🔨 Shed Build Guide — 10x12 Gable, Gibson St

Phase 1 — Site, Drainage & Blocks

Plans p.16, 19, Appendix C · Materials: Order 1 · ~1–2 days

1. Collector trench (as-decided) — south toe only: start just west of the conduit penetration through the south course, run west to the SW corner (~10–11', straight, no turns). 3–4" below pad subgrade, falling ⅛–¼"/ft toward SW (1½–3" total). Fabric-line, 4" perforated pipe holes down, upstream end capped, #57 surround, fold fabric over (burrito). Starting west of the conduit means the drain and conduit never cross. Rest of the pad (incl. NE deep corner) drains to it through the gravel — bathtub principle; the geotextile base keeps that path clean. At the root: wrap clean stone generously over and around it — no cutting, nothing bearing on it.
2. Discharge leg: transition to solid 4" pipe at the SW lip — the lowest corner — turning with paired 45s (no hard 90s, keeps the line snake-able from the outlet), glue the solid-run joints, and run downhill until ground surface drops below the pipe invert (measure this with the laser before buying stick count). Terminus: 3" pop-up emitter (July 2026 decision — invisible in the lawn; needs 6"+ total fall to the emitter, weep hole drilled in the elbow over ~6" of #57 sump for mosquito/standing-water control; emitter lifts off for snaking) — or the NDS grate already owned if the end grade turns out too flat for a pop-up. Bucket-test before burying: water in at the NE corner of the pad, out at the emitter in seconds — proves the gravel path across the root and the pipe in one shot.
3. Bury conduit while ground is open — approach from the front (house side; avoids the oak root entirely). Stub location (as-built 7/21/26, from the chalked 120"×144" building outline): 7" in from the outside face of the east (fence-side, windowless) 12' wall, 8" from the outside face of the south (door) 10' wall — the SE corner (see diagram below), in the clear rim-to-skid channel, first joist bay, clear of the block station, snug to the corner post; devices later mount on the door-flank wall (switch by the door) with no angle braces to dodge. Long-sweep 90° at the bottom, riser standing 18–20" above the pad (floor top ≈14"), cap taped, pull string in. Size: 2" conduit (as-built) — a single 20A circuit only needs ½–¾", but 2" keeps any future feeder pullable, up to and beyond a 60A subpanel (one circuit needs no subpanel; a second circuit ever means feeder + subpanel + ground rod, NEC). Note: low-voltage can't share a raceway with power conductors (NEC Class 2 separation) — it would need its own sleeve. This is a future-proofing sleeve only — a short run (~5–6') from just outside the south perimeter (east of the future ramp) to the stub, not a run to the house. Hold the horizontal at ~12–18" below pad subgrade; long-sweep 90 up at the stub is the only vertical transition inside. Drain crossing: none — the collector starts west of the conduit penetration, so the two systems never intersect. Outside end: terminate ~18" below yard grade (where a future house trench will meet it), glue a cap, and mark it three ways — tape-measure photo off the fence/edging corners, a buried physical marker directly above, a note in the project folder. Conduit goes in FIRST, drain trench dug over it. Verify gray electrical conduit, not white plumbing PVC (only gray is a listed raceway). Photograph the run with a tape in frame before covering; paint-mark the edging where it crosses.
4. Screw in the 4 ground anchors — must precede gravel (augers can't thread through stone). Vertical, into the clay subgrade, just inboard of the future skid lines ~12–24" from each skid end; eye finishing just above subgrade. Keep-clears: 24"+ from the SE conduit stub + its southward sweep; north of the S-toe trench line; 18"+ from every block station; clear of the root. Coil + tape each cable tail proud of future gravel. Fabric later gets a small X cut over each. (Bar through the eye for leverage; damp clay turns far easier.)
5. Finish the 4x6 edging courses.
6. Non-woven geotextile over the clay floor before remaining gravel — separation keeps clay from fouling the base (the unmaintainable layer the drainage depends on). Overlap seams 12"+, lap over the trench burrito edges, tack a skirt to the inside of the N/E timber wall (which now retains the old clay cut faces) to just below finished gravel — hang the skirt first, then lap floor strips over its bottom edge so everything sheds downward. Lay loose over the root. Where gravel is already compacted, leave it — but prioritize fabric under the six block stations and the east-face-to-collector path. Then gravel in ~2" lifts, compacting each lift (plate compactor). Screed the top flat.
7. Laser method (all Phase 1 tasks): tripod on firm ground OUTSIDE the work zone; self-level; plane 12–24" above future block tops. Measure DOWN from the plane with one stick, same end down all session — same reading = same elevation; deeper = bigger reading. Set a benchmark first: screw in a fence post, read it, write the number on the wood — after any tripod bump or multi-day gap, re-read the benchmark to convert old numbers. Daylight: use the detector if the laser has one; a bare line laser needs dawn/dusk/overcast or a ~$40 receiver. Trench fall = reading grows ⅛–¼"/ft toward SW; emitter spot reads 6"+ more than the SW lip.
8. Laser-check the pad. Stick readings on a ~3' grid after each compacted lift; rake + re-tamp anything >½" off. Don't chase perfection here — precision lives at the block tops.
9. Set 6 solid blocks (coordinates in the table below; 16" dimension across the skid; middles shifted off the root line): set one corner block first — tamp and twist it to full bearing, read its top: that reading is the master number. Place every other block, read, and re-seat (add/scrape gravel, tamp, twist) until its top matches the master — within ⅛" is excellent, shims perfect the rest at deck time.
10. Termite shields on each block: flashing square extending ~2", edges bent down 45° (Appendix C).

