I'm building a wood shed....I need some help

[General Lee]

Fellas -

I am building a 3 sided wood shed 12x16. Simple one direction slant roof. 10 foot high in the front, 8 foot in the back. Now, I'm fairly decent with carpentry but its the brain work of the laying out I suck at. I have limited time and I tend to rush with things and get over zealous with getting things done with the time I have.

Here is my problem and question to start. I roughly laid out my 6 holes for the posts and dug the holes. I set the first post and its in concrete. I want all posts to be 24'' in the ground. Whats the best way to line all posts up off of the first post so the building is square AND to make sure the same amount of post is sticking up out of the ground so my header board can be perfectly notched and leveled? There will be 6 posts (6x6's). 3 in the front and 3 in the back. I got ahead of myself and I know I will have to adjust the holes some.

I know I will have plenty of questions along the way. I hope you guys are willing to help. This will be a learning experience for me as well because this is my first do it myself project of this magnitude.

 

[Trials]

I built mine out of inexpensive 4x4 P.T. lumber held together with big lag bolts and washers. I laid out a rectangular frame on level ground and made the sides in a post and beam type style construction. a second rectangular frame is at the 8' height cross braced with wire. For the roof I made it in a simple A shaped roof and covered it with corrugated steel just like a barn roof, simple trusses are at 2 food spans. The sides are covered with inexpensive lattice style pressure treated wood. It has no foundation or posts sunk into the ground because I figure it will never blow away when it has all that wood stacked inside it

I've been using it for about 8 years so far.

 

[747driver]

If you have a transit level just make a line on the existing post and then shoot that grade measurememnt onto the remaining posts. Put up batter boards and make string lines for all 4 sides then measure diagonal from each corner to corner until you get the same distance. You can also use the string lines once they are setup and measure using the 3' x 4' = 5' on each corner.

 

[texas42]

The best way to get it square is use 3,4,5 rule or multiples of it.
3 foot on one side, 4 foot on other side and 5 foot on the angle.
As far as level use a water level. Just google water level. They work great

 

[MossRoad]

The best way to get it square is use 3,4,5 rule or multiples of it.
3 foot on one side, 4 foot on other side and 5 foot on the angle.
As far as level use a water level. Just google water level. They work great

I had a water level and it worked great. When I broke it, I just used 100' of 1/4" clear plastic tubing. I put a couple gallons of water in a bucket with some green food coloring, siphon the water into the tube until its full, then clamp the ends with alligator clips. Tack one end of the tube at your mark with a staple and remove the clips. Its easy to see the water level from anywhere within 50'. :thumbsup:

 

[General Lee]

Never heard of the 3,4,5 rule. I was thinking of doing the A squared x B squared = C squared.

12x12= 144

16x16= 256
____
400 squared = 20

Then measure 12' and 20' from two stakes until those two measurements cross and then that is my corners?

Unless the 3,4,5 rule is easier and someone wants to explain it

 

[groundcover]

3,4,5 is plenty simple, measure out from one corner 3' and 4' and when you have 5' between those two marks you have a 90 degree corner. Also measure diagonally end to end,should measure the same.

 

[General Lee]

3,4,5 is plenty simple, measure out from one corner 3' and 4' and when you have 5' between those two marks you have a 90 degree corner. Also measure diagonally end to end,should measure the same.

Ahh so basically its the same as my pythagorean theory above

 

[tbrooks26]

^^^ right, and your diagonal should be 20'. If you put 2 stakes 16' apart, and then measure 12' and 20' that will give you a third corner

 

[tbrooks26]

Oh and i would say string line w/ string level wood be close enough for a wood shed, unless your planning on doing something fancy down the road