Building a storage shed

For a shed, your joists don’t have to sit on top of the beams (stacked floor system). You just notch out a 1 1/2″ x1 1/2″ notch out of the bottoms and rest the joist on a cleat (a 2×2, which is really 1 1/2′ x 1 1/2″), and toenail the joist to the beam. The dimension of the sill (beam) is more a function of what is attached to it. You don’t really need a dimensional beam, at all.

I would use 2×8 joists, with 2×8 rim joists. Rim joists are just 2- 2x8s (in this case) nailed together. They equal the dimension of a single 4×8 sill, but are much stronger and stable than a single timber. I would nail (or screw) a 2×2 cleat on the two sides where the joist ends meet the rim joist. Then I’d notch out the 2×8 joists so that they sit on these cleats, and toenail them to the rim joist (you can also put up one rim joist and nail through it, then apply the second one on top of it).

If the floor is less than 12″ from the ground, you’ll need pressure terated plywood (which is very expensive). Otherwise, moisture from the dirt is going to rot out the floor. A way around this is to use treated 1x6s. If the shed is going to be a workshop, you can put 1/2″ plywood over the 1x6s to close the gaps. If it’s for a lawnmower or something, just leave the 1x6s exposed. A workshop means that you will be dropping drill bits, nails, etc, so gaps in the boards are bad.

The reason that you want 2×8 floor joists, is because the joists will sag over a 10′ span. In a house, you’d use 2x10s, at least, over a 10′ span (that’s still pushing it). Generally, I’ve always limited the span of a 2×10 to 8′ or less. (give or take, depending how the math works out). Your best bet is to run the joists along the 12′ direction and put a beam (2x8s nailed together) in the center. That will make a 6′ span, with the joists resting on the cleats. ALL lumber will sag under its own weight over a long enough span, nevermind the loads that are place on top of it. A treated 2×8 will sag over 10′ under its own weight. Over 12′, a 2×10 will sag. Just the nature of the beast.

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