A Step by Step Guide on How to Build a Brick Shed

Any home would greatly benefit from having a storage shed in their yard. It can be used to house a variety of belongings such as your tools, garden equipment, your barbecue, firewood and even your bicycle and other stuff. And if you want extreme durability and strength, a shed that will last a lifetime, then forget the traditional wooden storage shed, a brick shed is what you need.

Here is a step by step guide on a brick shed with an average size of about five feet by eight feet.

Step 1. Check out your location. Make sure that you have sufficient space for your storage shed, allowing extra space around it and about a couple of feet away from your fence. Steer clear of trees that may act as a hindrance to your roof, or have falling branches and fruits that can damage it. Also, you need to check with your local planning and zoning commission about your plans and the dimensions of your brick shed.

Step 2. Be sure to clean the area where you plan to build your brick shed. Clear it of any debris, roots, rocks and weeds. Also make sure that there are no pipes, cables, wires running underneath.  Draw an outline of the dimensions of your brick shed, you can do this by using paint in a can, spraying the outline on the soil.

Step 3.  After clearing up the soil, dig inside your outline with a depth of about eight inches. For the base, transfer inside sand, about two inches will do. Compact the soil and make sure that it is leveled. Using a post digger, dig six holes, three on each side of your outline, about 4 inches deep. You will use this for the posts where you will attach your roof later on. Place the posts inside and pour cement to hold them in.

Step 4. You can now pour in your cement for your foundation; it should be about six inches deep and make sure to level it. Leave to completely dry. When completely dry, lay out your bricks. Lay the bricks around the base and when you are finished on all four sides, lay down some mortar and place the next layer. Make sure that the second layer of brick is centered on the top of where two bricks on the lower layer meet.  This is so that your brick wall will be stable. Continue until you have reached the desired height. Make sure that the bricks are tightly packed so that water could not seep in. Don’t forget to leave an opening for your door and windows.

Step 5. Leave a gap of about three to four inches for ventilation for the frame of the roof. Connect your lumber from one side of the post to the other. Make a six inch overhang for each lumber. Level your frame. If you want a slanting roof, make one side about three to four inches higher. You can now ad your roof. You can use shingles, aluminum or plastic, depending on your choice.