For those of you that follow me in various places, you’ve all at least heard about my journey with my she shed. However, until now, as it turns out, I have not done an actual blog post about it. So, I figured this is as good a time as any. In this post, you will find lots of pics and video of that journey. So, let’s get going.
She Shed – Victory out of Catastrophe
If you follow, then you have surely heard me rant a little about the storms that have come through and torn everything up. If not, then here’s the short version. We had a major hailstorm come through and trash our roof plus a lot of other buildings and projects here on the farmstead. That wouldn’t have been too bad, but as we were working our way through the rebuilding and repairing process, we had another freak storm come through…. two days after we scraped the shingles off of the roof to be replaced.
So…after the torrential downpours that happened INSIDE our home, we ended up having to make some pretty huge changes. For one, the house had to be gutted so we had to buy a camper to live in during that process. Two, we had to buy a storage building to store all the stuff that had to be dragged out of our home during the rebuild.
A Plan Emerged
This actually opened a door for me to get my she shed. The storage building that we purchased is 14×40 with a gambrel roof and one loft. We got a good deal on it because it was a repo and it really worked out for me because I could build it up exactly like I wanted.
I knew what it was that I would need out of a she shed. Lots of in plan sight storage for all of my various crafts, plenty of work area and a kitchen for canning and baking. We also decided to make it double as a guest house for out of town friends and family, so we would need a bathroom as well. Once I had the plan pulled together, we started working.
Homeschool – Class is in
As a homeschool mom, I teach my kids all about various adulting skills. One of those skills is construction. So, not only do I get some really great help, but my kids get some really good training and hands on experience. The boys helped me put in a lot of the electrical elements as well as the insulation. We had to work around the storage but we made it work.
I determined what electrical elements that I would need throughout the she shed and planned out my circuits based on the expected load. I was able to teach my boys a lot of this process which makes me feel good. As a mom, I want my kids to be able to handle things like this on their own. I have no doubt that my kids can do just that.
Piece by Piece
Normally, when I do a construction job, there is a timeline of events that I follow. However, in this case, it really kind of had to be piece by piece. We had to work around the storage that had to remain in there and I also had to work around our main construction project, the rebuild of our home, which took priority.
Making Changes
We bought the she shed building with 2 little windows and that just wasn’t enough. I changed one tiny window into a giant window and I added an additional window as well. I like it much better this way. I get more natural light and I can watch everyone and everything outside while I’m working. There was also additional framing that I put in to create different rooms and close off specific areas to meet my needs. And, of course there were built-ins that had to be constructed; kitchen cabinets, shelving, etc.
Building a She Shed with Style on a Shoestring Budget
If you follow, then you know that I love to save money where I can. Construction projects can get really expensive if you aren’t very careful and I didn’t want this one to get out of hand. I did everything that I could to cut costs every chance I got. We used excess flooring leftover from a job in one area and in the other area, I used flooring that had been pulled up from another job but still in excellent condition. I tried to use electrical components that I had on hand prior to buying anything additional, and I used reclaimed lumber on almost everything!
Putting in the Kitchen Floor
I had to try to finish out one side first so that I could move the storage and then move on to the other side. Because of that, I didn’t get to work in the normal flow. I went a head and built the base for my base cabinets so that I could floor around them and just got it done. My precious Logan saw his momma in pain after spending the day cutting those heavy flooring pieces and came out to lend a hand for the last few feet. He’s a gem!
The Build Continues
With more framing and electric to install here and there to make it like I needed it, I just kept plugging away adding whatever was necessary until it was done to my liking. Framing is typically my favorite part of a job. I honestly really like it a lot. I like that I can take some insignificant pieces of lumber and turn that into a dwelling. But, the finish work can be kinda fun as well. I’m looking forward to showing you guys how I finished out my She Shed.
NEVER MISS ANYTHING!
Part 2 of the She Shed build is upcoming very shortly, so be watching for that!
For more posts about farm building, check out Awe Inspiring Skills You Need to Love! Be sure to check out Two Oaks Farmtalk and A life on the Farm for more down home info! And you don’t want to miss Two Oaks Farmstead YouTube Channel where everything collides! But make sure you subscribe to everything so that you always have the latest information!!
