portable carport/quonset hut for wood storage

[glassman_48]

I am purchasing some commercial property and need the most inexpensive way to protect palletized firewood products from the weather and store my tractor.  I have looked at quonset huts, steel carports etc.  The pallets can be stacked 2 high so I need a bit of height to stack them.  I am hoping someone can steer me in the direction of a good company to deal with.  I am located in northern lower michigan,,,,,,thanks ed

[Magicman]

Are old cargo containers available in your area?  40' units can be bought here for less than $2K and 20' units for about $2500. 

[beenthere]

I stack two pallets and top them with a 5x5' piece of used rubber roofing (it's under the snow).
For the tractor, this doesn't work ;)


 

[glassman_48]

magicman, thats a good idea, I will check into that,,,,,thanks
beenthere, I am selling eco bricks and wood pellets, they wont stand up to being outside in the rain or snow.  I leave my palletized firewood out in the weather similar to what you do, I dont cover my firewood on top, after the first couple heavy snows I get a "crust" on top and just shovel it off.  I looked at the quonset huts even the ones with the fabric on the roof, I just cant see that holding up well, but there are several of them around.  I am going to stop and ask them how long the fabric is supposed to last on them.
thanks ed

[thecfarm]

I would not trust anything like those fabric tops in the winter time with snow. Yes,some like them,but they don't last,for the money. There are some "carports" with the steel roofing that runs the wrong way sold here in Maine. One of my friends has one for his car he only drives in the summer and uses it for wood too.

[Brad_S.]

Are old cargo containers available in your area?  40' units can be bought here for less than $2K and 20' units for about $2500.

My first choice for storage was a container as Magicman mentioned but around here, a 40' container is $4800 plus delivery and was thus out of my price range.

Instead, I bought a used 20'x36' fabric covered hoop garage on Craigslist for $1K. I don't know how old it was before I bought it but at this point water does seep through the fabric, runs down the metal braces and drips off any brace junctions. All the lumber I am storing was dry and sterilized so I wrapped it in plastic for long term storage prior to loading it in the shed so the drips don't bother me but if it was new I think it would have worked out well.

[21incher]

Where I live the lowest cost per sq ft that is snow load rated and will last more then a couple of years is a simple pole barn. Easy to build just some poles in the ground, trusses and Tin roofing. You can always add tin around the sides later.

[Brad_S.]

Trouble with that though 21incher is that they consider that a permanent structure and will tax you for it around us. They use satellite imagery to make sure you don't try and hide something like that back in the woods. >:(
I do agree though that if you live in an area that isn't so oppressive, that is a cost effective solution.

[Brucer]

I've seen a lot of those big-box-store "portable garages" pop around here -- and fall down in the winter. Usually folks take care of them and remove the snow for the first few years. Then they get careless and down they come.

My timber framer customer installed an industrial version to extend his shop. It measured 30' wide, 50' long, and 20' high. Big enough to set up a Wood-Mizer inside. It did well for several years. The snow would build up a bit on the peak, then some would slide off the steeper part, causing the whole thing to shake. Down would come the rest of the snow . Once in a while they'd bring in the front end loader and shift the snow away from the sides, but they'd always leave a few feet next to the tent so people wouldn't walk right beside it.

Around Christmas in 2006 the timber framing crew was going to be off for a week. They decided to remove all the snow from the sides of the tent. It turns out that stuff on the sides was acting as a buttress to keep the sides of the tent from bulging out. After a couple of snowfalls I got a call to come and see how badly damaged my mill was ...



You can see the silhouette of the mill along the left side of the tent. It came out just fine -- bent the belt guard on the debarker a little.

[glassman_48]

I am leaning more towards the portable steel carports that are all over in my area.  I am hoping the tax guys dont rip into me to bad.  I am just looking for storage and I want the site to look good too.  I purchased a small one years ago for keeping my plow and snowblower under etc.  As long as I keep the snow off the roof each year its held up pretty good. I was hoping someone had used something that I hadnt heard about yet.  The site is about 6 acres and I will have a chain across the main driveway, but always worried about damage to my tractor by kids etc.  I even thought about a big quonset hut and building a couple of walls and an overhead door to store the tractor in.  thanks for the help,,,,,ed

[thecfarm]

The tractor,I built a not too pretty building for it many years ago before I moved here. That had a lock on it.I put something over the fuel fill cap,that locked and something through the dipstick,locked. The fuel fill was on top of the hood,so that locked the hood too. If someone decided to put something in the fuel tank,at least I could tell someone had been there. Never had a problem.

