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Thread: Laying a Base for a shed

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    Senior Member Smudger's Avatar
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    Laying a Base for a shed

    I've ordered a new shed, which is coming in a few weeks and on ripping out the old shed, I realised the present base is rubbish, so I need to re-do it. The questions is, what to use? I was thinking of plain paving slabs but then I came across the plastic slabs. Basically, they look like the bottom of the old milk crates you used to get. Anyone used them before? I was concerned they'd look rubbish but apparently you can fill anything that sticks out with pea shell or similar...

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    my 2 sheds are resting on breeze blocks... think i have 9 on each shed... 3 front 3 middle and 3 at end..

    http://www.farmac.co.uk/sites/defaul...s/DSCF4870.JPG image is too big...

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    the plastic ones allow the ground to drain. handy for some uses but is your shed going to be letting water through? probably not! I would either go concrete blocks as above post or timber joists/sleepers onto paving slabs. I don't know enough about the milk crate ones to say if they'd be ok, but I can see potential problems if they're not done properly.

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    Well if you soil is clay I'd go for a concrete float as the ground heaves and sinks and the shed will have no stress, stony ground and you could use paving slabs (or whatever) if you remove some of the top soil first.
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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    The shed comes with 4 2" runners on the bottom, but my concern is that any water that gets underneath would stay there and rot the timber if I did a paving slab base. The positioning is in the top corner of the garden, and will only have 6-12" of space on 2 sides. The last one rotted in the floor, but then I don't think it was particularly waterproof in the first place...

    Edit: These are the blocks I was thinking of: http://www.simplygardenbuildings.co....y-575-43-p.asp
    Last edited by Smudger; 27-04-2015 at 08:41 AM.

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    Fascinating, that looks rather similar idea to http://www.diy.com/departments/diall.../195448_BQ.prd that I recently bought to extend our driveway a bit. Useful stuff.

    I went for the cheapest paving slabs that Wicks stocked, and some sand/cement underneath to level them. My worry with the plastic trays would be ants, but perhaps I just have an obsessive hatred for ants.

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    bear in mind water can go both ways through those gratings. Damp can seep up, and this could well be a longer duration wetting than rain evaporating from the paving slabs. Coat the runners with creosote (if you're lucky enough to still have some) or failing that one the newer (but less powerful) preservatives. Waterreppellant breathable coatings are quite good. NB you can do a paving slab bed with slabs missing in areas where direct support is not required. Leave those areas gravel filled for drainage. Then you could have the best of both worlds.

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    Make sure its over solid ground and not over something like marsh or the North Sea.

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    If you're going to put your own timber bearers in, if softwood look for ones that are Tanalith-E pressure impregnated and use Ensele end grain preservative to any cut ends. (You can get Ensele, and I think Tanalith also, in green or brown colouration)

    e.g. these http://www.batsfordtimber.co.uk/home...ategories/1898

    (NB There are other suppliers, this one just came up near the top of a quick google search)

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    Quote Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH View Post
    Make sure its over solid ground and not over something like marsh or the North Sea.
    Thanks. I was going to put part of it over next door's pond. Would this be OK?

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    I guess whatever I do I need to dig out a level patch, what I put on top is going to be the same effort no matter what I choose...

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    Levelling is a pain. Ours was dug down to a gravel level, little sand on top to allow levelling of the slabs (1 on each corner) then we had some breeze blocks that I lined up with the timbers and filled around loosely inside that frame with more gravel. Leaves quite a bit of ventilation but all the important bits are supported.

    That said, one of my corners settled a little, it's only an inch but I can see it and it drives me mad so make sure you compact the gravel/sand REALLY well before you lay.

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    sand levelling for a building, even a shed, is not recommended for foundations. Far better to compact gravel into the top layer of soil and cap with a weak concrete slurry (blinding). The liquid is easier to level, and once set laying stuff is far easier. That said, not the easiest for DIY, as it more relies on having the right experience and kit to do it.

    If you're cutting into the garden, consider what level the adjoining earth will be. Is there a step in ground level and if so how much?

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    Our garden had a layer (or five) of stones and gravel, I added a cm (literally) of sand to what was already compacted stones to stop a little wobble as the surface was uneven. I think the drop in one corner is because I'm an idiot and by that point I was sick to death of the garden and rushed where I should have taken more time

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    if the settlement is only an inch, consider changing the slab there for a thicker one. You can get 75mm slabs and switch out the 50mm one. Alternatively you could shim the corner with ply/steel plate. NB to use waterproof WPB/marine grade ply.

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    Re: Laying a Base for a shed

    or slates....

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