Wood Shed Advice

Longknife · Oct 22, 2018

I've been meaning to build a new wood shed and managed to get good start on it this summer. It's seems simple enough, but hard to find the time to dedicate to it.

I'm regretting the direction I went as, although it's cost me almost nothing using reclaimed and salvaged materials, it's been a lot of work figuring it out as I went (I'm a lot more used to conventional structures/building methods) and I'm not certain I'll be happy with it rustic nature in the end. I just think it would have been much easier and nicer in the end to just pour a slab and build a conventional structure.

Regardless, I'm committed now and my main concern moving forward is what I will do with the floor. As it was built in a bit of a hollow that portions of my yard slope to, I build up the base a foot or so with clear stone to facilitate drainage. I DON'T want to pile wood on a raw stone base though and am not sure what to do with it.

I have access to hardwood pallets and had considered that with plywood over top (I have a stack of reclaimed pressure treated plywood) but I'm concerned about critters making themselves at home in the space that would create. I've also thought about laying the plywood on 2x4 sleepers on their side to minimize the space underneath it, but I think I'll still have the same problem. I've considered just laying the plywood on the stone? One thing I've considered is adding crushed stone/GA over top of the clear stone to add a more compacted/less permeable layer? Clear stone is a pain to drive on, walk, etc as it stays "loose".

Whatever I do, I'll probably keep 1/3 or so of the shed with a raw stone base as I will just be parking my wood trailer there (and misc storage).

I'll be finishing the walls with 1x10 rough cut pine. I haven't decided yet how much of a gap I'll leave between them (considering only a 1/4" and whatever it opens up to after the wood dries out) and/or if I'll do battens to cover the gaps (probably not). The front openings will be roll up steel barrel doors to keep the weather out in the winter but they will spent the drying season open. I plan on putting two 3'x8' flip up doors on the back wall to let the air run through the shed during the drying season as well.

I will actually putting in another lien of poles about 6-8' off the back and extend the roof line to give me extra storage/misc parking space, but I'm thinking that will have to wait until next year now.

Tin will hopefully be showing up this week for the roof.

I appreciate any advice on the floor....

Ashful · Oct 22, 2018

I’ve been using pallets, and don’t mind the rabbits that like to nest under them. Snakes and mice will use your shed, no matter what the floor, what other critters do you have?

Longknife · Oct 22, 2018

The hound keeps most things away except for the chipmunks, mice and squirrels. The squirrels being the main concern. They (and the mice) had a habit of making themselves comfortable in my wood piles in the old shed that stood in the same spot. I just don't want to create a haven for them with plywood covered pallets.

I could put plywood UNDER the pallets (my main concern is keep the mess out of the stone) which will slightly minimize the attraction I suppose.

SeanBB · Oct 22, 2018

I would not use plywood at all. One good thing about stacking wood on pallets is that the gaps in the pallets allows plenty of airflow. Even if you put the plywood under the pallets I think the critters would rather sleep on plywood than stones.
Your wood shed is looking good so far.

Ashful · Oct 22, 2018

SeanBB said:
I would not use plywood at all. One good thing about stacking wood on pallets is that the gaps in the pallets allows plenty of airflow. Even if you put the plywood under the pallets I think the critters would rather sleep on plywood than stones.
Your wood shed is looking good so far.

Ditto.

Woodsplitter67 · Oct 22, 2018

I also have wood sheds. The openings in the back is a great idea and well worth the time putting together. My sides and backs are all removable on all the sheds. You will appreciate the reduction in seasoning time. As for the floor. You could do the pallets, keeping the wood up will help with drying. Have you thought about just building wood racks and using racks in the shed, theres nothing wrong with that. Again they will also keep the wood off the ground and help with the drying process

Montanalocal · Oct 22, 2018

This is kind of off the wall, but I had the thought of getting some sacks of cement and spreading it out several inches thick on the stones, stirring it around a bit, and watering it down with a garden hose. I have done patching with pure cement, and it does harden up.

Easy Livin’ 3000 · Oct 22, 2018

Longknife said:
I've been meaning to build a new wood shed and managed to get good start on it this summer. It's seems simple enough, but hard to find the time to dedicate to it.

I'm regretting the direction I went as, although it's cost me almost nothing using reclaimed and salvaged materials, it's been a lot of work figuring it out as I went (I'm a lot more used to conventional structures/building methods) and I'm not certain I'll be happy with it rustic nature in the end. I just think it would have been much easier and nicer in the end to just pour a slab and build a conventional structure.

Regardless, I'm committed now and my main concern moving forward is what I will do with the floor. As it was built in a bit of a hollow that portions of my yard slope to, I build up the base a foot or so with clear stone to facilitate drainage. I DON'T want to pile wood on a raw stone base though and am not sure what to do with it.

