Workshop/Shed building books

[DigitalM]

I'm sure I know all the techniques and whatnot for building a shed, but are there any books you'd recommend showing modern approaches and materials. It's the details like the best and easiest way to make a roof. I can sketch something up that will work, but for the sake of reading a few chapters by someone who has done it for years I'll happily pay for a book and give it a read.

I ask this as I'm just returning one that I thought would be good but turns out to be more of a story of one man's shed journey and personal ethos. Pfft!

 

[MikeG.]

Start with reading the threads linked to in my signature, and this thread elsewhere.

Roof design can't really go in a book for amateurs. There are so many variations and options, and with different spans and loadings you would need some sort of gullible insurance company backing a publisher planning on selling such a book. Luckily, you don't have to think it through for yourself. Start a thread here and I'll advise. There are one or two structural engineers here too, if your roof or ground conditions really were very unusual.

 

[DigitalM]

Thx Mike. Will read through the links.

 

[ED65]

UK only or American (or other) resources all right with you?

 

[DigitalM]

I'm in the UK. I don't mind a US book if it's all joinery and the like. No use me having a book though that relies largely on products I can't buy easily.

 

[whiskywill]

I'm in the UK. I don't mind a US book if it's all joinery and the like. No use me having a book though that relies largely on products I can't buy easily.

US books measure in cups and quarts.

 

[ED65]

Excluding older stuff then:
The Haynes "Shed Manual" by John Coupe & Alex Johnson, ISBN 1785212206 (they also do one on various garden buildings)
"Ultimate Guide: Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings", ISBN 1580117996 (in its 4th edition)

I feel I should mention there are shed plans within a number of older books, including by Charles Hayward or edited by him. Although older plans would be considered out of date by some, and therefore useless, not everyone would agree (and that's without plugging in present understanding and modern fixings to upgrade them).

On YouTube there are a huge number of vids. The only thing I want to direct you to is a five-part series on building a shed from King's Fine Woodworking starting with this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPVbQdDUixE
Hopefully it'll make sense why when you watch it.