Relocating a 10' x 12" shed

[Commish]

Of course, when the shed was built the location that it is in made perfect sense. Now, my wife and I are comtemplating some structural changes to our house and the addition would take advantage of the space where the shed currently sits.

I'm probably going to have to dismantle the shed - which was stick built on site - and try to rebuild it reusing as much if the original materials as possible.

But, everyone in here always has such a wide range of opinions - from highly useful to smart-alecky and hilarious.

So, for the group - If I wanted to try and move this shed, what would my options and some suggestions be? Would it be feasible to rent a fork lift? Can I screw on enough casters to roll it around? Winch it up onto a flat bed wrecker?

[charlie]

well, how was it built? you could probably just put it on some pvc pipes and push it around the yard. get some local kids to keep moving the rollers from the back to the front. if it was good enough for the egyptians to move the stones for the pyramids, it'll move your shed. of course, the shed would have to have been built to stay in one piece. if not, perhaps you can take it apart and move each wall seperately, then put it back together.

[Commish]

I'm pretty sure that the PVC pipes would crush instantly.

If I could borrow some thick enough metal/steel/iron pipes that might be an idea....

[HeyBub]

I saw an inventor/discoverer demonstrate how to move 60-ton concrete blocks without rollers. He had a mess of people lined up on each side of the block, each had a long pole. A log was place along each side of the block to act as a fulcrum.

Each person, at the "heave-ho" command, pulled down on their pole and the block went up. Then each person stepped forward a couple of paces and the block moved backwards. Then the heavers raised their poles and the block went down.

The fulcrum-logs were moved to be alongside the block's new position, the pole-tenders got another grip and the block moved another three feet.

Think of it as being similar to rowing a galley.

Quite impressive, really.

[charlie]

actually, with the weight spread out on many rollers, they probably wouldn't crush there isn't that much weight concentrated in one place on the shed floor or bottoms of the wall, unless it's a block wall shed.. think thick walled pvc in maybe 2" diameter or larger.

you haven't specified construction materials or type.

youtube video cite? that would be interesting to see. there was that other one that was making the rounds 6 months or so of a guy who demonstrated how to move 60 ton blocks with a few pulleys, ropes, stones, or counterweights.

OP: see about 2:00 into this video

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

i've moved an 8x10 shed twice with a 6' bar, 2 landscape timbers for tracks and a bucket of grease. I used a couple pipes for rollers once, but I work alone so they just slowed me down.

It is a shoddily built thing, built by a previous owner from 2x3's on

2' centers and T-1-11. The first time I moved it there were only 3 sides- the one side was the garage.

To the guy who said PVC would crush--I doubt it. schedule 40 3" pipes is what I rolled my hot tub on. They showed no signs of stress. A stick built shed is probably little more than the weight as all that fiberglass & motors. [and if it is- you're out $5- and a re-think]

In any event- the name of the moving game is "slow, slow, slow". Haste will only wreck the building or crush some flesh. but it is so cool when you've done it. Way better than destruction/construction.

Jim

[EXT]

Personally, I would try moving it. Depending on how the foundation was built, I would nail diagonal braces to all 4 inside walls to stiffen it. Then I would release it from the foundation, either removing screws, nuts from anchor bolts or cutting nails to release the bottom plate.

Then I would pry it up a little all around and insert shims or shim wedges as I went. Keep going around raising it 1/4 inch per time, the actual amount will depend on how strongly built the shed was. When there is enough room, slide a 4x4 under the two parallel walls after propping the walls up. Cut the 4x4 ends at 45 degrees so they act like a drag sleigh, and add some screws to hold them through the bottom plate. Add some straight and diagonal bracing on the floor level to prevent racking and caving in at the door. Depending on the smoothness and hardness the area you are moving over, you could jack it up a little more and add some rollers and pull with a tractor, pickup or crowd of people to relocate the shed where you want it. You may need to be creative in how to lift it and how to move it particularly it there are any turns involved. All in all, it has to be less work than dissassembling it and rebuilding it over again.

