# Carport woodshed.



## ironspider (Jul 31, 2014)

I recently acquired a 10 x 20 carport.  I plan to use it to hold some wood my splitter, and maybe my yt4000. The more wood I have ready the less equipment will go in. 

I'm trying to do this on the cheap. I need a sub floor raised up a few inches to a foot due to flooding.  My plan is to find pallets for free, on top of cinder blocks, with plywood holding everything together. So essentially I'm trying to build a sub floor with pallets and blocks. 

Has anyone tried this?


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## Chimney Smoke (Jul 31, 2014)

Does it have doors on the ends?  If so, leave them off.  I used to store my boat in one with end doors and the condensation was incredible on the inside.  I'd never do that again.  In the wintertime it actually looked like a cloths dryer vent when the sun first hit it in the morning - the steam was just billowing out of the door vents.


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## ironspider (Jul 31, 2014)

One door in the front. I'm more concerned with building the floor.


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## gzecc (Aug 1, 2014)

How high do you want to go?


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## ironspider (Aug 1, 2014)

6-8 in


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## gzecc (Aug 1, 2014)

I would probably just do double pallets with a plywood top. It will all depend on the structual integrity of the pallets you choose. Screw the pallets to the plywood and each other. Over lap different sizes to maximize structural integity.  Will probably make great living quarters for all kinds of small animals.


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## ironspider (Aug 1, 2014)

Well that's why I want to raise it off the ground.


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## Gboutdoors (Aug 1, 2014)

Check with your local lumberyard and see if they have 18' or 20' x 4' pallets that Kleer or Azak trim boards come on they will make a more solid one pc. base for your floor. I use them for my stacks they work great and you should be able to get them for free.


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## ironspider (Aug 1, 2014)

I ended up getting a bunch of pallets from a moving company. I ditched the cinder block idea and just tired the pallets together with 5/8 in ply.


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## ironspider (Aug 1, 2014)

Now I have to put up the carport


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## osagebow (Aug 2, 2014)

Looks good! 
Is that a 1/2 wrench sticking out of the grass in front of the concrete slab?


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## ironspider (Aug 2, 2014)

Lol


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## MaintenanceMan (Aug 4, 2014)

I built a carport this past spring that I use to store my firewood and wood hauler. It works out pretty handy because I can pull the truck full of rounds and splitter right next to whatever section I'm stacking in. I pull right off the truck, split and stack pretty efficiently. Wood stays dry. And my good old truck now has a dry place to sit. Each section is about 6 1/2' Wide x 6 1/2" Tall x 32" deep and both of those trash cans are full of kindling. All of this is about 1/2 of my wood storage. This should take care of 2015-16 nicely.


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## ironspider (Aug 4, 2014)

Just finishing mine now.


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## ironspider (Aug 4, 2014)

Ok, so it's up and I believe ist secure. But, the taps leave quite a gap.  Thoughts on that regarding keeping wood and the splitter in there?  One side is a bit higher so water will trickle through. Any ideas how to make this tight?


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## ironspider (Aug 4, 2014)

Oh and stacking wood in here. My stacking skills are lacking, I plan to store a couple cords in here, but I have no clue how to do it safely, if a stack falls it rips the cover!  Need lots of advice. And btw, the other half hates this thing, not a happy woman.


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## gzecc (Aug 4, 2014)

The exposed particle board is going to deteriorate rapidly. Maybe 1x6 pressure treated boards installed from the inside towards the outside and attached to the exterior flooring. The finished product would be angled to shed water off the particle board flooring.


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## ironspider (Aug 4, 2014)

Not sure I understand that.  How could I angle it when the base is already done?


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## ironspider (Aug 4, 2014)

I thought this would be water proof so I went with the cheap 5/8 particle board to save a lot of cash.


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## D8Chumley (Aug 5, 2014)

I was thinking the same about the particle board, maybe painting it would help preserve it some? At this point maybe you could jack up one side and give it some pitch so the water would have a chance to run off. Maybe some PT 4x4s under one side if thats even possible? And maybe paint the carport camo or something so she won't see it


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## gzecc (Aug 5, 2014)

ironspider said:


> Not sure I understand that.  How could I angle it when the base is already done?


