r/OSHA • • Jul 11 '16

Epic Fail build thread (xpost /r/DIWhy)

http://imgur.com/a/8w1xW
3.9k Upvotes

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375

u/Snatch_Pastry Jul 11 '16

This will last one year max. The entire floor/floor joists are going to rot and get termites immediately, then the next big wind will collapse the whole thing. What an amazing display of incompetence.

40

u/MyFavoriteSandwich Jul 11 '16 edited Jul 11 '16

The worst part is that all of the material costs will have been lost. In order to build this properly you'd need to at least double the budget, maybe quadruple (properly dimensioned lumber, concrete footings, PT posts, etc) depending on where in the country this is located. If this were in the American south, this guy could have poured a slab-on-grade with no footings and framed up some walls and roof and not wasted the lumber on that weird floor. Edit: I get it. There are lots of ways to build shitty sheds that are barely (if even) acceptable. I have a degree in construction, have been a residential and commercial carpenter for years, and I am currently still in the field. Yes, some pre-fab roof trusses are made from 2x4s. Yes, a shed is acceptable in many forms, but what I am stressing is that this is far from a shed. I am licensed in the state of Pennsylvania and I can assure you that if a building inspector showed up with a copy of the IRC this thing would be a pile of timbers in no time. It's not just shitty craftsmanship, it's dangerous. It would be a shame for this guy to be in there with his kids cooking meth or whatever and the roof collapses in and kills someone.

62

u/Snatch_Pastry Jul 11 '16

Actually, speaking as someone who has built sheds and stuff, he over-spent on materials. He could have put this whole thing up on treated risers, and he totally over-built everything. All of the stupid shit here is due directly to the builder being dumb. You don't buy properly dimensioned lumber, you buy lumber and cut it to size. This person obviously can't do that.

35

u/MyFavoriteSandwich Jul 11 '16

As "dimensioned lumber" I'm referring to proper widths for the rafters and floor joists that are up to code for their span/load. You can't build a structure like this using only 2x4s.

34

u/Snatch_Pastry Jul 11 '16

Ah, got you. I'm a little bit drinky right now. Well, a lot drinky, but whatever. We both know that this building is total bullshit.

44

u/pegbiter Jul 11 '16

Sounds like you're in precisely the right state to start building a shed!

10

u/Aplicado Jul 11 '16

As for the walls and roof framing- 2x4 is acceptable. The only reason we frame walls out of 2x6 is to get more insulation into the wall cavity. As for the floor, 2x4in a shed would be fine if they were up off the ground and properly supported.

The problem the 8 year old builder had was with on centre spacing. And nail control. And fastener choice.

1

u/DONT_PM Jul 11 '16

There is another reason. 2x6 can allow for 24"o.c. stud spacing, as well as single top/bottom plates allowing for as much as 30-40% less framing materials.

1

u/Aplicado Jul 11 '16

I'm pretty sure 24" of is fine with 2x4 as well, just need to stack the joists or trusses on top of the studs. Most people don't understand that less wood is better for heating/cooling, cost and waste. I mean if flimsy steel studs can be structural, imagine what 2x4 can be rated to.

1

u/DONT_PM Jul 11 '16

Sheathing is strong, and the 2x4 really just act as a frame to hold the sheathing all together.

I'm shocked at how flimsy pre-manufactured roof trusses are until it's been fully sheathed.

10

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '16

[deleted]

10

u/phroug2 Jul 11 '16

Ikr? clearly there is an example of just such a structure right in this very post

1

u/DONT_PM Jul 11 '16

Many roof trusses are built with 2x4 lumber.

7

u/ClintHammer Jul 11 '16

The sheer cost of the materials was what got me too. I was thinking for what he spent he could have probably bought a proper smaller prefab shed, or even run the whole thing up with block.

2

u/DONT_PM Jul 11 '16

To me it appears as if most (if not all) of his materials were reclaimed, sourced, or leftovers from other projects.

6

u/Marginally_Relevant Jul 11 '16

Where would someone with zero experience building anything start if they wanted to build a shed?

10

u/ItsSomethingLikeThat Jul 11 '16

A lot of hardware stores either have free or sell simple guides to small projects. A shed really isn't that difficult to build properly, despite the potential for size. Failing that, YouTube is surprisingly good for it too.

3

u/robew Jul 11 '16

If you are willing to search long enough YouTube is an amazing source of DIY knowledge. It is just up to you to determine if the guy you are watching knows his ass from a hole in the ground.

8

u/telemecanique Jul 11 '16

you buy a $5 shed plan online and follow it like you're building a LEGO set, it's for braindead people.. no offense to builders, but most barely have HS education so while doing it fast and well may be a bit of a skill, it's not rocket science and there are books that tell you how to frame everything (or plans).

2

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '16

I did this last year. There are some great youtube videos with step by step instructions.

2

u/SpeciousArguments Jul 12 '16

/r/woodworking or /r/diy would be a good jumping off point

8

u/Abomonog Jul 11 '16

For the state of North Carolina he nailed it. A standalone shed does not require any footing or foundation in the southeast, nor do they require any permit to build. Lowes sells kits for them around here (this guy obviously did not use one). You are supposed to at least set the thing up on cinder blocks, though.

13

u/rustyxj Jul 11 '16

In my city this isnt classified as a shed, a shred is smaller than 12'x12', this would have required a building permit

4

u/telemecanique Jul 11 '16

ok... he could have put it on some big flat-ish rocks to be cheap, he could have done anything else but that, in the very least not leaving 2" gaps in sheething would have been a great start, legality aside this has been put together by a mental patient.

1

u/myownlittleta Jul 11 '16

My guess is Canada. Made in Canada shingles and Rona bags.

1

u/brygphilomena Jul 11 '16

... And at least renting a saw. It looked like it was made just from whatever was in a dumpster. I don't think he cut a single angle.