General thoughts of whether better to buy a metal or wooden shed particularly if I want a stove with a chimney?

[BucksDad]

Personally I don't think a stove is a good idea for a shed. Usually it's venting smoke/smell at a low height to surrounding neighbours. I would be unhappy if my neighbours were constantly burning wood in their outbuildings

 

[Jameshow]

Personally I don't think a stove is a good idea for a shed. Usually it's venting smoke/smell at a low height to surrounding neighbours. I would be unhappy if my neighbours were constantly burning wood in their outbuildings

I think he's in his own private wood iirc...

 

[woodlearner9810182]

I would get one of these we have one I a cabin on the farm where my daughter goes horse riding..

It produces ample heat for 16x8 cabin tbh.

I'd make a 8x8 shed out plywood big enough to live in and work in put a small kitchen area at the back with your stove and you still have enough room for a bed and workshop area in front of it?

Make the bed / sofa folding so that the whole are area is clear during the day?

Put a plywood sheet over your kitchen area so that it doubles up as a workbench?

You mean the £100 quid one your daughter has with no issues? Would certainly opt for one of those over the £500 and up ones if the cheaper one works fine!

Ah good tips on economical use of the space in the cabin. Ta.

 

[woodlearner9810182]

Personally I don't think a stove is a good idea for a shed. Usually it's venting smoke/smell at a low height to surrounding neighbours. I would be unhappy if my neighbours were constantly burning wood in their outbuildings

I do not have any neighbours within about 1000 metres so should not be much of an issue there to bother people.

Everyone in the country has their own fires they are burning now so what is one more, at a good distance from their own house?

 

[woodlearner9810182]

I think he's in his own private wood iirc...

Yes while no immediate neighbours, they are not a million miles away. Still a few residential properties dotted about.

One is within sight but they have several acres themselves with an open field of theirs between mine and their house. They have been very nice and relaxed with me so far and I think as long as I don't take the mickey and be generally respectful of the area they will be ok with me.

The others are fairly close but trees and valleys blocking line of sight for those others so feels out fo the way from them.

I don't think that a small fire in cold times is an obscene thing is it? I did make a campfire a few times though and did feel like it drew rather a lot of attention wafting about wildly to and fro.

I guess fires are somewhat more socially acceptable when cold?

If everyone else has their own fires I don't see how they would begrudge someone else having one many hundreds of metres away?

 

[BillHoughton]

I didn't read through all these, so maybe I'm repeating myself; and my experience is with U.S. stuff, so perhaps irrelevant. But, for what it's worth, don't get a cheap metal shed. My bride talked me into getting one because "it will be easier than building a wooden shed." It wasn't: dozens of little screws had to go through holes in mating panels, but the holes didn't mate up when the panels did, and there was a lot of cursing. And, after maybe ten years of use, the roof has developed multiple rust holes; and the shed's not repairable. Were I building again, I'd definitely go with wood. And there's plentiful supplies about to properly protect a wooden shed from the heat from the stove.

One comment: don't store your firewood in the shed, or in a lean-to attached to the shed. You should have only the wood you're using for immediate needs in the shed, to minimize the chance that bugs will infest the shed (if it's wooden) or your lumber supply.

 

[woodlearner9810182]

I didn't read through all these, so maybe I'm repeating myself; and my experience is with U.S. stuff, so perhaps irrelevant. But, for what it's worth, don't get a cheap metal shed. My bride talked me into getting one because "it will be easier than building a wooden shed." It wasn't: dozens of little screws had to go through holes in mating panels, but the holes didn't mate up when the panels did, and there was a lot of cursing. And, after maybe ten years of use, the roof has developed multiple rust holes; and the shed's not repairable. Were I building again, I'd definitely go with wood. And there's plentiful supplies about to properly protect a wooden shed from the heat from the stove.

One comment: don't store your firewood in the shed, or in a lean-to attached to the shed. You should have only the wood you're using for immediate needs in the shed, to minimize the chance that bugs will infest the shed (if it's wooden) or your lumber supply.

Good tips for wooden shed, but you are complaining about a cheap shed lasting 'only' ten years? From what I have read that is fantastic value for money! Most say cheap sheds should only be expected to last a couple of years, though I think that is exaggerating somewhat.

 

[DiyAddict]

A mate of mine bought a metal shed, about the same price as a wooden one. The layer of paint was actually thicker than the metal. It relied on corrugation to give it the strength to support itself. He assembled it on a concrete slab and it looked ok, but the metal was so thin you couldn't touch it for fear of dents. One day, his dog crashed into one corner while playing. The dog was fine, but the shed resembled a car accident!

So if you are considering a metal one, I would urge you to go and see it first so you can judge for yourself just how implausibly thin the metal is. Needless to say my mate replaced it with a wooden one within months.

 

[Jameshow]

You mean the £100 quid one your daughter has with no issues? Would certainly opt for one of those over the £500 and up ones if the cheaper one works fine!

Ah good tips on economical use of the space in the cabin. Ta.

Yes it's been great. We cook bacon butties and Paninis on it regularly.

Only issue we have it the door needs to be left ajar to get it going but I like to see the flame.

Also I needs feeding regularly so you need to be on hand.

 

[woodlearner9810182]

A mate of mine bought a metal shed, about the same price as a wooden one. The layer of paint was actually thicker than the metal. It relied on corrugation to give it the strength to support itself. He assembled it on a concrete slab and it looked ok, but the metal was so thin you couldn't touch it for fear of dents. One day, his dog crashed into one corner while playing. The dog was fine, but the shed resembled a car accident!

