Building a wood shed

[The Dali Lima]

I'll be building a shed this spring, attached to my "real" shed. Any suggestions or words of advice before I start drawing up my plans?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Measure twice, saw once.

 

[varna]

Once you decide how big to make it.......double it

 

[firefighterjake]

No one ever complains about having too much firewood in their woodshed . . . just saying Varna's suggestion isn't a bad one. I personally like the feeling of a full woodshed and realizing that I have at least two years of seasoned wood under cover . . . so when the next Ice Age hits Maine I'll be OK . . . unless the Ice Age lasts more than two years.

 

[shawneyboy]

Once you decide how big to make it.......double it

+1 !

 

[Exmasonite]

One big issue to consider:

Do you plan to season your wood PRIOR to putting in the shed or is it going directly in the shed after being split?

I only ask b/c i'm considering a similar build but my wood will be likely deposited directly into the shed after being cut/split so I'm looking at a free standing unit (away from the house) with very good ventilation and air flow. In addition, plan on keeping the stacks relatively spaced out so wood dries out. Or, my alternative is to figure out a good place to stack wood out in the open in my yard and move to the shed once it's properly seasoned.

Good luck!

 

[PapaDave]

If I had to do over, I'd make it a bit bigger. Mine will conceivably hold about 8 cord, but realistically.....not so much.
Design it, then make it bigger, if you have the room. 2 years in the shed would be nice.

 

[billb3]

mine would have skids so as to avoid back yard structure taxes

 

[Jack Straw]

Build one like my avatar but as stated in other posts, double or triple the size

 

[holland_patrick]

WOW us CT guys seem to be on the same page here. it's my second year at this house and I'm cleaning out behind my small shed to do the same thing. I'm going to leave open the sides and just have a sloped roof to cover the wood it's not going to be huge because of the small shed is has to be behind but it will hold more then enough wood for me i'm sure

 

[bogydave]

Once you decide how big to make it.......double it

+1 !

+5
With good ventilation & at least 6" eves. (need to add 4" to my eves) Made mine so I could add sections , ended up with 3 - 16' long ones
Basic: https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/56894/
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/57290/

 

[Flavo]

CT is in shed build mode I guess. I'm trying to figure mine out too.

 

[cptoneleg]

One big issue to consider:

Do you plan to season your wood PRIOR to putting in the shed or is it going directly in the shed after being split?

I only ask b/c i'm considering a similar build but my wood will be likely deposited directly into the shed after being cut/split so I'm looking at a free standing unit (away from the house) with very good ventilation and air flow. In addition, plan on keeping the stacks relatively spaced out so wood dries out. Or, my alternative is to figure out a good place to stack wood out in the open in my yard and move to the shed once it's properly seasoned.

Good luck!

If you cut/split and go straight to the shed add another 1 yr seasoning time to it, compared to single row out in open. Have some I went streight to shed with and I may move it out this summer to season, been in shed over a yr.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Placement of a shed seems to be key. I would want it close to the house for winter access but not so close that you have to worry about bugs getting to the house. As they say in real estate, location, location, location. I have not quite figured one out for me yet. I am going to build a Pole Barn this summer for the equipment and storage. I could attach a wood shed but it will be too far from the house. Currently only store about a cord in a wood rack I built right by the house I reload a few times. Much of the other wood is a short walk and under rubber roofing. I found some telephone poles that are on my property that must have been in the woods for over 50 years. They still look great and I am eyeing them up for a future wood shed, once I determine location, location.

 

[remkel]

Save yourself the effort- buy some 3' wide rolls of poly and spread it down the length on top of your rows- provides more than enough protection and allows a lot of air to get through your stacks.

 

[maplewood]

Once you decide how big to make it.......double it

+1 !

No.... *2 !

 

[The Dali Lima]

Save yourself the effort- buy some 3' wide rolls of poly and spread it down the length on top of your rows- provides more than enough protection and allows a lot of air to get through your stacks.

That doesn't work so well when you have 36" of snow on top.

Thanks everyone... yes, CT is in shed build mode. I had to dig out my wood all winter and it sucked I am planning on building a roof off the side of my barn with 3 or 4 posts on either end for stacking. The idea is to stack and store here, with decent air flow for drying. I thinking I'm going to look at some possible places to store the wood outside for general seasoning, and try to use this covered area for this year's burning. I expect that it will hold close to 2 chord.

The barn looks like this:

I'll be putting a roof off the side.

 

[Sierra Guy]

CPTONELEG,

I'm also in the process of deciding what kind of shed to build. I really like yours and would appreciate it if you could post its dimensions. Thanks much!

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I say- decide how big to make it, then fingerpaint it blue.

I had nothing useful, but stupid- I got

 

[gpcollen1]

One big issue to consider:

Do you plan to season your wood PRIOR to putting in the shed or is it going directly in the shed after being split?

I only ask b/c i'm considering a similar build but my wood will be likely deposited directly into the shed after being cut/split so I'm looking at a free standing unit (away from the house) with very good ventilation and air flow. In addition, plan on keeping the stacks relatively spaced out so wood dries out. Or, my alternative is to figure out a good place to stack wood out in the open in my yard and move to the shed once it's properly seasoned.

Good luck!

If you cut/split and go straight to the shed add another 1 yr seasoning time to it, compared to single row out in open. Have some I went streight to shed with and I may move it out this summer to season, been in shed over a yr.

While your sides allow air flow, they do not allow enough.

 

[remkel]

Save yourself the effort- buy some 3' wide rolls of poly and spread it down the length on top of your rows- provides more than enough protection and allows a lot of air to get through your stacks.

That doesn't work so well when you have 36" of snow on top.

Thanks everyone... yes, CT is in shed build mode. I had to dig out my wood all winter and it sucked I am planning on building a roof off the side of my barn with 3 or 4 posts on either end for stacking. The idea is to stack and store here, with decent air flow for drying. I thinking I'm going to look at some possible places to store the wood outside for general seasoning, and try to use this covered area for this year's burning. I expect that it will hold close to 2 chord.

The barn looks like this:

I'll be putting a roof off the side.

that is why the good Lord gave us snowblowers! i can appreciate the overhang, believe me, but being restricted on space, I go old school with the poly. I work off the farthest piles first so when the big snow comes, it is closer to the house.

 

[cptoneleg]

CPTONELEG,

I'm also in the process of deciding what kind of shed to build. I really like yours and would appreciate it if you could post its dimensions. Thanks much!

The dimensions are 8'w x 16' l 8' to 6' slope I just dug around on this site came up with this, there are many nice looking sheds on this site. I don't know how to send you to the site, but it was posted back in august 26, 2010; The pictures of building it on post page 50 ( New Wood Shed) of The Wood Shed- but there are many. good luck. :zip:

 

[cptoneleg]

One big issue to consider:

Do you plan to season your wood PRIOR to putting in the shed or is it going directly in the shed after being split?

I only ask b/c i'm considering a similar build but my wood will be likely deposited directly into the shed after being cut/split so I'm looking at a free standing unit (away from the house) with very good ventilation and air flow. In addition, plan on keeping the stacks relatively spaced out so wood dries out. Or, my alternative is to figure out a good place to stack wood out in the open in my yard and move to the shed once it's properly seasoned.

Good luck!

If you cut/split and go straight to the shed add another 1 yr seasoning time to it, compared to single row out in open. Have some I went streight to shed with and I may move it out this summer to season, been in shed over a yr.

While your sides allow air flow, they do not allow enough.

I just had to put a cord or so in it when it was brand new- from now on I will season outside move to shed late Sept; thanks :zip: