RED-HOT

WORKSHOP

Simple construction and

a flood of light make this
the perfect workspace.
by Jeff Gorton

W
hether you need a wood shop,
an artist’s studio, or a light and
airy storage and garden shed,
this building fits the bill. The hor-
izontal band of clear plastic
floods the space with bright, even light for all kinds
of projects. The low-pitched roof is unobtrusive and
easy to build. And the classic shed roof design fits
well with many architectural styles. The 16 x 20-ft.
workshop cost us $10,000 to build. This doesn’t
include the cost of the concrete pad.

1 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
Build the walls

S
tart by snapping chalk lines
3-1/2 in. in from the edges of
the slab to indicate the inside
edge of the walls. You’ll use these
lines to measure for the anchor bolt
holes and to straighten the bottom Treated
5/8”
plate after the walls are standing. Spade
Bottom
Next, cut the treated bottom plates Plate
Bit
to length and set them in place
against the anchor bolts. Use a
Speed Square to transfer the bolt
locations to the plates. Then mea- Stud
sure from the chalk line to the center Mark
of each bolt and transfer this mea-
1/2”
surement to the plates. Drill 5/8-in. Anchor
holes at each bolt location and set Bolt
the plates over the bolts to check
the fit. Refer to the Internet section
for the location of studs, windows
and doors and mark these on the

1. BUILD THE WALLS

plates (Photo 1). Cut matching top
plates and transfer the markings to
them. Tack pairs of plates together Prepare for wall building by cutting, drilling and marking the bottom
with 8d nails to keep them together plates. Then label the plates and set them aside until you frame the walls.
until you’re ready to build the walls.

Plastic panels
let the
sunshine in
Clear polycarbonate
panels form a horizontal
Double-wall
Polycarbonate band along the top of the
walls. It lets in light
without taking away
from wall space as ordi-
nary windows would.
Polycarbonate is typi-
cally used in greenhouse
construction, but it’s a
good choice here
because it’s cheaper than
glass and much easier to
work with. Double-wall
Special polycarbonate insulates
Screw better than single wall
and is stronger. It’s a spe-
cialty material that you’ll
Polycarbonate find at greenhouse sup-
Molding pliers or online.
Cutting and fitting
the moldings that
cover the edges and
seams is fussy work.
But with a little
patience, you’ll have
bright, even light that’s
perfect for a workshop.

2 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
 METAL ROOFING

30-LB. FELT PAPER

1/2" OSB
SHEATHING

AWNING WINDOWS

32" DOOR I-JOISTS 24" O.C.

POLYCARBONATE
PANELS

5/8"
ROUGH
PLYWOOD

1x2 BATTENS
12" O.C.

POLYCARBONATE PANELS

METAL 2x4
ROOF SUBFASCIA 2x4
PANEL OVERHANG
SHEATHING
I-JOIST 2x4 STUDS 24" O.C.

6' DOUBLE
DOORS
1x6
FASCIA 2x4
BLOCKING

UPPER
POLYCARBONATE
SUPPORT RIPPED
2x10

Figure A
FRONT
POLYCARBONATE WALL
WINDOW

LOWER Workshop construction

details
POLYCARBONATE 2x4
SUPPORT BLOCKING

OVERHANG DETAILS This flexible design lets you build your workshop
any length and eliminate doors and windows
without changing the basic structure.

3 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
 Front
Wall

Header

2. FRAME THE WALLS

Build the front wall. Separate the top and bottom plates and
arrange the studs, header and trimmers between them. Nail them together
Cut the studs for the front and
back walls and prebuild the head-
with 16d nails. ers. After the parts are cut, build the
front wall (Photo 2). Unlike with stan-
dard walls, the tie plate on the front
and back walls must be beveled to
provide a flat spot for the I-joist raf-
ters to rest on. This is a bit tricky. The
easiest method is to tilt a table saw
blade 9 degrees away from the
fence and rip a 2-in.-wide bevel with
the 2x4 standing on edge. Nail the
beveled 2x4s to the top of the wall.
Two horizontal bands of 2x4s
support the polycarbonate panels.
Screw the lower horizontal 2x4 to
the sidewalls before standing the
walls up (Photo 3). Leave a space
for the awnings. When this is done,
5” Screw
stand and brace the front wall. Nail
2x4 braces from the top plate to
Lower
stakes set in the ground to tempo-
Polycarbonate rarily support the wall. Then line up
Support the inside edge of the bottom
plate with the chalk line on the slab
and tighten the nuts onto the
anchor bolts. Follow the same pro-
cedure to build and stand the back
wall. Plumb and cross-brace the
front and back walls (Photo 4).

