Drying shed

[metalspinner]

Can you guys help me (in cyberspace ;) ) build a drying shed? :D

I'm at the point where I need a drying shed.  What I will actually built is a carport that wood will be stored under.  The area where the wood is currently stored is about 20x20, so a shed just large enough to cover this is prefered. I would like to add extra bays later as neccesity and materials alocation dictate. ;)

I am a newbie at construction type work, and have no formal training in building stuctures...just read books, seen pics of buildings you guys have built, and general knowledge of stick framing.

I am considering a pole type construction, though the only wood available to me are large poplars.  Is pouring concrete peers with brackets on top to hold square posts a good foundation for this type of building?

My guess is to use 6x6 posts on 10 foot centers. I am wanting a rather high ceiling at about 10-12'.

Can the roof girters be as small as 2x8's on each side of the post?

Can the truss material be full sized 2x4 with plywood gussets? Or should I go with 2x6's?

The first thing is milling the poplars.  I have about 3500BF in logs from 10-20' in length and need to make sure I cut the correct dimensions.  Smaller dimensional sized pieces are much easier to come buy in my urban logging quest, so getting the larger elements right from these logs is critical at this stage.

Any and all opinions would be appreciated.

[brdmkr]

I am sure no construction expert, but I have store bought trusses that are all 2x4 and they span 25 feet with no problem.  I think you can go to 30 - 32 feet with 2x4 trusses. 

[WDH]

MS, 

I have shed roofs off both sides of my shop that extend out 26 feet on each side.  I used 6x6 treated posts set in concrete. 

The central shop area is 20 feet wide by 40 feet long.  The gable from the roof of the central shop extends out 16" to another set of 6x6 posts then further extends out an additional 10 feet held up by 4x4 treated posts.  Here is a pic where you can see the left side sheds.  So each side has a shed that is 26 feet wide x 40 feet long.

The rafters that form the shed roof on each side are 2x8 untreated pine.  The longest span is 16 feet for the first shed then 10 feet for the last shed.



I suspect that you are not needing a central shop, just sheds. 

You could outline the perimeter with 6x6 posts, wrap the top of the posts with double 2x10's with a 1/2" plywood core for strength, and bolt these beams to the posts.  Then you could purchase conventional trusses to span the space.  If you made the working height inside the shed a full 10 feet, you could use 2x8 rafters to create two side sheds, one on each side, to create even more shed space very cheaply.

The key thing is to get good air flow for drying your wood.  Making it 10 feet inside height promotes better air circulation and allows you to change the roof pitch and get two free sheds on each side of the central structure if you choose.  Or, you can add them later very easily if you need them.

[metalspinner]

Thanks for your ideas, guys.

This little shed is kind of a learning curve to me for my shop.  I like the idea of adding those wings to the side of your central building, WDH.  I have room to expand in three directions with this area, so many options in the future are possible.  That is one reason I am thinking about the pole building.

[logwalker]

MS, in my area when you refer to a pole building it means the poles are set into holes in the ground. I don't think that is what you are referring to, is it?

I used Midwest Plan Service, a non-profit group of colleges supplying all kinds of information to farmers. Here is the website.

http://www.mwps.org/

Look at their truss plans sections and find the one that works for you. They sell a building guide for a few bucks but the plans are free. I used it and it worked out very well. Joe

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Im a carpenter buy trade sawyer by nature . Id build a simple skillion (flat) roof for your timber shed my cutting list would go like this two 6x6 x 12ft two 6x6 x 14ft posts two 10x2 x 20 ft roof beams and seven 8X1 1/2  X 20 ft  rafters  about 100 liner feet of 3 or 4x1 1/2  battens  and eight 5 foot lengths of 6x2 for leg braces two on each post connecting to one  10x2 beam and one 8x11/2 rafter

this will give you a 20' by 20' shed  with a 10% fall from front to back that you can extend later on lengthwise and you will have clearance of 13'  front and 11' on the back wall . over hang the roofing iron  at least 6" on all sides .

You can precut all the beams  on the ground and its alot easyer  for one bloke to build on his own. also I wold use concreate piers with brackets bolted on top leave at least 3" between the top of the pier and the bottom of the post

if you havnt built it yet and and want me to do a rough scetch and post it just drop me a line

Happy building

Chris McMahon

ps the sizes I gave you are probobly heaver than they need to be.

[DR Buck]

My guess is to use 6x6 posts on 10 foot centers. I am wanting a rather high ceiling at about 10-12'.

Can the roof girters be as small as 2x8's on each side of the post?

Can the truss material be full sized 2x4 with plywood gussets? Or should I go with 2x6's?

I just had a professional pole building put up.  In fact, it's still not done yet.    Upright poles are treated 6x6's in the corners and 4x6's  in between on 8 foot centers.   All are in holes filled with concrete.  Header boards are double 2x8.  One on each side of the 6x6s & 4x6's.  Where the  side where the 9 ft roll-up doors are going the header boards are 2x10.    The trusses are 30 foot and are 2x6 on the top chord and 2x4 for the rest of the material.

[solidwoods]

Poplar near the ground will rot.
Treated posts.  If you want to save $ then cut the poplar to the size of threated post you want to use.  Then half lap them together.  use the mill for the split cut and a skill saw for the cross cut. Angle the cross cut so water would run down the joint. Through bolt the joint.  I'd keep the poplar 2' off the ground.

When you mill poplar don't split the heart to make cants then mill 2x's.  they will side bend. (if you have lg. dia poplar)

I think someone posted the truss design site. 

