Couple of questions about building my new log store.

[mr_magicfingers]

I'm taking down an old carport and reusing most of the timber for my new log store. Posts are going into concrete and the store is lined with stone chippings. It'll be 38' x 13' and about 7-8' high. I've a load of 6" wide cladding boards to go around the store. Here's the ground works:

 

 

Questions:

 

What sort of gap should I leave between the boards around the sides.

 

Is it worth wrapping the sides in rainmesh before the boards

 

Can I leave the base as stone rather than pallets (there's geotextile underneath it) I know you normally raise wood off the ground but pallets are great for twisting your ankle and the store is on a slope with a drain, guttering and stone chips underneath so shouldn't be too damp.

 

Thanks.

Edited April 5, 2014 by mr_magicfingers

[Woodworks]

2"-3" gaps on our sheds have worked fine. For the base I used to not use anything on the floor and just stack on some hardcore. The logs on the base were OK if not perfect but a pallet helps the speed of drying of the whole stack by letting air circulate between the rows. If you're concerned about tripping over a pallet just cut them down so one piece per row and remove it when you are emptying the sheds.

[bikewoo]

A solid floor with pallets on would be better, ventilation and being able to brush up the bits , you will have bits of logs mixed in with the stone and you floor level will raise over the years. And a pain to clean.

 

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[bobh]

I asked the way question some time back

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/42932-log-shed-air-gap.html

In the end I went for 6" boards with 2" gap, this was on a very exposed site and works very well

I've since built another one with 2 1/2" board and 2 1/2" gap which is more sheltered and also seems to be working well.

One tip is to use screws rather than nails to fix the boards so it is easy to move them if needed.

I'd always use pallets on the floor to get some air circulating under the logs, you can always change the size of gap on the pallets so its better to walk on.

I'd always

 

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[Breezeblock]

that looks like its gonna be a decent size store i would also divide it into 2 or 3 compartments so you can fill a bay as you empty it

[mr_magicfingers]

Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely go with pallets then, thought I probably would but always good to get some feedback. 2" gaps sounds favourite and I'll screw them on. Plan is to create 3 bays and work from one end, refilling as it's emptied.

 

This year we've been limbing all the trees that overhang the ditches that drain the fields and that have been neglected for 20 years or more before we bought the place. We've got a fair bit of work ahead cutting and splitting the dozen or so piles of trees sitting in the fields like this one. Should keep me busy

 

[mr_magicfingers]

A solid floor with pallets on would be better, ventilation and being able to brush up the bits , you will have bits of logs mixed in with the stone and you floor level will raise over the years. And a pain to clean.

 

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Good thought, thanks. Concreting the floor would be expensive, but i might have a load of paving slabs available in a few months that could be put down cheaply on the stone that's there. Wouldn't be the best floor but likely better than bare stone chippings.

 

Thanks again.

[Woodworks]

I would not bother with concrete or paving slabs unless free. My sheds have been going for many years and there is just handful of crumbs to tidy up each season. The only problem I have encountered was a rabbit decided to dig a burrow under one bay making a fair old mess but this still only took 10 mins to clean up.

[mr_magicfingers]

I would not bother with concrete or paving slabs unless free. My sheds have been going for many years and there is just handful of crumbs to tidy up each season. The only problem I have encountered was a rabbit decided to dig a burrow under one bay making a fair old mess but this still only took 10 mins to clean up.

 

Good to know thanks. If some spare slabs come up I'll use them, otherwise it'll stay as it is for now.