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Briefly...my shed is 10 feet by 15 feet, wood, no foundation, with a shingled roof and a single door (as opposed to a double door).
The shed's age is hard to estimate but people have ballparked it at 25-30 years old. I personally don't believe it's that old. But it has problems.
When I bought this house, the shed was infested with termites and fire ants due to the fact that the previous owner put her compost heap in contact with the exterior wall of the shed. It has had a couple of treatments for termites but still has that musty, termite-y smell. It also has rodents and clearly has had them for many years as I continue to find old packets of bait and traps whenever I move something in the shed.
The floor is plywood and is a total loss. It is warped, rotting, and needs to go. It is in direct contact with the ground.
The exterior siding is rotting near the bottom in some places, and has totally rotted away or has been chewed away by animals in others. There are a couple of complete holes in the wall near the bottom on one side.
Several exterior 1x6 beams are rotting.
There is visible termite damage.
The entire shed would have to be painted if I did repair it.
There is also the continuing issue of a wooden shed in direct contact with the ground, as it is not on a foundation of any kind and I'm not sure that the building would even hold together to be jacked up to put a foundation underneath it, not to mention that it would be hideously expensive.
That being said, replacing that shed with a new equivalent would be extremely expensive.
On the other hand, I don't think I need 10x15 feet. All I would store in an exterior shed would be a small propane grill with tank, a wheelbarrow, a spreader (like for fertilizer), some garden tools, etc. I don't own a lawn mower and don't plan to buy one as I pay people to care for my lawn. I think an 8x10 shed would suffice, possibly even smaller. I could buy a resin 8x10 shed for about $800, though I'd still have to build a foundation for it and assemble it (or pay someone to do it).
Thoughts?
Should I bother trying to save my shed? From a cost standpoint, which is the cheaper option? If I can save my existing shed for a few hundred, I'll do that; but if it's going to run into hundreds and I'll continue to battle termites and wood rot every year, I may not want to bother with it.
Some of your post is kind of surprising, since it is known that the imported south American fire ant is a predator of termites and has devastated termite populations all over Texas. Richardson has huge populations of imported fire ants.
Pics of your shed?
I'm a bit confused about your priorities:
Replacing the shed?
Eradicating the fire ants?
Eradicating the termites?
If you have on your property a goodly population of the imported south American fire ant, the shed condition is the least of your problems....
Some of your post is kind of surprising, since it is known that the imported south American fire ant is a predator of termites and has devastated termite populations all over Texas. Richardson has huge populations of imported fire ants.
Pics of your shed?
I'm a bit confused about your priorities:
Replacing the shed?
Eradicating the fire ants?
Eradicating the termites?
If you have on your property a goodly population of the imported south American fire ant, the shed condition is the least of your problems....
....Or perhaps you are new to Texas?
I'm a Texas native. The two were happily co-existing in the shed when I bought it. I no longer see termites in there; I did see fire ants last year and will probably see them again this year, and treat for them again. It still smells like it has termites, if that makes sense; termites have their own particular odor.
My goal is to have outdoor storage that is waterproof, relatively low-maintenance, attractive, and that won't fall apart in another few years. Basically I want to have a shed; I just want to know if my current one is worth saving vs pulling down the old one and putting up a new resin shed. I don't think I'd even go for steel due to rust concerns, but I'd consider it.
The simple answer is NO. If you have ever heard the term throwing good money after bad, it certainly applies here. Get rid of it and buy a Rubbermaid from Lowes or Sears and be done with it. Not even to mention the cost of repairs but what about your time? How do you paint something that is falling apart? IMO it is not worth the time and effort. By the way Rubbermaid has many units that would fit your needs ( as you described) and they are way less than $800.
The simple answer is NO. If you have ever heard the term throwing good money after bad, it certainly applies here. Get rid of it and buy a Rubbermaid from Lowes or Sears and be done with it. Not even to mention the cost of repairs but what about your time? How do you paint something that is falling apart? IMO it is not worth the time and effort. By the way Rubbermaid has many units that would fit your needs ( as you described) and they are way less than $800.
It's not falling apart per se, it just has rot at the bottom. It's not leaning and does not wobble or shift when pushed from any angle.
I'm a Texas native. {snipped forbrevity......... My goal is to have outdoor storage that is waterproof, relatively low-maintenance, attractive, and that won't fall apart in another few years. Basically I want to have a shed; I just want to know if my current one is worth saving vs pulling down the old one and putting up a new resin shed. I don't think I'd even go for steel due to rust concerns, but I'd consider it.
If you THINK you can make that happen out of what you described in your original post I say go for it.
I would replace the rotten wood, strip it, paint it, put a composite roof on it, jack it up on to cinderblocks, put down a 4 inch layer of drain rock underneath and ensure proper drainage away from the shed. Bam! the shed will last another 30 years if minimally maintained. Get some helpers, some beer, some steaks and you could finish this project in a weekend if planned correctly.
Obviously everyone sees different angles to the problem and possible cure. From your description the shed has some major and minor problems. The fact that it has been resting in the soil, has had multiple insect invasions and rodent infestation tells me demolition or repair will both have some medical risks. Any dust raised will put you at risk from breathing in all sorts of things from Hanatavirus to old pesticide residue in the dust. If it were my choice I'd get it removed and replace it with something not of interest to termites or mice. This will make it a problem only during the time of demolishing it, while repairing it will leave you with future multiple exposures.
If you go the Bulldogdad route(well before you get to the steaks) make sure to pass out some masks for the dust you will raise and then follow up with a good decontamination wash of the shed and you!
Obviously everyone sees different angles to the problem and possible cure. From your description the shed has some major and minor problems. The fact that it has been resting in the soil, has had multiple insect invasions and rodent infestation tells me demolition or repair will both have some medical risks. Any dust raised will put you at risk from breathing in all sorts of things from Hanatavirus to old pesticide residue in the dust. If it were my choice I'd get it removed and replace it with something not of interest to termites or mice. This will make it a problem only during the time of demolishing it, while repairing it will leave you with future multiple exposures.
If you go the Bulldogdad route(well before you get to the steaks) make sure to pass out some masks for the dust you will raise and then follow up with a good decontamination wash of the shed and you!
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