UKadventurer
New member
Now I'm a full-on firewood harvester, I needed proper storage for seasoning all my firewood. At first I just used our some of our patio cover (gazebo?) but there's not enough space and we're still using it as an outdoor seating area for us and our camp guests.
Therefore, a dedicated firewood shed seemed like the best idea. I toyed with lots of ideas, including pallets which I may still use - I have 10 on hand - but I'd rather use them to make furniture.
However, my preferred budget was essentially near zero, so as usual I decided to use what I have laying around or what I could scavenge. Dimensional lumber was out of the question due to expense, but I have loads of logs which are pretty straight (larch) and some old ger (yurt) lattice walls which cost nothing, except my labor.
As usual, I planned it on the computer first. The dimensions are enough for 9m/3 (1.5m x 1.5m x 4m) or roughly 2.5 full cords.
This was the rough structure but I knew it would change during the build. Particularly for roofing elements. I added enough rafter logs to support any kind of rigid or semi-rigid roofing or even tarps or similar. I placed them on 45cm (18") centers.
I tried some plastic sheet but it shredded in a day due to high winds. A tarp wouldn't even last a year because of UV and wind. Metal would be expensive but possible and last my lifetime.
As luck would have it, I was gifted a load of plastic (PVC?) sheets (2m x 0.5m). It's 5mm (1/5") thick and I don't know what it's used for, perhaps cladding. Whatever it's used for, it seems like a step up from a tarp or thin plastic sheeting but probably a step down from metal roof. Best yet, it was free.
We'll see what happens with the "cladding" roof after a Mongolian winter. If it cracks due to freezing, I'll just have to get metal roofing. Bear in mind it doesn't need to be waterproof like a house, just enough to shed most of the rain and soon snow. How long do you think it'll last?
I did the build all myself until a guest insisted on helping today, so I let him put some roofing screws in. Hey, why not? If he's still here tomorrow, I'll enlist him into cutting some of the logs on my totally ghetto sawbuck table, visible in the photos and also made of logs.
The retired lattice walls had just been laying around uselessly, but I put them into good use as walls and floors for maximum airflow. Each full piece was perfect sized for a floor and back wall. For the side walls, I cut the lattices in half. Good usage? I think so. Only time will tell.
What do you think about using raw logs for construction? I know this is usually taboo without at least debarking but for a firewood shed, what's the harm? It was quick and cheap. About $10 for screws and lots of my own sweat.
The important thing is the firewood rounds are drying very well. The shed's front faces due south and is very well exposed to winds from all directions. Once the rounds are split it might be ready for burning next spring or even this year. Mongolia is a dry country and summer was extra dry, so the larch is already at about 25% moisture content when split. The silver birch, my preferred firewood, is already at about 10% and burns like a charm.
Therefore, a dedicated firewood shed seemed like the best idea. I toyed with lots of ideas, including pallets which I may still use - I have 10 on hand - but I'd rather use them to make furniture.
However, my preferred budget was essentially near zero, so as usual I decided to use what I have laying around or what I could scavenge. Dimensional lumber was out of the question due to expense, but I have loads of logs which are pretty straight (larch) and some old ger (yurt) lattice walls which cost nothing, except my labor.
As usual, I planned it on the computer first. The dimensions are enough for 9m/3 (1.5m x 1.5m x 4m) or roughly 2.5 full cords.
This was the rough structure but I knew it would change during the build. Particularly for roofing elements. I added enough rafter logs to support any kind of rigid or semi-rigid roofing or even tarps or similar. I placed them on 45cm (18") centers.
I tried some plastic sheet but it shredded in a day due to high winds. A tarp wouldn't even last a year because of UV and wind. Metal would be expensive but possible and last my lifetime.
As luck would have it, I was gifted a load of plastic (PVC?) sheets (2m x 0.5m). It's 5mm (1/5") thick and I don't know what it's used for, perhaps cladding. Whatever it's used for, it seems like a step up from a tarp or thin plastic sheeting but probably a step down from metal roof. Best yet, it was free.
We'll see what happens with the "cladding" roof after a Mongolian winter. If it cracks due to freezing, I'll just have to get metal roofing. Bear in mind it doesn't need to be waterproof like a house, just enough to shed most of the rain and soon snow. How long do you think it'll last?
I did the build all myself until a guest insisted on helping today, so I let him put some roofing screws in. Hey, why not? If he's still here tomorrow, I'll enlist him into cutting some of the logs on my totally ghetto sawbuck table, visible in the photos and also made of logs.
The retired lattice walls had just been laying around uselessly, but I put them into good use as walls and floors for maximum airflow. Each full piece was perfect sized for a floor and back wall. For the side walls, I cut the lattices in half. Good usage? I think so. Only time will tell.
What do you think about using raw logs for construction? I know this is usually taboo without at least debarking but for a firewood shed, what's the harm? It was quick and cheap. About $10 for screws and lots of my own sweat.
The important thing is the firewood rounds are drying very well. The shed's front faces due south and is very well exposed to winds from all directions. Once the rounds are split it might be ready for burning next spring or even this year. Mongolia is a dry country and summer was extra dry, so the larch is already at about 25% moisture content when split. The silver birch, my preferred firewood, is already at about 10% and burns like a charm.
