# Building a pump house



## damian51 (Jan 28, 2012)

Anyone have any experience in this? Just need a basic shed to cover my pump. I was thinking the design would be 6x6 with a lean to roof and the rood would hinge. 1/4 inch treated plywood and treated 2x6 for the posts. I would also paint it all. I live in Louisiana so it does not need to be insulated. Anyone have any tips?


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## TarheelTerp (Jan 6, 2009)

damian51 said:


> Just need a basic shed to cover my pump.
> Anyone have any tips?


Think about what ELSE you might want to have a roof over or kept behind a lockable door. Make the shed big enough to do those things as well.


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## damian51 (Jan 28, 2012)

I already have an actual shed. This would be strictly for the well pump.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

If you just sit it directly on the ground the siding and the bottom plates will rot out over time

If the siding is within 6" of the ground it's going to rot out from splash back where it rains.

Since your in hurracane area I'd be afaid it would blow away unless you pour footing and have it sit on the blocks with foundation bolts to hold it in place.

I've never even seen 1/4 pressure treated plywood or even anything you could use to side a pump house outside that's 1/4" thick. The walls should be at least 1/2" thick not 1/4".

The studs should be 2 X 4's not 2 X 6's. 2 X 6's would be over kill.

2 X 4's are sold in 8' lenghts so why not make the shed 8' so your not throwing away 2' of lumber with every cut.

If you key word search pump house plans dozens come up on Yahoo or Google. He's one.
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~mwps_dis/mwps_web/ms_plans.html#Anchor74001


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## Evstarr (Nov 15, 2011)

How tall?


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## damian51 (Jan 28, 2012)

Never thought about the splash back. I was just planning on driving the posts in the ground and screwing some plywood to it lol. That one you linked is a actually where I got the idea for the hinged roof.

One side of it will be 4, slanting down to 3 foot on the other side.

I am trying to keep this project on the cheaper side and would rather not do footing. I am not concerned with the hurricanes if it's screwed to some 2x4s
That are secured in the ground.

I will also paint the building.


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## Evstarr (Nov 15, 2011)

More a box than a house. Eh?
How about driving 4 steel fence posts in the corners, sheath it in ply, and side with hardy plank cement board siding?


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## damian51 (Jan 28, 2012)

Evstarr said:


> More a box than a house. Eh?
> How about driving 4 steel fence posts in the corners, sheath it in ply, and side with hardy plank cement board siding?



Yeh I guess house was the wrong phrase lol

Fence post as in what is used in chain link fencing?

I am not all too construction sauvy, what does it mean to sheath it in?

Would the hardy board rot?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Very poor design ideas.

It's going to be to close to the ground, and only 4 X 4's, 4 X 6's, and 6 X 6's are below ground rated.

By making it that small how is anyone going to be able to even work on the pump if needed.


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## damian51 (Jan 28, 2012)

Also I am not even sure I'd I need a pump house. More for
Keeping objects from hitting the setup or keeping the rain off it.


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## damian51 (Jan 28, 2012)

joecaption said:


> Very poor design ideas.
> 
> It's going to be to close to the ground, and only 4 X 4's, 4 X 6's, and 6 X 6's are below ground rated.
> 
> By making it that small how is anyone going to be able to even work on the pump if needed.


Unscrew the plywood and work on the equipment


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

If your lucky the termites will send you a thank you card for making there job so easy. 

I drive by at least 5 DIY built pump houses everyday, everyone of them has the roof falling in and sidings all rotted away, everyone of them was built just sitting on the ground. Just trying to save you all the trouble of having it fail.

It's always cheaper to build something right the first time and not have to go back and do it again.


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## damian51 (Jan 28, 2012)

Let me ask you this, for a 6'x6 that is 4 foot slanting to 3 foot, how much would it cost to do it right with footings and such. Also the cement wouldn't mess with the well any would it?


