Stockpiling Building Mats

[Magi]

Has anyone planned to or have stockpiles of building materials?

I have started with a few 2x4's, some roofing, a few sheets of plywood, a box of 16p and 8p nails, a box of screws, and a few blocks.

Anyone one else have a more completed list?

[Canadian]

I don't have the space for materials. Just tools and some hardware.

[The_Blob]

I don't specifically hoard building materials, but I have quite a lot cuz' I'm always building crap.

I figure that emergency shelter can be built out of almost anything, so I save my energy & space for hoarding food & fuel.

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... and ammo of course (ssshhhhh )

[dukman]

I have never given thought to building materials... I guess if the SHTF, I would use whatever is around me for shelter. If I lived in a hurricane prone area, I may consider stockpiling some screws or nails and plywood, but that is about it.

[10101]

Better keep that wood out of the rain, preferably in a sheltered location. It is always a good idea to keep around the basics. IMO stick with sheets of plywood or osb (stay away from particle board) and 2x4, nails and screws. These come in handy when you have to board up windows/doors due to severe weather (think hurricanes) or in the event you leave your house or just want extra security during a crisis situation. One/two sheets of plywood per window and equal amounts of 2x4.

[Magi]

I have all my mats stored in the basement. I have a 26X66 basement so i have quite a bit of room to store stuff. Most of the stuff Im stockpiling i was thinking would be for emergency repairs. Thought about also sticking in a few lengths of PVC pipe and some fittings.

[SurvivalNut]

I haven't stockpiled any building materials. I am building a wood/metal/blacksmith shop that is hand operated with a solar backup for some tools for convenience.

I enjoy gleaning garage sales for heavy duty vintage tools.

There will always be materials around to disassemble and recut, or iron around to reform.

I do keep a bucket I toss nails, nuts and bolts, etc into that I pick up for pennies. Some items like hinges and nails can be made from scratch, but gleaned or recycled items are as far as I go to stockpile if it saves time on the cheap.

I can appreciate keeping some materials on hand, but when those materials or the power is gone, then I will put up my "OPEN FOR BUSINESS" sign.

There was a good thread started about concrete but it quickly fell apart and went to crap with everyone taking potshots at the idea. Buying and stockpiling only goes so far. Non-hybrid seed is perpetual for example. Self-suffiency IMHO is not stockpiling consumable "stuff".

[skip]

Instead of hoarding the materials, think about getting a small sawmill.

[Magi]

I guess I never considered it hoarding. I was thinking about having some supplies on hand for emergency repairs or modifcations.

[northernontario]

I think it depends a lot on where you live;
-how much storage space you have
-what sort of construction/fabrication skills you have
-what you might need to protect or rebuild
-what you are protecting yourself from
-what the longterm function of the materials is for

If you live in a condo setting (like Canadian), you don't have much storage, but you also don't have much to do to protect yourself. Concrete walls, steel doors. Just a couple windows you might want to cover up, possibly a door you might want to barricade.

If you are protecting your house from severe weather, it depends on what type of weather. Again, part of this is all about being prepared. If the storm is coming, and you've got limited time, you will want window-coverings to be already cut and ready to go up. Bonus points if you've figured out a way to attach the coverings without significant damage to your siding and trim.
-Is it even possible to put up the coverings on your own, what about during high-winds?
-If your pieces are pre-cut and ready to go, you can go the extra step of adding a handle to make carrying/holding in place easier, and paint/treat the surface and cut edges to prevent moisture getting into the material and breaking it down over time.
-If all your windows are boarded up, and the power goes out, do you have an alternate source of lighting?
-bundle or two of shingles, or some extra sheet metal, if your roof is metal. Couple tubes of roof-sealing caulking and caulking-gun. Don't forget nails or screws.
-sheets of heavy plastic vapour barrier... clear if covering windows and want light... this can be used in many different ways, rolls take up little space, and they aren't too expensive. Don't forget the tuct-tape, and some acoustic caulking to seal it up if trying to be vapour-tight.
-what about plumbing and electrical... assuming the power is still on... do you have the tools to fix a leaky pipe (or atleast shut it off). What if the power is out for a while, and you want to hook a generator into your house to power items (with some assurance that you have to kill the mains breaker before hooking in the generator... whether it's done to 'code' or not. You MUST 'break' mains connection before you 'make' the generator connection.)


If you're preparing for 'longterm' survival, what are your skills, what do you need materials for? Personally I am learning about beekeeping and honey production. This also has the benefit of producing beeswax... heat, light, and many other uses. But, it's useless to me if, in the long term, I can't harvest the honey, keep the bees alive, or make candles to trade/sell. I need supplies to do it... more stuff to stockpile... more stuff to keep protected and ensure proper storage to prevent damage.

How 'prepared' are you trying to be? Severe weather? Social breakdown? Leaky roof on a long weekend and all the stores are closed?