And this is the shed
that friends built—the story of a shed building
party
When we purchased our house, I
knew we would need a shed
in the backyard for all our stuff, but I didn’t
know too much about building structures like garden
sheds or greenhouses. We looked at garden shed plans
but decided it would be easier for us to purchase a
shed kit.
The shed kit was great for us
newbies because it came with: plans, pre-cut wood,
and all the necessary hardware. (You can also order
kits that have major pieces like walls pre-assembled
which saves even more time and effort.)
Soon after we ordered the cedar
shed kit, it was delivered on a pallet. It was then
that I really started to worry because I had never
built a structure like a shed before.
I started talking to friends
and quickly found a few who were avid woodworkers or
do-it-yourself renovators. That’s when I got the
idea to have a shed building party and invite my
skilled friends over to help out. I figured for the
price of food and beer, I could get professional
help. I picked the date and hoped for a sunny day,
and then I started working on site preparation.
Since our friends were coming over to build, I
decided it would be smart to have the site prepared
before they showed up.
The plan for the party was to
have the workers (friends) show up around 9:00 a.m.,
and then have their families show up later in the
day for a BBQ dinner. I planned to have fresh
beverages on tap, and to supply lunch and snacks
throughout the day. It’s always a good idea to
ensure your crew is nourished while working on your
shed!
As planned, people began
arriving at 9:00 a.m. with various tools, and we
soon got to work. It was interesting to see how
everyone had a specialty in one form or another. One
friend who was not too good with swinging a hammer
or using power tools, was a master when it came
roofing. He had worked as a roofer one summer while
going to college.
The shed building party turned
out to be a really good idea and I was quite
surprised how much fun everyone had building a shed
in our backyard. We now have a yearly building
project at someone’s house, and to date we’ve
built a deck, a castle, and a tugboat sandbox. Next
on our list is a hobby greenhouse.
If you think a shed building
party is your future, here’s a few things from
our experience that you might find useful.
