Relocating a 10' x 12" shed

[Hipupchuck]

Jack it up and put it on a 4 x 4 sled. Slightly lift the forward end and pull with a tractor.

[Red Green]

"HeyBub" wrote in news:UqqdnRfAvYiVAP3XnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

Some inventor/discoverer. Probably just watched a bunch of old B&W holy movies and stole the idea from the Pyramid builders.

[Bob F]

I was going to suggest a half dozen guys. Or, 2 automotive floor jacks and two

2x12's to roll them on. (and a couple guys to balance it)

How heavy can a 10' x 12' shed be?

[stan]

A typical pickup can tow say 3500 pounds! Any car probably

1500-2000? If a block and tackle could be rigged to a tree (or using another vehicle as an anchor) or something; using a 2 to 1 or a 3 to 1 line pulley ratio it might be possible to 'tow' the line for say ten feet while the shed moves say three or four feet. Then re-rig the line and another few feet. In a couple of hours shed could be 20 feet away. As suggested let it slide or roll on something; couple of greased planks etc. The break out the beer and the Bar-B-Q to thank the neighbours who by now should have gathered around to help! Well; they would around here! Biggest problem might be looping a rope 'around' shed so as to not tear the end out of it. Anybody with truck do driveway snow clearing your area? Such a vehicle might be suitable and might even have a bit of winch on front which could lift one end of shed. That and/or jacks as a start to get it up on the slides or rollers! Good luck.

[Colbyt]

I think you should do a bit of research on the compressive strength of a 3 or 4" PVC pipe and compute the total weight of the shed. Then I am fairly sure you will find that 3-5 pipes can handle that weight with no problem.

I can tell you for a fact that a 2 axle dump truck with 7 ton of gravel backed over mine which was only buried 5" deep (gutter drain) and did absolutely no damage.

Colbyt

[Colbyt]

The guy next door to one of my rentals drug one almost a mile using that method. The skids were a mite worn from the blacktop.

Colbyt

[HeyBub]

Yeah, you could do that. But the Egyptians didn't know about pulleys or block-and-tackles.

This same guy also elevated giant stones using a similar method. Everybody would heave, the stone would go up and, while it was up, others would shove timbers beneath it. Then while all the heavers rested, their fulcrum/scaffold would be rebuilt a little higher.

[benick]

My 10X10 shed is built on 6X6 PT skids and this is the reason I always recommend building sheds on skids...I have moved mine couple of times with my pick up using a chain attached to the skids..(SWMBO couldn't make up her mind)...Moved pretty easy too...Did scuff the grass up a bit but was easily fixed...Perhaps you could jack it up and put it on skids ???

[Stormin Mormon]

Forklifts are usually designed for cement floors. I'd suggest to take several two by fours, and screw em to the walls, sticking out about six feet. Think in the form of a military litter.

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Break the shed from the footing. Hire a video crew. Hire a couple hardy teenagers to help out. Put two teens on each board, and lift. Walk it over, set it down. Put video on Youtube. Post link, here. Feed everyone beer and pizza.

[George]

[George]

You still haven't described the construction of the floor. Thats 99% of figuring out if and how it can be moved.

PVC won't crush because the weight is distributed. My cousin had a large prefab shed business and they often needed to move them into final position using that method. If you don't want to tinker with it you could likely pay someone like him a nominal charge to do it when in your neighborhood.

[E Z Peaces]

The OP's shed is 10' x 12". I've never seen a shed that size that I couldn't lift with one hand. (In fact, I've never seen a shed that size that I /could/ lift.) I wonder what he keeps in it. Shoes?

[Hipupchuck]

Rent a fork lift will do the job.

[HerHusband]

I moved our 8'x10' shed a few years ago. I originally built it behind our old mobile home, but when we built our new house the shed would have been right outside the front window. So it was move it or dismantle it.

In my case, the shed was built on a concrete slab. So, I bought some long 2x4's and ran them diagonally inside at the floor to keep the building square. I also ran a 2x4 across the door opening to keep that secure. Then I attached some 2x4's to the studs on each end to use as a jacking point. I unbolted the sill plates from the slab, then slowly jacked up each end, setting it on blocks to allow jacking the other side.