Stub lands at the southeast corner — as-built 7" from the east (fence-side) wall, 8" from the south (door) wall — in the clear channel between the rim (1½") and the skid, nearly dead-center of the first joist bay. Nothing in the floor system touches it, but the skid side is the tight one (~2" edge-to-face): drill the floor hole directly over the stub — all the slack is toward the rim.

Under-Pad Coordinate Sheet

The member-to-member version of this table — the durable record that survives an out-of-plumb perimeter — is in Annotated_Plans.html → Shop Appendix: Foundation Component Locations.

All from the inside faces of the timber walls at gravel height (as-built interior 142½" E–W × 166½" N–S; building outline margins 11¼" all around). Layout method: stretch the two skid strings at ~24¼" off each side wall first; everything references them. Skids are 4x6 laid FLAT — 5½" wide × 3½" tall. Skid spacing: outside face to outside face 99½", inside face to inside face 88½" (94" center-to-center — the plans' value; ±½" is fine, the deck squares itself in Phase 2). Always check both edge measures, never the centerline — they differ by exactly twice the member width, so if they disagree the member isn't the size you think it is. Priority of precision: ① block tops in one laser plane ② trench fall ③ blocks centered under strings (±1") ④ everything else.

Phase 2 — Floor

Plans p.16, 20–21 · Materials: Order 1 · ~1–2 days · ends at a safe pause point

1. Skids: cut to 144" (±¼" — nothing mates to a skid end; the exact numbers are the frame's). Laid FLAT: 5½" wide × 3½" tall. 45° bevels down-and-out — 1½" down from the top, 45° out to the bottom (p.16 fig 3). Set on blocks: outside face to outside face 99½", inside face to inside face 88½", outer faces 10¼" in from where the deck edges will sit. Don't level yet.
2. Frame the deck on the skids: rims 144"; joists 117", crowns UP, at 16" o.c. — mark both rims together, clamped face-up on sawhorses with ends flush and the reference end labeled "S": hook the tape on S and mark 15¼" then every 16", squaring each line across both at once, with an X on the north side of every line. (15¼ not 16 puts joist centers on 16/32/48/96, so ply seams land on a centerline. Marking the rims separately guarantees they disagree.) Four 3"×.120 ring gun nails per joist end through the rims (+1 rule: plans' three 16d, translated). Tack only at first.
3. LEVEL THE DECK NOW — jack + shims at the blocks (p.25 step 1). This is the checkpoint everything above depends on. Shims: NOT tapered carpenter's wedges (they crush, split and squeeze out; a taper bears on a line). Flat, non-tapered, rot-proof, full-bearing only: asphalt shingle scraps ~⅛" each, composite/plastic structural shims, or PT squares cut ~5½"×8". On top of the block, under the termite shield — the shield must touch the skid. More than ~½" of stack at any block = re-seat that block. Jack on a plywood pad, under the skid, never the rim. Paper test every station: slide a slip of paper into the gap between skid bottom and shim/block top — pinched = bearing, slides freely = shim it. Test both edges of each block; one edge bearing and the other free means the skid is rocking. A gap does not stay a gap: sustained load creeps at ~2× the instantaneous deflection. Flip-test your level (read, rotate end-for-end, re-read — the two must agree) and use the laser for whole-deck plane, not a 2-ft bubble walked down 12 ft.
4. Square: adjust until both diagonals read 187½" (p.21 — true value 187.44"; what matters is the two being equal to each other). Then nail off and toenail joists to skids: 2 per crossing, 40 total, framing gun on sequential trigger, one from each side, opposing — two from the same side walk the joist off its mark. Start ~1¼" up at ~45°; drive one, re-check the mark, drive the opposite. ⚠ Re-verify the skid positions (99½" outer / 88½" inner) before the first toenail — the skids sit on slick shields and this step freezes the geometry.
5. Connect the anchor cables (anchors already in from Phase 1): uncoil the 4 tails, cable over or lag-eyed to the skids, turnbuckles snug — not cranked (leave room to re-level someday).
6. Blocking rows on the chalk lines at 23¼" and 71¼" measured from the EAST rim's outside face. Each line marks the block's east face; the block sits WEST of the line, occupying 23¼–24¾" and 71¼–72¾" so the ply seams at 24" and 72" land centered with ¾" of bearing per sheet. Use the east rim only — mixing reference edges is how these get transposed. As-built Aug 2026: ply columns run 24 / 48 / 48 from the east, so the ripped 24" strip column lands on the EAST and the conduit hole falls in the SE strip piece — a 24"-wide piece drops over a stub-up far more easily than a full 48×96 sheet. The layout is rotationally symmetric across the diagonal, so either side works; the east was chosen in the field. Each block cut to fit its bay, flush to joist tops. 3 nails per end — 3"×.120 HDG ring from the framing gun, not loose 16d (those are for the plate half-laps; 3 gun nails ≈ 2 true 16d under the +1 rule, which is fine here because the ply diaphragm carries the shear and this blocking is a seam backer). Two passes: odd bays first, end-nailed through the joist face (gun); then even bays, toenailed 3 per end into the block's vertical faces — never the top edge — 2 on one face, 1 on the other. Expect to hand-drive the toenails. Cut pass-2 blocks 1/16" scant so they don't push joists off 16" o.c. Block every bay — detail at Blocking, two-pass.
7. 3/4" ply laid perpendicular to joists, staggered joints (p.21 fig 4 pattern), 2" × .113 HDG ring shank @ 6" edges / 12" field (the plans' 6d, translated — see Nail_Guns_and_Fasteners.html).

