The shed and loft are such great additions to my greenhouse. They add so much versatility and whimsy to my structure. In the first video of the Greenhouse Build series, we showed you how we made the foundation. The second one showed how to do the framing. The third covered the roofing. The Fourth was the windows. The Fifth showed the walls and siding. In this installment of our reclaimed window greenhouse build, we show the finishing of the shed and loft.
Adding the Shed Insulation
installing insulation
We debated adding insulation to the shed but decided that it would help with the temperature in there. I have my loom and spinning wheel in there as well as garden storage items, so this will make it much more comfortable. We used insulation with a slightly lower R-value but you could use a higher one depending on the needs of your area. You could also insulate the ceiling if you wanted but we chose not to.
Insulation goes in pretty easily. All you need is a razor blade for cutting it and a staple gun to attach it to the studs.
Shed Ceiling
installing ceiling boards
We used 1/8″ sheets of wood that came from some old hollow doors for our ceiling. This worked really well as they were so light they were easy to manipulate. Before we put them in we had to install some blocking boards around the edges of the ceiling so we had something to attach the wood to. We used staples to attach these and that seemed to work well.
Painting the Shed
painting ceiling boards
I created pallet board walls for this shed but before I put them or my flooring in I wanted to do my painting. I painted the door frame, the window frames, and the ceiling the same white I used in the rest of the greenhouse. I really like the white ceiling because it gives it a more open lighter feel. (Warning: When painting a ceiling, paint gets all over you.)
Shed Flooring
floating floor
We used floating synthetic flooring in the shed. This was left over from a previous project and worked well. These just snap together and give it a really nice look. Often places like Habitat for Humanity will have small amounts of flooring available for reasonable prices. Since I put in the floor before the walls were covered I had to be really careful not to damage it as I was constructing the pallet walls.
Pallet Walls
building pallet wall
When building a pallet wall the first step is to collect your pallets. We like to use a pallet buster to break them up as it makes it go sooooo much faster. I like the look of the old pallets better but you can always stain new ones to look older if you have to. Then I sanded down the edges and the surface just to the point that I could see the saw marks and grain of the wood showing through. I want to take off the splinters but leave the character.
Then I placed the pallet boards on my walls. I try to keep from having all of the ends in one area so I tend to alternate what cuts I do. I did have to cut out a few areas for the electrical boxes but besides that, it was pretty straightforward.
Then I just trimmed out around the windows and door, the end walls, and the ceiling, including the edges of the ceiling boards. I used a darker wood on the trim so it would contrast more.
Lastly, I added the light switch and outlet covers and moved in my shelving.
Finishing the Loft
trimming the “brick” façade
I had a sheet of “brick” facade that I had painted for background up at the fair one year. I thought this might look good on the back of my loft wall. Luckily, I ended up with just enough to cover it. I used small white trim boards to trim it out.
adhesive flooring
Then, I put in self-adhesive flooring. We didn’t use a primer and if I could go back I would have done it in retrospect. We then trimmed out the bottom of the wall with black trim boards.
willow branches
Next, I chose some twisty willow branches to use for my banister spindles. These are a little hard to get straight on both ends, but using a stop block helps.
Lastly, I added another rung and a few handholds to our ladder to make it easier to get up.
Now that the shed and loft are done, the next step is finishing the greenhouse portion. (Watch for our next post.)
For helpful videos, check out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCClHdEfsiSI8nmUbUoa6lKQ
To see how to make a root cellar, follow this link: https://wisdompreserved.life/root-cellar-part-one-excavation/
