Building a wood shed

[stanleyjohn]

I cleared the land a few weeks ago and have now started to build a wood shed.It wont be very large!12*8 but should be good enough to store a few cords of wood.My dad gave be a bunch of picket fencing which i will use for the walls.The front is 7 ft sloping to 6 in the back.The picket fence on the left is for reference and will be removed when the posts get placed those final holes.I will take more pics as i progress.

 

[iceman]

I cleared the land a few weeks ago and have now started to build a wood shed.It wont be very large!12*8 but should be good enough to store a few cords of wood.My dad gave be a bunch of picket fencing which i will use for the walls.The front is 7 ft sloping to 6 in the back.The picket fence on the left is for reference and will be removed when the posts get placed those final holes.I will take more pics as i progress.

go overkill on the ground support trust me i did what i thought would work and ended up putting support just about every 3-4 ft everywhere thats on a 10x12 and a 8x12 the weight of hardwood is unbelievable

 

[stanleyjohn]

I cleared the land a few weeks ago and have now started to build a wood shed.It wont be very large!12*8 but should be good enough to store a few cords of wood.My dad gave be a bunch of picket fencing which i will use for the walls.The front is 7 ft sloping to 6 in the back.The picket fence on the left is for reference and will be removed when the posts get placed those final holes.I will take more pics as i progress.

go overkill on the ground support trust me i did what i thought would work and ended up putting support just about every 3-4 ft everywhere thats on a 10x12 and a 8x12 the weight of hardwood is unbelievable

Thanks! The posts are spaced 4ft wide and the pole holes will be filled with cement when the framing is completed.My dad has a simular shed and it has stood over 10 years now.There wont be a floor!Its just to store some of my wood.

 

[fossil]

If you stuff it full, you'll have better than 4 1/2 cords in there. That may weigh upwards of 23,000 lbs, or about 240 lbs/square foot. Make it stout, sj. Rick

 

[stanleyjohn]

If you stuff it full, you'll have better than 4 1/2 cords in there. That may weigh upwards of 23,000 lbs, or about 240 lbs/square foot. Make it stout, sj. Rick

It may be tempting but the game plan right now is for 2 cords inside!I have 2.5 cords already in another area of the yard.

 

[fossil]

Well, sj, I was concerned mostly with a floor, but then I read that you're not building a floor into it, the wood's weight'll be supported by the ground, so...nevermind, press on! And load that puppy to the gills. No, wait, puppies don't have gills. Oh, you know what I mean. Rick

 

[Carl]

Looks like a very nice shed your will have. Much better than digging wood out of the snow and wet. You will enjoy it.

I built one the second year I burned wood back in 1975 and it is still standing. I too have a dirt floor but think when I empty out each bin I will put a little sand on the floor and then buy some cheap patio blocks to lay down in it so it will drain better and keep the wood off the ground a little. It is 12x18 feet with a three foot isle way down one side and three bins, each 6 feet wide so I can judge the yearly usage, rotate the wood, and keep using the older wood first.

 

[Wet1]

Since the weight will be on the ground (no true floor), you might want to reconsider pouring any concrete. Once you pour those footings, there's a good chance the town/city you live in can (will) tax you on your new permanent outbuilding. If you place it on those nifty foundation blocks Home Depot sells, the structure is not permanent and therefore you can't be taxed.

 

[fossil]

Depends on the local regulations. Here in Deschutes County Oregon, no building permit's required for an uninhabited outbuilding up to 200 square feet and 10' high. No permit = no tax implications. They don't care how you build it. When I lived in Fairfax County Virginia, as soon as you started talking about pouring concrete, you were talking permit = inspection(s) = a visit from the tax assessor for a reassessment. Since you obviously didn't pull a permit for this project, I don't know how they'd ever even know you put it up. Depending on the type of soil you're working in, the thing might be perfectly fine without any concrete at all, if the posts are set about 3' into the ground and you backfill and tamp it down firm. Lots of fences and small pole buildings are constructed that way. Rick

 

[Wet1]

I don't know exactly where the OP lives, but I also live in the sounding area and I can tell you a permit/taxes would be required for me to build such a shed with poured footings... I know because my neighbor just went through all this. You could get away with never saying anything, but they come out house to house every "x" years to physically inspect your property... The town I live in will be inspecting in 2010. From what I understand, they even want to come IN the house this time around! I personally think all this is horse sh!t, but what are you going to do about it???

