How to Build a Wooden Ramp for a Shed

Most American home-owners mow and care for their own lawns. This necessitates a wealth of lawn-care equipment such as lawnmowers, weed eaters, wheelbarrows, and miscellaneous hand tools. Traditionally these are stored in a shed near or attached to the back of the home. Such sheds are either pre-fabricated or assembled on site. They're waterproof and keep your outdoor tools safe from the elements. You'll find that the lip of these sheds are rarely level with the ground. It's no great hassle to carry in the hand tools you use, but there's no chance you'd be able to carry in bigger machines like riding lawn mowers. They’re just too heavy. That's why many people have a shed ramp. You could pay a carpenter several hundred dollars to build and install one for you, but why spend the money when you can build your own easily and on a shoestring budget? This guide will explain how to make a quality wooden shed ramp quickly and affordably.

Things You’ll Need:
Drill

Wood drill bits

Metal drill bits

Through bolts

Hammer

Two-inch nails

Circular Saw

2 Wrenches

One treated lumber 2X4

Multiple treated lumber 4X4's

Sheet of 3/4 inch plywood

Tape Measure

Wood Pencil

Shovel

Asphalt Shingles (Optional)

Building A Wooden Shed Ramp
Step 1:
Use the drill to bore holes into the lip of the shed about an inch below the door. You'll need to use a specialized drill bit to get through the shed wall if it's made of metal. Three holes equidistant from each other should be sufficient. These holes should be only slightly smaller in diameter than the through bolts you'll be using.

Step 2:
Cut the 2X4 to be as long as the shed's lip is wide. Line up and mark the holes from the shed onto the 2X4 with a wood pencil. Bore holes into the 2X4 of a slightly smaller diameter than the through bolts you have.

Step 3:
Line up the shed's lip and the 2X4 and attach the two with the through bolts. Use your wrenches to make sure the bolts are as tight as you can get them.

Step 4:
Take your circular saw, tape measure, and your 4X4s. You'll need one 4X4 for every two foot width of the shed's lip, but you should use at least two. The length of your 4X4s is determined by how high off the ground the lip of the shed is. The 4X4s should be at least one foot long for every three inches that the shed's lip is off the ground. If the ramp is too steep your heavy equipment won't be able to get enough traction and either slip down or tumble off.

Step 5:
When you've cut the 4X4s to length, lay them on the lip of the shed and mark the spots where the other ends touch the ground. Dig a small trench the full width of the shed's lip where the 4X4s will touch the ground. This will help to anchor the finished ramp in place and keep it from slipping away from the shed when under a heavy load. The 4X4s will only more solidly embed themselves in the ground as time goes by.

Step 6:
Cut one end of each of the 4X4s at a 45 degree angle using the circular saw, so instead of a flat end you have diagonal ones.

Step 7:
Lay the pointed ends of the 4X4s horizontal to the ground. Use your tape measure and pencil. Measure two inches back and one half inch down from the long tip of each 4X4. Mark this point and draw a vertical line down as well as a horizontal line back to the slanted end of the wood. Cut along these lines with your circular saw. This has effectively notched the ends of the 4X4s so they will fit easily over the top of the 2X4 that you have anchored to the shed.

Step 8:
Place each notched length of wood over the anchored 2X4 and drive a few nails into each to hold them together. The other ends of the 4X4s should fit snugly into the ditch you've dug.

Step 9:
Lay your plywood over the 4X4s and mark their dimensions on the plywood with a pencil.

Step 10:
Follow the line's you've marked in the plywood with your circular saw.

Step 11:
Nail the fitted pieced of plywood into place. Your nails should form nice orderly rows that travel down the length of each 4X4 stud under the plywood. You should have a practical and very effective shed ramp now. You also have the opportunity to take things a step further and increase the traction on the ramp by tacking a series of asphalt shingles in rows along the plywood surface. This is entirely optional.

Tips & Warnings
Once your ramp is complete you may want to seal the wood against the damp, mildew, and mold.
Be careful when working with power tools

How to Apply Exterior Stucco

For centuries the imagination of builders and artists alike have been expressed through the versatility and aesthetic appeal of stucco. Stucco can be applied to most any flat or curved surface with a minimum of preparation or fuss. With each application a new work of art is created, showing the skill as well as the personality of the user, allowing any project to be individualized. It’s also a remarkably inexpensive and long-lived wall finish. Many regal homes throughout Europe are finished with stucco that was applied centuries before. This guide will explain how to effectively apply stucco to any exterior wall.

Things You’ll Need:
Concrete Bonding Agent

Pre-Mixed Stucco

Plastering Trowel

Plaster Rake

Spray Bottle

Finishing Trowel

Putty Knives

Paint Brushes

Hammer

Wood Nails

Galvanized Roofing Nails

15 Pound Roofing Felt

17 Gauge Metal Netting orMesh

Wire Cutters

Stucco Applied To Masonry or Concrete Walls
Step 1:
Prepare the surface by brushing a concrete bonding agent onto the wall. Allow a full day for the bonding agent to dry.

Step 2:
Pry open your containers of pre-mixed stucco and scoop up a large dollop onto your plastering trowel.

