Building a she shed


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Old 11-16-19, 06:25 AM
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Building a she shed

Hi. My daughter and I are building a she shed. We are totally new to this. This project has slowly evolved over time. It started as a play house and then my daughter decided she was too old for that. She wants a space to do crafting and school work that is her own separate space. We decided to undertake this project also calling it her woodworking/construction class for school. (She is homeschooled). It has been a great experience. We have been learning as we go. Our problem right now is that the floor started as a deck that we build and then we build the framing on top of that. Well now we have decided to try to make it a space that will work in the winter. We live in New England. We were planning on running electrical to it and just setting up a space heater. How do I adjust our flooring so that it will hold in the heat and keep the moisture and wind out?
 
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Old 11-16-19, 06:35 AM
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So first off describe what your "deck" is constructed with, type of materials, type of foundation etc!
 
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Old 11-16-19, 06:45 AM
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Hopefully the door isn't installed yet. Any thickness you put on top of the floor will interfere with the swing of the door.

You could add a layer of plywood on top then put down interlocking rubber pads. Leave a gap around the plywood so you can spray foam or put it tight and caulk it.
 
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Old 11-16-19, 06:46 AM
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I probably won’t use the right terms. But the deck is built out of pressure treated wood. It is just set up on the yard. Nothing under it. I know now that was probably a mistake.
 
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Old 11-16-19, 06:50 AM
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Sheds are built on skids (4x4s) that sit on the ground all the time. As long as it's level it's not a big deal because sheds aren't considered permanent buildings. But harder to pick up with forklift and move.
 
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Old 11-16-19, 07:10 AM
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I haven’t installed the door yet. We have only built the deck, put up the framing and we just finished the roof. My thoughts were next I was going to put up the plywood for the walls then put in the windows and the door. Hopefully that is the right order. Then we were going to attack the inside during the winter. I’ll check out the rubber pads. I have never heard of them. What about rigid foam insulation. I’ve read a lot about that but people talk about vapor blocking and so on. We aren’t turning this into anything fancy but I just want to be able to keep it warm and not creating an area that will grow mold. Thanks. Also I feel a little better about not having a concrete slab now. I did make sure it was level. 😃 I tried to add a picture but can’t figure out how.
 
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Old 11-16-19, 07:24 AM
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Having it right on the ground promotes mold. That's one of the other benefits of skids. It gets it up off the ground a few inches so that air can circulate.

Putting pictures in your post.
 
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Old 11-16-19, 07:29 AM
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The decking is about 1 1/2 feet off the ground
 
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Old 11-16-19, 07:56 AM
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I am no professional framer nor contractor, however, I have built a few shed/shops for myself.

If it were me, I'd have put the flooring down, frame it up, put in the window & door framing, put in the windows & doors, then run my electrical, then install the plyboard on the walls (what I call "finishing" the inside).
Since you've already framed up the walls & roofing, I'd roof it first, put the outside siding etc on, then put the plyboard floor down, then windows, doors, wiring & finishing out.

If you finish it first, then try to cut out the holes for the windows & doors, especially since you've never done this before, you may miss your framing/studs a bit either way, or cut into an electrical wire etc. Its just easier to frame up windows & doors when framing up. Just cut your plyboard for the walls to fit around your holes.

Use the same procedure for installing window ac/heat window units if you decide to go that way.
 
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Old 11-16-19, 09:10 AM
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Picture of the she shed at this point
 
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Old 11-16-19, 09:32 AM
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Any thoughts on the rigid foam insulation?
 
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Old 11-16-19, 12:36 PM
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could put the 1/2 inch rigid foam under the exterior panels would also probably extend it to the ground to block off cold air from entering below the floor.
but otherwise fiberglass bat may be the better option inside the walls not really sure of where you was planning to use it at but its usually a low insulation value up until you get to the thicker foam so traditional insulation is usually the most cost effective and provides a higher insulation value.
 
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Old 11-16-19, 12:53 PM
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If you put foam on the floor you will need to cover it with something solid. Because it won't stand up to foot traffic.
 
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Old 11-16-19, 01:09 PM
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You would want to insulate the underside of the floor.. You might be able to find a contractor with a spray foam machine with a want he could stick under the floor from outside and put the insulation between the floor joists. It might have to be done in two thinner layers so the foam while still soft does not fall down and out.
 

Last edited by AllanJ; 11-16-19 at 01:26 PM.
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Old 11-16-19, 02:37 PM
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I can’t get underneath the floor. There just isn’t enough room. If I just put the rigid foam on top of the decking and then put plywood on top would that work. I’m not sure how thick it is? I’m hoping not to have to call in a contractor. Trying to keep the costs down
 
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Old 11-16-19, 02:40 PM
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Would the interlocking rubber pads help insulate?
 
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Old 11-16-19, 02:48 PM
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Actually I guess I could take off the boards off the side of the decking and slide under. Sorry I prob sound not very intelligent but We are learning as we go. We have never done anything like this before. Would it be best to insulate from under the decking? If I could slide under then exactly what should I put under the decking boards?
 
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Old 11-16-19, 04:21 PM
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Are the wall 2X4's studs or are they 8' 2X4's? Just for reference, studs are 92 5/8". Standard 8 ft boards are 96".

This is going to make a difference when you put your plyboard on the walls..... therefore, its going to make a difference on what you do, or don't do, in/on the floor. It will determain the distance from floor to ceiling... &/or bottom plate to top plate... etc.

So, It will help us to know what you can or cant do (your options) with the respect to flooring/insulation etc, etc.
 
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Old 11-16-19, 04:53 PM
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Yes you can put foam down then plywood. Then the door goes in. And rubber on the floor would be a good choice imo. If you are only going to heat this occasionally I would not insulate under it. It's just going to be mouse haven if you do.
 
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Old 11-17-19, 10:51 AM
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They are standard 8 foot boards. Does the rigid foam also pose a problem with mice?
 
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Old 11-17-19, 12:46 PM
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I have seen them chew tunnels in it. But if it's sandwiched between your decking and a layer of plywood they couldn't easily get to it. If you want to insulate the floor that's your best bet.
 
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Old 11-17-19, 03:52 PM
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Since they are 96 inch 2x4's, you can put 3/4' foam insulation on top of the floor, then put another 3/4" plyboard floor on top of that. That will still give you enough room to stand up an 8 ft sheet of plyboard to cover the walls without having to cup/rip the ends off the plyboard. You'll still probably have some room left at the top, but molding or 1X4 etc will cover any gaps.
Fortunately, your mistake of using standard 2X4's this time worked out.
 
 

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