The Cottage – Garden Shed / Greenhouse

For our multi-purpose garden shed / greenhouse, Linda and I started the Dream phase of our Dream :: Design :: Do process with a simple wish list:

Two or three levels of Rubbermaid coated wire shelving
Potting bench w/ area for cart underneath
Not insulated
No electric / heat / running water
Big plastic window facing south
Sash windows on ends
Plastic roof
Door and window or double door facing north

We staked out an 8′ x 12′ area east of our existing garden, and our design began to take shape in SketchUp. With pavers given to us by our niece and nephew for an on-grade floor surrounded by 4×6 pressure treated sleepers, we decided on 24″ on center frame construction.

After some research, we decided to use a clear corrugated polycarbonate product called SunTuf from Palram for the south-facing window and clear roof. Three single sash vinyl windows from Jeld Wen and a fiberglass exterior door would provide light and ventilation on the remaining three sides.

After consulting with the guys at Chelsea Lumber, we decided to use pre-primed LP SmartSide lap siding for the exterior cladding, and Azek PVC for the trim. With a couple of coats of paint to match the Monterey Taupe on the house, The Cottage would fit right in!

: SketchUp Model – Looking NW

: SketchUp Model – Looking SE

: Pavers, Sleepers and Gravel Bed Layout

: Leveling a Pad for the Floor

: Only a Few Inches Deep but Still a Lot of Work

: Fine Tuning with a Spirit Level

: Fabric In, Ready for Gravel

: Half Yard of 21A Topped with Half Yard of 3/8 and Down

: Leveling Gravel Bed

: Sleepers Ready to Install

: Securing Sleeper Corners with Timber Screws

: Raking Out the Paver Base

: Leveling Paver Base to Sleepers

: Tamped and Ready for Pavers

: Setting Pavers in Running Bond Pattern with 1/8″ Gap

: About Half Way There

: Full Pavers Installed

: Marking Row-End Partial Pavers

: Cutting Pavers with Rented Electric Concrete Saw

: Pavers Complete with Play Sand Swept In

: Lumber Delivery – I Think It’s for Me!

: Linda’s First Wall and First Framing Job

: South Wall with Lateral Bracing in Place

: Cutting Header Components

: Assembling Headers for Windows and Door

: East Wall Being Fastened in Place

: Three Walls In

: North Wall Yet to Go

: Enjoying the View

: Installing Top Plates

: Blocking for South-Facing Window Installed

: SunTuf Corrugated Polycarbonate from Palram

: Some of the Fasteners Needed

: 8″ x 8″ Gable Vents

: SunTuf Horizontal and Vertical Closures

: Time to Install the Sheathing

: OSB Starting to Define the Space

: 2 – 3/8″ Ring-Shank Nails Attach the OSB

: Time to Cut Some Openings

: First View Through Southern Window

: Shadows at Solar Noon

: The Cottage is Starting to Take Shape

: House Wrap Installed

: 1/2″ Plywood Gusset Plates for 4:12 Roof Trusses

: Cutting End Gusset Plates

: Gussets Complete and Rafters to Rough Length

: Workbench Becoming Truss Assembly Jig

: Gang-Notching Rafters for 14′ Purlins

: First Truss in Assembly

: Gusset Plates with Lots of Screws and Titebond III Glue

: Five Common and Two Gable Trusses Completed

: Trusses Installed with One Temporary Purlin

: Roof Line Starting to Take Shape

: Attaching Closure Strips to Purlins for Corrugated Roofing

: Purlins Installed with Garden Beyond

: Vertical Closure Strips Installed and Ready for Roofing

: Murphy Inspecting the Progress

: Single Sash Vinyl Windows Installed

: Cutting the Roofing Material to Length

: Attaching the Corrugated Polycarbonate Roof Panels

: Beautiful Blue Sky Day for Roof Work

: Each Panel Spanned 24″

: I Won’t Be Able to Stand in This Spot Again

: Marietta Wood Works Logo by Mike Mahan

: Roofed, Ridged, Done

: Successful Happy Hour First Trial Run

: 6′ x 8′ Southern Window is Corrugated Polycarbonate

: In Case of Hurricane

: Being Dried In is Always a Big Milestone

: Azek PVC Trim Around Gable Vent

: Linda Getting the Feel of the New Space

: 5/4 x 6″ PT Deck Boards Near Ground Level

: PT Cut Ends Coated with Waterproof Titebond III

: Azek Door Trim is On the Level

: Just in Time for First Frost Warning

: Azek Corners Beveled to 4:12 Pitch

: Trim Complete and Ready for Siding

: Linda Attaches the First Piece of LP SmartSide Siding

: Spacer for Next Siding Course

: Siding Progress

: Sealing All Siding Cuts Before Installation

: Linda Pre-drilling Siding Pieces

: More Siding Progress

: Home Made Jig for 6-3/8″ Lap Siding Reveal

: Even More Siding Progress

: Linda Nailed It!

: Well-deserved Schnauzer Break

: Two of Three 12′ Rubbermaid Shelves Installed

: The Last Few Pieces of Siding Required Some Cipherin’

: The Track Saw Was the Right Tool for This Job

: Siding Complete!

: Paint Color-matched to Monterey Taupe on the House

: Painting Progress

: The Cottage – Looking SE

: The Cottage – Looking NE

: The Cottage

: Inside Looking W

: Inside Looking SW

: Inside Looking SE

: Inside Looking E

: Inside Looking NE

: Inside Looking NW

: Inside Looking UP!

In case you were wondering, we are calling our little garden shed / greenhouse “The Cottage” after the garden shed my dad built several years before I was born. Growing up, we always referred to that little white shed as “The Cottage.” It was a great place to play in the summertime, especially if you were successful at avoiding getting stung by wasps or scraped up by the rusty tools that lived there year around.