Step 3:
Smear a thick layer of stucco onto the wall directly from the trowel. This is called the scratch coat. It should evenly cover the wall in a thickness anywhere between one quarter and one half inch thick.

Step 4:
Let this coat harden for a few hours and then scratch it down evenly with a Plaster Rake so that the stucco is about half as thick as it was to start with.

Step 5:
Leave the coat to harden for about two full days. Moisten the wall every few hours with a water spray bottle.

Step 6:
Apply the finish coat of stucco with your trowel, making sure to smooth the edges with a putty knife. This second layer should be between one quarter and one eighth of an inch thick.

Step 7:
Use your finishing trowel to smooth and texture the stucco wall however you like. This is your opportunity to be creative, so go nuts.

Step 8:
Let the wall cure for another two full days, again misting the wall evenly every few hours. Once the stucco is hardened you're done.

Stuccoing A Wood Wall
Step 1:
Prepare the surface by covering the wall with 15 Pound Roofing Felt and using short wood nails to hold it in place. Don't worry about using too many nails. The fewer sags in the Felt the better.

Step 2:
Cover the Felt with 17 Gauge Metal Netting and fit it to the wall, remove the excess with the wire cutters. Nail the Mesh in place with Galvanized Roofing Nails. It's alright if every part of the Mesh isn't perfectly flush against the wall.

Step 3:
Pry open your containers of pre-mixed stucco and scoop up a large dollop onto your plastering trowel.

Step 4:
Smear the stucco onto the mesh. Make sure to force the stucco through the holes of the netting first, and then put a layer between half and a quarter inch thick over the netting. The stucco on the other side of the mesh will help the whole mass adhere to the wall when it dries.

Step 5:
Let this coat harden for a few hours and then scratch it down evenly with a Plaster Rake so that the stucco is about half as thick as it was to start with.

Step 6:
Leave the coat to harden for about two full days. Moisten the wall every few hours with a water spray bottle.

Step 7:
Apply the finish coat of stucco with your trowel, making sure to smooth the edges with a putty knife. This second layer should be between one quarter and one eighth of an inch thick.

Step 8:
Use your finishing trowel to smooth and texture the stucco wall however you like. This is your opportunity to be creative, so go nuts.

Step 9:
Let the wall cure for another two full days, again misting the wall evenly every few hours. Once the stucco is hardened you're done.

Tips & Warnings
Let your imagination go wild when applying the stucco. Stucco comes in many different colors. Specific scenes or designs can be etched into wet stucco with any tool or stylus at hand. Also you can texture your stucco with sponges, cutouts, and dry brushes of any size once the stucco has already been applied.
High levels of humidity or rain can ruin the stucco's curing process. Stucco your walls only during a dry time of the year that you can count on not to rain.

How to Apply Roof Cement

The application of roofing cement is an important part of repairing or putting asphalt shingles on your roof. It plays an integral process in anchoring shingles to your roof and helps create a waterproof seal to hold them to your roof in the event of bad weather. This is a guide which will explain how to use roofing cement as part of the steps to repairing your roof.

Things You’ll Need:
Ladder

Small Pry Bar

Shingles

Roofing Cement

Caulk Gun

Putty Knife

Hammer

Galvanized Roofing Nails

Paper Towels

The Proper Application of Roof Cement
Step 1:
Start by climbing the ladder up onto your roof. Roofs can be dangerous if wet or covered with debris, so make sure to clean the surface you'll be working on before beginning.

Step 2:
Before you can put down new shingles, you must remove the remains of the old ones. Look for shingles that have been ripped apart or come free from the roof.

Step 3:
Use your pry bar to loosen all the shingles adjacent to the damaged ones.

Step 4:
Remove the damaged shingles by gently tugging on the sides until they pull free.

Step 5:
Use your pry bar to pull out the nails which had held in the damaged shingles. Be careful not to damage any of the remaining shingles surrounding the bare spots. If you cannot pull any of the nails free then pound them down to be level with the sheathing that is normally beneath the shingles.

Step 6:
Look for any spots of damage, rips, or tears in the bare sheathing. Use the roofing cement in your caulking gun to fill the rips. Also cover the heads of the nails you hammered down with roofing cement. This will create a water tight seal to keep your roof from leaking. Your putty knife will allow you to smooth the cement flush with the roof's surface.

Step 7:
When installing new shingles start with the lowermost row and work your way up. Fit All the new shingles into place where the damaged ones were before anchoring them in with nails. Again start nailing the lowermost row to the roof and work your way up. Use only nails per shingle. Roof shingles are manufactured with dry strips of roofing cement on their underside that will adhered them to the roof as the sun heats the shingle and activates the cement. The last shingle you place, which should be the uppermost and fit neatly underneath one of the shingles already on your roof, will need more dabs of cement of its edges to stick it to the older shingle on top of it. With this done you've successfully repaired your roof. Congratulations! This is no simple task.

Tips & Warnings
Wearing soft soled rubber boots can help give you traction while walking on your roof. Make sure to let someone know you'll be up on the roof and to come check on you periodically in case of accidents. If the roof is particularly steep or you have trouble keeping your balance you may want to consider obtaining roof brackets and boards to give you extra foothold.