3. ATTACH PANEL SUPPORTS

Build the end walls in place
Attach the polycarbonate panel supports before you stand up the walls. rather than framing them on the
Drive screws through the 2x4 into each stud. Leave spaces for the window and slab. First cut the outside rafters
door awning frames. from the rim joist material and

4 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM

4. RAISE THE WALLS
Stand and brace the front and back walls and tighten the anchor bolt nuts
to secure them. Splice 2x4s to create long cross braces and nail them to the walls to
hold the walls plumb.
toenail them to the top plates of
the front and back walls (Photo 5).
Now measure for and cut the top
wall plate. Nail the top plate to the
rafter and bolt down the bottom
plate. Photo 5 shows how to trans-
fer the layout marks from the
bottom plate to the top plate.
When this is done, measure for
each stud and cut them to length,
with a 9-degree angle cut on the
top. Toenail the studs to the plates
and frame the window and door
openings.
Complete the wall framing by
adding the horizontal 2x4s on the
sidewalls and nailing blocking
between the studs to support the
top edge of the plywood siding.
Double-check the corners to make
sure the walls are plumb. Also
straighten the top of the walls,
using a taut string as a guide. Nail
long 2x4 braces to the top plates
and push or pull them as needed
5 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
4’
Level
to align the top plate with the
string. Then nail the lower end of
the braces to the bottom of the
opposite wall. With the walls
plumbed, straightened and well
braced, you’re ready to fill in the
remaining rafters.
Prebuild the
overhangs
The roof frame consists of 11-7/8-
in. I-joists with 2x4 extensions
nailed to them to form the front
and back overhangs (Photo 6). The
side overhangs look like 2x4 lad-
ders and are supported by the
front and back 2x4 subfascias and
the OSB roof sheathing.
Start by cutting the I-joists to
length with 9-degree angles on
both ends. Next cut the 2x4s for
the overhangs with a
9-degree angle on one end. Mark
the length of the overhang on the
Cross
Brace
2x4s. Then line up the marks with
the end of the rafters to align the
2x4s for nailing.
Mark the rafter locations on the
front and back top plates, lining up
the center of the rafters with the
center of the studs below. Set up
your scaffolding and round up a
few helpers to lift the rafters into
place (Photo 7). Use a scrap of 2x4
to position the rafters 1-1/2 in.
behind the front edge of the top
plate (Photo 7, inset). If your walls
are straight and parallel, you
should also have the same
1-1/2-in. distance on the back wall.
Nail through the bottom chord of
the joist into the top plate with 16d
framing nails to secure the rafters.
When all the rafters are in place, go
inside the building and nail metal
hurricane ties between the rafters
and the top plate.
There are a few more steps
before you’re ready to cover the
Beveled
Top Plate End Rafter

Stud Mark

Tape
Measure

Diagonal
Brace

5. BUILD END WALLS

Build the end walls in place rather than on the ground. Install the end
rafter and top and bottom plates. Then mark the stud locations and fill in the studs.
roof with plywood. First nail 2x4
subfascias to the front and back
overhangs. Cut the subfascias to
2x4 extend 16 in. past the end rafter to
Overhang support the end overhang. Then
build the ladders for the end over-
hangs and nail them up (Photo 8).
If your lumberyard doesn’t have
22-ft. 2x4s, you’ll have to build
these in two pieces like we did.
Next, rip 2x10s to the correct
width to fill the space between the
16d
Nail top plate and overhanging 2x4s on
the front and back walls. Rip a
I-joist bevel on the top of the front 2x10
Rafter for a tight fit. Nail the ripped 2x10s
to the top plate and rafter ends.
Then nail another 2x4 to the under-
side of the 2x4 overhangs to sup-
port the top edge of the
polycarbonate windows. Finally, fill
all of the spaces between the 2x4
1/2”
Fillers overhangs with 2x4 blocking. Set

6. FORTIFY THE RAFTERS

the blocking flush with the face of
the upper polycarbonate frame
Add the 2x4 extensions and fillers before you install the rafters. (Figure A, “Overhang Details”).

6 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
 2 x4
spacer

Brace
Rafter
Marks

7.INSTALL RAFTERS
Add the overhangs to the rafters on the ground to avoid ladder work.
Then position the rafters on the roof and nail them to the front and back walls.

Install the siding

and roof plywood
2x4 Subfascia

Temporary Double-check the walls to make

Support Block
sure they’re plumb and square.
End Then cut the plywood siding to the
Overhang correct height and nail it to the
studs (Photo 9). Use 2-in. galva-
nized ring-shank nails for the
siding.
Prepare for the roof sheathing
by snapping a chalk line across the
joists, 48-1/4 in. up from the edge
of the bottom subfascia. Align the
first row of OSB with this line
before nailing it to the rafters.
Drive 8d nails spaced 8 in. along
the rafters and every 4 in. at the
ends of the sheets. Make sure to
leave a 1/8-in. space between the
ends of the sheets to allow for
expansion. Before you nail the
OSB to the first and last rafters and
the side overhangs, make sure the
side subfascias are perfectly
straight. Also prop up the middle

8. BUILDER LADDER FRAMES

of the side overhangs with a long
2x4 to put a slight upward bow in
Build ladder frames for the end overhangs. Nail temporary blocks to the them. Then nail the OSB to the
rafter to support the frame while you nail it on. The 2x4 subfascias on the front overhang. This will provide extra
and back support the ends of the frame. support against future sagging.

7 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM

Rough
Plywood
Siding
9. SHEATHE THE WALLS
Sheathe the walls with plywood. Add diagonal metal wind bracing at each
front corner to stiffen the top section of the wall.
Build the overhangs
The large awnings protect the win-
dows and doors and allow you to
leave them open for ventilation
even during a rainstorm. For addi-
tional shade, you can cover the
awning frames with metal roofing
instead of the translucent
polycarbonate.
Start the awning construction by
cutting the 2x8 rafters to length
and then tapering them with a cir-
cular saw. Cut the 2x8 ledger and
2x4 fascia boards to length and
mark the rafter locations on them.
Using the concrete slab as a work
surface, screw the frames together
with 3-in. deck screws.
The awning frames are heavy, so
8 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
Metal
Wind Brace
before you lift them into position,
screw a pair of 2x4 blocks to the
wall for support. Align the top edge
of the blocks with the bottom edge
of the horizontal 2x4 clerestory
frame. Then lift the awning frame
onto the blocks and attach it to the
wall framing with 3/8 x 4-in. lag
screws. Level the awning and sup-
port it temporarily with the 2x4s.
Then install the angled braces
(Photo 11). Align the pairs of 2x4
angled braces with each other and
clamp them to the upright 2x4 on
one end and the rafter on the top.
Then drill a 1/2-in. hole through all
three boards and install the 1/2-in.
bolts, washers and nuts.
Install the
polycarbonate
panels
The polycarbonate panels we’re
using on this shed are 10mm
(about 3/8 in.) thick and consist of
two thin layers of plastic separated
by webs, just like corrugated card-
board. The polycarbonate sheets
are easy to cut with a plywood
blade mounted in a circular saw.
The open ends of the cells at the
top and bottom of each piece must
be closed off with a U-shaped
channel to prevent wasps and
other insects from taking up resi-
dence and to keep moisture out.
H-shaped polycarbonate moldings
 Blocking

Temporary
Support

10. SHEATHE THE ROOF

Nail the roof sheathing to the rafters. The ladder overhangs are flimsy
until the sheathing stiffens them, so support them with temporary posts.
join the sheets where they meet.
We used tin snips to cut the
U-moldings and a power miter saw
Awning with the blade installed backward
to cut the H-channels. You can also
use a hacksaw.
Carriage Aligning the seams between
Bolt
sheets with the wall framing
behind them looks best. But it
requires a bit more planning and
cutting. To do this, the corner
sheets must be about 51-1/2 in.
wide. The Materials List on our
Web site includes several 6-ft.-wide
panels for this purpose. The
remaining sheets must be trimmed
to about 47-1/2 in. wide to allow
for the space taken up by the
H-shaped moldings. Add an inch to
the height of the sheets so they’ll
overhang the lower 2x4.
The wall panels must be notched
to fit over the awning frames.
Temporary Before you measure for the notch,
Support
lay a scrap of polycarbonate on top
of the awning and measure to it.
This will allow space for the poly-
carbonate awning roof panels to
1/2” slide underneath the wall panels.
Spade
Bit When you cut the polycarbonate
panels for the awnings, allow an
extra inch on both ends and the
front to create an overhang. To
allow the awning roof panels to
slide under the wall panels, you’ll

11. INSTALL THE AWNINGS

have to notch them where they
intersect the wall panels. Save time
Build the awnings and attach them to the building with lag screws. by staining or sealing the wood
Clamp the 2x4 angled braces to the awning and vertical 2x4 and drill a hole awning frames before you install
through them for the 1/2-in. carriage bolts. the polycarbonate panels. Cut the

9 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM 9 FEBRUARY 2008 thefamilyhandyman.com


12. FINISH THE SIDING
Nail battens to the walls to complete the siding. Use short nails and
construction adhesive where there are no studs.
moldings and install them on the
panels before you screw the panels
to the framing. The moldings are
held on by friction. You can order
outside corner moldings to cover
the corners, but we simply butted
two U-channels together and
caulked the seam with clear
silicone.
Use the special screws with
rubber washers to attach the poly-
carbonate to the framing. Predrill
clearance holes about 12 in. apart
and 2 in. from the seams along the
top and bottom edges of the
sheets. Remember to allow for the
1-in. overhang when drilling the
bottom holes. It’s easy to crush the
polycarbonate, so use a light touch
when driving the screws. Stop as
soon as the plastic sheet starts to
deform.
10 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
Install the doors,
windows and trim
Set the double doors on a bead
of polyurethane or silicone caulk
to seal the space under the sill.
Then center the door in the open-
ing and install three sets of shims
behind the hinges of each door.
Adjust the shims until the space
between the doors is even and
there’s an even space between
the doors and the jamb. Drive
long screws (usually provided
with the doors) through one of
the holes in each hinge and
through the jamb and into the
framing. Our doors arrived with
standard brick molding trim on
the exterior. We removed it and
used 1x3 cedar instead to match
the exterior trim.
Polycarbonate
Panels
Battens
Follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for installing the win-
dows. The key is to center the win-
dows between the awning braces
and keep the top window jamb
parallel with the awning frame. If
you’ve been careful to keep every-
thing plumb and level, your win-
dows will be too.
When you’ve finished the
window and door installation, you
can complete the exterior by
installing the 1x3 trim around the
windows and doors and nailing the
battens to the siding (Photo 12).
We finished the siding and trim
with two coats of Cabot Tile Red
O.V.T. Solid Color Stain. We applied
two coats of Cabot Clear Solution
Natural to the exposed rafter
extensions, cedar fascia and cedar
awning frames.
 TOP PLATE BEVELED
TO MATCH ROOF PITCH

TOP PLATE BEVELED

TO MATCH ROOF PITCH
2x4 LOWER
POLYCARBONATE DOUBLED
SUPPORT 2x10s
2x4 2x4 LOWER
BLOCKING POLYCARBONATE
SUPPORT
2x4 2x4
WALL WALL
STUD 2x4 LOWER STUD
TOP PLATE BEVELED
POLYCARBONATE TO MATCH ROOF PITCH DOUBLED
SUPPORT 2x10s
Section A-A 2x4 Section B-B
2x4 LOWER
BLOCKING POLYCARBONATE B
SUPPORT
2x4 2x4
WALL WALL
2x4 LOWER
STUD
POLYCARBONATE DOUBLED STUD
SUPPORT 2x10s
2x4 2x4 LOWER
BLOCKING POLYCARBONATE
2x4
Section A-A SUPPORT Section B-B
WALL
2x4
WALL B
A
STUD STUD

Section A-A Section B-B

B
A B

A
6´ 2-1/2˝
A

A B
A B
6´ 10-1/2˝

6´ 2-1/2˝
9´ 4-7/8 ˝ 6´ 2-1/2˝
7/8 ˝

6´ 10-1/2˝

6´ 10-1/2˝

2´
(green studs)
1´ 11-1/4˝ 2´
(green studs) 24´
24´

1´ 11-1/4˝ 2´
Front
Front Wall Elevation
Wall Elevation
(green studs)

24´

Front Wall Elevation

11 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
 2x4 LOWER
POLYCARBONATE DOUBLED
SUPPORT 2x8s
2x4 2x4 LOWER
BLOCKING POLYCARBONATE
SUPPORT
2x4 2x4
WALL WALL
STUD STUD

Section A-A Section B-B

B
A

B
1´ 7-1/2˝ A
3´ 1˝

9´ 4-1/2˝

8´ 1-1/8˝

6´ 10˝

2´ 10˝

1´ 7-3/4˝ 2´ 2´ 2´ 1´ 7-3/4˝
REAR FRONT
WALL WALL
FRAMING FRAMING

15´ 5˝

Left Side Wall Elevation

12 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
 2x4 LOWER
POLYCARBONATE DOUBLED
SUPPORT 2x8s
2x4
BLOCKING
2x4 2x4 LOWER
2x4
WALL POLYCARBONATE
WALL
STUD SUPPORT
STUD

Section A-A Section B-B

B
A

B
A 1´ 7-1/2˝
6´ 1˝

9´ 4-1/2˝

8´ 1-1/8˝

6´ 10˝

1´ 7-3/4˝ 2´ 2´ 1´ 9-1/4˝ 2´ 2-3/4˝ 2´

FRONT REAR
WALL WALL
6´ 7˝
FRAMING FRAMING
(REF.) (REF.)
15´ 5˝

Right Side Wall Elevation

13 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
 C

1´ 4˝

C
RIM JOIST 2x4 x 4´ 8˝
SHIM

2x10 RIPPED 2x10 RIPPED

TO 8-3/8˝ TO 8-3/8˝

A A B B

POLYCARBONATE SUPPORT (ORANGE)

24´

2x4 BLOCKING (PURPLE)

I-JOIST

2x4 OVERHANGS

6´ 6´

2x4 x 3´ 8-1/2˝
SHIM PRE-ASSEMBLED LADDERS (GREEN)
RIM JOIST FLUSH WITH TOPS OF RIM JOISTS

1´ 4˝

2´ 3-1/2˝ 16´ 11/16˝ 1´ 4˝

NOTE: ROOF SHEATHING AND METAL ROOF

Roof Framing PANELS OMITTED FOR CLARITY.

14 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
 METAL
ROOF 2´ 3-1/2˝ 2x4 1/2˝ PLYWOOD
PANEL OVERHANG SPACERS
(BOTH SIDES)
SHEATHING 2x4 1´ 4˝
I-JOIST
OVERHANG
D
1x6
1x6
2x4 FASCIA
FASCIA
SUBFASCIA
2x4
BLOCKING
2x4
SUBFASCIA
UPPER 1/2˝ PLYWOOD D 2x4
POLYCARBONATE 2x10 SPACERS
SUPPORT (BOTH SIDES) BLOCKING
RIPPED I-JOIST 2x10
TO FIT RIPPED UPPER
TO FIT POLYCARBONATE
POLYCARBONATE SUPPORT
WINDOW
FRONT 2x4 POLYCARBONATE
WALL BLOCKING WINDOW
LOWER
LOWER
POLYCARBONATE 2x4 REAR POLYCARBONATE
SUPPORT BLOCKING WALL SUPPORT

Section A-A Section B-B

1´ 4˝ 1-1/2˝
1x6
FASCIA
11-7/8˝
1/2˝ PLYWOOD
SPACERS
1-1/2˝ x 11-7/8˝ (BOTH SIDES) 1-1/2˝
RIM JOIST PRE-ASSEMBLED
LADDER
2-1/2˝
UPPER
POLYCARBONATE Section D-D I-JOIST DETAIL
SUPPORT

2x4 POLYCARBONATE
BLOCKING WINDOW

LOWER
SIDE POLYCARBONATE
WALL SUPPORT

Section C-C

15 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM
 WALL STUD

LOWER
POLYCARBONATE
SUPPORT

HEADER

SHEATHING

4´ 3-1/2˝ 10´

8˝ 12˝ 2x8 LEDGER 2´ 12˝

7-1/4 ˝

5/8 ˝

POLYCARBONATE
PANEL

6´ 7 ˝
6´ 11 ˝

(POLYCARBONATE PANEL
NOT SHOWN)

8˝

Front Awning

2´ 9-1/2˝ 7´ 10-1/2˝

6˝ 10-1/2˝ 10-1/2˝
2´ 3/4˝ O.C. 2´ O.C. 2´ 3/4˝ O.C.

7-1/4 ˝

5/8 ˝ 2x8 LEDGER

POLYCARBONATE
4´ PANEL
4´

(POLYCARBONATE PANEL
NOT SHOWN)

8˝

NOTE: ALL 2x4 CONSTRUCTION, EXCEPT

WHERE OTHERWISE INDICATED.
Small Awnings

16 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM


RED-HOT WORKSHOP MATERIALS LIST

WALL AND ROOF FRAMING
DESCRIPTION QTY ITEM
Bottom plates 5 2x4 x 16' treated lumber
Top plates 10 2x4 x 16' SPF lumber
Polycarbonate frame 10 2x4 x 16' SPF lumber
Studs 20 2x4 x 10' SPF lumber
Studs 30 2x4 x 9' SPF lumber
Studs 18 2x4 x 92-5/8" SPF lumber
Headers 4 2x10 x 8' SPF lumber
Headers 4 2x8 x 8' SPF lumber
Blocking 5 2x4 x 16' SPF lumber
ROOF FRAMING
DESCRIPTION QTY ITEM
Rafters 11 11-7/8" x 16' I-joist
Rims 2 11-7 /8" x 18' rim joists
Rims 3 2x10 x 16' SPF lumber (rip)
End overhangs 4 2x4 x 20' SPF lumber
End overhangs 3 2x4 x 8' SPF lumber
Overhang/blocking 28 2x4 x 12' SPF lumber
Spacers 1 4'x8' x 1/2" OSB
Subfascia 4 2x4 x 14' SPF lumber
Roof sheathing 18 4'x8' x 5/8" OSB
AWNING FRAMING
DESCRIPTION QTY ITEM
Braces 15 2x4 x 8' cedar or treated lumber
Rims 1 2x8 x 10' cedar or treated lumber
Rims 3 2x8 x 8' cedar or treated lumber
Rims 2 2x4 x 10' cedar or treated lumber
Rims 6 2x4 x 8' cedar of treated lumber
Rafters 4 2x8 x 8' cedar or treated
Rafters 4 2x8 x 12' cedar or treated
Rafters 1 2x8 x 6' cedar or treated
EXTERIOR TRIM
DESCRIPTION QTY ITEM
Siding 20 4'x8' x 5/8" rough-sawn plywood
Battens 84 1x2 x 7' rough cedar or equal
Trim 80' ¾" x ¾" rough cedar or equal
Door trim 3 1x3 x 8' rough cedar or equal
Fascia 96' 1x6 rough cedar or equal

17 FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM