spring project- wood shed

[muncybob]

This is basically what I did for my deck footers, except I used the pre shaped cylinders(sono tube?) placed into my holes to pour the concrete into.
(broken link removed)
We hand dug down about 40"...a gas powered post hole digger would be easier and quicker.
I plan to do basically the same for the shed...I'm told it's overkill for a shed as a buddy is trying to talk me into just setting the posts directly into the ground. I just don't want to risk rotting posts in 15 years or so.

 

[mecreature]

This is basically what I did for my deck footers, except I used the pre shaped cylinders(sono tube?) placed into my holes to pour the concrete into.
(broken link removed)
We hand dug down about 40"...a gas powered post hole digger would be easier and quicker.
I plan to do basically the same for the shed...I'm told it's overkill for a shed as a buddy is trying to talk me into just setting the posts directly into the ground. I just don't want to risk rotting posts in 15 years or so.

x2

 

[micaaronfl]

wow this is getting complicated lol, is there any harm in digging a hole, pouring some concrete in, sticking the post in, add some more concrete and calling it a day? i dont want it to fall over, but with wood on it i would doubt that anyway.

 

[varna]

What I did was buy a carport, 14' X 21' with 6' high sides. Only roofing, with gable ends, all sides open. I put in 12 cord or so. I was going to build a 12 X 20 shed myself with PT wood and by the time I figured my costs and my time, it was just as cheap for me to drink some cold Molson's while watching someone else put up the carport. I love it. I have tarps that I can drop for driving windy rain or snow, then I can roll them up and let the wind blow through.
This is not mine but similar to what I put up.

 

[muncybob]

I'm no expert...but those that consider themselves more knowledgable than me(doesn't take much!) all advised against wood into concrete...again with the eventual rotting in mind. With that said, I have a deck on our house that's at least 20 yrs old and posts are set into concrete...no problms yet.
Using the tubes was easy...just takes overnight for the concrete to set up before you can actually set the post on.
Simply dig hole, place tube into hole plumb and level and fill. Get air out(already mentioned) with a piece of rebar and place j-bolt into firm concrete(maybe 15-30 minutes after pouring). Next day install brackets and secure posts. Worked for us......

 

[John_M]

roxy's dad, Those who might laugh at your wood shed will be doing so with envy. Many here who do not have a wood shed would love to have yours: they would be the neighborhood wood shed heroes. ;-)

micaaronfl and muncybob: When designing my new home during 2004 the architect specified that all wood in contact with concrete must be TREATED. His plans were approved without comments by the Otsego County Building Codes Inspectors. So, I would assume using TREATED lumber in concrete would also be approved as an acceptable construction technique for your new wood shed. This is a good time of year to start planning the shed because the construction will probably take much longer than you anticipate. Good luck. John_M

 

[Martin Strand III]

My shed. Holds about 3 cords. Enough for a winter. Now 2/3 empty. 'Bout right. 24' long with 3 4' bays. Metal roof. Breathes nice.

Aye,
Marty

 

[Wood Duck]

wow this is getting complicated lol, is there any harm in digging a hole, pouring some concrete in, sticking the post in, add some more concrete and calling it a day? i dont want it to fall over, but with wood on it i would doubt that anyway.

If you are using treated lumber, and if you mound up the concrete around the wood to make sure the water drains away from the wood, then you will be OK for many years. I wouldn't build my house this way, but a wood shed, maybe I would. We go down two feet here in central PA and it seems to work OK.

 

[Thistle]

Buy Sono (sp) tubes at Lowes/HD... Dig hole, set tube, insert post, secure post after plumbing it, pour concrete.

Be SURE to use something like a metal rod to be sure no air pockets exist in concrete. Stick it in and out, all around the post.

Shawn

Stick one in the drill chuck & give it a few spins/pokes as well.Also tap all around on the outside of the sonotube with a hammer or stick of wood to work the same as a concrete vibrator does.Have to get it all consolidated.

