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I can't offer you any advice, but I find this really fascinating and I hope you'll continue to update us with lots of photos of your progress. Best of luck to you.
In the last picture, I think it's a hoot that the rotted out 2 x 4s are supported by large rocks and stacks of bricks, like putting a book under the leg of a wobbly table. Like I said, I love seeing the ingenuity of past generations. Looking forward to the updates.
Day two down, started pulling the gravel back from the siding, exposing a lot of rot. I don't see anything holding the wall besides the corner posts. I popped in some temporary 4x4's just to keep it stable and moved the gravel inside the shed. Total expense so far: $20 dump fee.
You're really moving along there! Remember, no wood below earth. Dig further down to uncover the horizontal wood the 2 x 4s are attached to. The earth needs to be significantly lower than the wood to accommodate water runoff. You really do need gravel French drain surrounding the structure to prevent further rotting. It's the rotted wood that attracted the termites.
You're really moving along there! Remember, no wood below earth. Dig further down to uncover the horizontal wood the 2 x 4s are attached to. The earth needs to be significantly lower than the wood to accommodate water runoff. You really do need gravel French drain surrounding the structure to prevent further rotting. It's the rotted wood that attracted the termites.
Thanks! Yes, I have been studying up on installing a french drain. The sill plate is all but gone, after I replace it and patch the studs, I will probably run some sheet metal along the bottom where the siding has rotted away, which should keep out the moisture and pests.
Thanks! Yes, I have been studying up on installing a french drain. The sill plate is all but gone, after I replace it and patch the studs, I will probably run some sheet metal along the bottom where the siding has rotted away, which should keep out the moisture and pests.
I figured the sill plate was gone. We had to replace the sill plate on one side of our house because it rotted due to being below ground. Talk about a project. That sill plate is huge! If you install a French drain and re-grade the yard so it slopes away from the structure, it should be fine. Do whatever it takes to keep water from settling near the building.
Sheet metal will be an expensive route and a waste of money. You don't just need to protect the bottom but the new sill plate too. That's a lot of sheet metal. If water settles around near the building, the water will find its way around the sheet metal via the edges. Sheet metal rusts and deteriorates. Galvanized will cost even more. I wouldn't use plastic either because your wood will mold and rot since wood needs to breath.
I would have "borrowed" a bulldozer during a windstorm and pushed that sucker right over under the cover of the weather, which would solve the collateral damage problems fire involves :-)
There's no foundation, right? How are you going to solve that, concrete blocks under the sill plate?
The city also has the capacity to declare the structure a hazard. I would approach the city with a proposal to tear down the unsafe structure and build something that they would approve of using as much of the original materials as possible.
This can be assisted by emphasizing the hazardous conditions of entry and rebuilding. Keep mentioning unsafe in every communication with the state, county and city.
There is always the possibility of accidents occurring, such as a truck or tractor accidently hitting a corner or side. Such a accident could mean the structure falling over as it looks ready to fall soon.
That $1000 would almost be enough to clean up such a accident.
It seems some people keep forgetting this is a shed. It is not a house. Not even a garage. It is better with a foundation? Absolutely. Will it stand for another 50 - 70 years without a foundation? It should. There is no difference between the first 50-70 and the next 50-70. Regardless of which way you decide to go, I would use treated lumber, or really old (pre 1950) salvaged lumber. With new untreated lumber, you will be lucky to get five years out of it, especially if you live east of the Mississippi.
You are making amazing progress. I wish I could move my projects along that fast. Of course winter gets in the way, so does work, travel, kid things, family events. . . . If I get six hours a weekend to work on something, I am doing well. You must also be in pretty good shape to move all that gravel so quickly. I would have to move half of it, and work on other things for a week while my back recovered, and then move the other half.
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