The Wood Shed

[smokinj]

looks great..

 

[PapaDave]

well, not to sound pessimistic, but your shed is half-empty.

You know Danno, The first thing I thought as soon as I hit the submit button was, "someone's gonna' mention that it's not full of wood".
Actualy, it's MORE than half empty. The plan is to fill it later this summer/early fall so the wood in the field has more time to dry (mucho sun and wind back there).
I'll be putting on the wall slabs (from these stacks) as I can, etc., and post pics.
Thanks for watching.

 

[Battenkiller]

I've been trying to figure out a small storage shed plan for weeks now. I had to tear down my old one because the roof was collapsing. I was just gonna buy a pre-built shed from HD, but they were all too small, extremely poorly made and and $$$$. I finally decided on a mini pole barn like yours, but I never built one and I didn't have a plan. It took a lot of asking around and looking at span charts to come up with what I'm doing. Then I look here and see all I had to do was follow your posts.

Mine is only for tool storage and a small workbench, and to keep my coal forge dry - 8' x 12'. 9 posts in all, set into 36" deep holes in clay soil and a 60# bag of Quikrete on the bottom of each hole at a footing to set the posts on. Then backfilling and tamping the posts sides with the left over soil. 4 posts across the back 4' apart, 3 on each side 4' apart, and only 3 across the front 6' apart to leave room for getting machinery in and out easily. A little overkill, perhaps, but I've been watching the other one fall down for years and don't want to see that ever again. Everyone I asked said I would need at least a doubled 2x8 as a header in the front, even though the span is only 6' (3 posts for 12'). Seemed overkill and I'm only gonna use one, but I see you actually are using one 2x8 header for an 8' span so I feel safe.

I'm going with a pitch roof and homemade 2x4" trusses set 16" on center. Haven't decided on purlins and metal roofing, or osb with tar paper and shingles. Never did either, but I'm told the metal roofing won't hold a snow load for long before it melts. I wish I had your equipment so I could go with board and batten pine siding, but will probably use osb and lots of paint.

Yours came out great BTW. I wish I planned mine to be bigger, but I was really on a budget with all store-bought wood, and only need to keep the snowblower, lawnmower, saws, garden tools and such in it. Maybe I'll built a bigger one for wood next year. Right now I'm chomping at the bit to get this one finished, but I have to help my son move down to North Carolina tomorrow - 1600 mile round trip. I'll be pooped for a week after I get back.

 

[PapaDave]

Battenkiller, actually, the header in front is 1.75x8. It's made from boards glued and screwed together. There's also a 1x6 (true size) behind it, and in the back there's a 2x6 with another 1x6 on the inside. When I was on the roof, it wobbles a little. The span is 10'. The 2x6 is probably a little undersized, but should be fine. To save money, the original plan was to use pine trees as posts, and same for headers too. I have too many other things going on to mess with that, so I only made the one header, and will finish the walls with rough pine that I finish myself.
I just wanted the structure up quick.
I had some leftover shingles from having the house roof done a couple years ago, and ended up using exactly that amount. Crazy.
Last time I bought 7/16th's osb, it was $7.44/sheet, this time........$10.85! The little rafter ties were only 51 cents apiece, but I got the screws to match. Those each have ten holes, but I only used 4 screws in each tie. 10 seemed WAY overkill in this application. Heck, the TIES seemed that way, but they're cheap insurance against the roof going airborne.
Good luck with yours, and the trip today too. Don't forget the pics!

 

[savageactor7]

Real nice shed PD...those wall slabs are stacked so neat it's almost a shame to move 'em imo.

 

[sixman]

Battenkiller you might think about building with the intention of adding on. That is what I did with my 24 x 27 barn. Just don't put a peak on it and make it sloped with whatever pitch you want. Later as funds dictate put the other half on at the same pitch and you have a full barn and a peak. Mine is built out of pipe and purlin due to the price of wood plus the metal lasts forever.

 

[Beowulf]

Papa Dave: Thanks for the detailed pics and discussion of your assembly techniques! I'm inspired to put a roof over my little platform now. I think it will be very similar to your project, with maybe a 12' span to get the snow a little farther away from the sides on our slope.

 

[PapaDave]

I have to remember to take the cam with me next time, but I made some progress on the siding yesterday. The first few boards that went on the back got planed, run through the jointer, and tablesaw. This last batch just got the edges straightened, then screwed down. TOO much time going the other way. I have to try to remember that it's ONLY a woodshed.
My brother showed up while I was in the middle of that, then once he left, we decided to go to Onaway for dinner. So much for progress.
Good dinner though. :cheese:
Brother and I did talk about the hearth buildup and tiling the stove room. We both get a little antsy when we don't have some kind of project going on, but that one is on the back burner for at least a couple weeks, I think.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

P Dave's woodshed has my thumbs up. The fascia board finishes it off much better, hope you got one on the lower side too?

