Skipped Projects: Woodpile Shelter

Continuing to take a look at old projects that were skipped for one reason or another, today we focus on the woodpile shelter that dad and I built near the three-sided shed featured in 2011. On what felt like the hottest day of the year in 2010, dad and I travelled to rural Belleville to disassemble a carport that was being used to shelter several horses in the middle of a small paddock. It took a few hours to take it down, although in the sweltering heat it seemed much longer.

Several months later, we reassembled it behind the potting shed as a shelter for the woodpile. This winter was the first time we actually filled it, although it has been used over the last year to store building supplies, straw bales, and the horse trailer.

Having used the neighbor's tractor to dig the post holes, we used seven foot two-by-fours and stakes to stabilize the four posts. If I remember correctly, the dimensions are about fifteen feet by twelve feet. We then filled the holes with dry concrete and followed with water.
Next, we bolted the cross beams into place, ensuring that they would support the weight of the roof, the beams, and would hold the posts steady. It appears that we didn't take many photos of the progress, because the next photo I found was of the finished product...
After bolting in the four exterior beams, we attached the roof beams to the exterior beams using brackets for additional support, seeing as they are rather heavy. Once done, I climbed up onto the beams and, balancing precariously, nailed the roofing panels down to the roof beams. So far it has upheld some fairly strong winds, so I guess I did a fairly good job.
Once finished, we laid a few pallets underneath and began stacking wood for winter. They burn a lot of wood over the winter - several cords worth - so every fall, the shelter has to be completely filled with wood to last long enough. Believe me, chopping and splitting wood in the middle of the winter is not fun, as evidenced by the photo below...
It's much more fun to push the old man down a hill...
It's winter again, and there will be more opportunities like this ahead. Before I left for West Virginia, I helped dad split enough wood to last through most of the winter, so he and Shawn should have plenty of time to go sledding. Despite the snow on the ground, stay green!