Having the garden ‘sanitized’ (i’m NOT a gardener, so it’s all coming up and will just be grass). We’re going to put up a log store in one of the current ‘beds’ – not sure whether to go whole hog and make a cement slab to stand it on, or simply level out the ground as best as I can and use slabs for the corners/legs..

Is it worth the additional effort to make a stable slab for it??

DrP

We’ve two covered stores, one on concrete and the other one on dirt with a mix of peat and logs in it, tbh it makes no difference about the dirt base as we never get to the base layer of wood.

My concern would be the store sinking/tipping really.
But your one on dirt – it it hard pack dirt?

Mine will be sat on an old flower bed, so slightly looser dirt.

(I know this is a benign question, but I’m trying to decide if the additional expense and time of digging, lining, and concreting a foundation is worth it!)

DrP

You could always dig a pit per corner, sand/hardcore base, more sand then your flagstone on top?

I’d suggest using paving slabs under it, with the intent to avoid (most) weeds growing, lift the timber off the dirt and gain max ventilation. Laid to slope slightly, of course.

Met posts?

I was going to build my own, but when I looked into the cost of the wood (and the time involved), it was more cost effective to buy one..
I went for this:

So I can’t use metal posts on it, as the posts are already in place (unless you can get metal posts the legs will sit into??)

Think I’ll go for paving slab option for now, but with a layering as per good ol’ Ned..

DrP

It’s relatively hard packed, it’s never been used as a bed or anything.
In that store i tend to go for the pile of wood approach rather than mrs kios elaborate but fairly useless stacking approcah so not too bothered about tipping. The store before filling with more wood and turf;

I wouldn’t bother with a concrete slab. All my sheds just have an earth floor. Bear in mind a wood store is also a habitat for beasties and birds.

and it’s easier to get rid of a body under a dirt floor, should you ever need to go down that route, then put the slabs down.

McMoonter…you’re not the only one who can park a digger in their log store…

🙂

I think i’ll simply level out the ground, and have a flagstone slab under each leg.

Ta for the advice!

DrP

Looking at your picture it looks like the posts extend beneath the slatted base. In that case to avoid tipping/ differential settlement I would place each post on a pad foundation. Suitable pad type foundation would probably be 0.3m excavation, filled with compacted sand and angular gravel (ballast for concrete mix would be ok) and then a paving slab laid onto of the granular fill. Adjust elevations with additional slabs/ more granular fill extending as necessary to ensure lateral restriant of any granular fill above ground level.

DrP – if you don’t mind me asking how much did that store cost and where from please (assuming you are happy with it!!). The make myself options appeals but I know it will never happen…

Where did you get the woodstore, DrP? We might be in the market for the same thing.

i just threw pallets on the floor of mine to allow air flow all round and keep it off the wet ground.

I got it from here:
http://www.logstoresonline.co.uk/product/large-slatted-log-store/

Oddly, when I got it it was a fiver cheaper!

I looked into the cost for treated timber, and for the posts alone would have been £130ish from all local merchants.

Normally I’m a huge fan of making things myself, but my time and finances are being stretched by the house renovation/working-to-pay-for-such-renovation, so this seemed a good buy..
It’s still wrapped up in the garage, but I’ll be hoping to assemble this coming weekend…

looks sturdy in the image though!

DrP

Hmmm. Bit more than I was hoping for! Think I’ll shore up the falling-down shed for now! There are enough missing slats that there’s plenty of airflow! Cheers.

My suggestion would be to roughly level then compact the soil. Next build a frame a couple of inches wider and longer than the store using 3 or 4 inch treated planks. Line with a membrane and finally fill with chippings. This way all water will drain away so stopping the legs of the store rotting and also the first layer of firewood. I do this with all the sheds that I build.

Concrete paving flag under each post. Put wendy house logstore on top. Fill with wood. Stop worrying….

“and for the posts alone would have been £130ish from all local merchants.”

that gets you 10 pressure treated 4x4s around here AT BNQ !

Bear in mind a wood store is also a habitat for beasties and birds.

I always feel bad burning the wood as effectively I’ve built a beetle sanctuary and then cremated them all!

I looked into the cost for treated timber, and for the posts alone would have been £130ish from all local merchants.

Normally I’m a huge fan of making things myself, but my time and finances are being stretched by the house renovation/working-to-pay-for-such-renovation

Have you looked into opening a trade account? My local builder’s merchant will let you open one as a DIYer and their timber prices are 50% of the list price! Saves a lot of money over a house renovation…

^^ Think I will eventually.
At the moment the big building work is being left in the hands of a builder mate..

Put wendy house logstore on top

Oi!!
This is the wendyhouse (or Lab, as my son calls it! Sciencetastic!)
I just need to move it to the new garded 2 miles down the road…anyone got a Chinnook I could borrow?!

DrP

I used paving slabs under mine. Mainly as I also used pallets to form a base for the logs. Seems to be an easy way to do it. The pallets give a bit of airflow underneath it all and the slabs give it a flat base to sit on. I still haven’t got around to replacing a temporary tarpaulin roof that is rubbish and leaks but at least any water can seep between the gaps in the slabs and the pallets remain reasonably dry. Seems an unnecessary faff using concrete plus you can’t relocate it.

Another reason was its proximity to a thug of a bamboo plant and the slabs were to try and inhibit its spread.

Pallets.

Dirt under mine, however I did dig ~ 1′ holes for each of the posts and then dump in a load of concrete and rubble to ensure they were solid.

Main problem I had was I slightly over estimated the size, so I can now store around 8 sqm of wood……