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In order to build your own wooden shed in your backyard, just what skills do you need? Well, this is certainly the perfect project to learn basic carpentry skills if you don’t consider yourself handy with tools. By far, the easiest way is to purchase a precut wooden shed kit. A precut kit comes with instructions and all the pieces necessary to simplify and speed up the process. And because all the pieces are already cut, assembly is as simple as laying the sections out flat on the ground and putting them together.

Building the foundation, setting the walls and putting on the roof can all be done with no help because of the shed’s relatively small size. For example, when you set up the walls, just nail on temporary braces to help you hold them up while you attach them to each other.

For the most part, you will only need basic tools to get the job done such as, a hammer, a drill, a level, a saw (even though kits are precut, it will still be necessary to make a few cuts) and a tape measure. You will use the tape to measure walls to make them square. This is done by measuring the distance of opposite corners (such as bottom left to top right). Then measure the other two corners. If square, the measurements will be the same.

Instead of hammering everything together with nails, I would recommend screwing the boards together. It’s actually easier than nailing and has the extra benefit of being a stronger connection and can be taken apart simply by unscrewing the screws if you mess up.

One of the most important tools you can use is a level. Usually, the longer the level is the better your results will be. But for this project, a 12-inch level should be fine. First, check to make sure the foundation is level horizontally. If not, you will have to add or subtract dirt or sand under the cinder block(s) that need adjusting. Check for level both ways – North/South and East/West.

Once you add the walls, check that they are level vertically (also known as “plumb”). This is really important. If the walls aren’t level, square and plumb then you will have major problems when you start working on the roof.

Remember to have fun with this project as this can be a great learning experience. The real reward – knowing you built your shed with your own two hands.

Dan Reiling has built garden sheds for over 20 years and consults other with how to build their own. For more information on wooden sheds, be sure to visit his web site at: BestWoodenSheds.com.

Tags: backyard structures, cabanas, diy, garden sheds, gardening, gazebos, Home Improvement, playhouses, storage sheds, wooden sheds