# Wood shed pressure treated or not



## Berner

Finalizing  the plans for my woodshed and was wondering what folks thought about using pressure treated wood.  

The structure will be 8x12 built on 6 concrete sonotubes.  The floor will be supported by crushed stone with 2 X 8 floor joists that rest on the stone. On top of the joists will be more 2x8 for a floor.
It will have 2x4s running horizontally spaced a few inches apart (air flow)  on the sides and in the middle to split the shed in half.  Obviously I will be using pressure treated for the posts out of the sonotubes, and floor joists.  

My question is would you guys use pressure treated for the flooring, the 2x4s used for sides or the roof rafters?  

I'm worried about insects liking the wood shed as much as the wood.  Also worried about it being an open shed.  I doubt much water will get in because I want to have a 2ft overhang on all sides but still a small concern. 

Those who have a wood shed what did you do?


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## Fi-Q

If it was me , I would probablly get pressure treated ( or cedar, if you have a affordable access to cedar stud) for what ever is touching the ground and qoul put regular tjimber for the remaining. Ideally you would have access to someone with a wood lot and a small saw mill, so you can build te sed with rough thimber, almost anything except fir. The regular stuff bought at lumber yard is a mix of spruce and fir. Fit will rot a lot faster than spruce. And you might be surprise that local wood from a small "pedler" is cheaper than what you bought at the lumber yard. Larch would be a good cheap ( it is in my area anyway).  Me I went "pole barn" for my wood shed. CEdar post, with larch wall and poplar plank under the metal roof


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## firefighterjake

Random thoughts . . .

I agree with a lot of what Fi-Q said.

Wood touching the ground should be pressure treated . . . it may be OK if touching crushed rock as this would allow decent drainage, but I would still pay a wee bit more and go with the PT.

So if I'm reading this the floor joists and anything touching the ground will be pressure treated . . . you're just asking about the floor. I would echo FI-Q and go with rough cut wood . . . it will probably be cheaper, thicker and since it's a wood shed floor it doesn't need to be pretty. I went with rough cut hemlock when I built my woodshed five or so years ago and it has held up very well.

Sides and roof rafters can also be regular wood . . . my woodshed has 2 x 4 walls with rough cut hemlock set in a board and batting (minus the batting) configuration to allow air flow. Again, no signs of rot. Most rain doesn't stay on it for very long . . . my summer and winter sheds out back have been around even longer and the walls are fine . . . the issue with rot tends to be where wood stays in contact with moisture for an extended period of time (i.e. flat surfaces, ground, etc.)

I haven't noticed bugs to be an issue with the wood . . . then again the wood I put in the shed has been out in the stack drying for a year prior to me putting it into the woodshed.

Open shed . . . two feet is plenty of overhang for the sides . . . rain may not fall straight down . . . but it also doesn't tend to fall at such an angle that it will soak your wood. I think I have 6-12 inches overhang on the sides and maybe a 3 foot overhang on the front. Wood is never wet.
	

		
			
		

		
	




	

		
			
		

		
	
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## hamsey

I am in the process of finishing my shed/woodshed. What I did on the wood area is put down veranda deck boards spaced 1" apart (Home Depot brand Trex). Before putting down the boards I put insect screen down to keep them from coming up from the bottom. I did this in the outdoor shower some years back and it does a wonderful job of keeping them away.  I am going to put sliding doors on so I can keep it open most of the time and close it when the inclement weather comes.

I went ahead and used pt for wall studs and pt ply for the sides. I figure that if it is going to be open why not. Really not that much more money and I like the extra protection. Plus I do not think the bugs like it. Rafters and sheathing I used non pt. Also put in  a ridge vent. Not sure if it is needed but I wanted to keep it consistent with the shed.

Edit: Added photo


Good luck!


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## lindnova

I used pressure treated poles and the first row of plywood and non-treated lumber above that. (gravel floor)

If I was building a floor I would use treated for the floor also as there is a lot of moisture under the ground and under the wood to rot things out.


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## Bigg_Redd

Berner said:


> Finalizing the plans for my woodshed and was wondering what folks thought about using pressure treated wood.



It's the only choice.


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## Razo

Jeeze Hamsey I would live in the shed you built, you're wood is the luckiest around. Trex flooring! That's high class my friend.


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## hamsey

Razo,

Only want to do it once. Wife calls it the In-Law apartment. I was pretty adamant about a shed until I needed a place to store the seasoned wood to clear the drying racks for new wood. I want something nice to look at since it is right in our face and I like being different.


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## Craig S.

hamsey said:


> I am in the process of finishing my shed/woodshed.
> Good luck!



OUTSTANDING!


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## jillybeansisme

@hamsey, I have to agree with Razo -- I thought that was a house you were building!  It's beautiful.  Your wood should be quite happy!  You might want to reconsider its purpose and rent it out!  Really awesome!


