A base for a shed

[OLTB]

Afternoon all

I am buying a new shed and I would like to know what base anyone here would recommend.

The shed will be about 8' x 6' or so (maybe a little smaller) and will sit at the back of the garden. Currently there is some gravel where I want the shed to go (in a quarter moon shape) as well as some grass that I will have to dig up to make the necessary rectangle base. I have been told that a solid base would be best (which I understand) and wondering if this is something that a person of no practical skills at all could possibly hope to do . I think I will have to shovel up the quarter moon shaped gravel, dig up the grass and relocate these somewhere else in the garden.

I have also been advised that the best base is one of sharp sand (whatever that is) with paving slabs laid on top, followed by the shed. Can I lay sharp sand on bare earth or will it just get washed away? Will I need to concrete the paving slabs together or will the shed weigh them down sufficiently? Should I just concrete the whole lot!

If anyone here could confirm whether this is correct, or would recommend any other suitable base, that would be great.

Cheers, OLTB.

[ReformedCharacter]

If anyone here could confirm whether this is correct, or would recommend any other suitable base, that would be great.

Cheers, OLTB.

I've just replaced a similarly sized shed on a base made of concrete blocks laid on soil, the previous shed had been there for 30 years or more and the base was quite adequate for the new one. Just need to make sure the blocks are flat and level.

RC

[Howard]

OLTB

Worth having a look at this B and Q video which will give you a pretty good idea of how to do it. Using an aggregate sub-base (the grey "gravel" they add as a foundation is a good idea as this would ensure you have a really firm base. I have used this material for garden projects and for a small area like your project it can easily be compacted by just walking over it.

Good luck with the project. If you do a bit each day and don't overdo the physical labour it can be excellent exercise - better than going to the gym!

regards

Howard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP2Kya941Ic

[ReformedCharacter]

I don't know what sort of shed you are erecting but in my case a bead of silicone around the bottom of the shed where it meets the base was needed to prevent water egress

RC

[ReformedCharacter]

that should probably be 'water ingress'!

RC

[OLTB]

Thanks all for your input, it’s much appreciated and Mrs OLTB now has a weekend(s) project for me. I feel an achy back coming on.

Cheers, OLTB.

[Maroochydore]

You could buy a shed base. Just Google "Shed Bases". Here's one to get you going but there are a myriad of suppliers and one must surely have your size. https://www.sheds.co.uk/garden-accessor ... bases.html

[88V8]

I've twice moved a shed that I made in 1977. It moved from Essex to Surrey, then to Gloucs.
It stands now on four piles of bricks, no mortar, that are dug about 4" into the ground.
But the shed does have an underframe of 4x2".

I've also built two new sheds here; the 'foundations' consist of 24" Metposts with 3" stub posts, and the shed bolted on.
No concrete. No great effort.
But again, the sheds have an underframe, in this case 6x2".

If your shed is a flimsy thing from a garden centre, I suspect it will need more effort to make a decent base for it. In the end cheaper isn't always cheaper.

V8

[eepee]

How I did it twice but many moons ago, the first time under instruction.

Flatted the ground.
Mix some dry cement and sprinkle this on the ground.
Sprinkle some water on the mix.
Lay some slabs on the top. Ensure these do not protude unduly from under the shed to stop them getting too much rain.
Lay some spaced wood - I'll call them 'sleepers' to give you the idea of what I mean - on which the shed will rest.
When fitting the shed, insert some damp-proof membrane (or at least thick plastic) at the contact points between the shed and 'sleepers'.

Regards,
ep

[eepee]

Flatten of course!

[fisher]

How I did it twice but many moons ago, the first time under instruction
Mix some dry cement and sprinkle this on the ground.
ep

When you say dry cement I presume you mean mortar. If so, what mix did you use?

[sg31]

How I did it twice but many moons ago, the first time under instruction
Mix some dry cement and sprinkle this on the ground.
ep

When you say dry cement I presume you mean mortar. If so, what mix did you use?

I would lay the slabs on lean mix. 8 parts sharp sand to one part cement. Generally I make a wooden frame just slightly larger than the shed, level out, fill with lean mix and draw a straight piece of timber across the surface so the lean mix is level then gently place the slabs in place. Leave a couple of days and the sand cement mix will set. Slabs are flat and well supported. Generally it's better to start at one end and work your way back to the other end, filling with lean mix and levelling it then putting the slabs on as you go.

[DrFfybes]

Just to add a completely different option......

The shed SHOULD have bearers under the floor - usually 2 x 1 inch or so bits of timber. This raises the shed just enough for stuff to get under, and stay damp. I tend to put 3 inch fence posts at 90 degrees to these, at 18 - 24 inch intervals (a cheap shed has a thinner floor with thinner bearers and so will dip with 24 inch spacing), and lay the shed on these.

The fence posts are straight and strong, so the support for these does not need to be perfect. I have laid slabs on sharp sand for the summerhouse, but for an occasional use storage shed then just laying concrete blocks every 3 or 4 feet under the fence posts is sufficient. I also put a bit of damproofing between the supporting fenceposts and the ground - an offcut of damproof membrane, or even squares of thick plastic like the bag the sharp sand came in.

Sheds tend to rot where the are against things - wall, plants, or the ground. Increasing the air gap prolongs the life massively.

Paul

[eepee]

I think it was about 1 in five or six.

When I said dry I meant the mixture of sand and cement was applied without water.
The water was then sprinkled over it to make it bind.

Bear in mind that this layer is not really doing much work - just keeping the loose stuff underneath in place to stop the slabs potentially 'wobble'.

Certainly much quicker and less labour intensive than doing a proper wet mortar mix!

Regards,
ep

[quelquod]

Just to add a completely different option......

The shed SHOULD have bearers under the floor - usually 2 x 1 inch or so bits of timber. This raises the shed just enough for stuff to get under, and stay damp. I tend to put 3 inch fence posts at 90 degrees to these, at 18 - 24 inch intervals (a cheap shed has a thinner floor with thinner bearers and so will dip with 24 inch spacing), and lay the shed on these.

The fence posts are straight and strong, so the support for these does not need to be perfect. I have laid slabs on sharp sand for the summerhouse, but for an occasional use storage shed then just laying concrete blocks every 3 or 4 feet under the fence posts is sufficient. I also put a bit of damproofing between the supporting fenceposts and the ground - an offcut of damproof membrane, or even squares of thick plastic like the bag the sharp sand came in.

Sheds tend to rot where the are against things - wall, plants, or the ground. Increasing the air gap prolongs the life massively.

Paul

+1 for that.

The trouble with putting down a concrete base is that sometime or another you or someone else will likely have to shift it. Even a weak mix dry laid will be a royal pain if it needs to be shifted in the future. Around where I live the standard base for a small shed has always been a few bricks bedded on solid soil with heavy bearers across and the shed sitting on top. We’re only talking 2 or 3 hundredweight here after all and a decent airspace will keep the floor dry and maybe house a couple of hedgehogs. Easily laid and levelled and easy to relevel in the future should it need.

Of course if your shed has a cardboard floor with vanishingly small bearers it’s another game.