Is the roof slanted in the right direction? You are sending the water toward your house instead of away from it. This might create drainage problems in flash flood conditions.
Wow. Just wow.
Not gonna pollute with comments about it that others have already made.
I will add that I am making electrical/gas renovations to the house/detached garage.
Basically we are adding LP to the house for my new range, and a gas water heater. Also ran gas to the garage for powering a genset. The past year or so has taught me the import of off grid solutions for certain things like cooking and hot water.
So, I had to dig a trench from the house to the garage. Code called for 18” deep, but I went as deep as my backhoe would allow. Grey pvc conduit was put in for elec, a separate tube for fiber, and pex for water.
The LP co, came and installed a 250gal tank on a pad I poured, then ran gas in some kinda pex-like tubing to the house and garage. County eventually came out to inspect and signed off, allowing me to back fill (partly down now). Next steps are to finish connecting the pvc to the house, finish the water run, and then I need to buy the copper for the elect run - probably $1500 worth.
The only bits I’m concerned about is getting the power shut off, and power lines moved to the underground conduit I’ve placed from the pile to the house as I’ll need an actual electrician or will have to wait a week for the power company to turn back on after the shut off.
I’m such a fan of this. Nicely done! I opted for a $3k Costco shed and went off grid with it even though it’s in my back yard: https://drodio.com/going-all-in-on-an-off-grid-workspace/
Off grid = No need for a permit but more importantly, a proof of concept that with starlink, this small office “shedquarters” could be placed anywhere in the world — say a beach in Costa Rica for example!
Minor etymological note: the word plumb describes something that's hanging vertically. It comes from the latin word plumbum (lead). When people wanted to make sure something was vertical, they'd hang a lead weight from a string, and align the string with whatever was supposed to be vertical. Even though we've moved on to different metals, we still call them plumb bobs, and we still say that a vertical part of a house is "plumb".
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Hand-Tools-Marking-Tools-L...
Two other posts from today:
* Ask HN: Why does a busy man build a shed? (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29767682)
* Why I Live In a Shed (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29762145)
Does HN have some kind of mechanism that promotes posts with similar keywords?
Check your insurance coverage! Erecting a structure that does not meet local electrical and building codes, zoning bylaws, etc. may either threaten or void your insurance. In the event of the worst case scenario (fire, flood, collapse, etc.) you will likely not get a payout.
I hate to be a bore, but.. did zoning come into play? I know a place that had to tear theirs down once the city found out.
Came here expecting some classic bikeshedding, was not disappointed.
You know when you read an article in a newspaper written by a generalist journalist about a specialist topic in which you are an expert? This. It's the same as Matthias Wandel on YouTube. Ignores decades of knowledge and tomes of wisdom in favour of an 'engineering approach', which is to say trial and lots of error.
There is so much involved with building structures, even something like a shed. Sheesh.
I always figured that if I wanted to do a serious project like this, I would first do some volunteer work, maybe with Habitat for Humanity or similar, just to gain some experience.
Does anybody have stories about noobs volunteering to help with construction?
Looks cool! What would worry me is that you're displaying a screen and (presumably) a computer in front of a large window outside of your house. Of course I don't know what the rest of the property looks like, but from the pictures it looks perfect for burglars.
This whole thing is just a fire hazard but this is just dangerous advice to be giving people:
"PRO TIP Use screws for everything; if you mess up, remove the screws and redo it; with nails, it’s a lot harder to do that."
Please don't, screws shear. Don't learn constrtuction from someone who hasn't learnt it himself.
As for writing about your experience like this, write a blog about something in your own field or otherwise don't give advice. It could end up with someone getting hurt.
If anyone is looking into this, I really like Shed King (shedking.net) for plans. They have a few shed models you can choose from, costs around $20, include shopping lists, and are super thorough.
I recently snagged the 12x16 with porch plans. I’m excited to give this a shot.
Close reading suggests this should be titled "my wife and I built a shed".
Cool.
For the in-garage option, I've encountered three fully enclosed and insulated cubicles/offices in garages.
