Can we talk sheds?

[Wisconsin Beth]

I want to put a shed on our land up North.  We've got 1.6 acres of land, with 90 feet of frontage on a river.  No house, no garage, no water/sewage and no power.  At some point, we'd like to build a house up there but that's way in the future. 

DH likes to mow the areas we use for camping.  I'd like to stop hauling a lawn mower up and back.  I'd also like to store some things up there - air mattresses, cooking stuff, etc.  When I mentioned finding a cheap shed, he said he'd like one big enough to store the boat in.  Which changes the dynamics a wee bit. 

So, my questions for those of you with sheds:
1. What's the base?  Did you pour a concrete slab?  Dirt?  Patio brick?
2. Does what you store in a shed change what kind of flooring surface you need? 
3. How do sheds anchor to the ground if you don't pour a slab and set anchor thingies into it? 
4. How important is the material the shed is made out of?  Obviously I want something sturdy but it also doesn't need to last for 100 years in this case.... 

The boat is trailered and I think it's 14 feet long and the trailer adds a couple of feet.  It's just a basic boat, I think it's alum, has oars and a motor.  And it's currently stored in FIL's garage. 

Thanks,
Beth

[midjd]

Good thread! We just tore down our crappy old shed last weekend and now DH is angling for a 2 or 3 bay garage. There is no way we'll be able to afford one in the next few years, but I'm looking at our options...

So far we've decided on a poured concrete base and may end up just getting one of those prefab kits you can get at Menards/Lowes, and then adding electricity, etc.

Have you looked at the prefab/Quonset huts? Would those serve the purpose?

(I do have an answer to #3 based on our tear-down experience - not well. DH ran the Bobcat into our shed at a very low speed and it collapsed immediately.)

Looking forward to other responses.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Have you looked at the prefab/Quonset huts? Would those serve the purpose?

No clue, we looked at some sheds on the Menards lot up there a few years ago.  And then my depression kicked in and DHs' health issues.  We're finally at a place where we're actually ready to DO something beyond spend 2 weekends a year up there. 

DH said he'd start researching types of sheds and stuff.  He's a demon for research when he's invested in the topic.   

[Deleted]

I have a 36x48 foot pole shed.  For the floor I just had a lot of gravel hauled in.  I've kept everything from animals (although they have rubber mats in their stalls) to garden equipment to boats, snowmobiles etc, with just the crushed rock floor and it's been fine.  Much cheaper than pouring a slab.  As far as anchoring, it's a pole barn, so the poles are set something like 5 or 6 feet into the ground and then they poured bags of dry cement into the holes before filling them back in. 

I went with Morton buildings because the steel is colored all the way through.  Other metal sheds tend to fade in the sun over the years, but mine is 20 years old now and except for the shutters which did fade, it still looks new. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

<Beth goes off to find pole sheds and Morton>

[bookkeeper]

My parents also have a Morton building.  Theirs is a large machine shed.  It looks like the day they put it up 30 years ago.

We bought a garage package from Menards for our last house.  We hired a friend with some construction experience and tools to foreman the job and we were the grunt menial labor portion of the job.  It turned out great and we got it mostly done in a weekend.  We had a concrete company pour the footings and the floor for that garage. 

[busymom]

Whatever you do, make sure it's sturdy construction. The cheap ones get broken into around here, because it's an easy way for thieves to score a lawnmower & snow blower.

[midjd]

Bookkeeper, if you don't mind posting it (and sorry WB for the mini-hijack) how much did your Menard package cost? That sounds exactly like what we want to do.

[Wisconsin Beth]

No worries Mid. 

[Tennesseer]

Jun 5, 2014 12:29:29 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

No worries Mid. 

Would any security of property in the shed be an issue?  It sounds like you and yours are not always there. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Yes, security is an issue too. WE've got neighbors across the lane but the pines are growing up (and in) so they won't be able to keep an eye on it.

[mollyanna58]

My sister and I bought some acreage years ago that had a large shed with a loft that the prior owners used instead of camping out in a tent. 

Side note: check on your insurance.  Many Homeowners policies include vacant land at no cost, but once there is any man-made structure on it (fence, shed, etc), you have to pay an extra charge. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

I told DH about Morton and he poked around some.  Neither of us was able to find anything on their site for the sizes we're thinking of.  He did look at some other sites, including Carter I think it was. 

We're going up there on Sat, coming back on Sun, so we'll take a look and see where DH is thinking of putting it vs where I was thinking.    I'm told that it's very buggy up there and the ticks are out in full force too.  But I want to check on how the trees did over the winter. 

[Deleted]

Jun 6, 2014 9:11:13 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

I told DH about Morton and he poked around some.  Neither of us was able to find anything on their site for the sizes we're thinking of.  He did look at some other sites, including Carter I think it was. 

We're going up there on Sat, coming back on Sun, so we'll take a look and see where DH is thinking of putting it vs where I was thinking.    I'm told that it's very buggy up there and the ticks are out in full force too.  But I want to check on how the trees did over the winter. 

They'll build any size.  Right down to a 12X8 foot three-sided shelter.  They are spendy though.  Probably one of the more expensive companies, but very high quality.  Lester is another good one.  I don't know what WI state fair is like, but at MN they always are running deals during the fair. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Ohh, good thought.  It's not until August though. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

I was watching billboards as we drove up to the land on Sat and again back home on Sunday.  Saw some for Wicks and a couple others that I can't remember right now.  

DH showed me where he wants to put the shed.  It will probably work there.  Although we might have to move the fire pit and the wood pile but that's not a big deal. 

[Lizard Queen]

Jun 5, 2014 10:30:16 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

I want to put a shed on our land up North.  We've got 1.6 acres of land, with 90 feet of frontage on a river.  No house, no garage, no water/sewage and no power.  At some point, we'd like to build a house up there but that's way in the future. 

DH likes to mow the areas we use for camping.  I'd like to stop hauling a lawn mower up and back.  I'd also like to store some things up there - air mattresses, cooking stuff, etc.  When I mentioned finding a cheap shed, he said he'd like one big enough to store the boat in.  Which changes the dynamics a wee bit. 

So, my questions for those of you with sheds:
1. What's the base?  Did you pour a concrete slab?  Dirt?  Patio brick?
2. Does what you store in a shed change what kind of flooring surface you need? 
3. How do sheds anchor to the ground if you don't pour a slab and set anchor thingies into it? 
4. How important is the material the shed is made out of?  Obviously I want something sturdy but it also doesn't need to last for 100 years in this case.... 

The boat is trailered and I think it's 14 feet long and the trailer adds a couple of feet.  It's just a basic boat, I think it's alum, has oars and a motor.  And it's currently stored in FIL's garage. 

Thanks,
Beth

We built a shed a few years ago.  We got the kit from HD:  www.homedepot.com/p/Handy-Home-Products-Majestic-8-ft-x-12-ft-Wood-Storage-Shed-18631-8/202205311?N=5yc1vZbu93

We laid cement blocks on top of a layer of pea gravel for the base.  It turned out great, but was a complete pita to get all level.  Almost nobody does it that way, probably for that reason.  For heavier stuff, I'd definitely some kind of heavy duty floor like cement.  We could have just built it with a wood floor with a skid foundation (not anchored to the ground at all), but that just doesn't seem like a good idea in your situation.  That is the most common way though.  For a boat/trailer, you'd probably want a garage-style door too.