Want to learn about cladding your backyard shed? I decided my backyard shed cladding would be CCA-treated Pine Weatherboards. They aren’t cheaper than other cladding options like fibrous cement and are definitely more expensive than corrugated iron, but they look great and give the shed a traditional wooden look. So, I ended up spending a few hundred dollars more on the shed.
I love taking on a DIY Project at home and the garage or shed is always a rewarding one!
Different Cladding Options
When considering cladding materials, there are several options available: timber weatherboard (which can be cedar, hardwood, or composite wood), veneered sideboard, a range of profiled fibrous cement, masonry, and even plastic and vinyl. If I had chosen corrugated iron, it would have been ‘colorbond‘, and I would have insulated the walls as well as the roof.
Functionality of the Shed
This is a work shed, not a storage shed, so I need to be able to work in it without overheating. That’s why I made the ‘lean to’ skillion roof quite tall. Most prefab sheds have low ceilings, which are fine for storage but not for spending long hours working in.
Building the Shed
To see the planning and how to build a shed, refer to my previous build pages: My shed ideas, Wood shed plans and materials, Building the raised floor, Posts and top plates, Shed roofing, Framing the shed, and Window installation.
Materials List for Backyard Shed Cladding
- Measured quantity of CCA Treated Pine Weatherboard 200mm wide
- Galvanized clout nails 40mm
- Galvanized screws 60mm
- 45 x 35mm or larger CCA pine for stop ends
- Spacing rod or similar gadget
- Sealing paint
- Outdoor gap sealer
I ordered about 80% of the weatherboards I needed to start with, so I could do it in stages and more accurately estimate how much more I would need to finish the job. Although it’s recommended to add 10 to 12% for wastage, I ended up with only about 5% wastage, as off-cuts were useful during the build.
Installing the Cladding
First, I added pre-sealed 45 x 35mm timber stops to the building corners and around windows and doors to butt the cladding up to. This required some tricky cutting near the roofline to ensure the area around the eaves was sealed. I fastened these with 60mm galvanized screws.
Then, I attached temporary blocks along the base, perfectly level, to sit the first board on. You can nail on a packing strip to get the first board angled correctly, but I didn’t find it necessary.
I cut a base weatherboard to size and clamped it across the base of the building. Nail the board through the packing strip (if you have one) and check it is level before completing the nailing. Use a spacing rod to mark where the base of the second board should be.
Ensure there is about a 20mm overhang to keep out the rain. Before butting the weatherboard against the stop-ends, make sure the butt ends are sealed or painted. I made a temporary movable seat to support one end of the weatherboard while nailing in the other end.
When installing weatherboards on adjacent sides of the building, keep the alignment level and correct by checking around the corner and using a spirit level.
Keep adding boards up the building, ensuring the underside of windows are sealed. Use a good quality outdoor gap sealer to ensure the butt ends of the weatherboards are gap-free. This will ensure the boards last longer and prevent water intrusion.
Before you build make sure to read: 5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Building A House
Final Thoughts
Now that the cladding is done and painted, I reflect on the project. The total cost was about $3,500 AUD, compared to $7,000 to $8,000 for a similar-sized kit. Building it myself took about two months of weekends, whereas a kit could be assembled in three weekends or less. This project involved a fair bit of carpentry, but it was rewarding.
I also think about how easy it would be to convert this shed into a tiny house or visitor bungalow. It would need to be lined and is a bit small, but the idea is sound. Larger granny flat kits require more work and full development approvals, but tiny houses don’t need as much.