Storage Buildings Made With Home-Cut Lumber
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Lewis Legge’s part-time business venture gives him a nice sideline income while providing a valuable service for smaller North Dakota communities. Legge designs and builds mini storage buildings using his own labor and wood that he cuts himself. In the past 11 years, he has put up facilities in 5 North Dakota towns, each with less than 500 residents.
“I work in smaller communities because there are usually very affordable lots for sale,” Legge says, adding “I can also find someone willing to partner in the process.” Another reason his concept works is that he builds the buildings himself using lumber that he cuts with his Wood-Mizer sawmill.
“I have access to 65-ft. long Cedar transmission poles, and they work great for posts and beams in the buildings,” Legge says. “They’re 12 in. in diameter, so I have to cut them to size, down to 6 or 8-in. squares. The waste cuts from the outside make nice skirt boards, and the wood is all treated, which is another plus,” Legge adds.
He also uses the Wood-Mizer to cut other wood needed for the project from cottonwood or spruce logs. “We make our own rafters for the smaller buildings and have trusses made for the larger buildings,” Legge says. Steel siding is used on the walls and roofs, and lockable doors are on each unit. Floors are poured concrete.
“With my own labor, materials and mill, I can build units for about 55 to 75 percent of the cost it would take to have them custom built,” Legge says. He cuts all dimension lumber at 2-in. thickness, which adds extra strength to the roofs and walls.
The overall building size is 52 by 80-ft., which provides individual storage units that are 10 by 20-ft., and larger 10 by 26-ft. bays for boat storage. “I put most of the buildings up in 4 to 5 weeks, working just on weekends,” Legge says. “The overall cost, including land, is right around $40,000.” Legge figures there’s a 6-year payback for his investment, which is a lot better return than money in the stock market.
“People in small towns are no different than anyone else,” Legge says, “they need storage and they’re willing to pay for it.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lewis J. Legge, 3212 115th Ave. S.E., Valley City, N. Dak. 58072 (ph 701 490-0729).
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Storage Buildings Made With Home-Cut Lumber BUILDINGS Miscellaneous Lewis Legge’s part-time business venture gives him a nice sideline income while providing a valuable service for smaller North Dakota communities Legge designs and builds mini storage buildings using his own labor and wood that he cuts himself In the past 11 years he has put up facilities in 5 North Dakota towns each with less than 500 residents “I work in smaller communities because there are usually very affordable lots for sale ” Legge says adding “I can also find someone willing to partner in the process ” Another reason his concept works is that he builds the buildings himself using lumber that he cuts with his Wood-Mizer sawmill “I have access to 65-ft long Cedar transmission poles and they work great for posts and beams in the buildings ” Legge says “They’re 12 in in diameter so I have to cut them to size down to 6 or 8-in squares The waste cuts from the outside make nice skirt boards and the wood is all treated which is another plus ” Legge adds He also uses the Wood-Mizer to cut other wood needed for the project from cottonwood or spruce logs “We make our own rafters for the smaller buildings and have trusses made for the larger buildings ” Legge says Steel siding is used on the walls and roofs and lockable doors are on each unit Floors are poured concrete “With my own labor materials and mill I can build units for about 55 to 75 percent of the cost it would take to have them custom built ” Legge says He cuts all dimension lumber at 2-in thickness which adds extra strength to the roofs and walls The overall building size is 52 by 80-ft which provides individual storage units that are 10 by 20-ft and larger 10 by 26-ft bays for boat storage “I put most of the buildings up in 4 to 5 weeks working just on weekends ” Legge says “The overall cost including land is right around $40 000 ” Legge figures there’s a 6-year payback for his investment which is a lot better return than money in the stock market “People in small towns are no different than anyone else ” Legge says “they need storage and they’re willing to pay for it ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Lewis J Legge 3212 115th Ave S E Valley City N Dak 58072 ph 701 490-0729
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