March/April 2021 55glass batts faced with either
an aluminum foil or kraft
paper moisture barrier are
easy to install. Mineral-wool
insulation, however, has
greater insulating value and
is much more resistant to
moisture and fire.Tip: When installing fiberglass
insulation, be sure the foil or
paper moisture barrier faces
toward the inside of the shed.When choosing your inte-
rior finish, gypsum drywall
(Sheetrock) is affordable,
durable, and easy to paint. If
you prefer the natural warmth
of wood, install solid-wood
paneling. The long pine
planks have either tongue-
and-groove or shiplap joints,
and they can be installed
vertically or horizontally.
Another option is prefinished
sheet paneling made fromthin plywood or hardboard
(Masonite). It comes in 4x8-
ft. sheets for covering walls
and ceilings. You can mix and
match materials by putting
drywall on the ceiling and
wood paneling on the walls, or
vice versa.
Sheds typically have
exposed rafters that extend
from the tops of the walls to
the roof peak. Depending
on the size of the shed, there
might also be exposed ceiling
joists spanning the width of
the building. To finish the ceil-
ing, you can apply drywall or
wood paneling directly to the
underside of the rafters, cre-
ating a cathedral ceiling, or
fasten dry wall or wood pan-
eling to the ceiling joists to
create a f lat ceiling.
A cathedral ceiling will
make the office feel more spa-
cious, but an office with a
f lat ceiling is easier to heat.If you’d prefer a f lat ceiling
but the shed doesn’t have ceil-
ing joists, they can be added
easily enough. Ceiling joists
are usually cut from 2x6s or
2x8s, depending on the width
of the shed, and spaced 16 in.
on-center.Flooring
Most types of f looring can
be installed in a home office,
including hardwood strips,
laminate planks, engineered
wood, or vinyl sheet, tiles, or
planks. However, low-pile car-
peting is affordable, durable,
sound absorbent, and easy to
roll around on in your office
chair.
If you’re on a tight budget,
paint the plywood subf loor,
then use an area rug under
the desk. Just be sure to use
a porch-and-f loor paint; it’ll
hold up better than standard
house paint.Top: The floor
of OHora’s shed
is waterproofed
plywood, with an
area rug down for
warmth (he likes to
work barefoot).
Above: To
accommodate his
standing desk,
OHora chose a
cathedral ceiling
with overhead track
lighting.
Right: OHora
first tried to use
his home Wi-Fi
connection, but it
didn’t suffice. He
had to run Ethernet
along his fence and
drill a hole into his
shed. “Would have
been neater to do
that in the trench,”
he says.