How to Raise Walls For a Shed and Install Sheathing

Now that you have framed all the walls for your shed including the doors and windows, it is time to raise them and create the frame of your shed. If you have taken the time to frame out the shed walls correctly this should be an easy step. If the walls are level and straight this will be one of the easiest steps in building a shed. If your walls are not straight and level you will spend a lot of time making adjustments when raising the walls.

The first step in raising the walls is to get a helper, you may think you can do it on your own and in all honesty you probably could but take it from me, get a helper and the job will go much smoother and faster. The first thing to do is to tilt the back wall into place on the sub floor, make sure it is level and plumb and then brace it with a 2x4 by attaching the brace to the outside stud and the sub floor, making sure to keep the wall level. Next, raise either of the sidewalls into position and check the corner for square. Once the wall is square brace it by attaching a board at the top of the walls from the back to the side wall. Continue with this process with the other two walls and brace them the same way. The best way to make sure the walls are square is to measure between opposite corners on the inside of the shed walls. If the measurement is the same between the two opposite corners, the shed is square and you are good to continue. If the measurement is not the same you need to make adjustments until it is equal on both sides.

Once the walls are square and level you need to connect the walls to the sub floor. To connect the walls you simply drive nails through the bottom plate every 16 inches into the sub floor joists. Once you have done this you need to cut away the bottom plate at any door openings with a handsaw. Next you need to connect the walls to one another by driving nails every 12 inches into the end studs. Now that the walls are all tied together you can remove the bracing from the tops and the outside of the frame, but leave any inside bracing to make sure the walls stay square until you install the sheathing. Another thing you can do for added stability is to add top plate to the walls. All you need to do is cut 2x4 and nail them to the top plates so the plates overlap at the corners, this will give more stability at the top of the walls and tie everything together. That's basically it for raising the walls, but you still need to install the sheathing to complete the step.

Installing sheathing to the shed not only creates a solid wall to attach your siding but actually adds strength to the shed itself. You can buy sheathing that is structural, in other words it acts as a structural barrier and also acts as the siding as well. The only one I can think of on the market today is the LP Strand product.

The structural siding is easy to install and once you know how to install 3/8 inch plywood sheathing, you can do both. I will explain how to install the 3/8 inch plywood for this guide. Nail the plywood horizontally to the outside of the walls with galvanized 6d (2 inch) nails. Nail every 6 inches along the top and bottom plates, and every 12 inches along studs. measure and cut panels so edges fall at the center of a stud. Stagger joints and keep a gap of at least 1/16 inch between panels. When you get to openings for windows or doors the best thing to do is drive nails through the sheathing from the inside to mark the corners. Draw straight lines between the nails and simply saw the opening out with a jig-saw. You can also cut to fit your sheathing so you don't have to cut it when it's attached to the wall. I actually prefer to cut my sheathing before it's attached. Remember, the sheathing will not be seen by anyone so it does not have to be a perfect fit. Finally, you need to staple house wrap over the sheathing, remember to overlap by at least 3 inches. Cut off any excess paper and you are ready to go to the next step.

This is the step that will really make the shed come together. Raising walls and adding sheathing is really easy and sometimes overlooked as an important step. Any process in building that provides two purposes is important. In this case the sheathing adds support to the building as a whole and provides a base for installing the siding. If the wall are not straight you will have major issues down the road. So, these are easy steps but very important steps, don't take them lightly and don't underestimate the importance. Good luck.