Racing the weather for a <$600 "garage"

[workinonit]

Haha, I see you are from SC. We heat our house exclusively with that wood - having it completely dry and readily accessible all winter long is indeed a very high priority for me. I kept my firewood outdoors in the elements with various rudimentary coverings for years before I got that metal carport, and it SUCKED. Hardwood firewood needs to season (dry out) for several months, if not a year+, in a place with airflow, but out not in the rain and snow.

You can get damp firewood to burn ok in a woodstove, but you send half the BTUs up the chimney, along with a load of creosote. Never again, for me.

I get it but firewood or my farm equipment, I think my equipment wins out.

 

[deezler]

I get it but firewood or my farm equipment, I think my equipment wins out.

I get where you're coming from too, I hate seeing my tractor attachments sit outside all winter (thankfully now they wont!). To be clear it was never my tractor or any power equipment, just implements.

But that's also kind of like saying, I don't mind if my furnace runs at half the efficiency and struggles to keep the house above 65F, just so some well painted/powdercoated pieces of metal don't ever get wet. Poor tradeoff.

 

[deezler]

I never posted this pic from the backside. My car hauler is looong, guess the beaver tail has to take the elements still, haha. Still better than the entire trailer living outside.

One thing that I didn't really think about when building the foundation walls, it how the zipper doors obviously wont reach the ground and seal up the shed. Not a problem at all with this long trailer poking out each end, but maybe a drawback if and when I have other goods inside. I have an idea to make a folding wooden ramp on each end (or at least the rear side) , but sort of doubt I'll ever get motivated or find the time to engineer and build such a thing. Not really necessary.

 

[KennyG]

Should be easy to extend your doors. I assume you have a pocket at the bottom of the door. Just slide some kind of rod through the pocket and tie a flap of tarp material to it.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I had considered one of these fabric buildings until I saw what happened to a friends' on a neighboring farm. He replaced his 12' x 20' "tent" twice due to damage from wind, tree branches and even falling icicles from the barn roof.

After it collapsed completely during an ice storm, he replaced it with two 8' x 20' shipping containers. He spaced them 12' apart and plans to cover the space between with a shed roof.

Nothing wrong with these tent buildings in areas not prone to weather damage. Just not around here.

 

[nyone]

I get it but firewood or my farm equipment, I think my equipment wins out.

Wet firewood..useless. wet equipment..same usefulness.

 

[LD48750]

I don't know... My 76 year old Ford 2N lived outside most if not all of its life & I finally sold it for more then I paid for it.
I only sold it because Mama said I couldn't keep 3 tractors & it was the oldest.

 

[two_bit_score]

One thing that I didn't really think about when building the foundation walls, it how the zipper doors obviously wont reach the ground and seal up the shed.

That looks great!

If that was mine I would wind up with all kinds of stuff stacked on the trailer so whenever I needed it all that stuff would have to be moved.

 

[two_bit_score]

Nothing wrong with these tent buildings in areas not prone to weather damage. Just not around here.

They are not right for everyone. Those double shipping containers with a roof between them can be made to look very nice if someone wants that. They are very durable from what I've seen.

 

[ning]

Have any of you tarp-shed people used ex-billboard vinyls? Prices vs tarps seem really good, though you need to grommet them yourself; I've read fantastic things about their strength & lifespan.

I got one to cover my duck tractor (movable 8x20 metal/mesh quonset thing) but my "temporary" tarp from last year is still holding up so my vinyl is still in the box.