When I had it high enough to clear the anchor bolts, I used a metal blade on a reciprocating saw to cut off all the anchor bolts flush with the slab. Then I slid a 2x6 (laid flat) under each side of the shed, and lowered the shed back down on the 2x6 skids, and screwed the shed to the skids. The skids were about 2' longer than the shed length, so a foot stuck out on each end. I beveled the bottom corners of each board first to help it run over rough ground. Then I attached a 2x4 on top of the skids at each end on the outside of the skids.

I used "Simpson Strong Drive Screws" for all connections. They're kind of like lag bolts, but are self tapping and easy to drive with a drill/driver. They're also easy to remove when the job is finished. They're available in the home centers in the area where the metal brackets, joist hangers, post bases, and whatnot are sold.

I already had a Bobcat on site for doing some landscape work, so I attached a chain to the bucket and at each end of the 2x4 I mounted on the skids outside the shed. The bucket allowed me to lift the front edge slightly, but it probably wasn't needed. Then I started pulling. I expected a major struggle and thought the shed would probably fall apart rather than move. But, it moved effortlessly with no sign of racking. I pulled it about 60' to the back of our new house.

Once I unhooked the chain, I used the bobcat bucket to "nudge" the shed back and forth and side to side until it was in exactly the position I wanted (pushing on the skids, not the shed!).

Then, we jacked the shed up again, took off the 2x6 skids, and poured a new slab underneath, complete with new anchor bolts. I drilled out the sills to meet up with the new bolts, then lowered the shed back down on the slab and bolted it in place. Finally, I removed all the bracing I had installed earlier.

I added a little shed roof extension on one end for firewood storage, then new shingles and a fresh coat of paint to match the house. It looks like it has always been there, and was a lot less work and expense than tearing down the shed and building a new one.

You can rent a bobcat fairly cheap ($250 for the day), but a good pickup truck would probably work just as well. A small shed really doesn't weigh as much as you might think.

Good luck,

Anthony

[JimmyDahGeek]

People move pontoon boats all the time on PVC pipes without any issues. I'm sure a 24' pontoon boat is heaver than a shed.

[JIMMIE]

When I expanded my back porch I had to move mine. Part of the foundation was a pair of 6x6 timbers running the length of the building and that set on some concrete blocks to level. We set it down on PVC pipe and rolled it about 20ft with it still loadedfor the most part. We did remove items that might get damaged if shaken around. We put 10 rollers under a 10 x 12 building and took the pipe back for a refund after we finished. There may have only been 9 under it at any one time. Four of it pushed it by hand for the most part. There was one place where we got stuck because of a dip in the ground. We got it moving again by using a shovel as an anchor for a come-along. Ground here is very hard clay when it is dry. If you have soft soil you may have to lay down some runners.

Jimmie

[clare]

My 10X10 shed would take a hercules on each corner if 4 were to lift it. 8 foot hih walls, all hardwood 2X5 studs on 16 inch centers with 1 inch hardwood "attic floor" Bet it weighs 2 tons (oh yes, the roof is

15X15)

[usenet-659f31de7f953aeb]

What sorts of explosions is your shed designed to contain?

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

Bet it doesn't. Do the math and prove me wrong & I'll email you a beer.

What kind of hardwood & why waste it on studs and flooring for a shed?

You're not an old Beechnut employee are you? An uncle worked at a Beechnut plant in the 60's. Some raw materials he was working with came from south America. The boxes were 1" red mahogany. Not many boards over 4 feet long-- but some real nice 5/4x18 clear mahogany. He had a shed full.

Jim

[Commish]

The shed itself is fairly sturdy. It was stick-built on site and sits on some 4x4 blocks on a blacktop drive way - so there's a little room underneath all the way around.

So, the walls are built with 2x4 studs covered with T-111 siding. The floor sits on 2x8s (or 2x6s, I haven't scuttle underneath to check it. It's a gambrel roof with asphalt shingles.

So, if I have to - I can take it apart, but it wasn't built to be easily dissembled.

For the folks who suggested rollers - I like that idea, however, where I want it is down a slope. How much slope? My 4yos can sled down it safely, but you have to stop them from the bushes at the bottom. I wouldn't call it steep. But it's a little more than gentle....

Once on the rollers, how likely will it be to take off?