10x12x6 firewood shed footings?

[Bwhunter85]

Looking at starting the build of my firewood shed. Going to be 10 foot deep and 12 foot wide. 8 foot high in the front and 6 foot high in the back, pallet floor for now.(Building around already stacked firewood) Curious if I would be OK using these as my 4x4 footings, so it is more or less floating, instead of trying to drill down 42inches in this clay of a yard I have.

Thanks!

 

[GadDummit]

In hard clay you'll probably be fine, but count on some settling. I'd put gravel under them to cut down on that. tamp it down well. Also, you can't put shingles on that roof. You'll have to use roll roofing etc. due to the pitch.

 

[Bwhunter85]

In hard clay you'll probably be fine, but count on some settling. I'd put gravel under them to cut down on that. tamp it down well. Also, you can't put shingles on that roof. You'll have to use roll roofing etc. due to the pitch.

I was going to screw down galvanized steel roofing.

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[bholler]

In our location with the wind we have I would be more concerned with keeping it on the ground than settlement. That roof is a big sail.

 

[Bwhunter85]

In our location with the wind we have I would be more concerned with keeping it on the ground than settlement. That roof is a big sail.

That was my concern. Be better to bury posts and pour concrete footings?

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[GadDummit]

That was my concern. Be better to bury posts and pour concrete footings?

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Michigan has wind? I thought it was just blizzard until June, then it's warm for about a week, then blizzard again. :D

If you get high winds you should pour footings. It takes about an hour to dig the hole with post hole diggers going slow and allowing for roots and all. If you're older you can dig down about 6" with a shovel, pour a bucket of water in it, then come back in an hour to a nice, easy to dig dirt hole. That is, if your water doesn't freeze

 

[bholler]

Michigan has wind? I thought it was just blizzard until June, then it's warm for about a week, then blizzard again. :D

If you get high winds you should pour footings. It takes about an hour to dig the hole with post hole diggers going slow and allowing for roots and all. If you're older you can dig down about 6" with a shovel, pour a bucket of water in it, then come back in an hour to a nice, easy to dig dirt hole. That is, if your water doesn't freeze

The time to dig the holes will vary greatly depending upon te soil. With out clay and shale it can take several hours per hole. And using an auger even a skid loader mounted one gives mixed results if you don't hit big prices of stone it works ok but that is a big if.

 

[GadDummit]

The time to dig the holes will vary greatly depending upon te soil. With out clay and shale it can take several hours per hole. And using an auger even a skid loader mounted one gives mixed results if you don't hit big prices of stone it works ok but that is a big if.

If digging is a problem because of large rocks, it's not tough to pour a slab and rebar is cheap. Harbor freight has cement mixer on sale right now for 179 - 20% off. Could be a fun project.

 

[bholler]

If digging is a problem because of large rocks, it's not tough to pour a slab and rebar is cheap. Harbor freight has cement mixer on sale right now for 179 - 20% off. Could be a fun project.

I have 3 different mixers already for different applications. My woodsheds aren't an issue they are on asphault so that is easy to anchor to. My issue is with fence posts.

 

[SpaceBus]

I have 3 different mixers already for different applications. My woodsheds aren't an issue they are on asphault so that is easy to anchor to. My issue is with fence posts.

I have the same issue looming on my horizon. I was thinking split rail fence, but now I'm leaning towards some kind of temporary cord wood wall.

 

[bholler]

I have the same issue looming on my horizon. I was thinking split rail fence, but now I'm leaning towards some kind of temporary cord wood wall.

I have had a temporary fence for a while now for our dogs. It's time for me to do a real one

 

[peakbagger]

Take a look at this video and thee accompanying paper. Best practical explanation of frost heaving I have seen. http://www.hotandcold.tv/frost_heaves.html

I would definitely bury them for wind loading. Its very surprising how much upwards force the wind can apply to large flat roof. The alternative is put in wind anchors typically recommended for mobile homes and run steel strapping up to the roof joists from the anchors. Here is random google search for an example of anchors. http://mobilehomedepotmi.com/anchors/anchors.html

 

[peakbagger]

If digging is a problem because of large rocks, it's not tough to pour a slab and rebar is cheap. Harbor freight has cement mixer on sale right now for 179 - 20% off. Could be a fun project.

Your idea of fun is different than my idea of fun . I helped with multiple 50 to 100 bag pours and have done a 50 bag pour solo for my pole mount PV. Not fun every time I did it. .

 

[xman23]

A wood shed with a bit of frost heave is not a big issue. My concern I would be with any wood in contact with the ground. Wood post in concrete are an issue. The shed needs to be strong enough to not blow apart or sail like a missle. Has anyone used an anchor system to hold there shed down? I'm envisioning using long rebar staking.

 

[sweedish]

Go rent a hammer drill and a spade bit, breezes through heavy clay. I bought one years ago for work, I felt like a fool afterwards for not buying one years ago.

 

[mar13]

Here's a tool that's great for loosening up clay soil for a post hole digger and for getting through roots:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Truper-Tru-Pro-69-in-Post-hole-Digging-Bar/3055437

The friend who introduced me to this tool said that if a project requires this tool, it's not a fun project.

 

[bholler]

Here's a tool that's great for loosening up clay soil for a post hole digger and for getting through roots:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Truper-Tru-Pro-69-in-Post-hole-Digging-Bar/3055437

The friend who introduced me to this tool said that if a project requires this tool, it's not a fun project.

Yeah digging irons are the main tool for digging here

 

[KJamesJR]

I'd probably rent an earth auger from a big box store and pour footings with cast in place anchors. Probably wouldn't have to worry about those deck blocks sinking/settling with clay soil, but the structure blowing over is a very real possibility.

