Make a shed from wood in woodland or buy cheap wooden one?

[bushcraftlearner83729]

So, you're not wiling to remove rock and stones from a stream as it's not "environmentally considerate", but you are willing to to haul in a load of old tyres

Yea because tyres are just going to sit there they aren't modifying the landscape, as was commented on with postcrete, or worse concrete, though of course someone will say they will leech out chemicals. Also they would be covered over by the structure once it is built, not like if they are just piled up at the gate and an eye sore.

One has to pick their battles.

I see that people will moan about any thing I mention online, just for the sake of it, so I just choose what I feel is the best idea and proceed.

 

[Stew]

Yea because tyres are just going to sit there they aren't modifying the landscape, as was commented on with postcrete, or worse concrete, though of course someone will say they will leech out chemicals. Also they would be covered over by the structure once it is built, not like if they are just piled up at the gate and an eye sore.

One has to pick their battles.

I see that people will moan about any thing I mention online, just for the sake of it, so I just choose what I feel is the best idea and proceed.

Yea because tyres are just going to sit there they aren't modifying the landscape, as was commented on with postcrete, or worse concrete, though of course someone will say they will leech out chemicals. Also they would be covered over by the structure once it is built, not like if they are just piled up at the gate and an eye sore.

One has to pick their battles.

I see that people will moan about any thing I mention online, just for the sake of it, so I just choose what I feel is the best idea and proceed.

Yep, they’ll leach chemicals and will modify the landscape. Sorry.

Also a bit of a rubbish choice for a foundation. Bouncy and too light. You could fill them with concrete but, yeah….

I’m not moaning, just pointing things out….

I’m

 

[bushcraftlearner83729]

Yep, they’ll leach chemicals and will modify the landscape. Sorry.

Also a bit of a rubbish choice for a foundation. Bouncy and too light. You could fill them with concrete but, yeah….

I’m not moaning, just pointing things out….

I’m

Ok but I never said I would do it. Just an idea.

Not even something I thought of myself. Someone else said in another reply that kris harbour tried doing it for one of his structures.

Pallets are probably best of both worlds in that they are still wood and will rot but easy to get in 'the real world', at least that is what people keep telling me. I am yet to find that myself.

 

[Stew]

Well, to be fair Kris is a very clever chap. I’ll have to look it out - do you have a link?

 

[Tengu]

Pallets will be found on a building site, yes?

 

[bushcraftlearner83729]

Well, to be fair Kris is a very clever chap. I’ll have to look it out - do you have a link?

No as it was 3rd hand information in a reply on one of my other threads. No link posted that I recall.

 

[bushcraftlearner83729]

Well, to be fair Kris is a very clever chap. I’ll have to look it out - do you have a link?

Ok I just found the poster who made the comment. No link, but asked them if they can provide one.

 

[Dave Budd]

I have many sheds in the woods of varying constructions and sizes Some cheap, some quite expensive, some from my own milled timber and some from gathered round wood.

What do you intend to use the shed for and how big would you like it?

The weak spots of cheap sheds are the floor and the roof. Smaller cheap sheds are less rubbish than big cheap sheds. Anything wooden rots in the woods, so buy some reclaimed PLASTIC pallets to put down as a base rather than concrete or wooden pallets. Or use breeze blocks, but they are heavy and you'd need a membrane to stop moisture going up anyway. The roof on most sheds is felt, which is rubbish but will last a few years. I would just substitute the felt for corrugated steel straight off, you can get seconds or used dead cheap.

Another route is to go for a pop-up tent style shed. I use several of these in my woods. My tractor has lived in one for over a decade and it works well. It's just a metal frame with heavy duty plastic walls and doors. I've another that has a plastic damp proof sheet (from the builders merchant) as a floor covering and I use that to stack planked timber to dry, so I've replaced the ends with net to allow a breeze. Another of these has a floor of chipboard on top of plastic pallets. The skins don't last so long out in the open where the sun degrades the plastic, but in the shade of the trees they last for decades and you can always throw another tarp over the top to protect it.

I really wouldn't bother with building from planks or pallets for the cost of a cheap shed.

 

[Chris]

I used these for the shed in my garden. You can reuse them if you ever want to move the shed.

Plastic Shed Bases | Garden Shed Base Kits | Interlocking Eco Grid Bases

Modern eco shed base kits for sale at shedstore. We offer durable interlocking plastic shed bases which can be filled with gravel, offering a sturdy alternative to traditional foundation types. Visit Shedstore to buy your garden shed base now.

www.shedstore.co.uk

A few treated wooden beams laid across the top of those and then the shed on top of that, working great so far a year on.

 

[British Red]

There are some tall trees, from 30-50ft but still have not been able to identify them by looking up their characteristics online.

Without wanting to get into the whole shed building discussion, you do know what a tree that size weighs? You are going to need a telehandler to shift it in one piece. We move & cut a lot of wood & I'm confident the unit of measure you will need is "tonnes".

If you plan to move it manually drop me a note. The surgeon who operated on my hernia was excellent.

 

[Toddy]

Sorry, shouldn't laugh at someone's injury and hope it healed soundly, but you are so right about folk under estimating the weight of timber.

OP says the ground is 'boggy'......one has to wonder just how much worse that could be without trees drinking it up. Thing is though, that timber can be so heavy with water that it almost doubles the normal 'given weight'. Heck of a thing when it crashes down.