Phase 3 — Walls

Plans p.22–26 · Materials: Order 2 · ~1–2 days

1. ⚠ BEFORE CUTTING ANY PHASE 3 LUMBER: every dimension that fills between members must be re-derived from the finished deck — golden rule 5, the deck is the reference. Absolute lengths stand (144 / 120 / 74 / 62½ / 30); everything between is +¾"–1" or cut in place. Door posts: inner faces at 28¾" and 91¼", which holds the door RO at 62½" — ignore the printed stations. Full rules: Lumber & Foundation Addendum.
2. Corner posts (74"): flush to deck corners. Toenails are hand-driven 16d HDG smooth — never the gun (Rule 6); two per face equals three gun nails. Drive from opposing faces so the drift cancels — blind-nailing is not a constraint on posts, because the interior liner skins the wall plane and covers a corner post on all four faces (two by sheathing outside, two by the liner inside). Heads here are never seen (p.22).
3. Bearing-wall top plates (4x4 × 144"): cut half-laps 3½ × 1¾, laps facing UP, rafter layout marked 24" o.c. facing up. Hand-drive loose 16d (3½") through the laps into the post tops — the lap is 1¾" thick and the bury is end grain, the one framing joint where the gun's 3" nail runs short; applies to all plate-to-post laps (bearing + gable, ~12 joints).
4. Gable top plates (4x4 × 120"): laps DOWN, drop onto the bearing-plate laps (p.23).
5. Center posts at 70³⁄₁₆" on center as-built (the plans’ nominal 72" assumes a 144" wall; ours measured 143⅞", so the two bays are 66⅞" clear each); door posts with INNER faces at 28¾" and 91¼" — preserves the 62½" RO; ignore the printed stations (they assume 4" posts).
6. Temporary bracing (p.25) before anything else: 12' spreader between the two bearing walls, diagonals from posts to deck blocks on every wall. Plumb, square, then "walk-on-the-walls" solid. Stays up until the roof framing, deck and diagonals are on (the existing cross-wall restraint stays through the raise; remove all temporary bracing at Phase 5 step 12).
7. Infill framing — converted lengths: bearing-wall nailers 66¾" with top edge at 34–36"; rear nailer 113"; window framing to the current west-wall layout — full-height window studs, deck to plate (not 24½" cripples), centers at 25-3/4″ / 61-1/4″ / 82-5/8″ / 118-1/8″ from the south outside face (Sep 2; see Wall_Framing.md), with 34" sills and headers infilled between the studs at full 3½" depth (clear RO 34″ wide; sill top and header bottom heights pending the final sash height and sill-pan profile — the older 48" / 67⅝" figures are to be checked); all four studs run full height and none dies into a brace. Aug 25 coordinates 21.34–22.84 / 56.84–58.34 / 85.53–87.03 / 121.03–122.53 and the 71" north stud are superseded. The plans' 66¾" window headers with bottom edge at 60½", and 24½" studs at inner faces 20¾"/45¼", are superseded. door blocking 21¾"; door header 62½" — 1x4 pine, ¾" thick, not a 2x4 (p.24) — flat, tight under the plate.
8. Interior girts (added July 2026, not in plans): flat 2x4 rows square-nailed between posts — two rows around the full perimeter (top edges at ~24" and ~48"; the 48" row doubles as the seam landing for the future interior liner's horizontal joint) plus a third row in the two bench-wall bays so the pegboard zone has backing at 24" o.c. Do this NOW while the bays are open — retrofit toenailing after sheathing is miserable. What they buy: backing for the liner + pegboard, shelf/bracket nailers anywhere, and a stiffer sheathing field between the 72" posts. Skip girts where they'd cross the window/door ROs.
9. Angle braces (4x4, 30" long-point-to-long-point, 45°) — six per the plans: four on the blank bearing wall (the EAST wall — one per corner plus a pair meeting in a V at the center post) and two on the rear gable (NORTH), one per corner. Three 16d per end. Only AFTER temp bracing, and only on the two walls without openings (p.26, Figures 2–4). As-built there are eight — see the note below.

