Beyond the Basic Shed

Massive red-pine logs and an overhanging gable frame a side window trimmed in mahogany.

Long screws are used to fasten the log frame together. The large logs are precut and notched at the mill.

A little muscle — and a large sledgehammer — help coax a stubborn log into place atop an end wall.

The exterior walls are framed with 4x4s, sided in cedar ,and then slid into place within the log frame.

The preassembled roof trusses are carefully lifted up and screwed to the red-pine log frame.

Short 2x6 rafters form a 5-in-12-pitch shed roof over the shed entryway. The main roof has a 12-in-12 pitch.

Evenly spaced 1x4s are nailed to the rafters. From inside, the roof resembles a traditional shingle roof.

This is no garden-variety shed. The Phoenix Solar Shed comes in a kit and features four 70-inch-long roof windows.

The plywood sub-floor is nailed down to the joists after the floor frame is assembled.

The wall panels are tilted up into place, nailed to the floor and fastened together at each corner.

Four 20x70-in. windows, which fit between the rafters, flood the interior with light.

A half-lap joint forms a strong, interlocking corner for the pressure-treated 6x6 mudsill.

A waist-high 6x6 is set between the corner posts; it connects to the short, center post with a mortise-and-tenon joint.

The rear wall is raised first. A tenon on the bottom of each post drops into a mortise cut in the sill.

The roof trusses are made using 4x4s for the rafters and 2x6s for the collar ties and ceiling joists.

Understated Elegance: This Adirondack-style cabin features a log frame and Japanese-inspired design.

The roof trusses are assembled on the ground and then leifted up into place on top of the walls.