Thinking of putting up a small woodshed in the backyard. Finally split some massive Pine rounds yesterday and the area I took them from would be perfect. Plenty of Sunshine and lots of Wind. Thinking of using a Caravan Canopy Sports 10'x 20' Domain Carport Garage. Walmart has them on sale for $99. For the legs, I plan on inserting 3...8"x8"x8" Concrete blocks and filling it with small pea stone gravel. Each block weighs 18 lbs plus I figure another 10-15 lbs of gravel should be fine. Considering there are 6 Canopy poles..that will add about 65-70lbs at each of the 4 corners ans well as the 2 center ones. That will go up 2 feet....kinda like small pillars around the poles. A Description is below: When you're looking to create space to store your recreational vehicle, try the Caravan Canopy Sports 10' X 20' Domain Carport Garage. Whether your garage is full or you just need another place to park your car, boat or two wheeler, this carport provides an ideal solution. This heavy-duty caravan canopy 10 by 20 domain carport is spacious and offers protection from the sun and the elements. The steel 10' X 20' frame canopy garage features a six-leg construction in a powder-coated metal frame. This caravan canopy domain carport garage features a polyethylene top that provides long-lasting durability. Keep your recreational vehicle safe and ready when you need it. It's also suitable to provide shade and cover for outdoor dining. Get the durable Caravan Canopy Sports 10' x 20' Domain Carport Garage and give your vehicles the protection they need or win your special event by using this as an white event tent. Great for graduations, weddings, or just storing cars and other items in hot and cold weather. Durable powder-coated steel frame 6-leg construction with 1.375" diameter tubing Polyethylene top is heavy duty Multi-use canopy garage Caravan canopy 10 by 20 domain carport offers protection and storage Space-saving solution for homes without garage or with no full garage Water resistant White Suitable for use with boats, cars, two wheeler's and more Measures a roomy 10' x 20' Provides protection from sun and elements Quick and simple to set up and assemble Can also be used as cover for outdoor dining This tent offers all-purpose shade and storage! Here is a question......Crazy idea or Ingenious? Thanks...
Would make a good enough wood shed, but beware, mine blew away in a windstorm some years back. They're a somewhat "temporary" structure.
Thats my only concern. Thinking of getting 3 long straps and looping them in the cinder blocks...throwing it over the top and looping in the cinder blocks on the other side. Then fill fill stone. Wouldn't hurt...
The kids across the street got one that size from Harbor freight. Didn't take much snow to bend up the thin wall tubing. No attempt was made to bend it back into shape and re-erect it.
Bieng that you are in WNY, snow load may be a problem. I have read that the round tops shed snow better. We purchased a shelter logic canopy and one corner buckled during a heavy rain.. 2 weeks after I put it up. Something to consider. $.02
There was one of those canopy's laid out in the field down the street all winter...frame and all. I doubt anyone tried to secure it as OP is talking about though...still, it should work for a while.
Oh, for anchoring, I put T-posts in, and used ratchet straps. I no longer completely secure the canopy on our second canopy, that allows rain to run out.
The other thing I was considering was to sink the posts about 2 feet down, then slip the cinder blocks over them. It would go from 10ft high to 8 ft high......but that wouldn't bother me. That would really anchor them... Being I'm only 6ft tall anyhow...I couldn't reach 10ft without a step stool......
Are you up near one of the lakes? No offense, but you seem more worried about wind than snow load. I would rule out digging, but that's because I'm not a big fan of digging holes in the rocky soil here. Can't hardly put in a tent stake without hitting a rock
We'll, I do spend a goodly amount of time on the front porch, and on this site, as well as Pandora for music, so my phone needs a dedicated outlet.
Maybe something heavier than cinderblocks. Just this weekend, we had a quick up popup canopy lift up and it was held down with 2 cinderblocks. Maybe drive some rods in the ground all on different angles?
Instead of blocks and gravel, can you dig a hole, set a sonitube form or make out of plywood scraps, pour concrete. Set pieces of PVC pipe big enough to set poles into in the wet concrete? Then use some type of "pin" to attach pipe frame to PVC? This would make it more wind resistant! Dunno about snow load though.
drive some fence posts along side the regular posts, then use some good wire and wire it to the main frame. I thought about using one of these for a wood shed as well, figured later on to put some metal roofing on it, after putting some 1x4 stringers on the top.
The biggest problem will be the lightweight frame and the cheap covering. Yes, you could bury some in the ground and/or try to strengthen the poles by strapping t-posts to each one to keep it from bending but I doubt you will be happy with it in the end. If dollars are the problem, then forget a shed. We've stacked wood outdoors for many, many moons with no problem. All you have to do it make sure the wood is off the ground and then the second big key is to make sure you have a good top cover and all will be well. For getting the wood off the ground, cut a couple of saplings that are 4" or so diameter and lay 2 of those down to stack wood on. For covering, a hard cover is best. We use old galvanized roofing but fiberglass will work too. If tarps, lay down some osb or anything hard and flat then tarp over top of that. This will keep water from pooling. Also pay attention to where the water will run too. I've seen stacks where it is obvious that water will run right down into another stack. Not a good thing. Just be careful and all will be well. When top covering, you can build the top so it slopes on both ends or just make it slope one direction; just so the water runs off when raining or snow melt. The top picture shows one of our old wood piles and that stayed in the stack around 5 or 6 years. The bottom picture was stacked either 3 or 4 years. The wood was perfect when we burned it.
Have some large trees? I’ve built a lumber tent that help up better than any small canopy and cheaper. Tie a Half inch rope up high between two sturdy trees. This is the ridgeline. One end passes through a wheel that is tied to one of the trees. Hang a heavy weight on the end that hangs down from the wheel. About 100 lbs worth. Then just toss a large tarp over the rope and pin down the sides with bungee cords and posts. I used rebar driven in at a 45 degree angle because I had tons of it. The bungees allow flex in wind. The ridgeline rope running through a wheel allows for snowloads. I’ve seen mine flatten right out on the woodpile from heavy wet snow. Never saw it stay down for more than a couple days before a little sun started working under the exposed tarp and heated it up. Pop right back up it goes. Your climate may be more severe. Might have to remove some snow if it can’t pop up on its own. If I only processed enough wood for my own house this is the route I would use for top covering.
I have a ShelterLogic 3in1 shed that must be 5 years old now. It blew away once because I left the door rolled up. Yanked the screw-in anchors right out of the ground. Luckily I was able to carefully roll it back out of the woods into the spot where I preferred it would stay. It has surprisingly stood up to the snow rather well, unlike my greenhouse panels. The fabric walls have lasted longer than I expected but it is out of the sun.