Phase 4 — Sheathing, Roof & Dry-In

Plans p.27–30, 36, Appendix A · Materials: the Sep 30 re-order (originally Order 2) · ~2–4 days · ends at a safe pause point

1. Measure first: east and west plate outside faces apart (both ends + middle); wall sheathing height above the plate; laser-map the plate tops at all 14 rafter positions.
2. Test pair: rafter or speed square at 6:12. Plumb cut at the ridge; length along the top edge = (half the plate-to-plate distance − 0.75″) × 1.118. Proven numbers (test pair fitted Oct 1): 66-1/4″ top edge, plumb cut to plumb cut (about 68-1/4″ overall, tip to tip). A 72″ half-board is enough for one rafter. JCS end seat: plumb end against the sheathing, plus a level cut at 90° to it; proven: heel height 4-3/8″, seat just under 3-1/2″, no tail. Circular saw, no bevel; both end cuts are through-cuts, no notch. Fit it on the building with a 2×8 stand-in carrying real RR-R brackets: check the seats, the plumb faces and the ridge height, at both ends and the middle. Trial-fit an H2.5AZ and an A35Z. Record the numbers before batch cutting. (Done: all 14 are cut; one miscut is being replaced Oct 2.)
3. Batch-cut from the PATTERN rafter (always trace from it). Custom seats from the laser map: a shorter heel where the plate is high, a full-width shim where it's low; label each one. Don't cut the plates. The SW corner lap is ~¼″ proud, so that end rafter gets a shorter heel.
4. Ridge: one 2×8×12 #2 Prime KD SYP board, cut 143-13/16″, crown up. Layout every 24″ on both faces (south edges at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and the end − 1-1/2″). RR-R connectors on the 10 interior rafter positions (attached after the trial assembly; done Oct 1); A35Z at the 4 ridge ends (the RR-R does not fit there). All with SD9112 screws. Ridge top is 34″ above the plate top; ridge bottom 26-3/4″. Cut the five collar ties after the rafters are up, marking them in place. Brace anchor blocks screwed into the joists. Cross-wall restraint stays.
5. Raise (planned Oct 2): temporary ridge props first — a 2×4 at 30-1/4″ screwed to the inside face of each gable top plate at its center (60″ from either outside corner), bottom flush with the plate bottom, with a scrap cleat on top, to carry the ridge. Then end rafters on one wall → ridge → opposite end rafters → plumb and string-straighten → tack a 2×4×14 diagonal at each end, ridge to floor → fill the pairs alternately, putting each rafter's H2.5AZ (A35Z at the ends) on as it's set, all with SD9112 screws, no nails → final plumb → fasten the diagonals fully.
6. Collar ties: (pattern & nailing) five cedar 1×6, marked in place, tight to the ridge (p.29). Grip-Rite 2″ 13-ga stainless, 7 per end, pre-drilled near the ends. Sight across the rafter tops and plane any proud one.
7. Optional, before the deck and shingles: center-post rim supports (low priority; your call). The roof puts about 360 lb on each bearing-wall center post, and the rim under it is held by joist-end nails only (Structural assessment §11.6). One support under the rim directly below each center post (about 72″ from either end, between the joists at 64″ and 80″), built like the skid stations: ① measure the gap from the gravel to the rim bottom (the skid tops came in near 7-1/8″, not 7-1/2″); ② one solid 4×8×16 block bedded level in firm, tamped gravel, lengthwise along the rim, sunk as needed rather than trimming the wood; ③ aluminum termite shield on the block, 2″ lip bent down 45°; ④ composite horseshoe shims on the shield, at least one full layer so no wood touches the aluminum (never cedar or pine shims); ⑤ a PT 4×4 offcut (or 4×6 flat), about 12″ long, under the rim joist with its outside edge flush with the rim's outside face, inboard of the sheathing; ⑥ shim snug to the rim bottom (a slip of paper won't pull out) — fill the gap, don't jack. East side: find the recorded oak-root edges first; if the root is right there, slide the support along the rim, staying between the 64″ and 80″ joists.