I have access to hardwood pallets and had considered that with plywood over top (I have a stack of reclaimed pressure treated plywood) but I'm concerned about critters making themselves at home in the space that would create. I've also thought about laying the plywood on 2x4 sleepers on their side to minimize the space underneath it, but I think I'll still have the same problem. I've considered just laying the plywood on the stone? One thing I've considered is adding crushed stone/GA over top of the clear stone to add a more compacted/less permeable layer? Clear stone is a pain to drive on, walk, etc as it stays "loose".

Whatever I do, I'll probably keep 1/3 or so of the shed with a raw stone base as I will just be parking my wood trailer there (and misc storage).

I'll be finishing the walls with 1x10 rough cut pine. I haven't decided yet how much of a gap I'll leave between them (considering only a 1/4" and whatever it opens up to after the wood dries out) and/or if I'll do battens to cover the gaps (probably not). The front openings will be roll up steel barrel doors to keep the weather out in the winter but they will spent the drying season open. I plan on putting two 3'x8' flip up doors on the back wall to let the air run through the shed during the drying season as well.

I will actually putting in another lien of poles about 6-8' off the back and extend the roof line to give me extra storage/misc parking space, but I'm thinking that will have to wait until next year now.

Tin will hopefully be showing up this week for the roof.

I appreciate any advice on the floor....

View attachment 231502

That's a great shed. And, awesome it was all reclaimed materials. That's just how a woodshed is supposed to be.

Just throw those pallets down on your crushed stone and move on. As others have said, no keeping critters out of a woodshed. Just part of the charm.

As for keeping the stone clean, that's pretty hopeless, putting that plywood for that purpose verges on cuckoo. If you want clean, pour a slab, then you can sweep or blow. Or, also on the edge of cuckoo, every so often you could shovel the stone through a homemade rotary trommel to separate out the chaff that has accumulated.

Show us how it looks after the tin is on the roof, please.

zig · Oct 22, 2018

I just use pallets on gravel for the floor. Come to think of it, for the walls too. Your shed looks great.

Tar12 · Oct 22, 2018

Its not to late to pour concrete...you already have it 3/4 formed up.A 3500 psi air/stone mix would work great.

weatherguy · Oct 22, 2018

I'm going to be embarrassed to show a pic of mine when done. I really went simple, anythings better than tarps though.

Longknife · Oct 22, 2018

Montanalocal said:
This is kind of off the wall, but I had the thought of getting some sacks of cement and spreading it out several inches thick on the stones, stirring it around a bit, and watering it down with a garden hose. I have done patching with pure cement, and it does harden up.

That's actually an interesting idea.

Longknife · Oct 22, 2018

ED 3000 said:
That's a great shed. And, awesome it was all reclaimed materials. That's just how a woodshed is supposed to be.

Just throw those pallets down on your crushed stone and move on. As others have said, no keeping critters out of a woodshed. Just part of the charm.

As for keeping the stone clean, that's pretty hopeless, putting that plywood for that purpose verges on cuckoo. If you want clean, pour a slab, then you can sweep or blow. Or, also on the edge of cuckoo, every so often you could shovel the stone through a homemade rotary trommel to separate out the chaff that has accumulated.

Show us how it looks after the tin is on the roof, please.

Yeah, fair enough.

Longknife · Oct 22, 2018

Tar12 said:
Its not to late to pour concrete...you already have it 3/4 formed up.A 3500 psi air/stone mix would work great.

Yeah, my trouble is that it's too much of a compromise building to begin with and I hate to throw money at it when it should have been done differently from the start (perhaps).

I suppose I'll always have the option down the road.

ChuckTSI · Oct 28, 2018

Ideally.. if you can get used old mill felts from paper mill, lay it down over the gravel and toss pallets on top.
I couldn't so I placed down landscape fabric over the gravel, then used pallets as the floor. Every couple years I can pull the pallets out and shake out the fabric.

I have crappy pallets and sometimes nearly break my ankle going into it.

twd000 · Oct 29, 2018

How are you guys unloading this type of shed with a roughly square footprint? It seems that the driest wood (curing longest) will be at the back of the shed, rather than the front. You want first-in, first-out, right? Do you rotate front-to-back, or are you unloading an entire winter's worth of wood each year? My stacks are two-rows wide out in the open and I write the date I filled it in marker so I know which stack is the oldest when it's time to bring in wood.

ChuckTSI · Oct 29, 2018

This is only my second year heating with wood. Last year I just cut and put into the shed. I didn't have much of a choice back then. I thought I would only use 1 side/ year. I was badly mistaken. I was only left with 1 face cord by the end of heating season. (granted.. it was -30 to -40 for almost a month straight last year).

Shed is 10 feet deep and 16ft wide. 6ft tall at the back, 11ft tall at the front. (Door height is 8ft)
Can fit 23 face cord in that shed. (7 Cords)

I am now trying to get 1 to 2 years ahead . This year I ordered double load of firewood (logs).
I get about 12 face cord / load. Let's just say.. I was sick of cutting/splitting/stacking wood by the end of 24 fc. Couldn't bear the thought of doing it 2 more times.

