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I have a 12×12 shed in the back yard. It is built on the ground resting on a treated 4×4 foundation. Don’t like where it is and being next to woods several creatures have made burrows and are living underneath. I would like to move it about 30 feet and onto a concrete slab. The foundation does not have sled rails. I have read about jacking buildings up, putting down round timbers underneath and in the direction of travel and rolling it into place. Has anyone done this that could offer suggestions or has a better idea?
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Hi Keith,
Contact your local crane company and order a boom truck to sling the shed over to your new pad.
Save you a pile of headaches and money to boot.
Gabe
*Keith, I moved a similar one last summer. It is a barn shaped, about 10 x12. I used simple levers and fulcrums to tilt one edge at a time and slip 2 x12 planks under it as rails. I then rolled it using whatever rollers I could find laying around. 3/4 gas piping, broom handles, pvc, whatever. It moves pretty easy if you continue to use levers.It took three of us a couple hours to move it about 30 feet, including a 180 degree turn.Levers were 2x10's doubled about 12-14' long. Have a supply of cribbing (short stock)to act as fulcrums. Get a case of beer and invite the buddies over and have fun.blue
*Buy two 20 foot or so 2x6's. nail one on one side and the other on (you guessed it) the other side, maybe add a lag bolt at each corner. invite a couple of your biggest pals over and then everybody grab an end of 2x that should be sticking out past the structure, pick up the shed and take it for a walk. My father and I jacked up his entire single car garage like that to replace the old concrete block foundation beneath it. I imagine with enough brawn we coulda walked it around the yard too.Pete
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Last summer I had to move four 8 x 12 sheds. I conatacted a local car towing company and had them bring out a tilt bed role off wrecker. They skidded the sheds up onto the truck. We strapped the shed to the truck and off they drove. The sheds were moved about ten miles to my nes shop and dropped off.
I arranged to have the wrecker during mid-day so that the company did not charge me for the premium rate of morning and afternoon rush hour when they are pulling wrecks off of the freeway.
Tom the Tree Guy
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Jack it up and use schedule 40 pvc pipe.I've moved some big stuff around with PCV pipe. Use the biggest (4" to 6") you can find.
*Be creative, use anything round to roll it, I prefer a Handyman jack to lift it but others' work too. Just let your ears and eyes be your guide on how far to lift at one time without tearing something apart. Bet you find it is a piece of cake.
*I moved a 10 x 12. I dug a hole under the center of one side, slid a floor jack under the plate and jacked it up. I did this on both sides and put 4x4 skids under it. Pulled it with a 2wd truck and turned it 90 degrees. Took about 1/2 hour.I like the rollback idea.The boom seems to be overkill, and would double the cost of the shed.-Rob
*Couple of points to consider:If you pull with a cable or chain attach as low as possible to the structure. Tie into the sleepers if you can. You want the pulling force to exert a slight lifting effort. Also, you do not want to pull the building off its sleepers. If you shed is not skinned with T-111 or another plywood type product nail some diagonal braces to the studs on the inside.
*A friend of mine once had the same problem. We fussed and discussed lots of ideas over beers in the evenings. One day when a backhoe guy was digging septic test holes my friend mentioned the shed. "Where do you want it?" he asked and before my friend could finish the sentence, "Are you sure it strong enough...", he lowered his bucket and the shed was moved - no worse for the wear. Afterwards he jacked it up and put it on pier pads (you could do the same with a pad). You'd be surprised how strong a small building is!
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I have a 12x12 shed in the back yard. It is built on the ground resting on a treated 4x4 foundation. Don't like where it is and being next to woods several creatures have made burrows and are living underneath. I would like to move it about 30 feet and onto a concrete slab. The foundation does not have sled rails. I have read about jacking buildings up, putting down round timbers underneath and in the direction of travel and rolling it into place. Has anyone done this that could offer suggestions or has a better idea?