Q's about building an attached shed

snojcb · 07-01-2007, 01:58 PM

I need some advice from those of you with storage sheds attached to your house. I have a specific question below, but would love to hear other suggestions before I start on this project.

The lawn mower and wheelbarrow are taking up too much precious space in my garage (need more room for power tools!). So I'm going to build a small attached shed adjacent to the garage. I know what size it's going to be, where it's going to go, and even found some plans online, but I have a question about attaching it to the house...

Should I build a back wall to the shed or just use the existing exterior surface of the house as the back wall?

I'm a bit spider phobic and generally like to build things well sealed and minimize nooks and crannys where those critters like to live. So I'd prefer to build a back wall to the shed so its an enclosed structure. However if I do that, then I've enclosed a 10' section of the foundation where termites might be able to tunnel up to the main house undetected.

So I'm torn. I don't know what to do. I need a design that's well sealed from spiders (and mice and snakes...) but still allows a way for the termite inspector to have a clear sightline for possible termite tunnels.

Do any of you have attached sheds? What's your shed back wall like?

Thanks,
J. C.

(My motto: If it's worth building, then it's worth over engineering.)

In case it's important:

The siding is hardiplank
I'm planning on leaving the siding on the house regardless of whether the shed has its own back wall or not (although I could be convinced to remove the siding if that's recommended)
My plan is to poor a concrete slab for the shed floor.
The house is 6 years old and has a (typical) brick foundation about 18" high.

dick541 · 07-01-2007, 10:16 PM

Hi JC:
I think you should take the siding off the wall, and put up plywood as the inside wall of the shed. If by chance you have a vacuum for the shop I would suggest you put it out in the shed too.
dick

Gofor · 07-01-2007, 11:54 PM

From what your post says (intend to build four walls and have a concrete slab), and you have the room and not too many problems with permits, I would build it as a separate structure. It would allow you to store flammables away from your house, no termite crossover intrusion, and no additional materials.

MTCW

Go

Gone2dMtns · 07-02-2007, 12:17 PM

J.C.,

I would recommend placing a call to your local Building Department and "casually" ask if a permit is required for such an improvement. I'm 99% sure they will say "yes" as anything that attaches to an existing dwelling comes under scrutiny. I know that it's just a storage shed, but there's a number of factors involved that could complicate your life. The first thing that raises my eyebrow is that you're attaching to a load bearing wall which will require some sort of additional support for the loads imposed by the new building. You'll need a proper foundation and perhaps a parallel footing next to the existing house footing. You'll have to properly install flashing at the building attachment, provide drainage, and so on. In terms of cost and time, it's not a trivial thing to integrate a new structure into an outside wall. I don't know your particular situation or why you want to do this other than convenience, but you would save a lot of time and money, plus be under much less scrutiny from the building officials if you were to install a detached structure.

Just my $0.02

Mike C.

toolferone · 07-02-2007, 06:01 PM

I am guessing that you have a neighborhood covenant that specifies attached or detached structures. If it has to ba attached then maybe a breezeway might solve that dilemma. Otherwise I agree with most, much easier to build detached even having to match the house design and color.

You all did notice he lives in CARY! (everything in its place and a place for everthing and beige in color)

dave "dhi" · 07-02-2007, 09:11 PM

if you build as shed and stay at or under 144 sqft. you dont need a permit!

attached to house you would.

town of cary

... ug tough inspections ...

nice neighbors= no permit!!! :}

dave

Gotcha6 · 07-02-2007, 10:40 PM

I've never built in the city known as the "Containment Area For Relocated Yankees", but if they're anyting like Charlotte where I've built all my life, permission may be difficult and forgiveness won't ever come. Check with your local authorities. You may also have to consider zoning setbacks, etc., especially if you're in a neighborhood with deed restrictions or an HOA. Also, after the recent tragedy in Charleston, SC you can expect inspectors to really focus on fire hazards of all kinds. Cary may have a website you can go to and get info on a lot of these issues. Most cities now have their ordinances online in pdf format. Worth looking into.

snojcb · 07-03-2007, 08:23 AM

Thanks for the replies. I've checked the HOA covenance and they frown on detached sheds. I submitted a leanto design and they approved it, so I'm good to go with respect to the HOA.

After talking to my boss at work (who has built his own 2000 sg ft garage/workshop in Hillsborough), he has made some good suggestions about what to do. I still need to talk to him about some other ideas. I'll report back after I finish talking to him. He did suggest I go ahead and get the Residential building codes from the NC Dept. of Insurance.

J. C.