[Rockn H]

Brad S, from what I understand, here, as soon as you stake down a portable carport it goes on your property taxes too, but if you build a shed on blocks (and don't anchor it) it doesn't go on you taxes.   :

[glassman_48]

The cfarm, thats a good idea I will check with my new holland dealer and see if they have those.  I have a 45 hp new holland tractor.  I had originally purchased a N.H. 29 h.p. new about 12 years ago but it wouldnt lift my 1 ton pallets.  This one is used but its not worth the risk if my land purchase goes through.  My steel carport was anchored with the ground anchors when it was installed at my house.  I did not need a permit because it was considered portable.  I am just hoping I dont get overtaxed for using them as storage.  Time will tell, dont really want to go and ask either its far enough back so it wont be seen from the road much anyways.  Thanks again for the good info,,,,,ed

[thecfarm]

glassman,I made all the stuff myself. All the bolts I used I put them in so the nuts were up and I put a bit of weld on each one. That way someone would not try to get them off.I put a rod thought the loop of the dipstick and welded a chain link on it. Than I welded a chain link onto the side plate somehow. Put a padlock through the links. Just something to slow them down. And as I said,I would be able to tell something was wrong. Don't start it!!!

[glassman_48]

cfarm, thanks for the info, if I only had a welder, I have enough equipment now that I really need to get one, hopefully some day,,,,,,,,,,,thanks ed

[goose63]

glassman I bought a Hobart 110 wire welder for $500 that thing works darn good built my mill trailer with it there is two wires inside the lid you have to switch around to get it to work for gas 

[thecfarm]

I myself could not live without a welder.

[GAB]

glassman_48 I offer the following as a caution to you and others.
Purchased two 26'x72' high tunnel greenhouses from FarmTek.
Put up the first one up per specs, that is 4' spacing between the hoops.  First snow storm and it is bent.
Put up the second one the following year with 3' spacing between the hoops (26'x54') that one has taken 7 winters and is in very good condition.
In this area there are no property taxes on greenhouses.
Also, if I buy another one I will be buying a gothic style and not quonset style.
Gerald

[21incher]

Over the years I have purchased several of the tent shelters. The first one was by Coverit and it was 12 x20 x 8. I had to raise it up on ties to get the rops on my little tractor through the door


 
I wound up placing a used garage door on the front.


 
The cover on that one lasted about 8 years and the wind did not affect it.
Another one I purchased from Farm Tec for my motorhome. It was 14 ft wide x 16 ft wall ht X 42 ft long.


 
This one the cover started to split open at the top after 4 1/2 years and I think it was the wind that caused it, as the snow slid right off. So I have to say the larger one was a waste of over 3k for the lifespan. Both of them had to have a 6 mill plastic on the floor with pea gravel over it to control the moisture that came up from the ground or they became like a tropical rainforest when the sun hit them with water dripping inside. So if you find a used one be careful as the replacement covers are almost the same cost as a new one and place a vapor barrier on the floor to keep the moisture down.

[glassman_48]

thanks for all the good info again, and 21 incher I will remember to use the visqueen under the gravel.  This is such a good site with good info and everybody trying to help each other. I have pretty much decided to take down my carport at my house and use that for my tractor I will rig up a door somehow so I can get it locked.  I figure if I get a cloth enclosure and it caves in my tractor wont be in there so I can use the cloth enclosure for the palletized wood stuff.  My steel carport has held up well, just have to be diligent about snow removal once or twice a year.   thank you,,,,,,,ed

[glassman_48]

goose,
I will have to wait a while for a welder, wont have any power out there for a while, we will have to use a generator to run the air compressor to staple the handles on the firewood bundles.  I dont wholesale bundles so we dont have that many a year to make anyways so it wont be to bad.   thanks again,,,,ed