Wood Shed Q's: Flooring

[thinkxingu]

Hello All,
Will be starting a new wood shed in a week or so, and have a couple questions:

1. What's the best/most cost-effective flooring option? I'd like to use gravel, but I want to get it off the ground to avoid two issues: 1. When it rains or snow melts, water collects in this area, and 2. Termites. So, I plan on digging tubes and using a solid floor with PT joists.

2. What size tubes should I use--I'm thinking of going 24" down and 10" round.

3. 2 X 8 or 2 X 10 floor joists?

Size will be 6 X 16. Haven't figured out roof type yet. Leaning towards lean-to.

S

 

[cptoneleg]

I just stack mine on landscape 4x4 s right in sheed thats the most cost-effective, after all it's just a woodshed. :zip: Mine is 8' x 16'
works great

 

[DexterDay]

Pallets.. There cheap. Really cheap.. (Free in most cases)

 

[maxed_out]

hey thinkx, tell us a little more about the drainage and/or post a pic of the area you are talking. wet ground like ponding wouldnt be my first choice for a location. if yoiu are stuck with a wet spot then you are correct in dealing with the drainage issue. you are going to be a lot happier if the stuff is high enough to avoid any ponding and the ground is dry enough so you don't get an ice rink.

I recently saw some decent looking drainage tubing (with a outer filter) at lowes.

 

[thinkxingu]

Maxed, it's not really a drainage issue--the area is mostly shaded, so the soil never really dries out and because the other wood rack was on the ground, water would pool up in front and create your 'ice rink.' I also got a fair amount of splash-up, which is why I'm leaning towards a pent roof (and also to keep water from going down my back. Here's a sweet pic of what I'm thinking.

If I do is this way, I'll be able to store two sets of wood, left and right, and go inside to load my bags--I'll be able to store about 4.25 cords, which is good for two years at least (only weekend/vacation burning). I could probably get away with shorter (can't go deeper), but I was thinking 16 x 6 would allow me to use 3 complete sheets of plywood and keep the other numbers even.

S

 

[shawneyboy]

I am unsure that you need to worry about drainage tubes. If I were you I would do 2 things, first off I would raise the wood shed up off ground with a good layer of gravel, second I would use pallets, as flooring. This would seem to be the cheapest and most effective solution. Then if you still have a problem you could always trench out in front of the entrance and lay in some drainage. By the way your drawing is KICK ASS

Shawn

 

[woodsmaster]

I wouldn't put in a floor I'd just use gravel and pallets. Use treated lumber to keep the bugs from eating it. especially if you do put a floor in. I would make the whole thing from treated lumber or spray the luber with a borate solution.

 

[soupy1957]

<yet another plug for pallets! I use em under my wood piles. The don't cost me anything and I can replace them as needed. They keep the product off the ground.

-Soupy1957

 

[thinkxingu]

Not sure the crushed stone/pallet idea will work- don't termites go through both?
Also, I'm trying to match, somewhat, a shed I have in the yard.

S

 

[firefighterjake]

No issues with termites here in Maine . . . yet (at one time ticks were not an issue either, but in the past two years or so they've become part of the rural landscape.)

What I did was put down a gravel base and used 2 x 10 (I believe) rough cut cedar for my stringers . . . then put rough cut hemlock on top for the floor . . . in this way I got the wood off the ground (although I went with a simple solution of just using concrete blocks in place of concrete tubes -- due to the ease and fact that I'm right on top of ledge) . . . and I don't have to worry about rain pooling underneath my woodshed.

The only negative/positive: my cats now love to climb under the shed to play with their new-found friends and it seems as though every other day I find a chipmunk . . . or part from a chipmunk on my back porch.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Not sure the crushed stone/pallet idea will work- don't termites go through both?
Also, I'm trying to match, somewhat, a shed I have in the yard.

S

Termites will go through almost anything.


Matching a shed? Why not? Sounds like a good plan. However, rather than a tight floor you could also use spacing for more air circulation. Don't want a shed yet? No problem. No matter where or how you stack your wood you will still do best to have something under it. That is, something like landscape timbers, railroad ties, poles you cut out in the woods or (gasp) even pallets. (I never liked the looks of them sitting around when the wood is gone and I've seen too many sprained ankles from folks walking on them and a slat breaks.)

I simply cut some young saplings. You can cut them from maybe 4' to 12' or more but mine are usually 8-10' but I do have some shorter ones. I usually have to cut a few more poles every other year or every third year but that is pretty cheap for stacking wood on. Just get the wood high enough so that water does not come up to the bottom of the pile. But if water did come that high, if it stayed that high for no more than a day it would not do any harm to the wood. The wood will dry fine.