 

[Broch]

Sorry, shouldn't laugh at someone's injury and hope it healed soundly, but you are so right about folk under estimating the weight of timber.

OP says the ground is 'boggy'......one has to wonder just how much worse that could be without trees drinking it up. Thing is though, that timber can be so heavy with water that it almost doubles the normal 'given weight'. Heck of a thing when it crashes down.

I refrained from putting up the laughing emoji, but as you have I will

 

[Toddy]

@bushcraftlearner83729

I think your idea of shelter is a good one; very practical, makes using the property much more feasible.

Stones would be ideal but, we use what we have and I suspect that's what you'd prefer.

Old tyres aren't brilliant simply because they're flexible and they decay. Great for holding timber while you split it though.....and they make decentish planters....just don't leave them with some water lying in them because insects love to breed in that.

You might try splitting some of the already fallen timbers....just use wedges and hammer them in along the length. Takes a bit of time and effort but it works, and it give you flat surfaces....that might make a flooring?

Interested to hear what you do and how it works out

M

 

[bushcraftlearner83729]

I have many sheds in the woods of varying constructions and sizes Some cheap, some quite expensive, some from my own milled timber and some from gathered round wood.

What do you intend to use the shed for and how big would you like it?

Lots of good practical advice. thanks!

I was thinking 1 shed around 10x10 then it would be big enough to have both as a workshop with room for sitting, cooking and such without having to get 2 sheds, one for each purpose.

The weak spots of cheap sheds are the floor and the roof. Smaller cheap sheds are less rubbish than big cheap sheds. Anything wooden rots in the woods, so buy some reclaimed PLASTIC pallets to put down as a base rather than concrete or wooden pallets. Or use breeze blocks, but they are heavy and you'd need a membrane to stop moisture going up anyway.

Oooooooorrr, old tyres!?

The roof on most sheds is felt, which is rubbish but will last a few years. I would just substitute the felt for corrugated steel straight off, you can get seconds or used dead cheap.

Another route is to go for a pop-up tent style shed. I use several of these in my woods. My tractor has lived in one for over a decade and it works well. It's just a metal frame with heavy duty plastic walls and doors. I've another that has a plastic damp proof sheet (from the builders merchant) as a floor covering and I use that to stack planked timber to dry, so I've replaced the ends with net to allow a breeze. Another of these has a floor of chipboard on top of plastic pallets. The skins don't last so long out in the open where the sun degrades the plastic, but in the shade of the trees they last for decades and you can always throw another tarp over the top to protect it.

I really wouldn't bother with building from planks or pallets for the cost of a cheap shed.

That is good to see a rare vote for cheap sheds as I have been leaning back to this for the reason you say, cheap and seems it will do the job for what I want as well as immediate. I just want to get the tools in there and have a space to work from asap, doesn't have to be perfect.

I can think about improvements down the line.

 

[bushcraftlearner83729]

.one has to wonder just how much worse that could be without trees drinking it up. Thing is though, that timber can be so heavy with water that it almost doubles the normal 'given weight'. Heck of a thing when it crashes down.

That reminds me of another point I wanted to ask.

I have a small trickle of a stream in my land right now. I am not sure where the vein runs through the field, another question would be how I could find that out, not diviners I guess, but it comes out near the bottom edge of the slope.

Would planting water hungry trees like willow be so thirsty that they could totally dry up that stream? Would have to rethink where I am going to plant them if so. As above, doesn't help that I don't know where it runs under the land.

I would say as to the volume of water it is just a trickle but can build up, if captured, to about a litre or so in maybe 15 minutes at a guess.

 

[bushcraftlearner83729]

Well, to be fair Kris is a very clever chap. I’ll have to look it out - do you have a link?

I got a reply and they said it was for his roundhouse structure and one of his first.

 

[Stew]

I got a reply and they said it was for his roundhouse structure and one of his first.

Yeah, I've seen your thread but had already had a look back at his earlier videos. I had only seen his renewable work previously and not got round to his house builds.

You should watch his roundhouse videos as it would work as a bit of an instructional for you.

The tyres he packs with clay and stones to make them solid and heavy....

 

[bushcraftlearner83729]

Yeah, I've seen your thread but had already had a look back at his earlier videos. I had only seen his renewable work previously and not got round to his house builds.

You should watch his roundhouse videos as it would work as a bit of an instructional for you.

The tyres he packs with clay and stones to make them solid and heavy....

Has he met ben law or any of the other gurus of the field do you know or learned everything from online?

I know very little of him except people singing he praises and the odd snippet I have seen and the general story of him giving up the 'high life' in london if favour of a simpler life in wales.

 

[William_Montgomery]

I think tyres could potentially work well (not sure why you're getting resistance on that front) and would probably be free. They've been used in various forms to build houses with for a long time.

Are you looking to make something fairly permanent you can camp out/live in?

 

[bushcraftlearner83729]

I think tyres could potentially work well (not sure why you're getting resistance on that front) and would probably be free. They've been used in various forms to build houses with for a long time.

Indeed, I have seen many ideas online for using them in off grid structures from whole buildings to roofs to the floor, as discussed above. Also not forgetting the more traditional retaining wall or planter suggestions.

So not like I just naively picked the idea out of the air.

Are you looking to make something fairly permanent you can camp out/live in?

Well as I said I am not bothered about it lasting forever but to provide shelter for all the usual of work and person shelter but also would like it to be modular if it turned out I had to move it for whatever reason.