 

[stanleyjohn]

I plan on pouring the cement almost to the top of the grond then covering with dirt!No one will ever know that under that dirt there is cement.The town has gotten enough from me!Permits for the sunroom,and other storage shed which has footings.I put a few more posts in today!Hoping to finish poles and frameing in a few days then ill put in cement.After the cement dries ill put the roof and walls up.

 

[jpl1nh]

Jus tlay some pallets down for the floor. They'll hold the wood off the ground and handle all the weight you can stack on them. Plus they aren't permanent so the tax man won't be able to hassle you.

 

[skinnykid]

Jus tlay some pallets down for the floor. They'll hold the wood off the ground and handle all the weight you can stack on them. Plus they aren't permanent so the tax man won't be able to hassle you.

When I live in Bedford, the owners of the house I rented had a car port tent thingy. The town said take it down or we will tax you on it!

Dude, it's a TENT for a car!

 

[N/A N/A]

very nice for sure. Just got my wood shed up three days ago. Made mine 12x20. Needed a permit..but did not get one...sorta forgot about it. Hope I dont run into to much trouble with it. I just used pallets for the floor. Not sure how they will hold up. Got about two cord of red oak stacked in there now. The pallets look a little weak...Holding now but we will see what happens two years from now when the wood is ready to burn..Have a feeling I will be picking up my stacks of the ground before then.

 

[willisl64]

Firefighter29-
Try going to your local building supply store and asking for some of the pallets that quick-crete was shipped in on, or if you can find a few blue "Chep" pallets - both are extremely strong and I have no doubt would hold up to years of wood storage. Most flimsey cottonwood pallets with 1/2" lumber will just turn into a twisted ankle about the time that wood is ready to be burned.

 

[JustWood]

Firefighter29-
Try going to your local building supply store and asking for some of the pallets that quick-crete was shipped in on, or if you can find a few blue "Chep" pallets - both are extremely strong and I have no doubt would hold up to years of wood storage. Most flimsey cottonwood pallets with 1/2" lumber will just turn into a twisted ankle about the time that wood is ready to be burned.

Don't take the CHEP pallets even if they let you. These by law have to be returned to CHEP. I don't know what kind of trouble an individual can get into but pallet recyclers and business'can get into a heap if they are not returned.

 

[stanleyjohn]

Thanks for all the info so far!Here is an updated pic.Im very handy on doing projects but no professional.Rain tommorrow so i will do the rafters on thursday then pour the cement.Its going to get hot around here this weekend so im hoping to put the plywood on the roof sat mourning before it gets too hot.Thank god i have central AC.

 

[willisl64]

I realize that having Cheps on hand isn't exactly kosher, but I don't believe the pallet police will be visiting my woodshed anytime soon. (especially if they have a nice coat of red paint)

 

[fossil]

I realize that having Cheps on hand isn't exactly kosher, but I don't believe the pallet police will be visiting my woodshed anytime soon. (especially if they have a nice coat of red paint)

Not the pallet police I have to live with...I have to live with me. Rick

 

[beavah]

that shed will be nice One thing I want to try when I build mine is some kind of solar powered blower to vent the air at X tempature say 120 deg. Should dry wood out like a bastard good luck

 

[N/A N/A]

Here is the wood shed I put up last week. Took me about four full days. Made it 12x20 and hope to get better than eight cords in it.

 

[N/A N/A]

Sorry just figuring out how to post pictures

 

[jpl1nh]

Nice job firefighter. You'll be loving it this winter when you're not hasseling with a tarp.

 

[begreen]

I'd like to build a proper woodshed, but am concerned about getting the support posts correct. The PT 4x4 fence posts in my garden lasted less than 10 years. What is the best way to ensure longer life? Are you direct burying the pressure treated corner posts or are they in a cement footing?

 

[btj1031]

Fire - I like that alot. Thats exactly what I need. Did you take out a permit to put that up?