# Building a wood shed



## certified106 (Aug 21, 2011)

So after about 7 years of tarps I finally got started on an 18X24 woodshed this afternoon and I'm getting excited just thinking about not having to deal with tarps this winter. I have had the metal purchased for about six months and all of the rafters have been stacked in the garage for about three months also but I just got done with a side job design project for a small company and took the rest of that money to buy all my still needed materials. One of my best friends was nice enough to let me have his CAT 252 skidsteer for the weekend so that helped make diggin the holes an easy job. The skidsteer was great to have around today I got the propane tank moved as well as pushing a few trees over and putting in a culvert across one my creeks. After diggin the holes I got my strings up and concrete footers poured so I'll give it a day or so and then start setting posts this week.


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## fabsroman (Aug 21, 2011)

Keep the pics coming. I might be looking at building one of these things in the spring depending on how my wood accumulation is going.


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## Woody Stover (Aug 21, 2011)

That's a big 'un! Almost 10 cords with 4' rows. How high _are_ you going with the stacks?


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## raybonz (Aug 21, 2011)

That's gonna be an industrial size wood shelter! Once you have a shelter you'll wonder how you ever got by without one! Keep us posted with the progress and good luck!

Ray


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## SolarAndWood (Aug 21, 2011)

That is a sweet way to make holes.


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## PapaDave (Aug 21, 2011)

That is really the way to go when you need a bunch of holes dug. I rented one in '07 to do the pole barn, and we did almost 20 holes in pretty short order 42" down. That was an 18" auger.
No way was I gonna be able to do that with a post hole digger. 
certified, I'm curious too, how high are you going? That'll be a LARGE shed. :coolsmile:


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## Backwoods Savage (Aug 21, 2011)

Good luck on the shed certified. It won't be long until you will wonder how you got along without it.


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## weatherguy (Aug 21, 2011)

I love these shed threads, gives me ideas on how to build mine someday. Look forward to the rest of the construction pics.


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## smokinj (Aug 21, 2011)

That equipment its time for a covered basketball court...lol


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## cptoneleg (Aug 21, 2011)

Great about time, keep us posted with pictures and you are going to love it, last year was my first with a woodshed it's awsome.


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## certified106 (Aug 21, 2011)

Woody Stover said:
			
		

> That's a big 'un! Almost 10 cords with 4' rows. How high _are_ you going with the stacks?



You know I haven't really thought that far ahead, lol I was only going to make it a shed big enough to hold 3-4 cord but when I priced everything out it was way more ecinomical to go as big as I could with the way I am building it. The lumber prices were not much more than the small one I was going to build the real extra cost came with the metal roofing. I was thinking about building racks inside that are about 5 foot high.


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## certified106 (Aug 21, 2011)

raybonz said:
			
		

> That's gonna be an industrial size wood shelter! Once you have a shelter you'll wonder how you ever got by without one! Keep us posted with the progress and good luck!
> 
> Ray



Yeah I actually think I'm gonna use half for wood and the other half will house the tractor, bush hog, and splitter. I can't wait to get this thing under roof but with my work schedule and only having evenings to work on it who knows when I'll get it done 2-3 weeks?


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## certified106 (Aug 21, 2011)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> That is a sweet way to make holes.



Yes it is, half the holes I dug were through a ton of tree roots and that thing would rip through 3-4" roots with no problem. There were neighbors with 3 pt hitch PH diggers but I have used them enough to know they wouldn't have stood a chance without that down pressure hyrdraulic system.


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## certified106 (Aug 21, 2011)

I was hoping to get more done today but it keeps pouring off and on so I just went and picked up the rest of the lumber and did some more skidsteer work leveling some things and moving some brush piles. I wish I had one it's incredible what you can acomplish in mere minutes with this thing!

Papa Dave: The shed will be 13' high on the garage side and 8' to the bottom of the header on the opposite side.


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## muncybob (Aug 21, 2011)

I started my shed today. When my buddy showed up to help out he was very disappointed that I didn't rent a skidsteer like yours. Several ours later we got 8 holes done. Glad I didn't attempt to do these by hand!

15 years ago we built a small barn(20X30). I hired a guy to frame it up. He dug ALL the holes(including the fence lines that run about 1000' total) by hand! We have a lot of rock around here but it didn't seem to bother him.


