Fire wood storage building?

[handirifle]

I have a couple really nice 20ft long 4x12's that were given to me. Well sort of, I hauled about 30 of them on a flatbed, for a family member, so it was kind of payment. Anyway I have a couple ideas in mind for projects to use them on.

One, would be a 20x20ft pole barn for firewood storage. I can get some steel pipe pretty reasonable, for the uprights, and was figuring on putting them into the ground with concrete, I was figuring 3" pipe with "U" brackets welded on top to cradle the beam, and spaced about 10ft apart, with approx 8ft vertical. I might go with smaller spacing, depending on what I plan on using for siding. I only am concerned about keeping rain off the firewood, but still want plenty of ventilation.

The roof, most likely would be fiberglass panels or steel, depending on cost. Wind load around here is minimal, MOST of the time, but we do get occasional storms that will produce 50-60mpg gusts, so I would need to anchor either type pretty well.

Given that, I was thinking setting the posts about 3ft deep, in either 10 or 12" dia concrete. The uprights will be corner braced as well.

I am also considering using at least one, as a beam to attach a carport type roof to the side(s) of my workshop, for a little extra storage, and maybe a place to park my truck to keep it sort of out of the weather. Similar type construction, except one side would be anchored to the shop wall. It would start at 10ft and slope to 8ft in about 18ft.

I want to keep costs down as much as possible. Ideas on either?

 

[Redlands Okie]

Seems you have it pretty well figured out. Tin roof will last much longer than the fiberglass and probably less money. On the wood storage building you might think of some kind of lateral or angle brace for wind loads going sideways. Unless you putting walls on it then that will take care of the issue. Even short 4 ft long walls at two opposite corners will help a lot. The angle brakes you mention are way better than nothing The carport one would probably be ok since its attached to existing workshop.

On the carport roof height allow for gravel or concrete placed at a later time which will raise the height of the vehicle and may make the roof need to be at a bit higher than 8 ft. I assume your measuring from the BOTTOM of the roof joists or rafters. If your tractor might somehow end up under the carport how tall is your roll prevention bar ? Seems to be a common problem that the ROP hits the roof edge.

For sure keep in mind the height of the BOTTOM of the wood storage roofline so the ROP not hit.

Sounds like you got a nice useful project to keep busy with for a while. Enjoy

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

I was figuring 3" pipe with "U" brackets welded on top to cradle the beam, and spaced about 10ft apart, with approx 8ft vertical. I might go with smaller spacing, depending on what I plan on using for siding.

I can't imagine that 3" steel is less than adequate. On the other hand, I always see 4" being used for such things, and I don't know why. You might want to double check on that, though.

As to the spacing, I recommend you go a standard 8", with 2' overhang on each end. You might later decide to put sides on it, and you won't want to be fighting a non-standard spacing.

The roof, most likely would be fiberglass panels or steel, depending on cost.

Go with fiberglass, as clear as possible. Later, you might close in some or all of the sides with the same, to make a solar kiln out of it. Even if you don't, using fiberglass will allow some heat build up there which will help with drying the wood.

A lean-to on an existing building is really good bang for the buck, in terms of getting usable space at minimal cost.

 

[handirifle]

Good points from both posts. Steel will surely last longer, but I really like the clear glass idea too. Summers are hot here but I don't always have it split and stacked at the best times, so any solar gain is helpful.

Good point about insuring measurements are at the bottom, for either project. I have an 8hx12w roll up door for my workshop, and the ROP just fits, so I know 8ft is good.

Another good point on spacing, I honestly never thought of "standard" spacing, but it's good to look ahead. Especially since I have no idea what I will side either project with at this point.

 

[muddstopper]

This is what I store my wood under. It will hold 8 cord, more if I stack to the top. I got it for free, just had to move it.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Good points from both posts. Steel will surely last longer, but I really like the clear glass idea too.

Unless youi have trees nearby that might drop branches, I think the fiberglass or polypropylene will last 20 years or more. Not as much as steel, but long enough that the heat gain will make it worth your time, I think.

I used to think my wood was dry, and I was happy with it. Then I got some really dry wood, and I found out what a different world it is. Now that I know, I find it's worth a lot more investment to me to make sure my wood is dry.

I suspect the vast majority of wood burners don't know how good it is to have really dry wood. If they did, they'd be willing to invest more in dry wood.

 

[muddstopper]

I try to stay a couple years ahead with my wood. With my shed setup, I pull dry wood from one end and stack green wood in the other. Next season, just swap ends. I have wood in the middle that is probably 3 or 4 years old. I can tell the difference between burning dry and burning green wood by just looking at my chimney cap. If its starting to cresote up, its from burning green. I cleaned my flue before burning season this year and got a dust pan full of cresote out, Two full seasons of burning since last cleaned. With green wood, I clean it before the season and at least once mid season and get a 5 gal bucket full of cresote each time. Dry wood will make a difference and put a smile on your face.

