help on ideas for new shelter

[seandicare]

well, i've been boucing ideas in my head since the season ended on what i a going to do for next year. i am trying to do this as cheap as possible right now....i already have a cement slab that was an old horse barn that is about 16ft deep and 20ft wide. my evaporator is a 275gal fuel oil tank on it's side, so it is about 5ft wide and 5 deep.

---option 1 was to build a small pole barn say 10ft x 10ft w/ sloped roof to the side. i have some 4ft alum from a storage shed for roofing, figure i could put it up for around $4-500ish with tarps for walls, but not a carpenter so not sure on sturdyness, and with our potential for heavy snow, i want it sturdy.

-----option 2 is a 12x20x12H porta-garage, can get for around $800, ($600 for 8ft High) and talking to a few people, those seem to be pretty sturdy. and easy set up

-----option 3 is a metal roof car port (similar to the porta garage with open sides, found them for a bit over $1,000, the tarp versions seem pretty cheap $3-400, but afraid it might blow away


anybody have any suggestions for this? what have you used that worked on keeping snow/rain off the evaporator?

i tried a tarp strung between trees, but even a gentle breeze was tearing the eyelets right out of the tarp within a day.

[maple flats]

My first year I just used a 10x10 peak roof vendors tent. I ran the stack out at about 60 degree angle and braced it using EMT. I anchored the 4 legs to the ground and the cover held up.
For my second year I built my currant 16x24 sugarhouse, way better. I now wish I had built a 24x36 sugarhouse.

[seandicare]

thanks....i did look at building a full shed, but WELL outside my current price range......trying to get this on a shoestring budget right now, and once i am going good in a couple years, go big.

thanks for the input on the 10x10......found something alittle bigger on sale, so probably go that route for now, seeing how at least someone has had some luck with it.

[Zucker Lager]

One thing I ran into while looking for roofing tin for my shed was that you can get metal roofing from your local pole barn builder cheaper by asking for "cover sheets" its the metal that they use to protect the good sheets when they ship material. The cover sheets were not cut correctly or blemished. the guy in my area sells it for a buck a lineal foot and will collect the color that I need until he has enough for my roof and even cut it to size avoiding the blemishes. :rolleyes: Jay

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

I am just going to build a lean too of sorts out of 4x4 timbers for this coming year and maybe the next. Will throw some plywood on the walls, ground to 4 feet up, and leave the upper half open. I just want to have a roof, and keep the wind off the pan. Should be pretty cheap and easy to build.

[seandicare]

Duncan, that does sound pretty cheap and easy, except that my homemade evap is close to 5ft wide, so the boards would have to be 16ft long to have room at the sides to work the evap, and have alittle room over the top.

Zucker, thanks for that tip. if i need more than i already have i'll have to check on that

[johnpma]

My original plan was to convert a stall in my barn to an area to boil. I found this on craigslist for free just had to move it off the home site and to my home. We cut the roof at the double sill plate and moved in on a trailer then set it in place. and re-attached the roof. It's only 10 X 12 but I'm sure for the price I can make it work. Keep an eye on craigslist. Couple months ago somebody had small sheds cheap here in mass. They were security sheds/check point sheds from a large corporation

[seandicare]

well, after some back and forth (even thinking of giving up sugaring for a couple years) I think I am going to go with a 12x20 dome top porta garage. some reviews were not the best, but think I can make it work.

looked into building something. for just the frame for around 10x10 I am looking near $250. and I am not totally comfortable with my carpentry skills to make it solid for heavy snow.