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## bogydave (Aug 22, 2011)

When I started reading, 18 X 24 ;;; i :bug:
Now that I know it's a man's toy box too, Great deal.
I agree, more pictures, I love seeing these projects as they get built.
Good for you, you'll love it.


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## Cowboy Billy (Aug 22, 2011)

You're sure to be happy with that The post hole digger on the skid steer is the only way to go. I rented one when I put my pasture fence in and it sure was handy. 

Billy


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## thewoodlands (Aug 22, 2011)

certified106 said:
			
		

> So after about 7 years of tarps I finally got started on an 18X24 woodshed this afternoon and I'm getting excited just thinking about not having to deal with tarps this winter. I have had the metal purchased for about six months and all of the rafters have been stacked in the garage for about three months also but I just got done with a side job design project for a small company and took the rest of that money to buy all my still needed materials. One of my best friends was nice enough to let me have his CAT 252 skidsteer for the weekend so that helped make diggin the holes an easy job. The skidsteer was great to have around today I got the propane tank moved as well as pushing a few trees over and putting in a culvert across one my creeks. After diggin the holes I got my strings up and concrete footers poured so I'll give it a day or so and then start setting posts this week.




certified106; nice start on the woodshed. Can you tell your friend we will be starting ours this coming spring and that would come in handy!  :vampire: 


zap


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## smokinj (Aug 22, 2011)

zapny said:
			
		

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Pic #4 is your friend! :lol:


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## PapaDave (Aug 22, 2011)

certified106 said:
			
		

> raybonz said:
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Don't sweat it. I got started on mine the end of March, and didn't really finish getting it sided until sometime in June... I think. Lots of other stuff going on at the time, so I know how that goes. 
You'll git 'er done! :coolsmile:


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## muncybob (Aug 22, 2011)

There's no big rush is there? I think there is at least 2 more months to go before I'll be concerned about bringing in the wood. I just got my post holes dug and as much as I would like to have it done soon I'm fairly sure it will be 4 to 6 weeks.....possibly more depending on weather. 2 to 3 weeks for that project would be doing great!


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## firefighterjake (Aug 22, 2011)

Ah, it makes sense if this woodshed will do double duty with storage . . . as it is I consider my woodshed at something like 12 x 20 feet to be a fairly decent sized woodshed as it holds two plus years of wood in it at any one time . . . but if you're going with a woodshed/storage shed it makes a lot more sense.


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## certified106 (Aug 23, 2011)

Had to shop vac all the water out of the holes and clean all the frogs out I couldn't believe it but there were 6 frogs in one hole. Got the two corner posts set, squared and tamped in just as the sun was setting. At least those were the two hardest posts and the other ones will set quicker. I haven't decided yet if I will put the post on the side in yet though since they aren't structural and it might be easier to put them in after the first rafter is up.


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## certified106 (Aug 23, 2011)

muncybob said:
			
		

> There's no big rush is there? I think there is at least 2 more months to go before I'll be concerned about bringing in the wood. I just got my post holes dug and as much as I would like to have it done soon I'm fairly sure it will be 4 to 6 weeks.....possibly more depending on weather. 2 to 3 weeks for that project would be doing great!



I know I have some time to make it happen but my problem is my list of other stuff I need to get done keeps growing   
As soon as I get the roof on the shed I will be working on putting in a wood door so I don't have to carry firewood through the house anymore.


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## muncybob (Aug 23, 2011)

How did you set the posts? I'm planning to put a base of 6" or so stone in the bottom of the hole, set the post in and add some more stone about 4" or so...then add dirt and begin tamping. Even though the PT posts are ground contact rated I thought this would help to drain water away from the posts.


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## certified106 (Aug 23, 2011)

muncybob said:
			
		

> How did you set the posts? I'm planning to put a base of 6" or so stone in the bottom of the hole, set the post in and add some more stone about 4" or so...then add dirt and begin tamping. Even though the PT posts are ground contact rated I thought this would help to drain water away from the posts.



The holes are 36" deep and then I poured 8" of concrete in the bottom of them, set the posts in squared and plumbed them, added about 8" of gravel around the bottom of the post, and them tamped the remaining dirt in around them. It's probably overkill but quikrete is cheap and I already had the gravel. Alot of guys around here just set bricks or something like it in the bottom of the hole and set the post on that so they don't have to wait on the quickrete to set up.


