DIY Project: Our Shed Revamp!

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Did you know DIY projects for your home can actually be quite easy! Over the winter, our shed took quite a hit after some storms, plus weathering over the years. In an effort to save money, we revamped it ourselves! Check out our tips and how GAF Timberline® Shingles are the way to go!

This fall, we will have officially lived in our house for 6 years. Time sure does fly! Over the years, we’ve slowly transformed our home from the 80s to present, one DIY project at a time. We prefer to do our research and try to complete home projects ourselves. Do they always turn out flawlessly? NO. But this shed revamp is one that we’re most proud of!

Our focus point really hasn’t been on the outside of our house, most of the DIY projects have been inside–from floors to painting. After this winter and a few bad storms, I really took a good hard look at our shed. It was in ROUGH condition. One side was detached from a nice little bunny family nesting in it and the paint color was mighty weathered. Since we spend quite a bit of time outside in the summer, I wanted something NICE to look at!

Quite a few shingles were missing from the roof, also. At first, I was looking into buying a new shed, but Ricky pointed out how simple a revamp would be.  Paint is cheap, residing one small area is a quick and easy fix, plus Ricky has roofing experience from a summer job. Basically, he took this on as his spring project.

There are a few things to do BEFORE you head to Lowe’s. This will save you time and, possibly, another trip out to the store after.

• Measure your shed. Okay, now measure it again. And actually WRITE it down.
• Figure out what color shingles you’re looking for. There are samples in store, if you’re not sure what route you want to go. Since we were painting, we opted for a completely different color–from brown to gray.
• Gather any tools you already have on hand. You’ll need a ladder, hammer, tape measure, sharp box cutter or scissors, safety goggles and gloves. Save some money by checking before buying!
• Check the weather forecast! Even though our shed isn’t large, it’s still quite a project. We wanted to paint first, then re-shingle, so we needed a chunk of 2-3 days where we could work. Map out enough time so you can take your time and do the job correctly.
• Watch videos and make your list. We found these SUPER helpful:
  • How To Prepare for Shingle Installation
  • How To: Install Underlayment
  • How To: Nail Roof Shingles
  • How To: Install Starter Strips & Shingles

All items you’ll need are in the Roofing aisle at Lowe’s. GAF is used primarily by roofers, but it’s also awesome for novice DIYers like us. I loved the low price and variety of materials. There are quite a few options for colors when it comes to the Timberline® brand–get ready to compare a few varieties to find the perfect one for your project.

Grab a large cart and load it up with awesome GAF products! If you’re having issues finding something, grab a helpful Lowe’s employee. One of our items was up super high and they grabbed it for us. We also needed 1 sheet of siding for our shed, which he cut. Our shed is 8×8 and we needed:

• 6 packages Timberline® shingles–Natural Shadow®
• 1 package TimberTex® Premium Ridge Cap Shingles
• 1 package Pro-Start™ Starter Strip Shingles
• 1 roll FeltBuster® High-Traction Synthetic Roofing Felt
• 1 large box nails: 1 ¼” galvanized steel roofing nails
• 1 large box: 1″ round plastic cap roofing nail
• 2 gallons outdoor paint with primer, plus a small can for edging
• Optional: Yard Stick (we found this very helpful!)

Everything totaled around $300. Obviously, if you’re not painting it will be about $60 less. Always ask about rebates at checkout! We had an 11% back one.

Since I’m pregnant, I helped as much as I could…but let’s be honest: Ricky did 90% of the work. But I did have to add that I painted and hammered in some nails. Go me! I was also super helpful at grabbing ice cold water and wrangling the kiddos away from the paint and products. That’s something, right?

Removing the old shingles was pretty simple, especially since we were missing some. A hammer is helpful to remove old nails…also be sure to have a trash bin close.

After removing the shingles, Ricky added the new wall before painting.

First step for new shingles: Apply FeltBuster®.

If there are two people doing this job, it’s best to cut them first, then apply to the roof. We needed about four pieces and followed the grids for nailing. Remember: use the plastic cap roofing nail for this layer.

The next step is to add the Pro-Start™ Starter shingles around the edges. For the remaining layers, you’ll use the roofing nails, not plastic capped nails.

Next: Timberline® Natural Shadow® Shingles! Remember to take your time with these. We found a way to measure and stagger them out, so I could pre-cut some side pieces while Ricky was hammering. This is where the yardstick was very handy. I drew a quick line with some sidewalk chalk before cutting. Also, the grid lines from the FeltBuster® were very helpful to keep everything in line.

Final step: Apply the TimberTex® Ridge Cap Shingles. These went along the top peek part of the shed in a vertical direction. A heads up: The shingles might take up to two weeks to settle. If you see above, some aren’t laying completely flat. As the sun shines down on them, the underneath adhesive will settle them. No need to nail them down! I am excited because these Timberline® shingles are SO beautiful–plus durable. I’m not quite sure how the previous owners installed the past shingles, but they weren’t done properly. I won’t have to worry during the next bad storm about our shed roofing flying off!

I am SO happy with the final product. Ricky did an amazing job! I found some cute flowers and painted an E to decorate it a bit more. The inside is all organized now too! All in all, the project took two weekend days, since we had a bit of rain in-between the painting and shingles. If you do happen to remove the shingles and rain is in the forecast, simply use a tarp to cover it.

Do you have an outside DIY project you could use GAF shingles on? There are  SO many possibilities: play shed, dog houses, even a tree house!

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