DIY   home improvement   low budget   mountain living   outdoor  

Really it is just one of those metal pole "portable garage" things that normally has a tarp or canvas covering.  I got it for free from craigslist back when we lived in town and when we moved up here and found that less than half our extra junk would fit inside the small shed on the property we eventually decided it was time to make use of it as a barn for storage of everything from spare fish tanks to fire wood.

We anchored down the metal poles by driving small fence posts into the ground and then bolting the legs to the posts.  Then covered the whole thing with two layers of heavy duty tarp and called it good for a couple years.  Of course, heavy duty is all in the eyes of the beholder, and after year round use, the first layer of tarp was falling apart, and after another year there were tears on the inner layer.

Last winter we covered 2/3 of the roof with some used greenhouse paneling, and it was good again... until a couple weeks ago when 90 mile-an-hour wind gusts (I am not even exaggerating) shredded most of the rest of the tarp and ripped a section of greenhouse panel apart that wasn't held down very well.  And so after spending a nice Thanksgiving Thursday at my sisters and shopping on the way home Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday were all about getting the "barn" taken care of.

We used some of the metal roofing that was taken off our roof when it had to be replaced, re-did the part of the roofing that was damaged, and finished the greenhouse roofing over the rest and enclosed the far end.

So... enough bla-bla already... here are the pictures:

First we put on sides...

 

Then worked on the end.  (the end near the house already was enclosed with a door)

 

We enclosed part with metal and part with a greenhouse panel.  The panel has a bend in it, so remove a few screws from the right side and we can open it like a door to get to the fire wood.

 

We finished the end just before dark hoping the wind would lighten up for doing the roof on Sunday.

 

Despite some gusts on Sunday morning, we got moving quickly and got the roof done.

 

This is the end with the door that we made when we first put the roof on 2/3 of it.

 

It allows easy access to some tools, yard equipment, and the chest freezer.

 

My shoulders, back, and feet are aching, but at least it is one more thing off the list.

Eventually we want to extend the roofing on this side to make a cover for firewood instead of taking up half the room in the barn.  This is a photo-shop of what it should look like...  (though we will probably cover the outer side with paneling as well)