The first was a construction Project manager who built his along one side wall of his garage. I was very curious and talked with them about it and they had a couple good thoughts. The first was that they had a nice big window opening to the garage. Even it only gave them a view of their pickup truck, it really made the office feel less like a closet and could be opened for ventilation. The other advice was to leave enough room by the garage door for a repairman to get at everything; on a long enough timeline it will be necessary.
The other two were built by tradesmen I knew with single bay shops. They both built their offices on big casters for flexibility and one would roll theirs outside when they cleanded the shop.
Would you be interested in purchasing this partially pre-build and delivered to you?
(pre-painted, Including windows, door, insulation, electrical and Ethernet wiring, fire-proof compliance, able to resist heavy rain)
Six elements total, clickable into each other. Assembly time under one hour.
When we bought our house it came with a run-down 'summer house' in the garden. We had it plastered and insulated and added a laminate floor. We ran an armoured electricity cable from the house through a trench and attached it to the house alarm system. We then got the an 'L' shaped desk custom built by a neighbour (who is a joiner). Heating is provided by an electrically powered radiator. I've been working there now (as a 1-man-band software product company) for the last 11 years. It's been great.
Very cool. I love these DIY office setups.
The author mentioned organizing material transport by figuring out what would fit in his car. I would highly recommend just renting a flatbed truck from home depot to transport your materials home if they don't fit in your car. Its usually something like $20 to rent for an hour.
Also I wonder if the author has any plans to heat/cool the space. Seems like they might live in a temperate area. I'd would probably just install one of those DIY mini-split units to heat/cool the office if necessary.
Heh, I am glad I read the comments here. I bought a piece of land (a garden basically), and it has an old house / shack where the roof needs to go. I am debating internally for two days now if I should replace the roof myself or not or just bite the bullet and pay somebody. I am on a kind of a sabbatical so in theory I have time, and the idea is tempting, but it's definitely not software.
Cool! A coat of gloss will make your exterior paint last a lot longer and seal everything better. A nice exterior gloss paint is like a skin for your walls.
Anybody looking to do this, you could probably go 8x8 for the same money, plywood comes 4x8 and most lumber comes in 8' lengths.
Some considerations...
Not all insulations are the same. You have to research which type is best given your temperature, humidity, etc. Some require special handling and care... For example, you don't want to breathe fiberglass, or to contaminate your workspace with it.
Good air quality in a work area is a must. You want air free of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. Opening the window when it's raining is not a viable option. You need some form of ventilation and air filtering. Maybe also air conditioning and heating.
You also don't want to build a structure that is against zoning limitations or that brings you tax liabilities.
Awesome project! How long did it take total?
Note that it’s against code to run electrical and data cable in the same conduit, both for safety and interference. Get outdoor rated cat 6 and leave it out of the conduit instead.
I did this too!
It genuinely is not that hard. I did spend most time working out the right spec (ie safety, structural etc.) and the main build took me about 2 months. I was in by month 3 and fully finished by 4 months.
I am ok with big structural stuff, interior (drywalling for example) I don't have the finesse for, but it looks OK.
I love DIY, it gets me off a keyboard! And scratches the engineering itch I miss as a people leader.
It's not hard though. Like anything it takes a bit of planning and practice. Plus the confidence to have a go.
I can't decide what's worse.
The fact that you need a shoddily built (I'd be ashamed to post something like this on the internet) 6x6 shed to work in, while you have a perfectly fine house right next to it.
Or how many fear-mongering code NIMBYs there are in this thread. Some even threatening to doxx the OP. Yikes. Do you guys know how much legacy not-up-to-code housing stock there is across the country, that's actually dangerous to inhabit? And you chose to cry wolf about an accessory structure CA?
The reason you use nails rather than screws is that nails bend, screws do not. As the framing shifts (and it will because nature) the nails will bend and allow the boards to remain attached as they shift.
Screws have the advantage of not backing out. So at right angles (think a deck board attached to the joist) they are preferred. Lateral force will, however, easily snap them. But for framing they are probably a code violation.
There is a beautifully illustrated book on just this topic: How to Build a Shed by Sally Coulthard (https://www.amazon.com/How-Build-Shed-Sally-Coulthard/dp/178...).