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## Berner

Fi-Q said:


> If it was me , I would probablly get pressure treated ( or cedar, if you have a affordable access to cedar stud) for what ever is touching the ground and qoul put regular tjimber for the remaining. Ideally you would have access to someone with a wood lot and a small saw mill, so you can build te sed with rough thimber, almost anything except fir. The regular stuff bought at lumber yard is a mix of spruce and fir. Fit will rot a lot faster than spruce. And you might be surprise that local wood from a small "pedler" is cheaper than what you bought at the lumber yard. Larch would be a good cheap ( it is in my area anyway).  Me I went "pole barn" for my wood shed. CEdar post, with larch wall and poplar plank under the metal roof



First off you guys have some really really nice looking sheds.  Funny enough I have some Norway spruce that I got milled in late June.   It's been stacked and drying but I don't think it's ready for framing lumber.   This is the first time I milled lumber myself so I wouldn't call myself an expert but what do you think?  Would Norway spruce be good for use after three months of drying?   Would it be good to use for the rafters or the spaced sides?   I don't want to use stuff that isn't ready and deal with a racked shed or rafters that end of cracking.


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## Berner

firefighterjake said:


> Random thoughts . . .
> 
> I agree with a lot of what Fi-Q said.
> 
> Wood touching the ground should be pressure treated . . . it may be OK if touching crushed rock as this would allow decent drainage, but I would still pay a wee bit more and go with the PT.
> 
> So if I'm reading this the floor joists and anything touching the ground will be pressure treated . . . you're just asking about the floor. I would echo FI-Q and go with rough cut wood . . . it will probably be cheaper, thicker and since it's a wood shed floor it doesn't need to be pretty. I went with rough cut hemlock when I built my woodshed five or so years ago and it has held up very well.
> 
> Sides and roof rafters can also be regular wood . . . my woodshed has 2 x 4 walls with rough cut hemlock set in a board and batting (minus the batting) configuration to allow air flow. Again, no signs of rot. Most rain doesn't stay on it for very long . . . my summer and winter sheds out back have been around even longer and the walls are fine . . . the issue with rot tends to be where wood stays in contact with moisture for an extended period of time (i.e. flat surfaces, ground, etc.)
> 
> I haven't noticed bugs to be an issue with the wood . . . then again the wood I put in the shed has been out in the stack drying for a year prior to me putting it into the woodshed.
> 
> Open shed . . . two feet is plenty of overhang for the sides . . . rain may not fall straight down . . . but it also doesn't tend to fall at such an angle that it will soak your wood. I think I have 6-12 inches overhang on the sides and maybe a 3 foot overhang on the front. Wood is never wet.
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> View attachment 140654
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My hope would be to have my wood outside for at least a year preferably two before it goes into the shed.  However this summer I saw beatles in my wood that had been stacked for two and a half years.  Maybe that's not the type of beetle that would like my wood shed?   

I found one saw mill but their prices were just a small touch lower than the big box store.  As it goes I have a big box store two miles away.  The saw mill was 30 miles away.  I would probably spend more on gas than the difference in wood price.  I will keep looking though I like the idea of it.


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## firefighterjake

Berner said:


> My hope would be to have my wood outside for at least a year preferably two before it goes into the shed.  However this summer* I saw beatles in my wood *that had been stacked for two and a half years.  Maybe that's not the type of beetle that would like my wood shed?
> 
> I found one saw mill but their prices were just a small touch lower than the big box store.  As it goes I have a big box store two miles away.  The saw mill was 30 miles away.  I would probably spend more on gas than the difference in wood price.  I will keep looking though I like the idea of it.



Lord help me . . . but I cannot resist.

Guess it depends on how you feel about their music.


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## muncybob

Our horse barn that is 21+ yrs old is also sided by rough cut pine. No rot except where anything did make contact with the ground. Here the lumber was  cheaper rough cut than big box store and you get true sizes...2X4 is not 1.5X3.5
For me it looks better too, more rustic. After a year drying out I applied exterior deck stain. My flooring is just pallets or skids and has held up well too.


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## tsquini

If you are building a shed that will last, pressure treated wood is a way to go.


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## Fi-Q

For your spruce, can you check the level of humidity in it? ME, i would use it as is, maybe put some more screws and cross brass to avoid movment from the stids, but ME i would use it for anything not touching ground. But ME , my shed is so far away from the house that it is the last of my concern if tere is some movement.... Your story can be diffrent.


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## Danno77

tsquini said:


> If you are building a shed that will last, pressure treated wood is a way to go.


I'm not arguing with this, but there are an awful lot of 80-150 year old barns around these parts that suggest that it's not necessary if you know what you are doing.


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## captjack

I used psi treated posts but the rest are scrap from a lumber yard cull pile and metal roof.   I think I have 200 bucks into each of my sheds .  Now I will say,  these are not in view from the house so they did not have to be "home owner assoc" quality.  haha    I have updated them a little since this picture.  I took out the pallet sides and installed just a few boards around and lined the inside with heavy chicken wire.  It holds the stacks fine and allows for the most possible air flow


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## tigger

I think the pt for the ground and floor boards is a must. I went pt throughout the entire thing. I bit overkill. But I'm like that. I built two shed this year. One for my house in VT, and one for RI.