 

[handirifle]

mudstopper
I actually have one of those buildings, 18x18, but I store my small aluminum boat, my tractor, my riding mower, my quad, and a go-kart in it. Plus a few other small items. I have wondered about another, smaller one. I guess I need to compare $$$.

Mark
Actually my carport like mudstoppers, and the wood storage, are all under a 30" oak, so limb dropping is a regular occurrence.

I would post a pic but it's kind of a mess over there. The carport sits where it was when we bought the land and I haven't done much with it yet. It's sits cockeyed, and the front is probably 12" or more, lower than the back. The previous owner never bothered to grade the ground under it. To make it worse, they attached a wood storage building to one side, making it all the more hassle to move it and correct the problems.

I do have plans to do so. I will try to do THAT this coming summer. I have to remove all my firewood, which ought to be less than a half cord by then, tear down the wood storage and remove it, and then remove the pegs holding the port down, and move it. I am hoping I can rig a brace to connect to the base of each side and slide it as a unit without too much damage.

After that, I will grade the area level and am thinking I might even set it on a slightly raised foundation, but not sure about that idea.

My wood storage will hold about 2 cord, but, here's the kicker, they built it facing the prevailing winds DURING STORMS. Around here the winds normally come from the NE, but our storms, that have a coastal influence, all turn counter clockwise, and when they hit us, the rains all come from the south. Makes it darn near impossible to keep my wood dry. I am getting pretty tired of it all.

I saw on Pinterest, where someone took a carport and added wood sides to it to make it a nice looking barn (search for carport barn) so I might end up with the carport looking like one of those, but I STILL want a separate wood storage building. I do not like having them connected like they are.

 

[TnAndy]

I used to think my wood was dry, and I was happy with it. Then I got some really dry wood, and I found out what a different world it is. Now that I know, I find it's worth a lot more investment to me to make sure my wood is dry.

I suspect the vast majority of wood burners don't know how good it is to have really dry wood. If they did, they'd be willing to invest more in dry wood.

My guess is you're right.

Most cut it a few months ahead and think it dry. I season mine 2 years in sheds, and it's that REALLY dry kind you're talking about. The shed I'm filling now will be for the winter of 18-19, or possibly 20-21.

Got 4 of these 4 cord sheds, use about 4-6 cords/yr

 

[John_Mc]

Keep in mind when building wood storage that the more enclosed and densely stacked the wood is, the longer it will take to dry. With the exception of building s solar kiln, the fastest drying is from a single row stacked out in the open, exposed to the sun & wind and up off the ground (pallets or a couple of poles cut and laid parallel work fine). You need heat and especially airflow for the fastest drying. Unless you are in a constantly rainy climate (like parts of the Pacific NW) having a roof or cover over it will slow down the drying. The rain generally just increases the surface moisture, and a few sunny days will drive it right back out again. Cover it as you get close to the heating season.

If you can get enough ahead to have the time to spare to allow drying for a couple of years, sheds like TnAndy have are hard to beat for wood storage (I'm jealous), but there are other alternatives which can provide faster drying times.

 

[Deadman]

I do a final dry on my wood, by hauling the next years wood inside my heated shop and fire my wood furnace hard. Then it sits in the A/C'd shop all summer and dries down beyond where it will dry outside in the humid climate here in WI.

 

[handirifle]

Been looking online and I think I might end up with a metal building, a carport type, I THINK. I can get a 12x21ft with 6ft legs, installed for $895 plus tax. I still need to sit down and layout my pole barn version and get material prices. While we are not considered a rainy area, by a lot of people's standards, we do get some big storms (for CA). We have one with an expected 6-10" this weekend.

Storms like that can and do soak dry wood to the point it is unburnable for a long time. I agree a couple years ahead is ideal around here too, for good burning wood. If I go with a carport style I will vent the roof.

I do have some ideas for solar heating to speed up the drying process too. Right now they are ideas. During the summer, I can get by with a roof fan, just pulling air in and up. During the winter I can make some home made solar air panels to pre-heat the cooler air. I will most likely do all this because I want it mostly enclosed, or at least during rainy season. I want removable sides.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Have you looked into making a hoop house? I just penciled out the costs today for a 12x25 hoop house made with 3/4" PVC conduit. With gravel for the floor I'm looking at about 300 bucks, plus the plastic to cover it. Greenhouse plastic will get your wood toasty warm and dry.

hoop house for firewood - YouTube

I found the greenhouse film for $500 for a 20'x100' roll. Since it's guaranteed for 4 years, that works out to 16 years worth of covering for $500, or around $30 per year.

