2024-01-06

chatted about this:

  • could calculate how much wood we need now, but with big energy plan, requirements will change
  • also garage will slowly turn into workshop with nature of work being done.
  • but ultimately, we have space for wood, and a lot of other work to do, so outdoor woodstore might be 2025 instead.

2024-08-21

Big energy plan just concluded stopgap battery for 2024/2025 heating, which means we use wood and a bit more gas.

After going through heatpump stuff as well, we still want/use fires.

We also don't have quite enough room in the garage for a winter's supply of wood without the garage becoming unusable at times.

So we're going to build a wood store on the border of Gwen's stairs.

For sizing, we're going to try what looks right, and then confirm it's not outrageous

  • from the highest point on the tarmac, about 1.3 - 1.5m tall
  • about 1.1m deep from the wall
  • about 3m down the wall
  • = ~4.3m^2

Garage normally stores about 5 meters long, by about 0.5m deep by about 1m tall = 2.5m^2 so outdoor should have more than enough space, but not outrageously so.

Main frame: mix of old fence posts, as well as old swing seat frame sides (they're 1.35m long), and palette bits for the bottom, spare random thin bits of wood for a few cross support brace bits

also got the option to use postcrete for the back posts.

Roof: spare sheet material, along with black bitumen roof roll stuff in garage.

Base: old palette bits

Currently thinking roof will slope down & back towards the wall (with gutter to water butt)

Will use available sheet material,

Drive angle drops 30cm over 300cm

Decking boards sideways base:

  • 2 levels, each level:
  • 1.5m x 1m
  • 6 x 1.5m decking boards sideways (leaves around 20cm gap)
  • 2x 1m end pieces
  • so 22m of decking required in total for 2 levels.
  • 6x 1.35m - 1.65m posts
  • roof: some sheet material or slats or something + roofing felt stuff.
  • ~5x random bits of skirting board or decking board about 1m to brace sides and back
  • 1x 3m piece of decking board to go across front top of roof?
  • could also replace potentially 2 of the 1.5m decking boards with half the sleeper.

2024-09-09

Okay, we have the out frame of the 2 levels. They sit quite nicely. Next set of things to figure out:

  1. how many bits across on the base section:
  2. going for 4, because that's the bigger number, and I've cut that many, and the base needs to be strong.
  3. also mean, 94cm space with 4x 3cm wide pieces makes 82/4 = 20.5cm wide sections
  4. so all the posts need to be smaller than 20cm in both dimensions
  5. posts to use for supports
  6. need lengths from 115cm - 165

2024-09-14

Alright, it's built and filled. A few notes and considerations:

  1. the size ended up a fraction shorter, about 275cm instead of 300cm.
  2. Couldn't initially figure this out, because I made the 2 halves were each 150cm
  3. then realised I didn't account for the overlapping for the posts in the middle
  4. I made it a fraction taller, short front posts ended up being 145 instead of 135.
  5. roof ended up being a doubled over old tarp, with hooks on all 4 corner posts, and then clamped to the corners with decking boards
  6. looks almost too good, so much so that it doesn't look like it needs to be immediately replaced/upgraded.
  7. not convinced it'll handle a strong storm though...
  8. got 7.5 builders bag load from flockton hall which filled the store
  9. had about 1 - 1.5 full bags left
  10. could probably restack and get another 0.5-1 bag in there, but cba/no need
  11. 2 half bags to dad, 1 half bag stacked in garage under boiler
  12. I have some doubts about the lower back foundation, made an intervention, need to keep an eye on it:
  13. looks like front lower post is leaning back a bit since loaded
  14. looks like the back post caused the stone it's on to tilt backwards a bit
    1. looks like when I attached the posts to the cross support and surrounding frame, only the post was on the stone
    2. this put all the weight on the post on the back corner
  15. but it look like it's tilted up enough now for higher side to touch on the bottom cross support
    1. hopefully this will spread the weight and stop it sinking further
    2. got a picture of spirit level on front post, will track over a few days/weeks
    3. regardless, got under and slipped a couple of relatively long thin stones and some slate under the bottom cross support.

2025-04-04

Woodstore made it fine over winter. Main issue is the roof is flappy and has 2 first size holes, made worse by vicky's cat hiding between layers.

Called Flockton logs to enquire about 15 bag loads for me and Dad, he said anytime now is fine for next year.

Before doing wood order, need to do some wood bits:

  • redo the roof:
    • move back horizontal ties to outside of posts
    • used the old seat slats from old wooden bench as cross bits for roof
    • try get them to extend over the wall at the back
    • use spare role of roofing felt to bridge slats.
  • refill the various wood stores, ensure:
  • living room fire both sides are stacked with chopped wood
  • kitchen both racks are stacked with chopped wood
  • garage, to piles unchopped stacked wood.