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## Berner

tigger said:


> I think the pt for the ground and floor boards is a must. I went pt throughout the entire thing. I bit overkill. But I'm like that. I built two shed this year. One for my house in VT, and one for RI.
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> View attachment 140758
> View attachment 140759



Wow those are more nice looking sheds.  I especially like the bottom one.  What are the dimensions of the bottom shed?


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## Berner

captjack said:


> View attachment 140750
> 
> I used psi treated posts but the rest are scrap from a lumber yard cull pile and metal roof.   I think I have 200 bucks into each of my sheds .  Now I will say,  these are not in view from the house so they did not have to be "home owner assoc" quality.  haha    I have updated them a little since this picture.  I took out the pallet sides and installed just a few boards around and lined the inside with heavy chicken wire.  It holds the stacks fine and allows for the most possible air flow



I


Fi-Q said:


> For your spruce, can you check the level of humidity in it? ME, i would use it as is, maybe put some more screws and cross brass to avoid movment from the stids, but ME i would use it for anything not touching ground. But ME , my shed is so far away from the house that it is the last of my concern if tere is some movement.... Your story can be diffrent.



I do have a moisture meter.  It is a 25 dollar cheapo from Lowes.  I have never got it to work right.  I crack open a split plunk the prongs in the middle and it always reads that my wood is ridiculously bone dry.  Green Oak 15% then as I press harder and harder it goes from 15% to 20% to 25% to 30%.  That's quite a range.  Anyone else have this problem?


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## Berner

Fi-Q said:


> For your spruce, can you check the level of humidity in it? ME, i would use it as is, maybe put some more screws and cross brass to avoid movment from the stids, but ME i would use it for anything not touching ground. But ME , my shed is so far away from the house that it is the last of my concern if tere is some movement.... Your story can be diffrent.


 
Unfortunately this shed will be in the front yard staring me in the face all the time.  I really want it to be a nice one.


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## tigger

The bottom one each bay is 8x8 (2.5 cords per bay)   Top one each bay is 6x6(1.5 cords per bay)


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## Bluezx636

Berner said:


> I
> 
> 
> I do have a moisture meter.  It is a 25 dollar cheapo from Lowes.  I have never got it to work right.  I crack open a split plunk the prongs in the middle and it always reads that my wood is ridiculously bone dry.  Green Oak 15% then as I press harder and harder it goes from 15% to 20% to 25% to 30%.  That's quite a range.  Anyone else have this problem?


After you split tap two holes the width of the prongs with a nail and hammer. Once they are both fully in the wood you should get consistent readings.


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## Travis Clark

lindnova said:


> I used pressure treated poles and the first row of plywood and non-treated lumber above that. (gravel floor)
> 
> If I was building a floor I would use treated for the floor also as there is a lot of moisture under the ground and under the wood to rot things out.





Berner said:


> Finalizing  the plans for my woodshed and was wondering what folks thought about using pressure treated wood.
> 
> The structure will be 8x12 built on 6 concrete sonotubes.  The floor will be supported by crushed stone with 2 X 8 floor joists that rest on the stone. On top of the joists will be more 2x8 for a floor.
> It will have 2x4s running horizontally spaced a few inches apart (air flow)  on the sides and in the middle to split the shed in half.  Obviously I will be using pressure treated for the posts out of the sonotubes, and floor joists.
> 
> My question is would you guys use pressure treated for the flooring, the 2x4s used for sides or the roof rafters?
> 
> I'm worried about insects liking the wood shed as much as the wood.  Also worried about it being an open shed.  I doubt much water will get in because I want to have a 2ft overhang on all sides but still a small concern.
> 
> Those who have a wood shed what did you do?


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## Sawset

Danno77 said:


> I'm not arguing with this, but there are an awful lot of 80-150 year old barns around these parts that suggest that it's not necessary if you know what you are doing.


Decay resistance of old growth pine and fir is different than newer second growth. Old building renovations seem to take that into account when preserving the existing structures true to form. What else would we need to know to do it right. And is it worth the time to do all those things vs just using treated.


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## kennyp2339

When I built my shed I used pressure treated 2x6' for my bottom frame, treated deck boards for the floor and pressure treated 4x4 posts to support the roof, everything else was not treated.


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## EODMSgt

PT for the bottom framework but local pine for the rest. Coming on ten years old with no issues.


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## firefighterjake

Hehheh . . . folks are responding to a post made over 4 years ago. I assume by now the woodshed was built.


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## Simonkenton

I built a woodshed the same size as yours.  8 x 12 feet.







The subfloor and floor are pressure treated.  My woodshed goes against the prevailing wisdom on this forum.  I keep the door closed and there is no ventilation.
Heat builds up in the wood shed.  As you can see the floor is at least 16 inches off the ground.
Water vapor is released from the wood, and goes through the walls and floor.

This woodshed works great.  I am getting hickory to 17 percent moisture in 8 months.

You would be surprised how much wood an 8 x 12 woodshed holds.


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