TUFFLITE IV 4 year 6mil Greenhouse Film | Creative Shelters

 

[handirifle]

That's a good idea, but I want something a bit stronger, and more accessible. While winds are not always bad here, there are some wind storms that knock over some oaks on occasion, so I do not think that would hold up here very long. At least not where I will be putting mine.

 

[jack707]

I just built a lean two for the wood 16x10.

 

[John_Mc]

Just remember to create some good ventilation if you are totally enclosing the wood storage. Putting green wood in a totally enclosed building without good air exchange can slow the drying process beyond what just leaving it out in the open will do. It's also a recipe for mold. (in fact, even in a ventilated building, if you are blocking air flow from the wood, you can still get mold, especially in the interior rows of a multi-row stack).

Handirifle's idea of removable sides is an interesting one. My main firewood storage is a lean-to shed off the back of my garage, so it's open on 3 sides. At one point I had a tarp that I could roll down from the rafters on the longer open side. (I got the idea from a roll-up airplane hangar door.) It worked pretty well to keep the rain and snow out when I remembered to lower it. Once we got close to the heating season, I'd just leave it down all the time. I never got around to replacing it when the tarp disintegrated a few years ago. I keep meaning to replace it with a canvas tarp or something more durable that will stand up to the wind, and not get brittle due to UV exposure. I also want to use a couple of smaller tarps next time, rather than one big one (rolling up a 24' wide tarp was a pain in the butt).

 

[handirifle]

Folks need to understand, around here, the wet season is also the heating season. So letting a little rain get on the wood is NOT an option. It gets wet right when you need it.

My wood storage currently is 3 sided also. It does have decent ventilation though. I use black landscape cloth that is hung from the roof (about 6ft high) and is double layered. This allows air flow, but the double layer does a pretty good job of stopping the rain too. I use a 10ft length of 1 1/2 wood pole to roll it up when I need access. I stapled the cloth to the pole, and use metal conduit hangers at the bottom to slip the ends of the pole into to keep it thight and in place. When I roll it up, I use velcro straps to hold it up so it isn't in my way. My storage areas are about 10ft long, 4ft deep and 6ft high. Better than nothing, but not huge.

The biggest trick I have found with this stuff, it to not let it touch the wood. If it does the rain will transfer right into the fire wood. If it's not touching, it simply runs down between the layers.

I have not decided yet, but I may use similar for the removable walls of the new one. I use black, so it catches a little solar action as well. My wood sits above ground as well. The big issue with the current setup is it leaks, and the roof is too close to the top of my stacks to promote as muych air flow as I would like. I also want to be able to store my kindling wood in dry area as well.

During the summer, our air is dry enough (15-20% humidity avg) that a positive airflow works wonders in a single season of drying.

 

[captjack]

i built 2 open sheds - 20lx12hx10d with metal roofing. then put a couple of 2x4 between each wall (sides and back) then used heavy welded wire as walls - this allows you to stack wood in it as if it had wood walls but allows maximum air flow which is what you need to get that wood dried out. I cant seem to post pics on this site anymore for some reason

 

[handirifle]

Well it looks like I am going to end up with a simple addition, of sorts, to the existing structure. I may end up with a framed canopy structure overall, finances being what they are. As long as I have ample storage for at least two years of wood and keeping it dry I will be ok with it. Hey, what I really would like is a 3 room barn, one for the RV, one for my tractor, mower, etc, and one for wood, but a $20,000 steel barn might as well be a $100,000 steel barn.

 

[9fingers]

Been looking online and I think I might end up with a metal building, a carport type, I THINK. I can get a 12x21ft with 6ft legs, installed for $895 plus tax. I still need to sit down and layout my pole barn version and get material prices. While we are not considered a rainy area, by a lot of people's standards, we do get some big storms (for CA). We have one with an expected 6-10" this weekend.

Storms like that can and do soak dry wood to the point it is unburnable for a long time. I agree a couple years ahead is ideal around here too, for good burning wood. If I go with a carport style I will vent the roof.

I do have some ideas for solar heating to speed up the drying process too. Right now they are ideas. During the summer, I can get by with a roof fan, just pulling air in and up. During the winter I can make some home made solar air panels to pre-heat the cooler air. I will most likely do all this because I want it mostly enclosed, or at least during rainy season. I want removable sides.

Here are a couple of pictures of the woodshed that I came up with. It has a floating deck on a crusher stone bed to eliminate the strain of 6 cords of green wood on the building frame.