Moving a storage shed within your yard is much easier than you might think. You just need the proper tools to do the job.

If you purchased the shed from a local storage shed retailer I would contact them before the move. Most shed retailers offer shed moving services both within the yard and over the road. In most cases hiring a professional to do the job will save you time, money and an aching back. If you would rather move it yourself ask if you can borrow or rent the tools needed to move your shed. We loan out our tools to do it yourselfers.

If it was purchased from a box store, home improvement center or wholesale club you are most likely on your own.

What you will need to move your shed

• Depending on the size of the shed being moved you will need between 2 and 4 schedule 40 PVC pipes. I prefer 6″ diameter however 4″ or 6″ will work. The PVC pipes should be at least as long as the width of the storage shed. Example: for a 10′ wide shed I would suggest 10′ long PVC pipes.
• A Jack – We use barn Jacks however just about any Jack will do.
• Johnson bar, Digging bar or 4″x4″ – Although not mandatory if you have one of these in the garage or at work it can be used as a lever to assist in rolling the shed. We carry a Johnson bar in all of our storage shed delivery trucks.
• 2 – 2″x4″ or 2″x6″ etc. to be used as tracks on top of which the PVC pipe will be set. Again don’t buy the lumber until you have attempted the shed move. In most cases you can roll the shed across the ground without the wood.
• 4′ Level – Once moved you will need to level the shed.
• Blocks/shims – 2″x8″x16″ patio blocks work well. Shims should be varying thicknesses. We also use .40 pressure treated cutoffs as well as cedar shims and 5/4″ composite decking cutoffs for shimming.

The shed move

1. Determine the easiest and shortest route to move your shed to it’s new location. The easiest may not be the shortest.
2. Clear the path.
3. Jack up the end of the shed which is nearest to the new location. Be sure and raise it high enough so you can slide one of the PVC pipes under the shed about half way back.
4. Depending on the length of the shed you can add another 1 or 2 PVC pipes. For any shed up to about 16′ long we use 2 tubes. Over 16′ long you may want to use 3. It depends on the weight of the shed and the distance it is being moved.
5. Lower the shed and remove the jack.
6. Push the shed from the opposite end. If the ground is level the shed should move relatively easily. Of course the larger the shed the harder it will be to get it rolling. If it won’t budge try using a lever (4″x4″, Digging bar or Johnson bar) to get it started.
7. As you roll your shed you will most likely have the need to turn it as you maneuver across your yard. To do this simply raise the shed and angle the PVC pipes in the direction you want it to go. Start turning well in advance of obstacles as the shed will turn gradually. If you need to make a dramatic change in direction (70 degrees plus) raise the shed, remove the back PVC pipe (furthest pipe from the leading side of the shed) and angle the leading tube in the direction you want it to go. By removing the middle tube (non leading tube) you will be able to move the leading end of the shed by pushing it so it slides on the tube. For larger sheds a lever may be needed. Of course the more man power the easier it will move.
8. Continue until you are at the new shed site.
9. Ideally, you prepared the new storage shed site with crushed stone (for site preparation instructions click here)
10. If you prepared your site then you will find it hard to push the shed across the stone. Use some scrap lumber to act as tracks on which you will be placing the PVC pipes.
11. Once your shed is on your new site raise your shed and remove the pipes/tracks and lower it into place. Place the level on the floor of your shed checking the length and the width for level. Add blocks and shims where necessary to both level and support your shed.

Some sheds just can’t be moved easily Sheds built on a foundation require a lot of additional work including adding a foundation at the new site. You can still move the shed it will simply require more work. If you need information on a specific shed/barn move let me know. We have moved large sheds and barns onto new foundations so I can give you some tips specific to your move.

]]> http://www.storagesheds.org/2010/11/shed-moving-how-to-move-your-shed/feed/ 0 http://www.storagesheds.org/2010/07/storage-shed-doors-won%e2%80%99t-close-here-are-some-tips/ http://www.storagesheds.org/2010/07/storage-shed-doors-won%e2%80%99t-close-here-are-some-tips/#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:50:03 +0000 admin http://www.storagesheds.org/?p=74683 Why won’t my shed Doors close?

I receive at least 40-50 calls per year from people who have a shed 15,20,30 or more years old which is in decent shape however the doors are sagging, won’t close properly or just plain don’t work.

