Shed
 

So my project starting very soon is to build a tool shed to help fix some storage problems we have with such a tight garage (and massive mower.)

My back yard has a devilish slope at all locations, so I'm pretty much forced to have the shed supported well off the ground in the back. My current plan is to basically have the front even with the ground and the back anywhere from 2-6ft off the ground, supported by...

This is the first question I have... I've read that columns dug down should be fine, but I'm not sure how deep to dig since the slope obviously affects the typical frost line depth considerations. Is this a case where I want to dig something more like a footing into the hillside and bury it with a column coming out of the footing?

I was considering columns dug down 3-5 ft and sticking up 8" or so and then PT 6x6's up to whatever "level" the deck sits at.

Currently I am planning something between a 8x12 and 10x14 for a shed size, so its going to have some weight to it.

I would build it as big as you can,depending on city codes. The way you described your column construction should be fine. One thing I would do is maybe support the back floor framing with a continious beam supported by the 6x6 columns.

Damn city building codes...

Don't go to the town hall, you'll loose your mind and if u live close to the coast you'll go nuts.... LOL
Most likely a max. Size restriction without having to jump thru hoops for the permit... Good luck

Trevier is spot on with suggesting a main beam spanning across your sonotube footings.

I have to disagree with Gup however.... I am one who hates all the red tape, but if you build it and a neighbor gripes, you will have to take it down if you haven't complied with local ordinances.... Set back, and height will be the most likely complaints. We have a 15 foot set back here, but can go closer to property line if approved by Zoning board of appeals. First step is to set some stakes where you would like it located, then a long piece of strapping whose height will represent the height of the sheds ridge pole. Once those are in place, go get your blessing from the abutting neighbors. You need them in your court. Much easier to ask for permission than to beg for forgiveness. Can be much more costly to do the latter first.

4' for footings here ie. frostline
start with the larger sized, you can always go smaller if you are forced into concessions
any way to have it share a common wall with the garage?
some of the pre fab sheds are pretty good, and are competitive to building yourself, financially. You post up the beam on the sonotubes and they will have it done when you get home from work.

I got a permit for a different location in the back yard last year. I'll need to call the town and let them know its moving locations, but most of the red tape crap has already been done.

While I like the idea of a prefab, I do have a credit at a local lumber yard, 8 sheets of exterior grade plywood and about half a roof worth of underlayment, bitchethane, and shingles left over from my house roof last year. I think building it myself will help get some of that stuff out of my garage and save me some of that DIY $.

The beam is 100% happening, my bigger concern was the effort involved in building what the beam is going to sit on. If I calculate correctly, the footings are supposed to be like 2'x2'x8" and have rebar out of the top of them, then have a sonatube set into that rebar which will create the base for the beam. If thats the case, I'm worried that digging enough earth out of there to fit that kind of footing at the base of my driveway might cause an erosion problem affecting my driveway.

Did I do a good job in that last paragraph of describing things? Or is it confusing?

I was joking about don't go to the town hall Ross but have no dought u know what I mean about the red tape. Permits have become a new trade,,, plumbers, electricians , permit getters :-)

Ross
Oh,,, hope it's not too late, sales guy at west marine today tells me about a " soon to hit the shelves" garmin combo machine , down view, side view, GPS , 7" screen including transom mount transducer for $399.00.... Not touch screen but sounds like a good deal....

Ian,
I would just go with two or three sonotubes. It's not that much weight. You said it was on a hillside, so do not be surprised to find ledge before you get to intended depth. If you do, hammerdrill and pin a piece of re-bar into the ledge.

Gup,
Thanks for the heads up. I read somewhere that Garmin had infringed on some licensing or patent of side imaging and that is why they have to retool their product line. Done nothing yet, but am salting away a little here and there for a Simrad unit....

Thanks Ross, sound advice. With the holes being dug into the hillside, is 4' (frostline) still the depth? Or am I going to need to do some googling and math to figure out how slope affects frost line on hills?

Technically, it is 4' from lowest side of the excavation (hole). Measure 4' from bottom of your post hole digger and mark it with tape. It is deeper than you/I think, every time. The tape will save pulling out a tape measure numerous times to see how deep you are...trust me. Locally, I hit something immovable before 4' more often than not.