I am starting holz hausens next to the shed to dry next years lumber.

Left pile is an 11ft diameter and right pile is 9ft in diameter.
So next year I load the empty side of the shed with the holz hausen wood and then take the left over wood on the non empty side and put it in front. Then load the fully empty side with more holz hausen wood.
Then new splits into the holz hausen area.

I love the look of these stacks, BUT... annoying if you can't drive around them to toss wood to the truck.
I also hate the fact that this adds another 2 steps into the whole thing. Bad enough you lift after cut, then to split. then to stack. but I will need to lift twice more to get it into shed. And you have to focus more on the pieces going into the stack ensuring they lean in.

I will just extend the shed with another 2 - 3 bays if this gets too tedious.

Dobish · Oct 29, 2018

if you count in cords, its a lot less than face cords and doesn't get as monotonous

Nice Holzhausens!

Ashful · Oct 29, 2018

Very cool, @ChuckTSI. I imagine that, ten thousands of years from now, some future archiologists will be arguing over exactly what took place on your lot. What were these big wooden structures? A monument to the sun god? Do they align with the solstice? Was a sacrificial alter?

That is, if the microplastics don’t get us all, first.

Sodbuster · Oct 30, 2018

Longknife said:
I've been meaning to build a new wood shed and managed to get good start on it this summer. It's seems simple enough, but hard to find the time to dedicate to it.

I'm regretting the direction I went as, although it's cost me almost nothing using reclaimed and salvaged materials, it's been a lot of work figuring it out as I went (I'm a lot more used to conventional structures/building methods) and I'm not certain I'll be happy with it rustic nature in the end. I just think it would have been much easier and nicer in the end to just pour a slab and build a conventional structure.

Regardless, I'm committed now and my main concern moving forward is what I will do with the floor. As it was built in a bit of a hollow that portions of my yard slope to, I build up the base a foot or so with clear stone to facilitate drainage. I DON'T want to pile wood on a raw stone base though and am not sure what to do with it.

I have access to hardwood pallets and had considered that with plywood over top (I have a stack of reclaimed pressure treated plywood) but I'm concerned about critters making themselves at home in the space that would create. I've also thought about laying the plywood on 2x4 sleepers on their side to minimize the space underneath it, but I think I'll still have the same problem. I've considered just laying the plywood on the stone? One thing I've considered is adding crushed stone/GA over top of the clear stone to add a more compacted/less permeable layer? Clear stone is a pain to drive on, walk, etc as it stays "loose".

Whatever I do, I'll probably keep 1/3 or so of the shed with a raw stone base as I will just be parking my wood trailer there (and misc storage).

I'll be finishing the walls with 1x10 rough cut pine. I haven't decided yet how much of a gap I'll leave between them (considering only a 1/4" and whatever it opens up to after the wood dries out) and/or if I'll do battens to cover the gaps (probably not). The front openings will be roll up steel barrel doors to keep the weather out in the winter but they will spent the drying season open. I plan on putting two 3'x8' flip up doors on the back wall to let the air run through the shed during the drying season as well.

I will actually putting in another lien of poles about 6-8' off the back and extend the roof line to give me extra storage/misc parking space, but I'm thinking that will have to wait until next year now.

Tin will hopefully be showing up this week for the roof.

I appreciate any advice on the floor....

View attachment 231502

Looks like you have a great start; for the record, I have a my firewood under a structure on raw crushed stone and have zero issues with that, concrete will cost you a fair amount, and I'm not sure what you would gain.

ChuckTSI · Oct 31, 2018

Sodbuster said:
Looks like you have a great start; for the record, I have a my firewood under a structure on raw crushed stone and have zero issues with that, concrete will cost you a fair amount, and I'm not sure what you would gain.

You will find over time that the bark and debris will accumulate into the stone, compost, an then you will get weeds. Eventually, it will be a mix of compost and stone. if you are mildly OCD, this may bug you

kennyp2339 · Oct 31, 2018

ChuckTSI said:
You will find over time that the bark and debris will accumulate into the stone, compost, an then you will get weeds. Eventually, it will be a mix of compost and stone. if you are mildly OCD, this may bug you

There's a member here that I jokingly refer to as the clean rock guy, anytime he's messing with his stacks he lays a tarp down to catch the debris.

Sodbuster · Oct 31, 2018

It's been 5 years and minimal weeds so far. I did put blocking fabric underneath that may be helping with that. I had more weed when I stacked my wood on pallets.

FTG-05 · Oct 31, 2018

Sodbuster said:
It's been 5 years and minimal weeds so far. I did put blocking fabric underneath that may be helping with that. I had more weed when I stacked my wood on pallets.

Same here, have had no real issues with weeds.

weatherguy · Nov 1, 2018

I put 10 inches of stone down and I still get weeds, best solution I found is to spray weed killer in the spring.

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