Advice on Shed Roof Joinery

[WarmGuy]

I'm building an additional shed, simpler in design than my current shed:

I will sink four 10 foot 4x4 posts about four feet into the ground. The front will be about 16 feet wide. The roof frame will have 16 foot 2x6s across the front and back, with 2x4s on the sides.

The side will look like this:



And my question is, should I just screw the 2x4s in the roof frame to the posts, or cut out a rabbet into the top of the 4x4 posts, like this:


Any other tips?

Thanks!

Al

 

[Michael Golden]

Just screw them to the 4 x 4's they will hold just fine. Also, no need to go that deep 30in is plenty deep. If you have a normal set of post hole diggers like me and not a digging set you will never get 4 ft anyways unless your hole is pretty big in circumference. But, it's yours shed go overkill if you like!

 

[Michael Golden]

Also, I wouldn't span over 8ft with your header or you will get sag overtime.

 

[WarmGuy]

Overkill is what I do! I actually did get to four feet, but I see what you mean -- the post hole digger handles couldn't get very far apart at that depth. The sandy soil at that depth helped.





And I couldn't resist putting a little groove in there to support the side beams. That 2x4 is just for alignment purposes.



Two down, two posts to go. It looks like this is going to work.

 

[Bret Chase]

rabbeting your posts is never a bad thing.... I have no knowledge of your winter climate... but I do know, unless your old shed was made of fir or better, it wouldn't make it through one winter here....

 

[nate379]

Looks like really easy to dig ground where you are. If I can dig more than 6-8" without hitting rock I'm doing pretty good. I planted about 15 trees last summer and I got a backhoe after spending a few hours digging the first hole by hand.

 

[Michael Golden]

Yea that is some real sandy soil! I get to 30" and I'm tired of spudding.

 

[BoilerMan]

Why is it I live in Maine again? Hmmmmm.

TS

 

[weatherguy]

Id never even get to 30" in my yard, I would just get those post holders for my yard. Your first shed looks pretty basic, do you get snow where you live?

 

[firefighterjake]

Why is it I live in Maine again? Hmmmmm.

TS

a) Nothing like riding the sled in The County
b) Except maybe riding the ATV in The County
c) But the one thing that sets The County apart from everywhere else . . . the people

 

[BoilerMan]

Oh trust me, I'm not moving any time soon. Lived here all my life and, Lord willing, will always. Lived elsewhere for a year, and travled too, No place like The County.

TS

 

[nate379]

Come visit me up here... just like northern Maine expect the views are even better. That's why I never left after Uncle Sam got rid of me

 

[firefighterjake]

Come visit me up here... just like northern Maine expect the views are even better. That's why I never left after Uncle Sam got rid of me

I have the best of both worlds . . . a sister and brother in law living next door to you Nate. I love visiting them . . . always feels a bit like Maine -- on adrenaline.

 

[nate379]

Well next time you visit let me know... I'll even let you run a real saw... a Stihl

 

[lukem]

You don't want to span 16' with 2x6's. It will sag very quickly and have a lot of lateral play too. Make it 6 posts and you're in business.

Since you've already notched 1 side of your 4x4's, attach the headers with some lag or carriage bolts. That needs to be strong because you are supporting your entire roof system with those few places you connect to the posts. Pole barn nails would work as well, but lag bolts would be much stronger and easier.

 

[firefighterjake]

Well next time you visit let me know... I'll even let you run a real saw... a Stihl

I don't discriminate . . . ran Stihls for years growing up . . . probably would still have a Stihl if the local dealership still sold them instead of Husquvarnas.

 

[RORY12553]

Issue that I have using the a roof material the same as yours is that there are a lot of seams in the roof which leak. Also there are a few small holes too that are leaking. Any product that I can use to fix this?

 

[lukem]

Issue that I have using the a roof material the same as yours is that there are a lot of seams in the roof which leak. Also there are a few small holes too that are leaking. Any product that I can use to fix this?

Silicon the seams and holes. Don't use regular caulk...use pure silicon that comes in a "caulk" tube.

 

[Bret Chase]

Issue that I have using the a roof material the same as yours is that there are a lot of seams in the roof which leak. Also there are a few small holes too that are leaking. Any product that I can use to fix this?

butyl roll mastic will work the best, but since they are translucent panels... I'd go with the silicone on the laps... that corrugated roofing is also ment to be attached through the highs using washered nails or screws...

 

[Bret Chase]

Silicon the seams and holes. Don't use regular caulk...use pure silicon that comes in a "caulk" tube.

how are you defining "regular caulk"? latex? acrylic latex? siliconized latex? butyl? geocell? polyurethane?

all of those with the inclusion of silicone fall under "regular caulk"... with Polyurethane performing by far the best....

 

[WarmGuy]

I'm ready to add the roof.



There's absolutely no sign of sagging in the 2x6s. All the posts go down four feet, and there's no sign of lateral play. This thing is solid. It's a much better design than that of the last shed (on the right).

It never snows here (right by the ocean).

Here's the joinery I used:

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Nice work. In the process of building a shed for myself, so I am following this thread pretty closely. Can I ask how you notched out your posts? just plain old circular saw, or do you have sawzall? (I'm looking to do similar notching, and haven't figured out the best way to make the cuts. (I don't have a table saw)

 

[WarmGuy]

I notched them .75 inches -- that is, half of the width of a 2x4. Yes, just a plain old circular saw.

Here it is with the floor:



It rained the other day, and I was noticing how far in the rain comes. I opted for a high shed, and like the open design, but the damp area on the ground is 1-2 feet in from the edges.

Note that while working on this, I decided not to wear my helmet, until I bonked my head pretty hard on one of the beams. Helmet from then on, and it saved me some additional bumps.

 

[WarmGuy]

It's half full now, and working great. Since I have a lot of short pieces I stack the outermost rows, and throw the smaller pieces in between.

 

[BoilerMan]

Do you get much snow in N. California?

TS