Sawmill shed

[KWood255]

Hello all,

I'm planning to build a sawmill shelter this spring, but debating on size/style etc. I am in NW Ontario, so snow load is a real concern. 

I want the building to be large enough to store a few lifts of lumber, my tractor, excavator and LT40...and whatever else may come along. 

I'm thinking 30x50 or 30x60 with 12' walls, post frame design but built off a concrete footing instead of sono tubes. I'm more comfortable building stud walls vs post frame, but I'd like to have a 20' opening for log loading, likely on a gable end. I'm thinking with the post frame, along with a couple 45* supports on the header, a 20' span is more realistic then trying to complete this with a stud wall?

Keeping in mind I am not a whiz carpenter, nor any type of engineer, I would value the feedback from those of you who've built shelters to work under, and store material for air drying.    Thanks 

[Wlmedley]

Are you planning to use trusses for the roof?If so and opening is on gable end I would think stud walls would be fine if that is what you are more comfortable building.Laying walls out so trusses line up on studs should be pretty strong.

[Southside]

If at all possible I would build 16' sidewalls, when you need to add onto the sides you will be happy you did.  My original building was 36'x48', and it was too small by the second week I had it finished, so keep that in mind and leave the ability to add on be it length or width.  At present my building is 68' wide and when the next section of roof is done 94' long, it will still be full but at least we can fit more in there....

[Peter Drouin]

Go as big as you can, It never ends.  :D


45' for the mill door.

[Southside]

Peter - how did you construct the beam for the mill opening?  I need to make a 30' one, that's the next section after the one we are working on..... it really never ends. 

[barbender]

 What, are you going to build saw sheds all the way out to Kansas?😁

[Southside]

Make it easier to work on the combine that way.  :D

[customsawyer]

I started with a 40x100. It was to small in no time. I've added 25' on each side and now have 90x100. It is still to small. If I had my entire 120 acres under a roof I don't think it would be big enough. Southside is spot on. Make sure what ever you build, make it to where you can add on to it. Make it as tall as you can so that when you add a lean to on the sides you will still have some clearance. It also makes stacking your packs of lumber higher a easier task.

[Peter Drouin]

Peter - how did you construct the beam for the mill opening?  I need to make a 30' one, that's the next section after the one we are working on..... it really never ends.

I went to a steel company, they told me what size I beam to get.
I think it's 8"x 30"x45'  2" thick steel. It's big, but it doesn't sag. :D
Guys in the south have it easy with flat roofs and small steel.  :D ;)

[Bruno of NH]

 

 29' span self built truss 
I will get an updated picture it now is finished with the inverted king post. 

[KWood255]

Thanks guys. 

CustomSawyer and Peter...those are awesome shelters! Unfortunately something that size isn't in the cards just yet. 

Southside...I like the idea of keeping the building open to expansion as things progress. Id love to have a 30x60 with additional lean-tos on the eave sides. 

Thanks for the feedback!
Woody

[PAmizerman]

I have 6000 square feet under roof and could use more. I would agree with 16' ceilings. You can add lofts inside and be able to stand up on them. 


 

[Iwawoodwork]

For a header I used what I had and that was an old 40' park model trailer frame of 10 inch H beam stacked on top of the other and skip welded  the flanges together about every 12 inches for 3-4 inches on each side. I have a 4:12  pitch and 30' between the support posts. So I ended up with a 20" tall H beam that has no sag so far, but we have little snow. Old trailer homes are cheap or free for hauling off so I get them when I can.

[Sod saw]

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Our saw has a bed extension requiring the saw roof to be a 37 feet span.  The roof trusses span that 37 foot direction so the logs can be loaded without any wall interference.

However I was not intending to expand but knowing that someone else in the future may decide to grow the building, this portion of the roof is a simple shed, no peak in the center.  If some one wishes to expand, they can simply add another shed along the high side to produce a gable roof and double the footprint.

The existing trusses span in the up / down direction making it easy to load logs.  A beam over the loading door is not required.  The ceiling is 16 feet high inside so that we can drive the excavator in to move large timbers etc.  The 16 foot ceiling will also allow some one to install a second floor level in the future and still have normal head room.  I prefer flatter roofs and this one is 3/12 pitch.  These trusses are light enough to install with our excavator. 

Our building inspector is cooperative in that they wish to have engineered trusses and proper support without requiring a full blown set of drawings produced by an architect or engineer.  Our snow load is some what more than surrounding areas of the state.  If I were you, I would tend to consider trusses even if you do post and beam to support them as they can span a much longer distance without needing posts in the middle of large room.

Make sure that as you install roofing, please wear a harness as it is a long way to the ground.

have fun with your design


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