Here are some simple steps to try and eliminate your door issues:

• Take a 4′ level and place in the middle of the shed floor. Make sure it is level front to back and right to left. If your storage shed is even a little bit out of level it can cause the shed doors to stick/rub. Using pressure treated, steel, concrete or composite shims re-level the shed. I suggest using a Jeep jack or Johnson bar to lift the shed one corner at a time. Depending on the size of the building you may be able to use a simple steel bar to lift the corners high enough to place the shims underneath.

• Doors are warping out at the bottom/top. This may happen for several reasons and there are a couple of ways to solve the problem.

• You can buy small turnbuckles at most hardware stores or home centers. Attach one half to the area where the door is pulling away from the shed and the other diagonally across the door towards the opposite corner. Once screwed into place start tightening the turn buckle using a wrench. Once you have it cranked nice and tight take a look and see if it took out some, most or all of the warp. If not proceed to step 2.
• Remove the doors from the storage shed. Next remove the trim from the front of the doors (if there is any) as many carpenters will nail through the siding on the front of the door into the door framing and then hide the nails with the trim. Remove the frame from the siding and replace the framing with new, straight lumber. Reattach the siding and trim (replace the trim and siding if necessary since you already have it dis-assembled). Paint the bottom of the siding as well as the bottom of the framing to prevent wicking moisture from the ground.

• Swollen doors – From time to time your shed doors may swell due to rain or humidity. Using your doors when they are swollen is not a good idea as it can damage the siding. In the case of laminated siding such as T1-11 the siding may delaminate. To correct this problem it is a good idea to increase the space between the door and the door jam/frame. When the door(s) are swollen take a permanent marker and mark the areas where the door is swollen. Make sure that if the door is modified it will still hit the stops which keep it from opening all the way in. When the door has dried remove the door(s) and using a chalk line or straight edge make a line the entire length or width of the side where the door is rubbing. I suggest ripping the door down just a small amount. As little as the width of the circular saw blade will usually solve the problem.

Most quality shed manufacturers consider swelling when constructing their doors and door openings. Warping on the other hand can not be foreseen.

Since I am on the topic of shed doors my next entry will be how to build shed doors like the pros!

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As a kid I would help my father stack the rough sawn pine on the trucks. By the time I was old enough to work we were using less rough sawn pine siding and more plywood sheet siding products. Pine and Fir T1-11 were the most popular. These plywood sidings were more durable than the pine and decreased the amount of time it took us to build a shed. We began panelizing the walls in the shop allowing for a much faster install time.

The problems with the sheet sidings was that they did not take paint well. The exterior layer was rough and after a few years needed a new coat of paint. They also contained boat knots or football knots. These are areas where knots were cut out of the last layer of the T1-11 and filler was added. They are shaped like footballs or boats hence the name. The filler would sometimes deteriorate and leave the plywood exposed.Overall it was still the most cost effective, durable siding for storage sheds.

About 13 years ago we were introduced to DuraTemp™ siding.

DuraTemp™ has a plywood veneer inner core and a hardboard face. It takes paint extremely well and the hardboard face will not crack, split or check. The hardboard face will not easily show marks when hit with a hammer. Simply put it is a super tough, long lasting siding.

Key Benefits of DuraTemp™

* Does not Crack, Check or Split
* Is made using genuine plywood
* The finish resembles rough sawn cedar
* Is super easy to paint with latex gloss or semi gloss latex house paint formulated for wood( Do NOT use stain, vinyl acrylic exterior paint)
* Will not have to be repainted for 8-15 years (this is from my own experience )
* It is relatively light weight No boat knots
* No added urea formaldehyde (NAUF)
* Cost effective siding solution

The first time I was introduced to DuraTemp™ by a lumber broker I was very skeptical. I listened to his sales pitch and quite frankly wasn’t sold on it. Having heard many similar claims from other salesmen I needed some proof. At the end of our meeting he asked me if I had a bucket he could use. I went and got one for him and he went proceeded to fill it about half way with water. He took his DuraTemp™ sample and placed it in the bucket. He told me to leave it in the bucket and give him a call in a month or so.

I would pull the siding sample out of the water every few days or so to see how much it had expanded from absorbing water but there was no noticeable change. About 2-3 months later the majority of our storage sheds had DuraTemp™ hardboard siding.

At our store we have a garage we use for storing tools etc. Although I can’t remember it’s exact age it is over 10 years old. Other than the paint fading and some dings and dents to the garage doors and trim it is in incredibly good shape. I have never repainted it and don’t plan to anytime soon.

We have delivered well over five thousand sheds with DuraTemp™ siding and there have been very few problems. The ones we did have were due to a bad sheet of siding which was promptly replaced.

So if you’re buying or building a shed don’t hesitate to go with DuraTemp.