Storage is important in the country. The cheapest and easiest way to start is with a garage tent. For under $500 you get poles and a tarp that you erect yourself and then fight the elements until it comes crashing down. I've had three come down in the winter, heavy snows. Interestingly, the very first one I put up was in 2009? and it's still standing. All the rest have come down, a pile of twisted metal poles. The tarps however come through unscathed.
I've been planning on building another pole barn, about twice the size of my last one, but in the meantime I could use some easy storage. Buy another shelter? Why not build one. Instead of the metal poles, I decided to build wooden trusses. I have lots of lumber so I measured the one surviving truss from my 16' x 20' tent. The angle at the top was 20 degrees and the sides are 30 degrees. The top poles measure 67 inches and the sides are 75 inches.
I started a week ago with a load of 2x4's and 3/4 inch scrapes for bracing. I cut out and built five trusses and carried them (with help) around the corner to where the tent had stood two winters ago. I weather proofed two 2x6's and joined a couple of extensions to make 20 foot footings and raised the trusses. Five trusses spaced 5 feet apart make for a 20 foot structure. Strapping held them in place while I leveled and straightened them and nailed down 2x4 blocks on the 2x6's to keep them from spreading out.
The tarp usually goes over the spaced trusses with 5 foot spaces in between. This time I wanted a proper roof so it was off to the collapsed tent where I had 17 3/4 inch boards, 18 inches wide stickered and stored. These boards had been intended for my sliding garage doors at the trailhead shed but I decided the shed didn't need a door and these boards were looking for another use. It took 16 boards to cover the roof. Just enough with one spare. (Lucy has used it since :). The boards were only 9 feet long unfortunately so I brought the two end trusses back 1 foot each to make a 18x16 foot shed instead, but that's just fine.
Once the roof was up, the structure straightened and braced I put the tarp up along with the back wall. I haven't found the door yet so I reused the white entrance from another tent. I have secured the footings at the back with a 2x4 nailed across them and I will secure the entrance from spreading using a cable. The trusses turned out to be about 6 inches too long (the tarp just touches the ground) so instead of cutting them down I added a 2 foot section of clear plastic on both sides. I planned on nailing a strapping board at the bottom to hold the tarp down so it was easy enough to nail the tarp and plastic footer using the same board.
Another tent ready to fill with stuff. I think it will stay up this winter and for quite a while.
Oh yes, we were hosting our niece and her four year old daughter during the week, so this is the castle I built for the little "princess".
"Enjoy your castle princess", your prince.
I've been planning on building another pole barn, about twice the size of my last one, but in the meantime I could use some easy storage. Buy another shelter? Why not build one. Instead of the metal poles, I decided to build wooden trusses. I have lots of lumber so I measured the one surviving truss from my 16' x 20' tent. The angle at the top was 20 degrees and the sides are 30 degrees. The top poles measure 67 inches and the sides are 75 inches.
I started a week ago with a load of 2x4's and 3/4 inch scrapes for bracing. I cut out and built five trusses and carried them (with help) around the corner to where the tent had stood two winters ago. I weather proofed two 2x6's and joined a couple of extensions to make 20 foot footings and raised the trusses. Five trusses spaced 5 feet apart make for a 20 foot structure. Strapping held them in place while I leveled and straightened them and nailed down 2x4 blocks on the 2x6's to keep them from spreading out.
The tarp usually goes over the spaced trusses with 5 foot spaces in between. This time I wanted a proper roof so it was off to the collapsed tent where I had 17 3/4 inch boards, 18 inches wide stickered and stored. These boards had been intended for my sliding garage doors at the trailhead shed but I decided the shed didn't need a door and these boards were looking for another use. It took 16 boards to cover the roof. Just enough with one spare. (Lucy has used it since :). The boards were only 9 feet long unfortunately so I brought the two end trusses back 1 foot each to make a 18x16 foot shed instead, but that's just fine.
Once the roof was up, the structure straightened and braced I put the tarp up along with the back wall. I haven't found the door yet so I reused the white entrance from another tent. I have secured the footings at the back with a 2x4 nailed across them and I will secure the entrance from spreading using a cable. The trusses turned out to be about 6 inches too long (the tarp just touches the ground) so instead of cutting them down I added a 2 foot section of clear plastic on both sides. I planned on nailing a strapping board at the bottom to hold the tarp down so it was easy enough to nail the tarp and plastic footer using the same board.
Another tent ready to fill with stuff. I think it will stay up this winter and for quite a while.
Oh yes, we were hosting our niece and her four year old daughter during the week, so this is the castle I built for the little "princess".
"Enjoy your castle princess", your prince.
20 x 16 structure
Roof on! 18" pine boards. Lucy cried to see them go.
Castle fit for a queen and her dogs
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