Hey friends....I think I am ready for a wood shed. 10 cords of wood wrapped around me suburban home covered in shredding tarps just isn't cutting it. I'd like some advice. I'm ok handy....think I can build a basic frame and roof it. My question is what is the easiest way to level it? My best open space slopes. Not too bad but slopes. Thanks for ideas!!
Leveling the floor
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If you're ok handy you'll do fine. Remember, you don't have to level the wood shed, you have to level the shelves inside. The shed will sit on concrete pillars or in concrete in the dirt depending on which way you go. You'll just have longer posts for the sloping edge than you will the opposite edge. Think of those houses they build on cliffs (depending on the level of slope you have). You might have the back end on stilts if it's really steep.
I just sit pallets down and stuff uglies under the corners until the pallet is level.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
Indeed I do the same. It's a wood shed, not a house. Stones also work well for this.
What is the width and length of the shed you want to build. If 12' wide, estimate the center and hammer a 1x2 into the ground at that point. Then get and straight 6' 2x4 and lay it on the ground with a level on top. Lift it until its level with the center mark. You will see how bad your slope is. If its 6" low on the perimeter you will have approx. a 12" slope over the 12' width.
That is probably exactly what I am looking at. It would seem then I need 'Piers" on the low end and a fairly substantial floor to support the weight of the wood. In our climate in need 36"-48" deep to get below the freeze point. I'm wondering if using a concrete "anchor" would work knowing I will get some frost heaving.
There are creative ways of keeping poles from heaving. All it takes it a sheet of insulation laid flat about 3' around the pole and covered with enough soil to keep it from getting damaged.
This video is bit dated but quite helpful along with the PDF. Tom is "Tom in Maine" on hearth. http://www.hotandcold.tv/frost_heaves.html
This video is bit dated but quite helpful along with the PDF. Tom is "Tom in Maine" on hearth. http://www.hotandcold.tv/frost_heaves.html
Put 4 (or 6) sonotubes in the ground, 16 foot board going across them with a 6 foot level to get them level, then fill the sonotubes. I did this on a slope and it turned out "ok." I have a 16' long shed with only sonotubes on the 4 corners, should've done 2 additional in the middle. You'd be amazed at much much a 2x6 can bend though. I used a floor jack and added some bricks below the joists to help. Sonotubes are 2 feet down, and on one side it's not fully buried, just have some large rocks around the tube. No heaving problems after a few years and I'm in WI.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
Is Tom in Maine still active? I want to build a few small pole barns but I can't find a consistent answer on the right way to do it. Some people say don't use concrete and to use gravel, others say use a concrete footer and fill with gravel, and then there's the full on concrete crowd. From the video straight gravel would be best, but I think code requires concrete...
Yes Tom in Maine is still active on Hearth and last thing I knew he still has his radio show, Hot and Cold from Bangor Saturday Mornings. Dick Hill on the video passed away a few years ago used to be frequent visitor to the show. Tom was pod casting the show for awhile. If you can hear the show, you can call him and ask him. He also owns American Solartechnics.
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