where it does not rain is hard. Jumped on the opportunity today.


Reviving an old discussion here - how is the shed holding up? I am torn between using a Pad, Gravel or the arrangement you used for a base.


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

It's still standing strong and I don't believe it has shifted much if at all but even if it did, it's not a huge deal to jack it and add shims as it's high enough off the ground to get a jack in. Unlike my parent's shed which has been sitting directly on the ground for the past 20+ years. I lifted it a bit last year, was going to lift it more this year but it was so rotten that it would have fallen apart on the new beams, so ended up dropping it back. Had to dig a hole to get the jack in lol. 

Only issue I'm having with mine is with the door seal, no matter what I do water seems to trickle in so it's going to start rotting the floor if I don't figure it out. I was trying to add gasket seal all around but the way the door closes the gap is not the same all around so part of the seal is ok then the other part it just pushes on it and rips it off. On the hinge side it squishes the seal and makes it very hard to close. So had to scrap that idea. I may just build some kind of awning over the door to try to stop the rain from hitting it directly. I think part of my issue is I went with an out swing door, should have gone with in swing. That way the seal that the door rests against is on the outside. At some point I may just rip the whole door out, and at least add blue skin on the ground part and the frame, so at very least protect from the water that gets in.

As a side note I finally got around to upgrading the solar. I suppose 3kw inverter is a tad overkill. 



http://imgur.com/a/bJGHKQc


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Hint.

Flashing around the door, channels water off the side.

ED


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Could be worth trying to figure out a way to add flashing with siding already in, but I'm not sure how much it will help as the driving rain is probably still getting in through the crack. I ended up starting a separate thread in the windows/doors section though to get some ideas and added more pics.


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