8. Deck: 19/32 sanded BCX, B face down, long side across the rafters. 7 sheets (6 + 1 spare; cancelled by Lowe's; Home Depot delivered Oct 2), 2 courses per slope; lower course first, with the end seam centered on the center rafter; 12 PSCL clips at the course seam (one per bay); ⅛″ gaps. Measure the upper course on site. 3″ ring gun nails: 4″ on sheet ends and gable rafters, 6″ on the others, into rafters only. Chalk-line the rafter centers; pull any miss. Deck edges flush with the future shadow-board faces (~3-3/4″ horizontal past the wall line or end rafter) — superseded. Deck edge — decided Oct 5, 2026: a finger's gap (~3/4″) past the future shadow-board face at the eaves and the rakes, so the drip edge hangs free and drips clear of the trim. Overhang past the wall framing (eaves) or the end rafter's outer face (rakes), measured horizontally: O = plywood + band (~0.47″) + fascia thickness + shadow board thickness + 3/4″ — about 4-1/2″ with the assumed 1-1/2″ fascia and 1-3/4″ shadow board. Measure a fascia board and a shadow board before cutting any deck. Then: A1 = R4 center (from the south framing face) + O − 1/16″; A2 = 143-13/16″ − R4 center + O − 1/16″; eave gauge along the rafter, past its top corner = O × 1.118; rafter center marks from the deck's south edge = O + 3/4″, then every 24″, R7 at O + 143-1/16″. Don't nail the overhangs. A temporary 2×4 toe board helps on the 6:12 slope.
9. Wall felt (later, after the roof): #30 organic felt, ASTM D226 Type II (or D4869 Type IV) per the CSSB, ~2 rolls, bought later from a roofing supply house. Fastened with the Stinger CH38-2 cap stapler; no seam tape (felt laps shed water). Leftover ProArmor strips form the bands behind the fascia. This replaces the housewrap step below.
10. ProArmor = DRY-IN: 3″ course laps, 6″ over the ridge from each side, Stinger cap staples in the extended-exposure pattern printed on the roll. Rakes wrapped over the deck edge and stapled underneath. Eaves: bottom 6–8″ left loose, folded over the edge, for the drip edge later. Rated for 90 days of exposure; a tarp is only a backup.
11. Fascia bands + eave trim: leftover ProArmor bands on the east and west walls (bottom edge loose). Eave fascia + shadow board with the shadow board flush with the fascia top (not centered as JCS p.30 shows). At the eaves both tops sit at ~2-1/2″ above the plate (open question: raise the fascia ~7/8″, which shows less fascia); at the rakes both tops are tight under the deck. Fascia: 6 × cedar 2×8×12 (2 eaves + 4 rakes). Shadow boards: 2 × 2×4×12 + 4 × 2×4×8, rough green. All cedar is green: sticker it and cut joints after it settles. CAMO #8 × 3½″ stainless trim screws. Eave corners flush (decided Oct 4, 2026): the eave fascia and shadow board both end at the gable plywood + band face (~144-3/4″; measure the 12′ boards, center any shortfall or glue a cedar filler on the end), and the rake fascia and shadow run out over their ends, plumb-cut flush with the eave shadow face. No extra cedar. Details: Roof Deck & Edge Details.
12. Gable plywood + band, then the rake fascia + shadow board (same flush detail). North and south wall sheathing was cut back to mid-plate, so the gable plywood nails to the plate's upper half; the east and west sheathing projects ~1-3/4″ above the plate.
    Decided Oct 4, 2026: three pieces per gable, not 10″ strips. One middle pentagon under the peak plus two corner pieces, 15/32 Plytanium to match the walls (not the 19/32 deck spare). The vent lands in the solid middle piece, and each gable has two seams instead of about eleven.
    • South gable: seams line up with the door opening, 28-3/4″ and 91-1/4″ from the corners. Middle piece 62-1/2″ wide, about 20-1/2″ tall at its sides and 35-3/4″ at the peak; corner pieces 28-3/4″ wide, about 6″ tall at the corner and 20-1/2″ at the seam (heights from mid-plate to the rafter tops). North gable: mirror the south layout.
    • Stock: all three pieces fit on one 4×8 laid horizontally, so one sheet per gable: leftovers if big enough, otherwise 2 sheets. If Lowe's cuts a sheet down for the car, keep one piece at least 63″ × 36″ for the middle.
    • Cut and fit: tack each piece up oversize, scribe the sloped edges against the actual end rafters, take it down and cut.
    • Nail 6″ o.c. along the plate and both end rafters, ~3/8″ in from the edges. At the end rafters, check that a 2″ nail doesn't poke through the inside face (15/32 + 1-1/2″ rafter); if it does, angle them or use 1-3/4″.
    • Seams: 1/8″ gap, no backing. Optional: one 15/32 panel clip at mid-height of each seam to keep the edges flush. Keep shingle nails a little off the seams.
    • Vent: cut in the two screened gable vents in the middle pieces after the gable plywood, at least 4–6″ clear of the plate and rafter nailing (model chosen later; flange nailed through, JCS p.34).
13. Drip edge: at the eaves, under the loose ProArmor strip, then staple the strip back down over the flange; at the rakes, over the underlayment.
14. Scrap test, then shingles. Test: 3/4″ coil nails through shingle scraps into a deck offcut; no tips on the back. Starter cut from 3-tab: tabs off, adhesive at the eave edge, ¼–¾″ past the drip edge, first piece trimmed 6″. Field: 6 nails per shingle, flush. Loctite under each rake shingle end. Cut ridge caps at 5″ exposure; seal the last cap's nail heads.

Pre–September-30 plan below, kept for history. Where it conflicts with the current plan, the current plan governs.

1. Sheet seams — there is no seam blocking. Real panels measure 47.76" × 95.76" (to be re-checked against the sheets on site), not 48 × 96, so blocking laid out on a 48" module never backed a seam. Studs were placed at the actual panel lines instead — east at ~48″ and ~95-7/8″ (Sep 1–2; 47.76" and 95.52" superseded, they omitted the 1/8″ panel gaps), and on the window studs and door posts elsewhere. Lay every seam out from a measured panel, never from 48/96.
2. Sheathe the two bearing walls: ½" ply, top edge running 1¾" above the top plate (rafters butt against it — replaces the plans' proud siding, p.27–28), bottom lapping the rim. Exterior wall sheathing is 12 sheets as-built, not 11 — the 3" west-window move (Phase 3) cost one sheet.
3. [SUPERSEDED Sep 30, 2026 — see the current plan above] Rafter layout with a speed square (NOT the paper templates — they assume full-dimension stock): 26.5° plumb cut (6/12), original 66⅝" reference only (not a verified nominal-lumber cut length), JCS end-seat geometry per the original seat template (PDF p.43): level bearing surface at the end, plumb end against raised wall sheathing, no projecting rafter tail. The previous fixed seat-depth rule is withdrawn; derive the dimensions from the actual assembly. Cut ONE TEST PAIR, stand it with a ridge offcut sandwiched at the peak, adjust, then that pair is the pattern for all 14.
4. [SUPERSEDED Sep 30, 2026 — see the current plan above] Set rafters (p.28): cedar ridge 1x8 × 144" (full 12' board, uncut) crowned with 24" layout on both faces; end pairs first, ridge end-nailed with 3" STAINLESS ring, 3 per rafter; fill alternating front/back to keep the ridge straight; plumb by sighting; temp brace ridge to floor (kept below rafter tops). Hurricane tie at every rafter's plate seat — spruce is untreated and holds a toenail worse than PT.
5. [SUPERSEDED Sep 30, 2026 — see the current plan above] Collar ties — five, cedar 1x6, tight to the ridge, cut angles in place (p.29). 6d stainless ring, 7 per rafter (plans say 5; cedar gives ~53% of SYP's nail capacity, and the heads show).
6. Gable-wall sheathing cut flush to the rafters (p.29). Superseded Oct 1, 2026: the north and south sheathing is cut back to mid-plate and the gable plywood (three pieces per gable, decided Oct 4) nails to the plate's upper half (current plan step 9).
7. [SUPERSEDED Sep 30, 2026 — see the current plan above] Roof strapping — cedar 1x4, KILN-DRIED 3/4" @ ~20–24" o.c., top course held 2" below the ridge; fastened with #8×2" stainless screws, 2 per rafter; straightedge at the eaves so nothing hangs past the siding plane (p.29).
8. [SUPERSEDED Sep 30, 2026 — see the current plan above] Fascia (2x8) + shadow board (2x4) (p.30) — run a straightedge along the strapping to confirm the roofing will clear the trim.
9. [SUPERSEDED Sep 30, 2026 — see the current plan above] Metal roofing (p.36): first panel sets the whole layout — take time squaring it; 2" overhang past the shadow board; 1" stainless screws in the flats, 2" in the ribs for the cap. ⚠ Screw pattern is REQUIRED — field ~12" apart, ~6" within 3 ft of the eave, either rake, or the ridge. On 3/4" KD cedar that doubled edge pattern is the uplift margin, not a bonus. Full spec in Nail_Guns_and_Fasteners.html. Dial the driver back; cedar strips easily.
10. Window rough-opening flashing (window construction — sill/pan, stops — is not finalized (open); see Window_Install_and_Drainage.html; the sash are fixed and service-removable, not hinged) — BEFORE the wall felt (absent from the Vermont-oriented plans, which assume board siding; full write-up in Wall_Framing.html under "Windows and weather — the rough openings"). The shingle rule: every layer laps over the one below it, so water can only ever run down and out. Order: ① sill pan onto bare framing — first, before the window · ② window set in, sitting on the pan · ③ jamb flashing laps over the pan's end dams · ④ head flashing laps over the jamb flashing · ⑤ the wall felt laps over the head flashing. Do it in the wrong order and you have built a funnel. Since the sashes go in at Phase 5 (step p5-4), the pan and the jamb/head flashing were to be built into the bare opening, with the sash dropping onto a pan that is already there (pan details open). Two details: slope the sill — the rough sill at 48" is a full 3½" member sitting flat, so bevel it or slip a tapered shim under the front and let gravity drain it instead of surface tension; and the corners are where these fail — tape does not fold cleanly into an inside corner, so use pre-formed corner patches or cut a slit and overlap, always with the outer piece on top. ~$25 for a roll of 4–6" self-adhered flashing tape.
11. [SUPERSEDED Sep 30, 2026 — see the current plan above] Housewrap the walls (cap staples) — makes the building fully weathertight while shingles wait. Lap the wrap OVER the window head flashing, never under it. Seam tape (~$18) is optional — cap nails hold the wrap on but do not seal the laps. (Superseded Oct 1: #30 felt, Stinger cap stapler, no seam tape; see the wall felt step above.)

