Foundations for my new shed

  • 11 Replies
  • 4184 Views
*

landy_andy

  • Newbie
  • *
  • 2
Foundations for my new shed
« on: September 23, 2012, 16:30 »
Hi all

I have been advised that me new (yet to arrive) shed needs to have 100mm of concrete down to support the weight... reading the above that seems maybe excessive now???

*

GrannieAnnie

  • Grandmother of the Forums
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 21104
Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2012, 16:37 »
Our 14x5 brooder shed had shingle with weed suppresant underneath.  It never rotted or had any nasty little rodents underneath it.

The good thing about that was that if the ground wasn't quite level, a little jiggle around with the shed soon levelled it up.

Concrete isn't necessary.  Brian has used 3x3 and 4x4 wooden posts underneath before, shouldn't have any sagging as long as the posts are reasonably close together.  About 2ft apart, maybe a little more.

Oh, and my 7x7ft chicken house was stood on top of 4 pallets that kept it off the ground, another idea maybe?

« Last Edit: September 23, 2012, 16:41 by GrannieAnnie »

*

landy_andy

  • Newbie
  • *
  • 2
Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2012, 16:44 »
shingle?  sounds like a cheaperb alternative - £300 quoted from a builder for the base, I'll ask the shed comapny tmw if that will be ok.  I guess I will still need to dig down a touch to fill with shingle?

*

Welsh Merf

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Location: New Romney, Kent
  • 533
Re: Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2012, 17:06 »
I don't know about your allotment rules, but ours won't let us put down concrete.

Anyway, depending on the physical size of the shed, I would suggest a few solid concrete blocks bedded into the ground, with wooden beams across the top of them to support the floor-loading of the shed. It needs to have air circulating around it, which stops it from rotting.
I may be Welsh, but I love ewe anyway!

See my diary pages here

and add a comment here

*

GrannieAnnie

  • Grandmother of the Forums
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 21104
Re: Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2012, 22:23 »
shingle?  sounds like a cheaperb alternative - £300 quoted from a builder for the base, I'll ask the shed comapny tmw if that will be ok.  I guess I will still need to dig down a touch to fill with shingle?

Brian didn't dig down at all because of where the shed was, but I did see a photo on here once that the person put down 4 bits of wood, a bit longer and wider than the shed, like a low raised bed frame,, then put the shingle inside that.  Stops the shingle wandering around?

The brooder shed has gone now, but the shingle area is still there and at the moment has 16 potted tomato plants on it.  If weeds grow there, they are so easy to pull out, as they are just growing in the shingle and not in soil.

*

GrannieAnnie

  • Grandmother of the Forums
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 21104
Re: Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2012, 22:31 »
Or.......

YPri5N04nKk

*

noshed

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: East London
  • 4731
Re: Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2012, 17:43 »
How big is your shed? My 6x4 is on some cheap paving slabs, although I did but some heftier beams to perch it on than B&Q provided.
Our big lotty shed is on concrete - not that expensive if you buy sand and cement from a builders' merchant. Just knock up a wooden frame to contain it and make sure it's level....
Self-sufficient in rasberries and bindweed. Slug pellets can be handy.

*

TerryB

  • Winner of the Tallest Sunflower Competition - 2011
  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Birkenhead (Wirral)
  • 381
Re: Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2012, 16:47 »
Andy what is your shed constructed of.
Ours is sheet metal and does not have a floor.
Was advise to put it on a 100mm concrete base as you say, so just leveled the ground, a layer of sand and the a double layer of 50mm concrete slabs with a heavy plastic sheet between the slabs to stop damp raising.

*

angelavdavis

  • Winner - Prettiest Pumpkin 2012
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Sunny St Leonards on Sea
  • 1379
  • An allotment glutton!
    • The Allotment Glutton
Re: Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2012, 21:46 »
You can build a frame with wood and mix dry cement into gravel.  Use that over the top of weed suppressant, tampering it down and levelling.  The dampness in the air/soil will eventually set the base. 
Read about my allotment exploits at Ecodolly at plots 37 & 39.  Questions, queries and comments are appreciated at Comment on Ecodolly's exploits on plots 37 & 39

*

allot2learn

  • Guest
Re: Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2012, 01:05 »
Sit it on four concrete fence posts laid down. They'll never rot.

*

bainsk8

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: Hampshire, UK
  • 74
Re: Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2012, 11:24 »
I used a double layer of paving slabs, just make sure the layer on top over lay the joining edges of the ones underneath to help spread the load. This makes for an extremely sound base.

The best thing is slabs very often come up on Freecycle and would recommend you trying there for some.
If at first you don't succeed, try a different method.

*

Annen

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
  • 3315
    • Anne's Gardening Diary
Re: Foundations for my new shed
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2012, 14:22 »
Or.......

YPri5N04nKk
Loved that video!  They make it look so easy,  I have a struggle just hammering a nail in straight. :blush:
Anne



 

Page created in 0.174 seconds with 35 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |