Build a Lean To Shed

This Lean to Shed page is the third in the Post and Beam Wooden Shed series. Page 1 is here. So far I have built the raised floor system and now I'm ready to set the posts and top plates in place. Selecting my posts was a journey with most on offer falling short of my specs: must be very straight, H4 CCA treated pine, preferably dressed.

The posts I settled on were 90 mm x 90 mm (3.5" x 3.5") Kaituna laminated posts, which originate in the, wait for it, Marlborough region of New Zealand. They make good wine there so...They are sold at large hardware stores and are wrapped in protective plastic. They were light and easy to work with and came in 3 metre lengths.

Lean to Shed Post Installation

This lean to shed has a skillion roof design so the rear posts are much shorter than the front posts. I cut the rear three first at 2.4m (7ft 10") and the front three at 3m (9ft 10"). The top plates are 90mm X 35mm (3.5" x 1.4") so I checked out the tops of all the posts to take the plates. Doing a checkout at 3 metres in the air is no fun, so this was way easier. So both ends were lapped and ready to be bolted in.

Before they went up I gave the lapped bearer and post ends some sealing paint. Then I went about fitting the posts to the bearers.  I needed to nip and tuck the checked ends to get them to marry up and stand straight. Using a level and some braced stays helped me get them vertical.

Top plates installed

So the lean to shed construction has begun and the fourth page in the series completed. You can follow this project by clicking a button..you are presently on page 4.