Wood Shed flooring question

[saewoody]

I have been looking into building a wood shed this year. My question is about flooring. I know pallets would work, but eventually need to be replaced. An open type of decking should also work well. But I see some pictures where there is just a gravel base with the wood stacked directly on that. Obviously that doesn't allow air to get at the wood from below. However, is that an issue if the wood is already dry and the area is covered and that ground will no longer get wet?

It seems to me that I would rather have the air flow, but I thought I would see what people thought. More than likely I would be considering an open air style shed, not solid sides.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rangerbait]

I have been looking into building a wood shed this year. My question is about flooring. I know pallets would work, but eventually need to be replaced. An open type of decking should also work well. But I see some pictures where there is just a gravel base with the wood stacked directly on that. Obviously that doesn't allow air to get at the wood from below. However, is that an issue if the wood is already dry and the area is covered and that ground will no longer get wet?

It seems to me that I would rather have the air flow, but I thought I would see what people thought. More than likely I would be considering an open air style shed, not solid sides.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was thinking about using hog wire over wooden joists for mine

 

[velvetfoot]

The wood is dry? Why not on gravel? You really want to be dancing around on a bunch of pallets? Next thing you know, you're alone in the house and it's cold, you go out there and you break some part of your leg when a board gives way and you're stuck...they find your body several days later when you don't report for work.

 

[saewoody]

The wood is dry? Why not on gravel? You really want to be dancing around on a bunch of pallets? Next thing you know, you're alone in the house and it's cold, you go out there and you break some part of your leg when a board gives way and you're stuck...they find your body several days later when you don't report for work.

That is definitely a reason I wouldn't want to use palllets. Thanks for the response.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Scrounger]

Wow, you guys better just turn on the furnace, that is much safer.

 

[Jeffm1]

I have been looking into building a wood shed this year. My question is about flooring. I know pallets would work, but eventually need to be replaced. An open type of decking should also work well. But I see some pictures where there is just a gravel base with the wood stacked directly on that. Obviously that doesn't allow air to get at the wood from below. However, is that an issue if the wood is already dry and the area is covered and that ground will no longer get wet?

It seems to me that I would rather have the air flow, but I thought I would see what people thought. More than likely I would be considering an open air style shed, not solid sides.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Put down a layer of gravel and set your pallets on top of that. Decking may eventually need to be replaced at some point in time. Using pallets makes that quick, easy, and cheap. The gravel layer will extend their life a long time and you get good air flow underneath.

 

[Bad LP]

I'm in a pretty remote town. They might hear me, they might not hear me if I was on the ground in agony with some busted parts from falling thru pallets or skip boards over joists.

My wood shed floor is made on 8X8X8' long PT sleepers running front to back. These are covered with 3X6X16' long running L to R skipping every other one. I then covered the whole floor with chain link fence stapled in place.

 

[Montanalocal]

One thing I have done is lay boards directly on the ground or gravel. They take up less room than pallets, and are easier to move around. I can get by with one inch cedar fencing boards, but if you need more air movement you can use 2 in. Rot resistance is good, such as cedar, Doug Fir, or whatever is rot resistant in your area.

 

[firefighterjake]

I've got a raised floor . . . rough cut boards butted up together.

Most of my seasoning is done outside in stacks . . . when I move the wood to the woodshed it's pretty much ready to go . . . but it stays in the shed for another year or two typically before it gets used.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

One thing I have done is lay boards directly on the ground or gravel. They take up less room than pallets, and are easier to move around. I can get by with one inch cedar fencing boards, but if you need more air movement you can use 2 in. Rot resistance is good, such as cedar, Doug Fir, or whatever is rot resistant in your area.

View attachment 195651

I've said this before: This is great and all in Montana. In the mid-Atlantic, those boards on the ground are toast in a year, maybe two, and a termite highway. Ive done it myself, the bottom layer is sacrificial. Fine for a few years, but for the obsessive (or slightly obsessive, like people who frequent a site dedicated to heating with wood), make the termites, fungus, and rot specializing bacteria work a little harder for your BTUs. Put some air between the ground and your stacks.

 

[saewoody]

Good point, ED. I'm in CT, and that is exactly what I was afraid of with the wood directly on the ground. I currently keep it off the ground, but it's not in a shed. I think I'll err on the side of caution and continue to keep it raised.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Good point, ED. I'm in CT, and that is exactly what I was afraid of with the wood directly on the ground. I currently keep it off the ground, but it's not in a shed. I think I'll err on the side of caution and continue to keep it raised.

Look forward to seeing what you do for your shed. I've something in mind for mine, but still need to decide on a location and roofing. Please show us some pics when you get done!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[saewoody]

Hopefully it gets done this year. It always seems like something else comes up. But this is my third or fourth year burning now, and I'm finally about a year plus ahead on my wood so a shed will certainly start to come in handy. Plus it will clean up the yard quite a bit, I think.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[St. Coemgen]

I would say it depends on if you use the shed to both dry and store, or just store. I also dry in outside stacks and move the wood to the wood shed (which is against the leeward side of the house) only for wood to be burned that winter. The shed just has a 2 inch gravel floor. Even wood directly on the gravel never gets wet.

But if you do both drying and storage in the same structure, or just want the Cadillac version to guarantee dry wood all the way to the bottom of the stack, then gravel and then a base of pallets or wood planks is the best option (the gravel will allow even pallets to last years). I use black locust split rails as a base in my drying stacks, which are directly placed on the ground and the wood to dry is placed on those. Have used the same rails for over a decade now without rot or insect damage despite them being subjected to year round weather. Those are ideal if you can get them.