Temporary wood shed ideas?

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Shane Collins

Burning Hunk
Feb 1, 2014
201
Westford, VT
My current wood shed is falling down (it came with the house) I'm pretty sure the only thing holding it up is the sheet metal siding. I was planning on taking it down this year and building a new solid shed in its place. A baby due in two weeks and other things have got in the way. I don't want to store my wood in the falling down shed this year as it could come down with a heavy snow load.

Do any of you have any ideas for some sort of temporary shed I could build on the cheap?? Last year I burned about 4-5 cords so I need to store about that much. I have about 7 cords that I CSS last year. I'm a bit behind this year.

I have a flat area of tarmac that's pretty large, about 20x30 that I can store the wood on, some of my wood is drying there now.

I'll build the new shed next year for sure. I just don't have the time now with the new baby coming.

Thanks for any help.
 
One of those pole & canvas/tarp type car shelter things? Right on top of your tarmac? Some guys here use those on more of a permanent basis, actually, I think - although I've seen the odd one collapse under big snow & wind. If it's on the lee side of your house or sheltered a bit, and there's room to run a snowblower around the outside if the snows get too big, it should last a while.
 
Look at the threads on solar kilns for lumber. Apparently wrapping lumber in clear plastic with just a few holes at the bottom is an established technique for seasoning lumber. It works for firewood, and a few guys have actually documented their results. The basic idea is to completely wrap a stack of firewood in clear plastic. The sun heats the wood like a greenhouse, the resulting low humidity in the air inside the plastic pulls water from the wood. Water condenses on the plastic and drains out the bottom. Over a few months the wood gets well seasoned.

I hope to try this, and I'd wrap only the top and sides, since my firewood is already stacked. This might let some water in through the bottom because my stacks are on gravel and there is some moisture below, but on your tarmac you wouldn't have the same problem.
 
How about something like this. I nailed some pallets together for a bottom and 2 sides, I have not made a roof yet
but I plan to make a simple frame with 2x4's and some plywood and cover with roll roofing.
DSCF1173 (Medium).JPG
 
Since your goal is to construct a new shed, why not start it now? Get some 4X4 timbers, a PHD (post hole digger) and set the uprights in place. Rafter timbers crossed by 1X4s, covered with inexpensive plastic corrugated roofing sheets will serve for a cover.

The materials won't set you back much and with some help you can have it up in a day's work. Later, you can add reinforcement to it or disassemble it and use the existing materials in a new construction.
 
Thanks for the replies. Maple1 I was thinking of that too but they seem to be a bit expensive for something so temporary. And the wind/snow loads are a bit of a worry too.

Fred, not a bad idea I might do that. With the wife ready to give birth any day now I'll be short on time soon. Thanks for the help.

If anyone else has any ideas I'd be glad to hear.
 
Make a couple of these, top cover when the snow comes with a tarp, and build a real shed when you have the time.
 
When I lived in Schenectady we averaged 6-8 feet of snow every year, I don/t see temp anything lasting to the first thaw.

If you got a deck, cram every stick you can under there and don't touch them until you can't get to anything else.

The only fast/cheap/ not wasteful thing I can think of is to get your wood stacked, cover it with tarps, and prepare for the suxxor.
 
Poindexter said:
When I lived in Schenectady we averaged 6-8 feet of snow every year, I don/t see temp anything lasting to the first thaw.

If you got a deck, cram every stick you can under there and don't touch them until you can't get to anything else.

The only fast/cheap/ not wasteful thing I can think of is to get your wood stacked, cover it with tarps, and prepare for the suxxor.
Click to expand...

You're probably right. It was a fool's hope that there could be some magic quick fix, but you never know!. The area next to my workshop was a huge pile of old rotting firewood, from the previous owners. Shame to see it rotting but it's far too gone for me to use. I put my plow on the atv and managed to push it into the woods so now I have a nice clear area next to the workshop. I've decided I'll make a "temporary" lean to for now. I can get a ledger board on the workshop and a couple of concrete post bases for a temporary foundation. I have a bunch of sheet metal roofing lying around that I can use for the roof. If it works out I'll probably make it more permanent next summer when I have more time. The workshop is about 16 feet wide so I only have to come out a little over 4 feet to fit 4 cords there. I'll just use pallets for the flooring. If the wife doesn't go into labour I'll probably get it finished this coming weekend.
 
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