 

[PapaDave]

P Dave's woodshed has my thumbs up. The fascia board finishes is off much better, hope you got one on the lower side too?

I like the thumbs up!
Looking at the lower side while the rain was coming down has started me thinking I would like to put a fascia board and drip edge on the back too.
So far though, water has not gotten to the osb sheathing ( 1/2" overhang on the shingles), so it can wait while I work on the siding, and the garden, and firewood,...etc.!
Here's a few pics of the latest progress.

 

[PapaDave]

Wow, 3 months since I last posted about this, but I spent this week filling the shed. Finally got 'er done!
What a nice feeling. NOW, I just have to go c/s/s another 5 cord to put back in the field where I got this from. I'm taking a little break first.
Bluegrass festival in the park in town tomorrow should be fun. Just the ticket.
Oh yeah, there's just under 6 cord in there, and I could maybe get another 1/2-1 face in if I were so inclined. I'm not, so not gonna'! :lol:
I've been using about 4 2/3 cord/ yr. for the past 3 years, so I think there's plenty of wood in this thing for the coming winter.

Edit: I forgot....I had a cord sitting up front when I started this build. Rick made a comment about how efficient it was of me to build the shed around the stacks already there. Sooo,
there's actually just under 7 cord. WooHoo!! Less to load next year.

 

[bogydave]

Sit & stare at it a while & admire all the work
Makes you feel good don't it
Looks GREAT!

 

[PapaDave]

Thanks Dave. Yep, been staring at it every time I take the dogs out. They've made extra trips this afternoon and evening. ;-P
I was thinking of adding a few feet next year, like yours, but I think that may be overkill for me now that I have it full and know how much wood is in there.
Just a few more slabs for the sides and it's done.....except....nah. Maybe next year after I've seen how this works out.

 

[Beowulf]

Hey PapaDave, you're an inspiration.

I started a shed last spring based upon watching the progress on yours. Mine's waiting for me to put the roofing on in a week or so. Have about 7 cords under it at the moment, we probably go through about 2, maybe 2 1/2 per year so are about where we want to be for this year.

Here's what mine is looking like at the moment, except the wood out front is now on the 9 x 30 platform. The taller posts are 12' 6"x6" for scale, sitting on a poured concrete pier. It's on kind of a slope... I also added some 2 x 6 s in for triangulation on the rafters that are not shown in these pnotos, will post a final pic or two when the tin goes on.

 

[PapaDave]

Beowulf,
I remember your setup, I'd really like to see the finished shed with the tin roof. Do you plan to enclose the sides?
I put up a couple more side boards on mine yesterday after the final splits went in, but I still have a few more to do.
Where is the house in relation to the shed, and from which direction do you get to the wood?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Dave, glad you got that finished and hope you have a good time at the festival.


Beowulf, it looks like you'll have a nice shed there.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Looks great Dave. A few more of these dry days in the 70s, and I'll get around to filling mine.

 

[fossil]

PapaDave, I think you did an excellent job on that shed...it's as nice looking as it is functional, and you have every reason to be very proud of it. I know it feels good to have it full...still working on ours, but made some more progress today. Good work! Rick

 

[Beowulf]

Beowulf,
I remember your setup, I'd really like to see the finished shed with the tin roof. Do you plan to enclose the sides?
I put up a couple more side boards on mine yesterday after the final splits went in, but I still have a few more to do.
Where is the house in relation to the shed, and from which direction do you get to the wood?

PapaDave, I went ahead and posted a few more photos and maybe answered your questions here:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/59219/

Thanks again for the detailed photo build sequence on your shed, it really helped me design what I wanted to do at our little place.

 

[tcassavaugh]

I finally get it....when you build your shed, you have to have wood in and build around it to act as a SEED PILE. As the season goes on, the shed gets fuller all by itself. I like that. Least thats what the pics make it look like.

Nice sheds guys...we appreciate all the pics.

now i have to get out and build mine before the snow flies.

cass

 

[cptoneleg]

Yes I really love looking at all the pictures especially the wood sheds, great work guys this post has really, some how made me love to do , what used to be a pain.

Cpt

 

[cptoneleg]

Sorry makes me want to thow a picture in of mine.