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## certified106 (Aug 26, 2011)

Well I have barely gotten anything done this week since I have been working 12-14 hours a day. Here is the progress that has been made so far. It has been a bear setting the post by myself and hanging the 2x12 but progress is being made so I am going to keep plugging away. When I get to putting up the 18' 2x10 I am going to have to find an extra set of hands! I found a few pallets that are 8 feet long and built out of 2x6's that I am going to put down in the shed to stack on. At this construction sit they also had some 3/4" plywood in 3'x8' sheets (I think there were 12) that I haven't decided what to do with yet but figured what the hack maybe I can find a use for them during this construction project.


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## raybonz (Aug 26, 2011)

certified106 said:
			
		

> Well I have barely gotten anything done this week since I have been working 12-14 hours a day. Here is the progress that has been made so far. It has been a bear setting the post by myself and hanging the 2x12 but progress is being made so I am going to keep plugging away. When I get to putting up the 18' 2x10 I am going to have to find an extra set of hands! I found a few pallets that are 8 feet long and built out of 2x6's that I am going to put down in the shed to stack on. At this construction sit they also had some 3/4" plywood in 3'x8' sheets (I think there were 12) that I haven't decided what to do with yet but figured what the hack maybe I can find a use for them during this construction project.



Lookin' good Jess! Good score on the plywood too!!

Ray


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## certified106 (Aug 26, 2011)

Ray are you ready for the hurricane?


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## raybonz (Aug 26, 2011)

certified106 said:
			
		

> Ray are you ready for the hurricane?



I suppose so.. I am never 100% ready for this type of event.. I have picked up many loose ends and hopefully got them all.. My biggest worry is the high winds and some large trees in the wood on the left side of the house.. They could cause some serious damage if they uprooted or snapped.. Time will tell...

Ray


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## certified106 (Aug 27, 2011)

Got the last 2x12 up last night and about half my lag bolts in and set the third post for the header.


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## SolarAndWood (Aug 27, 2011)

Looks like you are ready to rock.  Have fun with the build.


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## certified106 (Aug 27, 2011)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> Looks like you are ready to rock.  Have fun with the build.



Thanks, I'm really hoping to see some sheetmetal up by the end of today. As soon as I finish this last cup of coffeee I'm headed out. Stay safe with the storms headed your way!


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## raybonz (Aug 27, 2011)

Looks like you know what you're doing! You are gonna love having a shelter..

Ray


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## PapaDave (Aug 27, 2011)

Nice job, despite the work schedule. I didn't realize you were doing a lean-to off the garage. 
Looking forward to more pics later today. :coolsmile:


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## certified106 (Aug 27, 2011)

Stopped for a quick bite to eat. Here is the progress so far today.


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## certified106 (Aug 27, 2011)

raybonz said:
			
		

> *Looks like you know what you're doing*! You are gonna love having a shelter..
> 
> Ray



Thank goodness looks are deceiving! Thanks though.


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## certified106 (Aug 27, 2011)

PapaDave said:
			
		

> Nice job, despite the work schedule. I didn't realize you were doing a lean-to off the garage.
> Looking forward to more pics later today. :coolsmile:


I took the easy way out  :cheese:


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## raybonz (Aug 27, 2011)

certified106 said:
			
		

> PapaDave said:
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You took the smart way out and that's gonna be a nice sturdy wood shelter at a reasonable cost!! Good job!

Ray


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## bogydave (Aug 27, 2011)

Looks like a good job with a good plan!
Love the pictures, keep them coming.


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## thewoodlands (Aug 27, 2011)

certified106 said:
			
		

> Stopped for a quick bite to eat. Here is the progress so far today.



certified106, keeps looking better and better, nice job.

zap


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## certified106 (Aug 28, 2011)

Well here is the rest of what I accomplished this afternoon. I got the 2x4 layed out across my rafters and fastened down, set my 4x4 side posts, put up the sheetmetal and fastened it down with 420 screws (man am I glad that is done), put my 1x12 across the front for the guttter and put the back 2x10 header up with 4x6 spacer blocks. I am beat! Sorry the pictures are crappy but the daylight was fading fast at the end. I gotta brag a little bit so I just wanted to let everyone know I was less than 1/16" out of square when I got done


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## raybonz (Aug 28, 2011)

Great job Jesse!! You really went to town on that project! Now you gotts fill it with dry wood 

Ray


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## bpm44 (Aug 28, 2011)

Impressive. Both the shed and only being out by a 1/16th. Nice!