One other option is to tie your wood stacking base, whatever that may be, into the structure. The shear weight of your wood stacks would keep the shed from sailing away. You'd have to keep a few cord in there at all times however.

 

[peakbagger]

By the way if you are going to dig a footing, you can buy what looks like a big funnel to slide onto a length of sonotube. Put it upside down in the hole backfill to the bottom of the cone than put down some foam and backfill it. Once backfilled just mix up some sackrete and pour it all in one shot.The frost is not going to move it.

 

[Simonkenton]

I built my woodshed here in the NC mountains, and I am on top of a mountain. In the winter with the leaves gone, we get winds of 50 mph. It will blow all night like that.
This shed is 12 feet wide and 8 feet deep and 8 feet high. The footings are 24 x 24 inches and 12 inches deep. I set a 1/2 inch L bolt into the wet concrete, so that is sticks up 3 inches out of the concrete. One in each footing. And I screwed the nut onto the very top of that bolt.
And the L bolt sticks up into one of the hollow cores of the concrete block.

Then I filled that core with concrete and set a 1/2 inch galvanized L bolt in to that wet concrete, so that it sticks up 2 inches.
Then I laid a PT 2x12 down flat on top of the four concrete columns. Two of these 2x12s, each 12 feet long. And drilled a hole in that 2x12 so that it sets on the bolt. Then put on the nut and washer and bolted that 2x12 to the concrete columns.
Of course, the rest of the shed is attached with many screws to the flat 2x12. So, it would take a helluva wind to take my woodshed away. The entire shed is bolted and screwed down into the foundation.

Now it is not as cold here as what you have, are you saying that up there your footings have to be 42 inches deep? Damn.

Well, I would dig it, 42 inches deep and 24 inches square and pour that concrete. Do it right.

 

[bholler]

View attachment 243608

I built my woodshed here in the NC mountains, and I am on top of a mountain. In the winter with the leaves gone, we get winds of 50 mph. It will blow all night like that.
This shed is 12 feet wide and 8 feet deep and 8 feet high. The footings are 24 x 24 inches and 12 inches deep. I set a 1/2 inch L bolt into the wet concrete, so that is sticks up 3 inches out of the concrete. One in each footing. And I screwed the nut onto the very top of that bolt.
And the L bolt sticks up into one of the hollow cores of the concrete block.

Then I filled that core with concrete and set a 1/2 inch galvanized L bolt in to that wet concrete, so that it sticks up 2 inches.
Then I laid a PT 2x12 down flat on top of the four concrete columns. Two of these 2x12s, each 12 feet long. And drilled a hole in that 2x12 so that it sets on the bolt. Then put on the nut and washer and bolted that 2x12 to the concrete columns.
Of course, the rest of the shed is attached with many screws to the flat 2x12. So, it would take a helluva wind to take my woodshed away. The entire shed is bolted and screwed down into the foundation.

Now it is not as cold here as what you have, are you saying that up there your footings have to be 42 inches deep? Damn.

Well, I would dig it, 42 inches deep and 24 inches square and pour that concrete. Do it right.

We need 36" here

 

[peakbagger]

If you watch the video I had linked to earlier you will see you do not need to pour footings as deep as you think if you use insulation properly. Up in northern NH the recommendation is 60" deep. The reality is snow acts as insulation so the potential depth of frost can vary significantly between a plowed street and the grass ins someones front yard. The city of Berlin NH is in northern NH and on occasion sets record cold for New England. Parts of the city are on solid granite and when originally running municipal water lines they did not blast in trenches. They just laid them on top of the rock and built a road on top. The city didnt meter water so folks on shallow water lines just left their water on all winter so the lines would not freeze. It worked until new federal regulations meant a new expensive water treatment plants was needed and along with federal funding came the requirement that they meter all the homes. This caused a lot of problems and the shallow lines were freezing as people didnt want to pay for wasted water. The city has spent the last 30 years putting the water lines in deeper where they could but due to potential blasting liability they use non explosive methods of digging trenches and in some spots they put the lines in shallow and rely on covering them with insulation board. They have some interesting data on their main water lines where they re pulling water in from surface water supplies that are close to 32F yet as the line runs underground from the water supply to the city the water actually warms up 10 degrees due to ground temperature.

 

[The.Devo]

I built a 20'x10' shed on piers and realized it was a big sail so I built a floor to stack the wood on to hold everything down. The piers were set in a base of stone and still settled when all of the weight of the wood was added. If I were to build it again, I would dig footings and build off of them

 

[Soundchasm]

I built a smaller shed than yours (2014). Holds four cords. I was gently cajoled by the forum to secure it.

I chose to attach a 2x4 running front to back, and then sinking t-bars and attaching to them. Some hurricane straps on the roof and it passed muster.

The idiot mistake I need to correct is to put a wall in the middle. Two cords for the current year, and two cords for the next year. I was never going to get to the stuff in the back I put in first.

I'm using pallets as well. Got them off the ground on bricks. I had scrap particle board from a remodel, and just put these 2'x8' scraps on top of the pallets. Haven't fallen through a pallet yet...

 

[Bwhunter85]

I built a smaller shed than yours (2014). Holds four cords. I was gently cajoled by the forum to secure it.

I chose to attach a 2x4 running front to back, and then sinking t-bars and attaching to them. Some hurricane straps on the roof and it passed muster.

The idiot mistake I need to correct is to put a wall in the middle. Two cords for the current year, and two cords for the next year. I was never going to get to the stuff in the back I put in first.

I'm using pallets as well. Got them off the ground on bricks. I had scrap particle board from a remodel, and just put these 2'x8' scraps on top of the pallets. Haven't fallen through a pallet yet...

View attachment 243662

Nice! What are the dimension of that shed? Looks to be 8ft in the front and 6 ft in the back?