How to Replace Shed Walls
Week 6 of the One Room Challenge has us showing you how to replace shed walls. Let’s do this!
The Shed
We inherited this shed when we bought the house, so there’s really no telling how old it is. But, it’s got decent bones, and when the roof of our house was replaced last year, the insurance even covered a new roof on the shed. So, it’s not going anywhere. But, it’s ugly!
The walls and trim need love–especially the wall that faces the yard. Total eyesore. We have a carpenter that was going to refurbish it for us, but he’s super busy. So, we decided to tackle it.
Repair OR Replace Shed Walls ???
One decision you’ll have to make is deciding whether you need to just repair or actually replace shed walls. In our case, the wall we tackled in this project needed to be replaced. The opposite side wall and the back of the shed just need to be repaired at the bottom where the wood paneling is touching the ground. In those cases, we are planning to cut the paneling shorter and put a fresh coat of paint on. The front of the shed, with the door, is another story. The door will need to be replaced. When we do that project, we may replace the entire front. So, just take into consideration your options when making changes.
Choosing Materials
We knew we wanted to use something other than wood paneling, which has gotten damaged and rotted over the years. We ended up using paneling that has the same look as the previous, but it’s a Fiber Cement Panel Siding.
It’s made to withstand weather and temperature changes, and it fits together with grooves. We only needed 3 panels for this wall. The previous wood panels are attached with nails, but we are using screws. The trim is wood–and rotted badly–so we will be replacing it with these white composite pieces.
Getting Started
Scott basically knocked this out in one day. We were able to remove the old panels and put up the new ones in the same day, even though we ran into some glitches along the way.
Scott started by removing the old trim. It’s a good idea to save those pieces off to the side–even labeling them. We numbered ours near the top, so when it comes time to cut the angles, we can use those old angles if necessary. I acted like more of the assistant during the demo–giving a hand here and there, getting supplies and tools. And, let’s not forget, it was about 90º so a Topo Chico was in order.
Many sheds probably have a piece of trim running across the roof line. This is put in place to cover the gap between the top of the panel and the roof. If you’re going to replace shed walls, you may consider leaving this piece in place. You would have to pull the trim up slightly to remove the old panels and put in the new ones. In our case, we were replacing the wood trim on the sides with composite, which has a totally different look, so it made sense to remove it. Where we ran into trouble was with nails that came down from the roof, blocking the removal. Scott was able to saw them off before removing the trim.
Removing the Shed Panels
It’s a great idea to have one of these pry bars on hand, along with a hammer. Some parts came off pretty easy. Others, we had to wedge this in, then hit the opposite end with a hammer, just to get some movement. Worked like a charm.
Dry Fit the Walls
We measured the distance–slightly down from the roof line so the studs are just visible–subtracting about an inch because we wanted to be off the ground to prevent water damage.
After cutting, we set a 12 foot piece of trim flat across the concrete pad, up against the shed for the panels to rest on, ensuring that we would be at least an inch off. It also helps so you can dry fit all pieces beforehand, without needing multiple people. There’s a trick, where you use screws to create a placeholder for the bottom, but because our shed is not level, that wasn’t working for us. (Shims come in handy during the leveling process here!)
Installing Shed Walls
With these wall panels, you work left to right, fitting the grooves together. Because you can still see the studs, install is done easily.
There are a few areas where the grooves didn’t match up with the studs, but overall, the install went pretty fast, checking for level with each of the three panels being installed, making sure that they grooves were level and the bottom edge matched. The top doesn’t matter because it will be covered with a trim piece.
Ready for Paint!
This fiber paneling is advertised “ready for paint,” and it sure is! Besides the edging on the grooves, there was no prep work.
For this project, I’m just using a paint roller with a medium nap of 3/8 inch. I went with Valspar’s Duramax in “Web Gray,” which is actually a Sherwin Williams color that Lowes was happy to mix for me. The finish for exterior projects is more limited, so I went middle of the road with a Satin.
What do you think of the color? I can’t wait to style this space! That’ll be coming soon. For now, I’m going to have another cup of coffee. Wanna see me do a cartwheel across this lovely space? Head to Instagram. I still got it!
***I will be updating this when we add the trim. It’s throwing us for a loop because the original walls were not level, so the trim looks terrible. Stay tuned!
Previous Weeks of the One Room Challenge:
Paver Landing for Pool Equipment
One Room Challenge: Backyard Makeover
June 28, 2021 @ 12:38 pm
Love it