We’re building the floor for our new shed today. In 50+ mph winds. 40+ sustained most of the day. Not the best weather to be working in, but you work when you can. The last two weekends have not been construction-friendly, so we’re working today. Wind or no wind. The floor was obviously all we could accomplish today, because there’s no way we could assemble a metal building without the pieces ended up five counties over. :)
We built this floor frame similar to the deck a few weeks ago. The construction is also similar to the platform bed frame Jas made for our bed before we moved. It’s essentially a giant platform (or stage, as the kids like to refer to it!), leveled by concrete blocks. I don’t have any step-by-step photos, mainly because of the wind. There wasn’t really a chance for me to stop and take shots, so I’ll just describe the process.
Our first order of business was to cut all the perimeter pieces to length. We used treated lumber for the perimeter, since that will be exposed. We cut all four pieces and then assembled them in the rough location we had chosen for the shed. After assembling them we added 2x4s to the inside of the front and back. These sit a little lower than the exterior boards so that the plywood sheets end up sitting flush with the exterior boards around them. We checked for square after that, and then leveled the whole thing. I figured leveling it would take a really long time, but surprisingly it did not. We cut all the joists to length next, and then attached them to the frame. Jas added 2x4 braces down the center between the joists to prevent any sagging down the road. Next up was the plywood sheathing for the floor. We have two courses of plywood for an extra sturdy floor, and they sit nicely inside the treated frame. We had to cover it with a tarp, however, because rain was coming.
You should have seen us attempting to cover this floor frame in the outrageous winds. The tarp was very difficult to control, but fortunately we covered it (with Connor’s help) and everything was safe from the impending weather. As soon as the weekend rolls around (provided the weather holds), we will attach the shed to the floor. Wish us luck! :)
