Topic: Shed construction

[hairyhippy]

I've been given an old 8 x 6 shed.
I've got enough slabs to go under it.
The slabs are going direct onto the soil.
Any hints or tips on leveling the ground / laying the slabs / putting the shed up.

[Bill Door]

if you can, get four 4" x 4" by about 4 to 6 foot posts well covered with creosote or another preservative.  Place those posts on the slabs so that the floor supports cross over them and then build the shed on the posts. 

If you have to put the posts the full length of the shed (i did not have to by the way) then use a staggered line so that the posts are about 6 to 8 inches from the outside of the shed.

You will have to get the slabs close to being level but this way the shed will "sag" to fit and should not move around.

Good luck

Bill Door

[keef]

Get the soil as level as you can, then put a good layer of sand down, then lay the slabs on that - that'll make it easier to level the slabs.

[supersprout]

Put permeable weed membrane down before the sand! :P

[Robert_Brenchley]

Make sure that the shed is raised above the slabs, if only by a little. That way you ensure that the air can circulate, and keep the damp out.

[euronerd]

This is what I did, for what it's worth, more or less what Bill has just described I think. Sand makes it dead easy to shuffle the beams level and there's no reason why you can't bed your slabs using sand. I used the beams for two reasons: to let air circulate and for extra storage space. It might be worth investing in a new floor, depending on the state of yours of course, for no other reason than to have something sound to fasten the sides to for when the gales come. :-\ This assumes that you're going to have to dismantle it in order to move it to where you want it. Mine is made from that stuff they use to board up broken shop windows, made from compressed shavings or so it seems, and about a fiver a sheet (8 x 4) second hand. I've been impressed by its strength and waterproof-ness. It's been up for eight years I think, so I feel safe passing this on. ;D




Geoff.