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## certified106 (Aug 28, 2011)

raybonz said:
			
		

> Great job Jesse!! You really went to town on that project! Now you gotts fill it with dry wood
> 
> Ray



Thanks Ray, I still have a bunch to do though. I need to get the facia up on the sides and end hang the gutters, and put down some wood on the left side as your facing it so I can backfill and level up the ground just a tad. I also want to build a nice way to stack in there so it doenst get to out of hand. I was thinking about using the pallets but I am ope to suggestions if anyone has better ideas. I kind of like those rack building brackets they were talking about on Solars thread yesterday.......


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## certified106 (Aug 28, 2011)

jeeper said:
			
		

> Impressive. Both the shed and only being out by a 1/16th. Nice!



Thanks, I was fairly confident it was pretty square as everything was coming out good measurement wise and it sure mad putting that roof on super easy.


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## certified106 (Aug 28, 2011)

zapny said:
			
		

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Thanks zap, I have been wanting to do this for awhile.


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## PapaDave (Aug 28, 2011)

No, no, no, no......1/16th is unacceptable. The industry wide standard for rough construction is at least 1/4". %-P 

Seriously, that's looking great. Being that close makes everything else just kind of fall into place, as you noticed putting on the roof.
I'm curious how you end up leveling that ground. Maybe build a floor like Jake and others have?
Did you notice any bowing/twisting of the 4x6's after they went in the ground? Mine did when I built the pole barn, AND the shed. PITB.


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## SolarAndWood (Aug 28, 2011)

That was a big day...nice work!


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## ewdudley (Aug 28, 2011)

Lookin' good!  Must be nice living in an area with no snow load to worry about.


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## certified106 (Oct 9, 2011)

Figured I would update the progress a little bit as I really had not acomplished much else on the shed untill this weekend due to my work schedule. 
This weekend I had 30 tons of limestone dust hauled to the house for use in backfilling the shed and backfilling the house. I got the pressure treated lumber installed on the low side of the shed and got everything backfilled and the rest of the floor spread. I also started getting up the pressure treated boards on the side of the shed and got a little over a cord of wood in the shed and stacked so I could get it off of the trailer. 
I know the last picture isn't of the shed but this is what actually took the majority of my time on Saturday. When we bought this house they had never backfilled around the house before putting the deck all the way across the back of the house so the ground sloped towards the house. Just to give you an idea how much backfill it took I used probably close to 20 tons just under the deck alone and the spot from where I took the picture I had to bring the ground up almost 3.5 feet to get the grade I wanted. the worst part was I had to shovel the stuf under the deck but I couldn't get it all the way to the back so I had to then go under the deck and shovel it the rest of the way and it sucked! It took me the better part of saturday to get it done.


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## raybonz (Oct 9, 2011)

Very nice job on that shelter Jesse!!


Ray


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## thewoodlands (Oct 9, 2011)

certified106 said:
			
		

> Well here is the rest of what I accomplished this afternoon. I got the 2x4 layed out across my rafters and fastened down, set my 4x4 side posts, put up the sheetmetal and fastened it down with 420 screws (man am I glad that is done), put my 1x12 across the front for the guttter and put the back 2x10 header up with 4x6 spacer blocks. I am beat! Sorry the pictures are crappy but the daylight was fading fast at the end. I gotta brag a little bit so I just wanted to let everyone know I was less than 1/16" out of square when I got done



certified106, your woodshed looks nice, good work.

zap


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## golfandwoodnut (Oct 10, 2011)

great job, it is nice have some equipment to help spread the gravel.  I spread about 60 yards myself with my pole barn and I use the bucket to lift the splits to my covered deck that I am using as my woodshed in the winter.


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## blueflame75 (Oct 12, 2011)

Gunna be a nice shed.

I am in the same boat as certified106...tired of tarping my wood for the last 2yrs. I have a 8'W x 20'L x 6'H shed in progress, I will post some pics soon.


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## mecreature (Oct 12, 2011)

that is a wood shed and them some. very nice.


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## certified106 (Oct 13, 2011)

Thanks guys for all the positive comments. It's still a work in progress and I really need to get the gutters on as well as getting the rest of the wood in there but it isn't gonna happen this weekend since I am taking my wife camping to enjoy the fall foliage.


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