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Easy Diy Shed Building Plans

Joining the walls of a shed to each other

by Jim
(California)

Hello! My son and I are planning on building an 18'foot x 18'foot lean-to style storage shed. When I was a kid building walls with my own dad (about 60 years ago), I did all the hammering and my dad did all the plans, so I never knew how to lay things out.

On the shed we are going to build, I want the studs on 16 inch centers, which I know how to do, so building the walls isn't an issue. But I don't remember how to join the walls of a shed?? I know that the 2nd/top plate (on 2 of the opposite walls) will over-lap the shorter adjacent walls, but which walls are to be built a bit shorter (to go inside the longer walls), or does it matter?

I am assuming that 2 of the shed walls will be shorter than 18' foot long, to fit in-between the two walls that ARE 18' feet long, but which walls should be the longer ones? The front and back walls? Or the two side walls?

Also, I'm not to sure how to frame the roof on a lean-to shed, but I know I don't want that much of a slope (we're in southern California so we don't have a snow load or hurricanes to worry about - just occasional rain storms)

Can you help?

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Apr 02, 2024
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by: John

Hi Jim,

That's a great question! I have done it both ways where the side walls are 'sandwiched' between front and back walls, or the front and back walls are sandwiched between the two side walls.

I would personally prefer to sandwich the side walls. As for connecting them in the corners, you should nail or screw them together with 3.5" nails or screws every 16" (12" is better!)

When I do my plans up for that type of situation, I would frame the side walls so that when you position siding in the corners after your walls are standing up and nailed to each other in the corners(assuming you are using panels) the vertical end of the panel will fall right in the middle of a wall stud. This will eliminate a lot of waste for your siding cuts. Subsequant panel ends will also land in the middles of studs if your walls are framed properly.

Since you are building an 18' x 18' shed, in the lean to style, the process of overlapping the top wall plates would be next to impossible to do.

If your roof trusses or rafters will fall directly on the wall studs below them, then there is no need to double up on the top plates. If this is not the case, then you would want a double top plate.

Also, you need to make sure, if you are shingling the roof, that it is at least a 3/12 roof pitch, or 15 degrees. If it's less than that, then your roof will leak. If you are going with a metal roof, it won't matter what the pitch is.

I hope this helps you out Jim. If you have any further questions, please email me - john@shedking.net.

One other thing - almost all lumber only comes in 16' lengths. You may get lucky and be able to find it in longer lengths but it would be rare.

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