Phase 5 — Shingles, Trim, Doors & Finish

Plans p.31–35, Appendix B · Materials: Order 3 + wall felt, wall-shingle nails, windows/vents (later) · ~4–6 days

1. Cedar shingles over the #30 felt: doubled starter with the visible layer 1″ below the plywood bottom and underlying layer ½″ below it. Confirm exposure and keyway spacing from the actual grade/product; the former blanket 7–7½″ exposure is not finalized. See bottom-edge tape, starter and nail-line detail.
2. Corner boards + window/door trim (p.31): 1x4 corners and 1x4 window/door casing nailed in pairs (no "bullet-hole" look); 1x5 door jamb trim; 1x3 window stops; 1x2 door stops. Shingles die into the trim.
3. Vents in the gable (p.34) — two screened gable vents, model chosen later: trace, cut siding, nail through flange, 1x2 trim piece under it.
4. Windows AFTER the roof is done (p.31 note — prevents breakage): hinged at top, open out and up, held 3" in, hook + eyes to prop open (p.32) — superseded: the sash are fixed and service-removable, not hinged (no hinges, hooks or eyes). Window construction (sill/pan, stops) is not finalized (open), and the sash still need rehab (see Window_Restoration); follow Window_Install_and_Drainage.html. The W2/W4 openings are still solid sheathing and must be cut out first.
5. Build the doors (Appendix B, modified for sash lites): vertical boards + two cross battens + diagonal, screws ¾–1" from edges; finished width 5/8" less than the opening — measured from the actual building. 1½" thick from ¾" stock is fine (5/4 face layer if bought). Lite layout: top batten high (within a few inches of door top), diagonal kept in the lower two-thirds, leaving the upper-middle clear for the sash.
6. Set a 6-light sash in each leaf: mark the cutout = sash outside frame + ⅛" play, centered on leaf width, sash top ~8–12" below door top; plunge-cut with circular saw, jigsaw the corners, cuts ≥2" clear of battens/diagonal. Screw + glue a 1x3 ring to the interior face overlapping the cut edges ~1" (re-ties the severed boards; doubles as the stop). Prime/paint all cut edges. Bed the sash from outside in sealant against the ring; 1x2 exterior stops with stainless brads; bottom stop is a sloped sill piece with a drip kerf — the detail that keeps the lite from rotting its opening.
7. Hang doors (p.32): tight to top + hinge side, top hinge down 12", bottom hinge up 14"; stops installed with door closed; turn latch, foot bolt (chisel clearance), chain bolt (flip the bolt angle per p.32).
8. Paint scheme (decided July 2026): accent color on the doors + all four sash + the pine door/window stops (audit F5 — stops frame the painted sash, so they paint with it) + optionally the gable vent — paint sash and stops on sawhorses BEFORE glazing/hanging. All cedar trim stays natural (silvers with the shingles; that was the point of buying cedar). (Sep 30 note: the roof is now Weathered Gray shingles; pick the accent against that.)
9. Ramp (p.33): stringers toenailed to the rim below the door; needs ~5' of level ground in front of the door.
10. Paint the floor (decided July 2026): porch & floor enamel, 2 coats rolled over the swept 3/4" ply — before anything moves in. The ply is PT (July order): verify it's dry first — sprinkle-test (water beads = wait, soaks in = paint); fresh treated stock can need weeks. The floor going down in August and enamel landing at Phase 5 end should provide that gap naturally, but test, don't assume. Seals splinters, sweepable, recoat-able forever; no adhesive to fail in an unconditioned building (peel-and-stick tile was considered and rejected for exactly that). ~$50/gal.
11. Interior liner + pegboard (decided July 2026; timing flexible — any weekend after dry-in): 15/32 Plytanium sheathing (actual 0.451") recessed into the bays on the ripped 2¾" girts, so the liner sits 0.30" behind the post faces and the frame stays exposed. This is what hides the ~1,500 shingle-nail points in the bays — The shingle nails stay full-spec 1¾"; do not shorten them for cosmetics is superseded: wall shingles use stainless ring-shank coil roofing nails from the Freeman roofing nailer, 1-1/4″–1-1/2″ (final length open; the CSSB minimum for single-course 16″ shingles is 1¼″, and 1¾″ is its double-course figure). Pegboard (tempered or metal, never untempered) over the bench-wall bays on the tripled girts — the open cavity between girts is the hook standoff. Everything else gets plain ply: screw-anywhere walls.
12. Remove ALL temporary bracing (only now). Stone the fence-side slot, clear of leaves, and keep it that way (airflow + termite visibility).
13. Dry-laid fieldstone skirt — outside face of the 4x6 wall only (Appendix C's own recommendation, p.47, using the excavation stones). No stone inside the perimeter: the 12" gravel margin stays open — it's the airflow moat, the termite sightline, and the eave drip line's landing zone (roof water → margin → tub → SW drain). First course on a few inches of compacted gravel, slight lean back against the timbers, stone top at or below the timber top. Musts: frame around the SW drain grate (never bury it — it's the cleanout); as-built photo map (rebar, conduit cap, drain penetrations) complete BEFORE the first stone — the skirt hides the wall forever. Expect to re-seat a stone or two after the first wet seasons; that's dry stone working, not failing.