If you go with glue/nails/ply gussets you need to dry and then plane the material to the same thickness. (gal. ring shank nails are nice)

Wall height is nice, as much pitch as possible (no way I'd make a flat roof).
Tall walls and pitch allow for additional roofs to be added later to expand roof coverage.
jim

[metalspinner]

Thanks for the details, guys.  This "summer" project has turned into a fall project. :

The concrete piers will probably be the way I will go, as poplar is the material I have on hand.  The 2' from the ground rule works out just great, because I want the extra height to be able to stand on top of a tall stack.  Maybe a ladder at each post should be incorporated into the structure, eh?

Thanks for the offer on the sketch up, Meadows Miller.  I just may take you up on it.  The roof shape and pitch I have in my head looks alot like WDH's shed.

[Larry]

There is a nother way.  Saw your popular into standard  2" X 6" s.  Go to the lumber yard and buy 2" X 6" X 10' treated pine.  Cut your treated lumber into say 1 - 4', 1 - 6' and 1 - 3'.  Nail this mess together with staggered lengths of your popular to make a 4 1/2" X 5 1/2" post.   Make sure the factory end of your treated lumber goes into the ground and use nails approved for your treated lumber.

Morton Buildings use a similar post in there pole barns...the last one I had built came with a 50 year warranty on the posts.  I've made posts the same way using oak with treated pine.

For your trusses in a drying shed I would just copy a truss design from a truss company or you can get plans here. Midwest Plan Service I thought those plans use to be free...must be inflation.

Can't really answer your question about girters...not that smart.

[WDH]

I sure learned something here!  I wouldn't have thought to fabricate a post with a treated bottom and an untreated top with the staggered joints mentioned in this post.  I am now armed and dangerous with a new technique ;D.

[TexasTimbers]

Make sure also you use lumber that is rated for ground contact, and not "above" ground contact.this is a common mistake. Both tags may say "Ground Contact", but the .25 PCF which is not infused with enough chemicals for long term in-ground contact, may have a smaller type font on the tag that further elaborates "for use only above ground".

I have not kept up with the new types of treated lumber coming on the market so my info my not be accurate. But up to about 2 years ago I still remember making a mental note in a big box store that the .40 (which is rated for in=ground) pile of treated lumber was stacked right next to the .25 andboth of the little plastic tags on the ends said in bold font "Ground Contact" and I thought to myself "that is misleading to alot of peeps.

You may already know this metal I just wanted to point it out in case you didn't. And as I say, this info may be irrelevant now I have not stayed on top of the treated market. I assume they have been coming out with "better" and "greener" formulations ever since the 1-1-2004 EPA mandate took effect.

[metalspinner]

Thanks for the heads up, TT.

I will keep an eye out for the fine print next time I'm looking for PT.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday Metal spinner

Ill draw somthing up in the next couple of days and post it I will just use approx lengths and hights so You can work with the lengths you have at hand it will look somthing like one of the side bays on WDH's shed .
You can add the workshop later ;) :D

Reguards Chris

[CarlR]

Metalspinner,

Hopefully you're farther along by now, but for reference here is what I have.  It is similar in size to what you talked about in June.








My shed measures 18 deep, 22 wide and 6 tall in the center of the bays.  With the middle full of junk, the rest will hold 17 cords.  The sides are chicken wire that will not hold the wood in for long.  The sides are not handy to patch after it is full and the wood comes tumbling out.  I would be happy to take pictures of the interior for you in April.

If doing this again, I would add a copula to the top to improve air flow.  The air near the roof is hot and humid.  Convection added by a cupola combined with the hot roof would speed up the drying.  The shed also has Ontonagon rafters; I would not do that again.   I tarp the sides to keep the snow out, perhaps something fancier...

The posts are pressure treated, set in the ground and rotten.  Next time I will pour the footings, floor and use Simpson Strong Tie Brackets (CBPC).  In a barn I built recently I used these to attach the posts with pressure treated pads at the base. 

My intent was to add onto the front if necessary but enough years have passed that maybe I should start from scratch.  I want something larger so I hope to feed this one into the fire by the end of this winter!  I am impressed by the one shown by WDH and one shown by Chet in the Image Archive.  These are much better looking and would function more efficiently for my purposes.

[Tom]

Welcome to the ForestryForum, Carl.

Holy Smokes!   Great post for a first post....... and pictures done to spec. too.   Good Show!!

[beenthere]

Yep, like Tom said. Welcome and enjoyed your woodshed pics.

I once had a similar settup...24 x 24 pole shed with no sides. Stacked two sides 8' wide by 10' high and enjoyed the dry wood....

Problem...was the raccoons..used it as the grand toilet of racoons. So bad, that I moved the wood out and went to a pallet system. Wood not as nice, but no more raccoon crap to deal with.

Really like having the wood on pallets, and stack it on the pallets when splitting...no more handling.  Cover the pallets of wood with rubber roofing to keep off direct rain and snow.

Look forward to having you around on the forum.

[CarlR]

Tom; Thanks for the welcome, this is a neat place you have here.  There is enough information here to earn college credits.

Beenthere; Thanks, I saw your Deere and pallet of cordwood picture and thought "well there's a better way!"  Here its not raccoons but groundhogs.  Oh and possum.  That crazy skunk, boy that wasn't any fun...

A picture of the post brackets I used.  Under the base of the post is a trimmed down, pressure treated 2x12. The inspector liked it.