 
I understand. The engineer that designed this should have his license taken away. Here is a scetch of a band aid that may help.


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## ironspider (Aug 5, 2014)

gzecc said:


> I understand. The engineer that designed this should have his license taken away. Here is a scetch of a band aid that may help.



I don't even know what company made this, it doesn't say on the box.  

I had considered putting wood between the tarp and the base.  I'm also trying to see if there is a way to attach a small tarp to the sides and over the ends of the base.  I don't think i could sew tarps together though.


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## Ashful (Aug 5, 2014)

osagebow said:


> Looks good!
> Is that a 1/2 wrench sticking out of the grass in front of the concrete slab?


Check your eyes.  It's obviously 9/16".


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## Ashful (Aug 5, 2014)

ironspider said:


> Ok, so it's up and I believe ist secure. But, the taps leave quite a gap.  Thoughts on that regarding keeping wood and the splitter in there?  One side is a bit higher so water will trickle through. Any ideas how to make this tight?


If your plan is to dry firewood in here, you really don't want it tight.  The layer of sheathing will work well to keep ground moisture down a bit (although the product you chose may not last too many years), but I'd definitely install a second layer of pallets or PT stringers to get the wood up off the floor and get airflow from below.  You want some way to allow air to flow thru the structure, which on a sunny day will want to come in the bottom and leave the top, due to solar heating.


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## maple1 (Aug 5, 2014)

I wouldn't expect your foundation pallets to last too long, sitting right on the ground like that in an area subject to flooding. They will rot pretty quick. I think I would have stuck with the block plan - but it does look good.


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## Ashful (Aug 5, 2014)

maple1 said:


> I wouldn't expect your foundation pallets to last too long, sitting right on the ground like that in an area subject to flooding. They will rot pretty quick. I think I would have stuck with the block plan - but it does look good.


Most of our pallets 'round here are made of white or red oak.  The white oak ones can last quite a while in those conditions.  Red oak... not so much.

If they're pine pallets, you'll be replacing them every third year.


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## ironspider (Aug 5, 2014)

I'm not sure how long I'll get, but I'm also expecting the town to make me remove it at some point. Southampton town is a pain.


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## maple1 (Aug 5, 2014)

Har - I also live in Southampton. Wonder how many others of them there are?


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## ironspider (Aug 21, 2014)

Believe it or not we've had almost no rain since I put this up so I have no clue where the water will go.   I did however figure out how to lower the sides  by placing 3in blocks in the bungees and affixing the tarp to the boards,  only on the high side.  I have no wood ready for it yet,  but by fall I should have at least two cords to put in it. Now I need a fool proof way of my stacks not falling and tearing it up


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## jillybeansisme (Aug 22, 2014)

Jack the floor unit up with your car jack and place some shims along the jacked up side so it raised it just a touch (or whatever amount you feel necessary).  That way the water will run off.

Go to your local hardware store (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) or Nursery (Star World, etc.) and get yourself some 6 mil plastic to lay on the floor before you buy "Log Stackers" from Walmart online.  They're about $17 plus four 2 x 4s that are 10' long.  Cut two of them in half for the uprights.  Now you can easily stack a single row 10' long by 5' high off the floor of your shed.

Get some heavy duty velcro for the tarps so they don't flap in the wind.

Paint "I LOVE YOU" on the side your wife sees . . . she'll feel better about it, especially if you do it in her favorite color.


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## Beer Belly (Aug 22, 2014)

I had somewhat the exact carport....watch the snow load, mine gave out at the plastic joints and collapsed. I since then, bought a Shelter Logic of the same size, a bit more $$$, but a lot beefier. Mine was built on top of 4x4 spiked into the ground, the cover lasted two years, what you see is the blue tarp I had to throw over it mid winter.




The Shelter Logic has no plastic to it....all heavy piping. Had an issue with the anchors, everywhere I drilled them into the ground, hit rocks.....got two fully buried and attached to the shelter, and tie it to the Pop Up to help keep it grounded. When this one needs to be re-skinned, will buy a new one for the skin, and use the new frame for wood storage with a tarp to skin it


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## ironspider (Aug 24, 2014)

This seams to be very sturdy. I have it anchored very well and thr the tarp is nice and taught .no wood in there yet though.


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