Lumber Rules — Store Lumber vs. the Plans

Full analysis: Dimensional_Lumber_and_Foundation_Addendum.html · Plans p.1, 3, 40 state the plans assume full-dimension rough-sawn stock

The plans' "2x6" is a true 2"×6"; store lumber is ½" smaller each way (2x6 → 1½"×5½", 4x4 → 3½"×3½", 1x boards → ¾" thick). The design tolerates this fine — if you follow five rules:

1. Never batch-cut the cut list up front. Primary members to printed lengths; every infill piece measured in place.
2. Absolute lengths stand: skids/rims 144", plates 144"/120", posts 74", door header 62½", braces 30".
3. Infill lengths change — table below.
4. Hold the ROs, not the printed stations. Door 62½"×73"; windows 34" clear width (the 19⅝" height and the 48" / 67⅝" sill and header edges are as-built figures to be re-checked against Wall_Framing.md) — the salvage barn sash (33.5"×19.125") plus the plans' own sash-plus-½" rule for sash in hand, which supersedes the plans' 24½"×24½". Register the RO-forming faces/edges (incl. bearing-wall nailer TOP at 36", and the window sill TOP at 48" / header BOTTOM at 67⅝") and let far edges land where thinner stock puts them. RO ±¼" is fine (p.31). Finished door opening moves too: the plans' 60½"×72" assumes a full 1"-thick 1x5 jamb; our ¾" stock gives ~61" × ~72½". Build the doors to the measured opening, plus the plans' 5/8" gap.
5. The deck is the reference: exactly 120"×144", diagonals 187½". When a printed number and your tape disagree, the tape wins.

Knock-Ons & Structure

• Wall height is 77½", not 78" (3½" plate on 74" posts). Heights above the plate all drop ½" — measure the building, not the drawings.
• Door RO height lands ~73¼" (¾" header) — harmless; doors built to fit.
• Strength: nominal 2x6 ≈ 63% bending strength / 58% stiffness of true 2x6 — offset by stronger SYP species and short spans. The floor at 16" o.c. recovers ~full design intent (63% × 1.5 ≈ 94%). Roof and posts: see Structural_Load_and_Connection_Assessment §11 (the roof now weighs about 1,160 lb installed per the Oct 1 takeoff, replacing the earlier ~1,040 lb; center-post dead load ≈ 360 lb, about 550 lb with snow).
• Doors: ¾" stock builds a 1½"-thick door vs. JCS's 2" — functionally fine; 5/4 face layer if you want heft.
• Failure-mode math: with these rules, the worst realistic miss is one $10 board cut to a printed number instead of a measured one — not a corner you can't get out of.