How to Make a Wood Platform to Put a Shed On
- 1). Mark the outline for the platform floor with stakes and builder's twine. Make the area square; measure it from corner to corner with a tape measure, and adjust the stakes until the diagonals are even. Measure and cut four 2-by-4-inch boards to the outside shed dimensions for outer bands. Cut two boards longer; for an 8-by-10-foot shed, for instance, cut two boards 8 feet and two 9 feet 9 inches to allow for the adjoining bands.
- 2). Lay the outer bands on a flat, level surface, like a driveway, with the 2-inch faces up. Square the frame; use a framing square at the corners, and then confirm with diagonal measurements. Nail the corners together with two 16d framing nails driven with a hammer through the longer board ends into the shorter bands. .
- 3). Cut 2-by-4-inch boards for joists between the two longer side bands. For an 8-foot shed, for instance, make the joists 7 feet 9 inches. Nail the joists between the outer bands, spaced 24 inches apart. Drive nails through the outer bands into the ends of the joists, or use metal joist hangers, which are brackets nailed to the outer bands that hold the joists, secured with nails in both sides.
- 4). Set the platform frame on the foundation, skids or blocks. Use a 4-foot level to get the frame level; adjust it by adjusting the gravel or block foundation or by setting wood shims under a low point. Nail the joists to the skids or beams with 16d framing nails, driven diagonally through the joists into the beams. Put a nail on each side of each joist.
- 5). Cover the platform with plywood at least 5/8-inch thick; use 3/4-inch for a larger shed or one that will hold heavy loads, like riding mowers. Install as many full 4-by-8-foot panels as possible, and cut other panels to fill gaps. Place the plywood with the top grain running perpendicular to the joists. Fasten the plywood to the joists and bands with 8d galvanized nails. The platform is ready for shed framing.
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