So if you are considering a metal one, I would urge you to go and see it first so you can judge for yourself just how implausibly thin the metal is. Needless to say my mate replaced it with a wooden one within months.

No one has yet responded about how hard it would be and how much time it would take to make my own from wood in my woodlands.

Trees unknown, but long straight and tall some up to 30-50ft. A few of those big ones should make me a whole shed shouldn't they? Question is how much time it would take.

I had been playing around with lean-to type structures with small stuff and made a fence/wall with rammed sticks and piling sticks in between and served as proof of concept.

I am thinking I could make a whole shelter in a similar fashion if I got enough wood and loosely follow neolithic design if I want more inspiration.

 

[woodlearner9810182]

Yes it's been great. We cook bacon butties and Paninis on it regularly.

Only issue we have it the door needs to be left ajar to get it going but I like to see the flame.

Also I needs feeding regularly so you need to be on hand.

Thanks. Not too much smoke kicks back into the room then or you just don't mind it?

The smoke smell really bugs me and how it gets on everything for days, like how it used to be when you would go to the pub before smoking bans, but not quite as bad as that was pure awful especially when hungover and when you turn your head get a big waft of ashtray from your hair.

We had a rayburn growing up and apart from initial lighting there was very little smoke that I remember.

 

[duke]

No one has yet responded about how hard it would be and how much time it would take to make my own from wood in my woodlands.

Trees unknown, but long straight and tall some up to 30-50ft. A few of those big ones should make me a whole shed shouldn't they? Question is how much time it would take.

I had been playing around with lean-to type structures with small stuff and made a fence/wall with rammed sticks and piling sticks in between and served as proof of concept.

I am thinking I could make a whole shelter in a similar fashion if I got enough wood and loosely follow neolithic design if I want more inspiration.

There are many wilderness survival forums as well as homesteading forums which I'm sure will satisfy your needs. Watch , D. Proenneke's films on his journey living in Alaska.
They are editing my words, his first name is short for Richard.

 

[wiley198]

Build your own wooden shed to your own specifications. My son and me did over the summer. Great project.. and...kept him away from gaming for a bit too.

 

[woodlearner9810182]

Build your own wooden shed to your own specifications. My son and me did over the summer. Great project.. and...kept him away from gaming for a bit too.

Yea that is what I am thinking about, but with my own 'roundwood' from trees cut in the woodland.

How much more difficult and/or costly/time consuming was it making yourself vs buying one? I have been told and read the price is about the same but you can get much better quality materials making yourself.

 

[woodlearner9810182]

There are many wilderness survival forums as well as homesteading forums which I'm sure will satisfy your needs. Watch , D. Proenneke's films on his journey living in Alaska.
They are editing my words, his first name is short for Richard.

I have already mentioned him in this thread.

 

[wiley198]

Yea that is what I am thinking about, but with my own 'roundwood' from trees cut in the woodland.

How much more difficult and/or costly/time consuming was it making yourself vs buying one? I have been told and read the price is about the same but you can get much better quality materials making yourself.

It took about 3 weeks in all (including the inside shelving, roof felt etc) to complete. But the weather was kind to us, so it wasn't a hardship. We built it in the summer holidays (I'm a teacher so was out of school).

Cost wise? If I'd have put the same money into an 'off the shelf' shed I'd have gotten a third of the shed we built. Thinner boards, less stable roof, 'wobbly door' etc.

As it stands,this one is standing on a 4x2 tanalised plinth (raised off the block paving using concrete blocks). Said plinth has had a couple of coats of creosote too. The shed itself is redwood throughout. Good quality timber that should easily outlive me.

 

[duke]

I have already mentioned him in this thread.

Ok then!

 

[woodlearner9810182]

It took about 3 weeks in all (including the inside shelving, roof felt etc) to complete. But the weather was kind to us, so it wasn't a hardship. We built it in the summer holidays (I'm a teacher so was out of school).

Thanks.

Hmm I'm presuming since you are on this forum you were already a proficient woodworker though so would already have known what you were going to do. Probably going to be a steeper learning curve for someone like myself who has never attempted it before.

Cost wise? If I'd have put the same money into an 'off the shelf' shed I'd have gotten a third of the shed we built. Thinner boards, less stable roof, 'wobbly door' etc.

As it stands,this one is standing on a 4x2 tanalised plinth (raised off the block paving using concrete blocks). Said plinth has had a couple of coats of creosote too. The shed itself is redwood throughout. Good quality timber that should easily outlive me.

Ah the base in another consideration, especially since it is on boggy ground. I don't want to do anything semi/permanent like concreting or postcreting or even heavy slabs right now. I do like the idea of pile buildings like so: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_pile_dwellings_around_the_Alps

Building on some stilts and making a raised base and building on that.

 

[Jameshow]

To use your timber I think you need to buy / make a sawmill (which may or may not be within you skills set). They you can fully utilize the trees you have.

 

[woodlearner9810182]

To use your timber I think you need to buy / make a sawmill (which may or may not be within you skills set). They you can fully utilize the trees you have.

Oh I certainly wouldn't be wanting to do that.

Roundwood timber framing is a thing though and something which has been suggested to me more than once. Perhaps a very wasteful use compared to making timber planks but much simpler and traditional!