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

I built one for my mom and dad' get away home, I believe in 1975, because it was about the time of his first heart attack, which outlasted them, and looks like it will easily outlast me. I think the inside dimensions are about 4' by 4' by 3-1/2' high, but you can figure out what you need for space. I dug 4' deep footings, used 2x6's rather that 2x4's, insulated well, and included a small heater, as it is in Northern Michigan, and if I were doing another one today, it would be almost identical. For yours, I would start with whatever size concrete slab that you need, formed so that the floor is a full 8", plus whatever amount of overhang you plan for siding, above grade, incorporate at least 2' footings to keep the critters out (they only need to be as thick as a pair of post hole diggers, as critter control is their primary function), a vapor barrier, anchors for the walls, and chases in the floor and footings for water and electrical lines (we'll skip the fact that I used coffee cans for this one back then). After that, it goes up similar to a miniature garage or luxury dog house; sill seal, treated bottom plate, 2x4 construction, with double top plate, pitched roof, and one wall with a large opening (I actually have one side that is completely removable). The only trick is, and it's not bad once you start laying it out, having the proper overlaps to seal the gaps when you set the side panel in place. The one I built has a couple extra pieces of flashing that you wouldn't use if the walls were connected all the way around, so that once the side is set in place, and a couple of bolts with winged heads are in place, mine anyway, has never shown any sign of weather intrusion, and while we probably don't have as many as you do, I have had very few bugs find their way in. Overkill, maybe, but less costly in the long run than tossing it together with 1 bys or 2x2's, and watchinbg it start to warp in a short period of time. The only thing that might be easier, except that it would probably take two guys to get into it, would be to construct it with the sides all connects, and the roog removable, similar to a do house, or at least dog houses that I have built. Lastly, I would be generous with caulk, to ensure that all of the gaps are sealed, inside and out, to keep bugs out, and although I don't know about insulation techniques in LA, assume that you would want something that would help stabilize temperature swings inside when it gets really hot. For the electrical, install a duplex receptacle, with a switch on one of them, so that you have a service disconnect and auxiliary receptavcle close at hand.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Where you live you would not need anything as fancy as that.

Ifhttp://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/howmuch/calculator.htm you did go with a slab floor it only needs to be 4" thick not 8.

With a slab the pumps not just sitting on the ground.

A simple slab with a row of blocks on top of that for the wall so sit on would get you 8" up off the ground.

If you made it 4' X4' it would take 2, pieces of T-111, 2, 2 X 6 X 8' pressure treated for the bottom plates, 8, foundation bolts, about 12, 2 X 4 X 8's 1, 2 X 6 X 16' for the rafters, one piece of metal roofing 12' long (you want it longer so there's some over hang on the front and back when it's cut.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Yeah, I agree with Joe, and did not mean that the slab needs to be 8" thick, but that the top of the slab should be such that the siding ends up 8" above grade. For something this simple, as I dug the footings I would place enough dirt inside of the footing to bring the center, under the floor of the pump house, up to within about 4" of the top of the forms, so the floor itself ends up being 4" thick, but 8" + above grade.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

I happen to prefer having the pump elevated, and, living in the country, would not pour any slab without at least a rat wall, again, if for no other reason than to keep critters digging under it. But, knowing that is not a concern for everyone, and seeing Joe's post regarding a simple slab with a row of blocks, caused me to think that another option that you might consider is to still go with a basic slab, and dry stack three walls, or maybe all four, and build your roof removable or otherwise accessible. It would eliminate all or most of the wall framing, depending how you configure it, and subsequent concerns with rot, etc.


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## damian51 (Jan 28, 2012)

Only reason for building a pump shed was to get my pump out of the elements. The configuration of my water well is I have a jet pump that is elevated and otop of the well casing. Then a pressure tank. For now I might just put a tarp over it to keep the rain off while I decide on what I want to do


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## cortell (Nov 27, 2010)

I built one this winter. I built it just like I would build a shed. The pump is new so I didn't worry about installing an access door through the roof. I however made sure there is no rafter above the pump so I'll be able to cut an opening when it's needed down the road. I had a 5x7 slab which I had to extend in both the horizontal direction (tank was in the way of the wall) and the upward direction (to give the mudsill/siding at least 6" from grade). 

Simple lean-to roof design. The siding is SYP T1-11, primed and painted after installation. I used 2x6 for the rafters. Anchor bolted the mudsill into the concrete blocks with 1/2" J bolts. Hardi soffit board at both the eaves and the peak for ventilation. Harditrim, too. Built and installed a door with the same siding a month later.


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