[Heathcliff]

It would be helpful to know a little more about its construction. What does it sit on? Is it anchored to the ground or to some kind of foundation, or does it just sit on the ground? If the latter, you can probably jack or lever it up and move it. I would start with some sort of simple test - take a 2X4 and a cement block and see if you can lift up one corner. If you can get it up off the ground then you could likely go with the rollers or with skids that you slip under there. Is the floor made of plywood on 2X4s? If so it is probably rigid enough to keep the shed together. Another idea would be to install some diagonal bracing inside the shed for the move, then remove it afterward. Also, I would not be so quick to dismiss the PVC idea - especially if the weight is distributed over many contact points (i.e. the PVC pipe is perpendicular to the joists). -- H

[Eric in North TX]

I'd go with the rollers or the greased timbers approach suggested by others. I moved one but, it had to go across the street & through a walk gate, so I cut the supports and broke it down; roof, walls and base bolted wheels to the sections one at a time and had the neighbor hood kids help push and balance. We could have sold tickets to watch.

[DerbyDad03]

re: "But, everyone in here always has such a wide range of opinions - from highly useful to smart-alecky and hilarious"

Well, as long as you brought it up...

Get a Sky Hook.

Hang it mid-way between where the shed is now and where you want it to go.

Hang a pulley from the Sky Hook and run a rope through the pulley to the top of the shed.

With some friends on hand, pull down on the rope to lift the shed, which will immediately begin to swing toward the mid-point where the Sky Hook is.

Using the momentum of the already-in-motion shed, your friends should be able to guide it past the mid-point all the way to the new location.

As soon as it is over the new location, release the rope and set it down.

Make sure to remove the Sky Hook afterwards to eliminate any danger to low flying aircraft.

[Larry The Snake Guy]

I'm not sure how heavy (or sturdy) your shed is, but when my 10x12 pre- built shed was delivered, two guys used a couple of 6" (I'm guessing) PVC pipes and a cartoonishly large crowbar with wheels to move it around (the crowbar was for getting it on and off of the pipes and final tweaking). Pipe that size probably costs a few bucks, but probably beats the hell ou of taking the whole shed apart... It has a heavy wood floor structure that probably weighs more than the rest of the shed combined.

[Dan Listermann]

I have moved our 8x10 shed a few times. I just jacked it up a bit, slid some 2x4s under it to act as rails and set it down on 3" iron pipes. I would walk the 2x4s along so as to make continuous rails. As one gets exposed while it moves, I would move it to the front. Same with the pipes. You should only need three pipes.

As for locomotion, going up hill, I used a come-along tied to a tree or a fence post. Down hill was much easier. The key is to take your time. You should not be in any hurry.

Dan

[Dan Listermann]

from highly useful to smart-alecky and hilarious"

Well, as long as you brought it up...

Get a Sky Hook.

Hang it mid-way between where the shed is now and where you want it to go.

Hang a pulley from the Sky Hook and run a rope through the pulley to the top of the shed.

With some friends on hand, pull down on the rope to lift the shed, which will immediately begin to swing toward the mid-point where the Sky Hook is.

Using the momentum of the already-in-motion shed, your friends should be able to guide it past the mid-point all the way to the new location.

As soon as it is over the new location, release the rope and set it down.

Make sure to remove the Sky Hook afterwards to eliminate any danger to low flying aircraft.>

You know, there is a huge shagebark hickory tree in our back yard where I just might have been able to do something like that . . .

[DerbyDad03]

Sky Hooks are not designed to be hung from trees.

Do not use the Sky Hook products for any use other than those intended and illustrated in the Owner's Manual.

[dadiOH]

Round wood fence posts like these. You'd only need 4-6.

[1D10T]

Get a Sky Hook.

Hang it mid-way between where the shed is now and where you want it to go.

Hang a pulley from the Sky Hook and run a rope through the pulley to the top of the shed.

To an eyebolt in the middle of the ridge?

[E Z Peaces]

Two people, one at each end, should be able to carry it. If it's tall you should get a third person to keep it from falling over. With those dimensions, it's probably unstable.

[DerbyDad03]

No, you don't want to damage the ridge.

To avoid damage to the structure, you should not use any mechanical means to attach the rope to the top of the shed.

Just be sure it is securely attached so that you don't injure the friends that are helping you.

[mgarvie]

I'm pretty sure that the PVC pipes would crush instantly.

If I could borrow some thick enough metal/steel/iron pipes that might be an idea....

Moved my 10x8 shed that way. Use four 3" pipes to move it 10 feet and turn it 90 degrees. Took 30 minutes total.

[Stepfann King]

Some Egyptians. They moved a lot of stone.