How well do shelter logic hold up in heavy snow areas?

[Ralph Copp]

I have a 12' x 10' x 24' ShelterLogic. I purchased it for 1/2 price at Canadian Tire. It is a round model with a 8'4" roll up door opening. I have to leave the door up in the winter, as the zipper would never work due to snow and ice. I mounted the whole shed on 12" milled hemlock in order to give me the extra 12" I required to get my LS 7010 out of the weather. I used 5" lag bolts to attach the shelter to the logs, thank God I did because with the front open it is a wind catcher. I will be glad when I get the garage finished because it makes me nervous leaving the tractor in the shelter when the wind is blowing hard. A small vent is not sufficient to release all the air that comes in, most of the air escapes under the sides. They do have to be well vented to help reduce the condensation which forms. Not a bad tent for the $600 or $700 I paid for it but you can't beat a permanent structure for sure.

 

[jix]

Answer to JAMES RE SHELKTER TECH DIAGONAL BRACES PM
Hi James: I would be glad to provide more info, but cannot do a photo, sorry, no digital camera.

Here is what I did: I purchased 4 12-Foot lengths of half inch calvanized thin wall conduit and eight galvanized steel fence clamps tro fit the upright members of my shelter (I think they were two inches in dia) which had one tab to accept a 1/4-20x 3/8ths galv stove bolt and eight 1/4-elastic stop nuts. I crushed about two inches of both ends of each conduit in a vise to flatten it, then drilled a 5/16ths hole in each flattened end. I chose the vertical pipe of the shelter uprights nearest the two entry doors and fastened a clamp to the top of each just below the horizontal longitudinal pipe. Then I fastened a clamp to the lower end of the two vertical pipes of the shelter that were next in line behind to the door pipe, just below the longitudinal pipe that runs across the bottom..
Then I placed a conduit between each pair of clamps, adjusted and tightened the bolts placing each conduit in tension, not compression. Easy, cheap and effective! (This will prevent lateral, but not horizontal Sway) I am not sure that is what happened to your shelter. Horizontal sway is difficult to brace, but IF your vertical post are all positioned on a solid LEVEL base, that should not happen in the first place.

Your PM did not allow me to copy your TBN handle, so I could not reply via PM. Good Luck , James

 

[pat32rf]

Between my neighbour and I we have had four pipeframe buildings in the past ten years. My first one from Princess Auto had a great frame, but the roof seam let go the second year. Two cheaper Shelter Logic buildings have had the frame fail during overnight snowfall dumps. The last one is a different make but the frame is starting to twist after one heavy dump last year. We have kept them as snow free as possible.
I hope to build a series of wood trusses next spring, set them on stick walls and cover the whole thing with "lifetime tarps" These are old bill board sign covers that run about 14'x60' and sell for about $40 around here. I have one covering a 14'x20' deck roof (2"x10" on 16" center) that is on its 3rd winter. The snow stays there and builds up to about 20" each winter with no ill effects on the tarp.
I figure I can get my studs and plates from a local mill, and build the trusses myself. I need to wind up with a building that I can drive the tractor into, then lift and move with the FEL.

 

[pat32rf]

Between my neighbour and I we have had four pipeframe buildings in the past ten years. My first one from Princess Auto had a great frame, but the roof seam let go the second year. Two cheaper Shelter Logic buildings have had the frame fail during overnight snowfall dumps. The last one is a different make but the frame is starting to twist after one heavy dump last year. We have kept them as snow free as possible.
I hope to build a series of wood trusses next spring, set them on stick walls and cover the whole thing with "lifetime tarps" These are old bill board sign covers that run about 14'x60' and sell for about $40 around here. I have one covering a 14'x20' deck roof (2"x10" on 16" center) that is on its 3rd winter. The snow stays there and builds up to about 20" each winter with no ill effects on the tarp.
I figure I can get my studs and plates from a local mill, and build the trusses myself. I need to wind up with a building that I can drive the tractor into, then lift and move with the FEL.

 

[jix]

Shelter tech is NOT the same as Shelter Logic.. As you have discovered. Shelter Tech are four times as well made, and cost 4 tomes as much. You get what you pay for

 

[3930dave]

Unless you don't have much snow/wind, buying heavy materials to start with is usually the better way to go.

Having watched this thread for a while (and having a friend go through a few light weight versions), I'm wondering if pouring concrete into the tubes would help. If the up-in-the-air connectors can handle the weight, it would make the tubes hard to bend, and add ballast to the whole frame.

Obviously more so a summer project......

(Edit - has anybody priced out a DIY project using ABS DWV pipe ?).

Rgds, D.

 

[skyhook]

I have noticed that Shelter Logic has now increased the size of their "tubes" on some product's,
a little over 2" now and of course, their more expensive.

 

[3930dave]

I have noticed that Shelter Logic has now increased the size of their "tubes" on some product's,
a little over 2" now and of course, their more expensive.

Larger OD looks better. If wall thickness didn't go up, don't expect much of a gain in strength.

Budget-wise, that's why I got thinking of concrete - cheap way to add strength.

Rgds, D.

 

[skyhook]

Larger OD looks better. If wall thickness didn't go up, don't expect much of a gain in strength.

Budget-wise, that's why I got thinking of concrete - cheap way to add strength.

Rgds, D.

I've had mine bolted to "railway track beams" the real kind, very heavy.
Never had an issue with it moving, whatsoever.
I have the 12x10 high x 24 long,, going on it's fifth year (round type).

 

[jix]

With all respect to the OP, Shelter Tech has TWO grades of shelter available.(ONE is the Standard grade, the SECOND is the CANADIAN grade). The Canadian grade has larger dia tubes with thicker walls and a thicker type of plastic cover. I have the Canadian grade, plus I have 20 extra duck-foot stakes ( one for every vertical; and extra wind straps 4 vs 2. I also have the ratchet type of lower attachment tighteners all along the bottom edge.)

When I built it, I used fine grade crusher dust two feet thick for the base and patio blocks for each vertical post, (everything dead level in two directions and well compacted) before installation. The cover was tightened to the max with the ratchets. These extra steps are why the shelter has withstood six winters, two hurricanes and amazing snow loads. I do not have to push the snow off, ever and wind does not make it sway, because I added braces (see Earlier posts) to prevent the structure from any longitudinal flexing. The whole job cost me 3,500 dollars taxes in. It was quite pricey, yes, but it is still standing. Cheaper jobs, even from Shelter Tech will collapse under heavy snow loads.

I cannot emphasize enough: If the structure gets off plumb or level, or if is allowed to flex in the wind, the weight will eventually break the tubes at stress points. It Must be dead plumb and square...and well secured and braced..just like a house is. The frame of the shelter will only give max strength if everything is lined up, is plumb, and stays that way. Overkill is way better than hoping.

Shelter Logic does not have the heavy grade tubing nor the heavy grade cover material and it cannot withstand heavy weather. It is a waste of time and money..and it endangers you and everything inside it, if it collapses, which it will..take a look around and check it out for yourself.. This is one thing you cannot do on the cheap!

Filling the tubes with concrete will make them stiffer, but would be very hard to do and then how would you get the screws into it. Also, it will not strengthen the cover, So I would not even consider doing that. Putting up a big frame is already hard enough to do.

Buy the best stuff, do it right and You WILL be satisfied, just as I am....after six horrid winters here in the Maritimes.

.. (no I do not have any financial interest in the company Shelter Tech), but they are a New Brunswick company and they have a six-month backlog of orders currently. Because they do it right. That is all good. It gives we NB guys pride.

JIX