 

[Martin Strand III]

wow this is getting complicated lol, is there any harm in digging a hole, pouring some concrete in, sticking the post in, add some more concrete and calling it a day? i dont want it to fall over, but with wood on it i would doubt that anyway.

If you are using treated lumber, and if you mound up the concrete around the wood to make sure the water drains away from the wood, then you will be OK for many years. I wouldn't build my house this way, but a wood shed, maybe I would. We go down two feet here in central PA and it seems to work OK.

Home Depot sells precast concrete blocks that fit 4 x 4 posts and 2 x (6, 8, 10s) beams. Use treated lumber on them and then build up with pine from there. The concrete blocks require leveling and sit on the ground. No holes needed. I built a large dog house with deck with them and they worked out fine. They could be used for a wood shed foundation.

Aye,
Marty

 

[micaaronfl]

i didn't know that home depot sold concrete blocks thanks man

 

[micaaronfl]

guys, can u all post pictures of your wood shed. i don't have much land so i cant put a car port in, and my wife is looking for one that is pretty if that is possible. the problem here, is i do not have much of a backyard and my wife wants something that looks good and can hold at least a cord. i i build something that she doesnt like i will hear about it the whole friggin summer.

 

[Jim41]

I guess i'm from a different piont of view. My woodshed holds about 1-1/4 cords and is close to the house, Keeping wood in a shed that protects the wood from blowing snow and rain cuts down on the air circulation needed to dry it properly. I store all the rest of the wood further away from the house on pallets covered on top with rubber roofing material until seasoned then move it into the shed filling one side and using wood from the other side until empty that way i'm not burying most usable stuff.

Roxys dad: I'm with you, I stack and cover with rubber roofing I got from my brother in law who is in the construction trade. I also have the Regency I2400. I usaully stack my deck when the weather turns, re-stackibng as needed. Also some in the cellar for the nor'esters so I don't have to go outside.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

guys, can u all post pictures of your wood shed. i don't have much land so i cant put a car port in, and my wife is looking for one that is pretty if that is possible. the problem here, is i do not have much of a backyard and my wife wants something that looks good and can hold at least a cord. i i build something that she doesnt like i will hear about it the whole friggin summer.

I live on a smaller city size lot (70'x110') and didn't want my wood stacks becoming an eye sore, so what I came up with was to build a long narrow woodshed along the property line next to my driveway. The back of the woodshed doubles as the (much needed) fence between me and my neighbor. The metal roof matches the house and garage, and I stuccoed the house to match the woodshed. ;-)
Each section is two rows deep and holds approximately one cord.

The backside

 

[SolarAndWood]

My shed is 9x20x10 with a stone base under a cantilevered roof behind the garage.

 

[firefighterjake]

guys, can u all post pictures of your wood shed. i don't have much land so i cant put a car port in, and my wife is looking for one that is pretty if that is possible. the problem here, is i do not have much of a backyard and my wife wants something that looks good and can hold at least a cord. i i build something that she doesnt like i will hear about it the whole friggin summer.

I live on a smaller city size lot (70'x110') and didn't want my wood stacks becoming an eye sore, so what I came up with was to build a long narrow woodshed along the property line next to my driveway. The back of the woodshed doubles as the (much needed) fence between me and my neighbor. The metal roof matches the house and garage, and I stuccoed the house to match the woodshed. ;-)
Each section is two rows deep and holds approximately one cord.

The backside

But CL you didn't tell him about the best part . . . the super secret compartment that you can use in case we get bombed . . . or where you can store your most prized firewood.

 

[Intheswamp]

roxy's dad, Those who might laugh at your wood shed will be doing so with envy. Many here who do not have a wood shed would love to have yours: they would be the neighborhood wood shed heroes. ;-)

micaaronfl and muncybob: When designing my new home during 2004 the architect specified that all wood in contact with concrete must be TREATED. His plans were approved without comments by the Otsego County Building Codes Inspectors. So, I would assume using TREATED lumber in concrete would also be approved as an acceptable construction technique for your new wood shed. This is a good time of year to start planning the shed because the construction will probably take much longer than you anticipate. Good luck. John_M

I'm not sure about that board of inspectors but from my experience wood posts that are surrounded by concrete do as they would without being surrounded by concrete...they shrink. When the posts shrink they pull away from the concrete leaving a gap in which moisture/water will easily find it's way into and be basically trapped against the wood. Eventually the wood can/will rot, whether it's treated or not(especially if not treated) Today's treated lumber is rather weakly treated and doesn't hold up as well as the old arsenic treated wood of yesteryear.

If you use the "dig a hole, put in post, fill with concrete" method then at least put some gravel/pieces of brick in the bottom of the hole (for drainage help) and slope the top of the concrete away from the wood to help the water run away from the wood. The gaps can be filled with silicone, wood preservatives, dead cats, or whatever that might help things.

YMMV,
Ed

 

[mecreature]

roxy's dad, Those who might laugh at your wood shed will be doing so with envy. Many here who do not have a wood shed would love to have yours: they would be the neighborhood wood shed heroes. ;-)

micaaronfl and muncybob: When designing my new home during 2004 the architect specified that all wood in contact with concrete must be TREATED. His plans were approved without comments by the Otsego County Building Codes Inspectors. So, I would assume using TREATED lumber in concrete would also be approved as an acceptable construction technique for your new wood shed. This is a good time of year to start planning the shed because the construction will probably take much longer than you anticipate. Good luck. John_M

I'm not sure about that board of inspectors but from my experience wood posts that are surrounded by concrete do as they would without being surrounded by concrete...they shrink. When the posts shrink they pull away from the concrete leaving a gap in which moisture/water will easily find it's way into and be basically trapped against the wood. Eventually the wood can/will rot, whether it's treated or not(especially if not treated) Today's treated lumber is rather weakly treated and doesn't hold up as well as the old arsenic treated wood of yesteryear.

If you use the "dig a hole, put in post, fill with concrete" method then at least put some gravel/pieces of brick in the bottom of the hole (for drainage help) and slope the top of the concrete away from the wood to help the water run away from the wood. The gaps can be filled with silicone, wood preservatives, dead cats, or whatever that might help things.

YMMV,
Ed

I get the same thing happening when I sink poles around my area. I have always brought mine above ground and made a nice crown
that sloped the water away from the pole and I get the same thing cracked concrete and water gets in.
The Farmer down the road from me said he don't bring the cement above ground but leaves it under 6 or so inches and no more e poles popping out.

and I agree....YMMV but I will try his solution next time.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I'd like to build a woodshed at some point, perhaps sooner than later if I can do it cheaply & use logs from the woods & materials on hand.

One question I have as most of my carpentry experience is shelves and such inside:
If you dont sink posts in the ground (concrete or not) and are placing them on stones, or those preformed blocks, how do you prevent the shed from blowing away? Do you anchor it down somehow? Ou property gets a lot of wind year round, and especially without a floor, I dont see how a big open shed with roof (read: sail) will stay in one place. But not having to dig 6-8 holes (minimum) will save a lot of work and money, as well as the cost of all that concrete.

 

[shawneyboy]

I'd like to build a woodshed at some point, perhaps sooner than later if I can do it cheaply & use logs from the woods & materials on hand.

One question I have as most of my carpentry experience is shelves and such inside:
If you dont sink posts in the ground (concrete or not) and are placing them on stones, or those preformed blocks, how do you prevent the shed from blowing away? Do you anchor it down somehow? Are property gets a lot of wind year round, and especially without a floor, I dont see how a big open shed with roof (read: sail) will stay in one place. But not having to dig 6-8 holes (minimum) will save a lot of work and money, as well as the cost of all that concrete.

See attached picture. We have had wind gusts at around 50 this winter.... Shed made from pallets and 6 inch standing dead wood for walls (not in concrete), reclaimed presure treated wood cross bracing in walls, floor is only pallets laid down on top of Poly on the ground (not attached to walls),only thing purchased was some presure treated wood in roof, and actuall metal on roof. The shed has NOT moved an inch. Lucky? maybe but TBH I doubt it will go anywhere, at least not until it totally collapses in say 5-6 years.

 

[PapaDave]

Here's the thread I put up last year about my woodshed. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/54742/
So you don't have to read the whole thing, I bought pressure treated 4x4's, put them in holes about 3' down. No concrete. We have very good drainage here, since most everything is sand.
30'x40' pole barn is built in a similar fashion, except code required 42", and a concrete pad in the hole to distribute load.

 

[gpcollen1]

No way around it, you are going to have to do some math. Or take the easy way out...

http://www.maine.gov/ag/firewood.html SNIP...

"Doing math" to figure wood cordage is no biggie. No fancy electronic gadgets or searching web sites are required.

You already know 128 cu ft is a full cord of stacked firewood (4' x 4' x 8'). Ignore air spaces you're worried about.

1. Measure your stacked wood: 8'3"L x 5'8"D x 4'6"H

2. Multiply those figures IN FEET: 8.25'L x 5.67'D x 4.5'H = 210.5 cu ft

3. Divide by 128 (the cu ft in 1 cord): 210.5/128 = 1.6 cords of wood

Surely big boys like you can do this.

Aye,
Marty
Grandma used to say, "Don't work harder. Work smarter."

I can do the Math in my head without your illustration. The post was for the OP...

 

[gpcollen1]

This is basically what I did for my deck footers, except I used the pre shaped cylinders(sono tube?) placed into my holes to pour the concrete into.
(broken link removed)
We hand dug down about 40"...a gas powered post hole digger would be easier and quicker.
I plan to do basically the same for the shed...I'm told it's overkill for a shed as a buddy is trying to talk me into just setting the posts directly into the ground. I just don't want to risk rotting posts in 15 years or so.

That method is not the one you want to use. I like the footer but that should be at the bottom of the sonotube and rebar from the footer to the sono tube. Top of the sono tube to ground level or above. Use that same bracket at the surface and install 4x4 or 6x6 on top. Those brackets are expensive [$15] but work quite well. There is a 1/2" gap between the bottom of the bracket and the top that the post is attached to... I suppose it all depends on how long you want the posts to last. There is no need to be burying the posts these days.

like this
(broken link removed)

 

[firefighterjake]

I'd like to build a woodshed at some point, perhaps sooner than later if I can do it cheaply & use logs from the woods & materials on hand.

One question I have as most of my carpentry experience is shelves and such inside:
If you dont sink posts in the ground (concrete or not) and are placing them on stones, or those preformed blocks, how do you prevent the shed from blowing away? Do you anchor it down somehow? Are property gets a lot of wind year round, and especially without a floor, I dont see how a big open shed with roof (read: sail) will stay in one place. But not having to dig 6-8 holes (minimum) will save a lot of work and money, as well as the cost of all that concrete.

Weight . . . lots of weight . . . I know my woodshed is plenty heavy without wood . . . once loaded with wood it's not going anywhere short of having a direct hurricaine strike or tornado touch down on top of it . . . and if that happens I'm ready . . . got my ruby red slippers all ready to go.

 

[Martin Strand III]

No way around it, you are going to have to do some math. Or take the easy way out...

http://www.maine.gov/ag/firewood.html SNIP...

"Doing math" to figure wood cordage is no biggie. No fancy electronic gadgets or searching web sites are required.

You already know 128 cu ft is a full cord of stacked firewood (4' x 4' x 8'). Ignore air spaces you're worried about.

1. Measure your stacked wood: 8'3"L x 5'8"D x 4'6"H

2. Multiply those figures IN FEET: 8.25'L x 5.67'D x 4.5'H = 210.5 cu ft

3. Divide by 128 (the cu ft in 1 cord): 210.5/128 = 1.6 cords of wood

Surely big boys like you can do this.

Aye,
Marty
Grandma used to say, "Don't work harder. Work smarter."

I can do the Math in my head without your illustration. The post was for the OP...

FYI: Not everyone has your math talents. I'm glad you told me as well as others reading this string.

Aye,
Marty