DIY Plans to Build a Shed with Old Doors

Part One: Cut List, Materials and Notes

I built this shed several years ago and it has truly served me well! It holds my yard tools, sprayers, camping gear, bandsaw blades, as well as a few other odds and ends. It was originally available for sale, and I am now publishing the plans on how to build a shed for FREE so that others can build one just like it! This will be a series of posts (because a single post would be way too long!), each focusing on a portion of the shed plans. This post, the DIY Plans to Build a Shed with Old Doors, Part One contains the cut list, the materials used as well as a few notes on how I built my shed.

Feel free to ask questions, and alter the plan to fit your needs, but please respect the disclaimer I’m adding below:

These plans are the work of Cher-Ann Texter at Designs by Studio C, c. 2014.

By downloading and using this plan, you are agreeing to the Terms of Use:

This plan is for personal use only and is not to be mass produced, used commercially, reprinted, sold, or distributed without the express written consent of Cher-Ann Texter. This plan is only available for FREE from Designs by Studio C and is not for sale anywhere. If you acquire this plan via any other source, please report it and contact me directly at cher@designsbystudioc.com.

Also, using power tools and the instruction provided in this plan or any other plan produced by Designs by Studio C will be done at your own risk. Neither I nor Designs by Studio C are responsible for accidents, lack of safety protection, or human error when building from these plans.

Please check local codes for building permits, etc. before beginning this project!

Now that the legal stuff is out of the way, let’s get on to the plan!

This shed is constructed using old exterior doors for the walls and front. The doors I used have glass that opens with a screen behind it which is perfect for ventilation! The shed can be built on a platform floor frame or a concrete pad if you have a level area for the pad. There is no official cut list because it will depend on the actual width of the doors (a 32” door can actually measure less than 32”!), except for the trusses which have a long span so they will fit.

Materials List:

• 2-1/2” pocket hole screws (for outdoor use) (<– affiliate link!)
• 1” screws (for outdoor use)
• 2-1/2” screws (for outdoor use)
• 6 – Roof truss ties (<– affiliate link!)
• 1 roll of roofing felt (“tar paper”)
• 1 bundle of roofing shingles
• 1” roofing nails (<– affiliate link!)
• 3 pieces of aluminum drip edge
• Screen for eaves
• 1 set of gate hinges (<– affiliate link!)
• Gate hasp
• Decorative plates to cover the door knob holes
• Wood glue
• Sandpaper (100, 150, 220 grits)
• Finishing supplies (primer & paint, or stain, sealer)

Lumber:

For the platform:

• 5 – 2×6 at 8’ – Pressure Treated
• 7 – 5/4 at 8’ Decking Boards

For the shed:

• 2 – 32” Exterior Doors
• 2 – 36” Exterior Doors
• 17 – 2×4 at 8’
• 7 – 2×4 at 8’, Pressure Treated
• 4 sheets of 23/32” x 4’ x 8’ Sheathing

Cut List:

There is no real “cut list”, except for the trusses and the platform… The dimensions of the pieces will be determined by the actual width of the doors.

• 2 – 2×6 at 79-1/4” – Platform Frame
• 5 – 2×6 at 36-1/2” – Platform Frame
• 7 – 5/4 decking at 81-1/4” – Decking Boards
• 5 – 2×4 at the height of the doors
• 2 – 2×4 at the overall width of the side wall
• 1 – 2×4 at the overall width of the front wall plus the opening for the front door
• 2 – 2×4 at overall length of back between side walls – Back Stud Wall
• 6 – 2×4 at overall height of side walls – Back Stud Wall
• 3 – 2×4 at 79-1/4” – Truss Bottom
• 3 – 2×4 at 12” – Truss Center
• 6 – 2×4 at 49-15/16” – Truss Top
• 1 – 23/32 sheathing at 48” x overall length of back between side walls
• 1 – 23/32 sheathing for the mid back
• 2 – 23/32 sheathing for the front and back peaks
• 2 – 23/32 sheathing for the roofing panels

Notes about the Project:

• The entire platform should rest on concrete piers or blocks. This way, the boards will not rot from being in contact with the ground.
• When installing the shingles, read the packaging for more installation information, and install them on an overcast or cloudy day… I burned my backside when I installed the shingles directly in the sun!

So, go on a hunt for the perfect doors and gather the supplies needed because in Part Two, We’ll Start building the platform and the frame!

Have questions about the DIY Plans to Build a Shed with Old Doors, Part One? Leave a comment below!

Part Two – The Platform and Frame