 

[thinkxingu]

I was actually thinking of making the floor tight, so there wouldn't be a bunch of wood and wood shavings falling beneath it--I could just sweep it up. And since I'll have at least two years' worth of wood, I think if the sides/top are fairly open I shouldn't have too much of a problem.

One other question: should I use joist hangers or just nail the joists since I have clear access?

S

 

[DanCorcoran]

Quote from this publication from Ohio State University, "In the United States, subterranean termites are found in every state except Alaska." Lots of good info in the link, including a US map that shows the severity of infestations in different parts of the country.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/b1209/

 

[woodsmaster]

I was actually thinking of making the floor tight, so there wouldn't be a bunch of wood and wood shavings falling beneath it--I could just sweep it up. And since I'll have at least two years' worth of wood, I think if the sides/top are fairly open I shouldn't have too much of a problem.

One other question: should I use joist hangers or just nail the joists since I have clear access?

S

Use hangers. You will be putting a lot of weight in there.

 

[thinkxingu]

OK, and
1. Should I use 2 x 8 for the joists or 2 x 10. It's only a 6' span, and I'm going 16 on center. I'd like to try to get away without a step--2 x 8's would give me a 10" riser height, which is ok.

2. And do I need doubles on the outsides?

S

 

[smokinj]

OK, and
1. Should I use 2 x 8 for the joists or 2 x 10. It's only a 6' span, and I'm going 16 on center. I'd like to try to get away without a step--2 x 8's would give me a 10" riser height, which is ok.

2. And do I need doubles on the outsides?

S

Sounds like a brick crap house to me! 2x10 and double outside. Thats a prodject in my book......... :coolsmile:

 

[glennm]

I built a 16 x8 recently with a pressure treated floor. Used 2x6 joists on hangers at 16" centers. When half full the rim joist broke. I found out that a cord of green wood can weigh as much as 5000 lbs !! We ended up pouring a concrete footing under the joists at 4 foot centers. That made it plenty solid. If I was to do it again I would put a layer of crushed stone on the ground and build the floor with 2x6 joists resting right on the stone. That would be perfect in my case and no need for any doubling up

 

[thinkxingu]

Glenn, where did the rim joist break? I'm thinking with a 6' span and only loading left and right 1/3's that 2 x 8's would be good.

S

 

[lukem]

I think you might be overly concerned with termites unless you have a large known population in your yard. Building a deck for your shed floor would be great, but to achieve the required strength it is going to be pricey. Consult a carpenters handbook on joist size based on your live load....which will depend a lot on how high you intend to stack. You are probably in the 200 lb range which is literally off the charts. I know a 2x8 can span 9 feet with a 100 lb live load. So for 6 foot span and double the load you ar looking at a 2x10 unless you want to brace in the center.

Another vote for gravel. Probably would be cheaper to call the orkin man to treat the area.

 

[velvetfoot]

The capacity is related to the split size as well. At 16", four rows would be 64" +, I don't know, 6"?, = 70". But the roof would overhang, right?

 

[smokinj]

Glenn, where did the rim joist break? I'm thinking with a 6' span and only loading left and right 1/3's that 2 x 8's would be good.

S

Its alot of weight and cost difference minimal at this point! I would still put in support and tie it all the way across. One cord 1-2 tons. Your are talking major weight and makes a hot tube a babys toy here! :cheese:

 

[firefighterjake]

2 x 10 . . . price difference is negligible and the extra two to four inches can make a big difference vs. 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 construction. There is a lot of weight with wood . . . beefy is better.

Double beams on the exterior . . . heck, you may even want to consider running a few double beams in the middle. My own mantra is to build it once . . . and not worry about having to rebuild it. I'm no engineer, but I can build something plenty rugged . . . it may cost a bit more, but I would rather pay a few extra dollars and have it standing for years to come than to have to deal with a broken stringer in a completely built structure.

Hangers . . . more rugged. Only negative is if you use rough cut lumber like I do . . . hangers are made for planed down wood which means a tight fit . . .

Beef up your base supports . . . again . . . lots of weight on the floor . . . it's far better to buy a few extra concrete blocks than to have to tear up a floor to replace broken stringers. This is a case where having too many points in the floor being supported from below to the ground is not a bad thing.

Tight floor boards . . . I went this route so I did not have to worry about wood debris accumulating underneath the woodshed over the years. A benefit is in the Spring you get a bag or two of wood debris that can be used for fire starting.

 

[velvetfoot]

How about a concrete slab?

 

[gzecc]

Use 4x4 on 24" centers and 3/4 plywood.

 

[lukem]

Use 4x4 on 24" centers and 3/4 plywood.

I think you'd get a LOT of deflection with that.