The instructions are so well-designed that it's a pleasure to read even if you're not completing the project.
I am planning on building what is essentially a tiny house for my shoffice. Basically I want something that also includes a bed and a shower/bathroom. My biggest concern is whether I will need to pull permits for this project and/or if I need a foundation or if I can get away with a gravel pad + railroad ties as the base. Tying into house plumbing and power is going to be the trick I guess.
I am in the process of planning something similar at my house. My county requires a land use permit for any new development, as well as a building permit because power will be run. Both of those permits require plans to be submitted and take multiple weeks to be approved. It’s worthwhile to check at your local planning office if you care about such things.
Why is running ethernet and power in the same conduit bad? Other than for possibly signal interference for the data?
I would love a general book recommendation, if it exists, for "common construction codes ELI5".
It would be better for helpful best practices to be accessible and easily comprehensible rather than be bound up in some municipal website.
I was considering doing something similar this spring, but instead of trenching my yard I was considering solar and just a small mesh network to get to the corner of my backyard, maybe 300 feet from the house. My thought was that it would be an office and reading area. Perhaps a place to nap away from the kiddo as well :)
This is great to see. Very nicely documented project and a fantastic result. Encouraging to see people with little past experience doing projects like this. I’m in the process of planning a self-build cabin in the woods, so also diving into YouTube to learn all of the requisite skills.
Really enjoyed reading this and have always wanted to try. The aesthetics came out better than I expected from a backyard shed too. It seems like you got most stuff cut to size but I’m wondering what power tools were required other than a nail gun I assume.
Congrats! It will probably take me 5x as long to build the same thing because I'm a perfectionist who's always hemming and hawing over changing plans or the right way to do things. It definitely feels awesome once you complete it though.
Michael Pollan wrote a book about the office that he built for himself.
Was going to mention that not way is that roof steep enough for water run off, but I see he encountered that problem already.
Also isn't this going to get really hot in the summer? A small air con unit could work well with a hole cut for the vent?
I might have missed it in the article, but have you or do you plan on adding climate control?
I've been looking to scratch a similar itch and your post has inspired me to start looking into it, so thanks for posting!
Seymour Cray would dig tunnels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Cray#Personal_life
I would probably reroute the end of the rain sprout on the left side of the shed away from the shed, since it would put lots of water at the base of the shed whenever it rains, weakening the base of the shed.
What about HVAC? This structure will be unbearable in the summer months.
A lot of people in Santa Cruz are building secondary buildings on their property since the city loosened the rules to help with the housing crisis in the area.
Does anyone know how zoning restrictions affect this in California? Wondering at what point you need to get approval to set up something in your backyard.
Nice - what did you do for ventilation ???.
Good to see that now neighbours towards backyard can review your Merge requests as well.
In a lot of places, buildings less than 100'sq do not need permitting. https://www.redcoverstudios.com/blog/md100-plans-for-modern-... are plans for one such out building.
I'm still surprised there are no DIY backyard offices out there to purchase
Very nice! I like the sliding door idea. Thanks for sharing.
It’s my life’s dream to do a project like this.
I approve of the Herman Miller Aeron :]
Awesome! I bought a storage shed this summer and finished out the inside. Was perfect timing with the cost of lumber increase LOL.
I enjoyed reading that! Great job.
house > shed
shed > ?
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If you are interested in this, could you please answer two questions (warning: My lack of understanding is usually offensive):
- Do you regret having children?
- Do you regret living together with your spouse?
Not that anything about this shed is built to code, but this takes the cake:
> PRO TIP Use screws for everything; if you mess up, remove the screws and redo it; with nails, it’s a lot harder to do that.
You absolutely should not do this for framing, and most building codes specify the type and size of nails that you must use when fastening load-bearing structural components.
Screws are convenient, sure, but they are necessarily much harder than nails and are prone to embrittlement and cracking, while nails are soft and pliable. You can get structural screws, but they're uncommon, expensive, and I'd wager they weren't used here (they're much beefier than a similarly rated framing nail).