Topic: shed base

[aquilegia]

I'm going to be getting a 10x16ft shed in my garden, to replace the two much smaller, overcrowded sheds. It will serve as my potting shed and carpentry workshop (think man cave, but for a woman!)

As far as I can see, there are three options for a sturdy base... sand and pavers, slightly sunken brick walls filled with hardcore and concrete, or hole in the ground filled with hardcore and concrete.

What would be the best option for my shed? Or is there a better option? (The more I read the more confused I'm getting by all the choices!)

(I will have to get someone in to do the work, so cost might have to come into it to, depending on how much they cost!)

BTW the shed will be wood and we have clay soil. The bottom of the garden gets very wet in winter.

Thanks!

[BarriedaleNick]

For my new built shed which is a bit smaller than yours I just built a wooden frame that was raised up from the ground.  I sunk uprights for the corners and screwed the base frame to that using some bricks here and there to keep it level and sturdy.

[aquilegia]

Is the frame in direct contact with the ground? Won't the wood would eventually rot?

[Redalder]

My husband has always gone the hole in the ground with hardcore and concrete route with the concrete base raised above ground level (by using old bits of planking wider than the hole is deep to line the edges of the hole before pouring the concrete) Then bolt the uprights/ base to the concrete slab. This gives a raised floor that won't flood, a level floor to work on and keeps the wood dry and rot free.

[Bill Door]

Two things strike me on this point. 

10ft x 16ft is not big enough. If it is to take the places of two crowded sheds then it needs to be bigger.  If you are thinking "man-shed" then you have to think BIG.

For a shed that size (OR BIGGER) you will need substantial foundations.  You may need to dig trenches around the outer border of the shed area and then put in a wall about 8 inches higher than the surrounding ground.  Then lay a wooden frame on top of the wall and place "rafters" across the gap to support the shed.

After all if it is a "man-shed" then you should know that it isn't the shed that counts, its the journey getting it there.

Good Luck
Bill

[BarriedaleNick]

Is the frame in direct contact with the ground? Won't the wood would eventually rot?

The frame is not touching the ground - there are a few bricks between the frame and the ground for a bit of added support but the frame is directly screwed to uprights that have been concreted into the ground.  So the frame is supported by the uprights and doesn't touch the ground.  Note that this shed is build from old tat recovered from a skip as opposed to a flimsy shop bought one!!

[aquilegia]

BarriedaleNick - Oh I see. I'd love to make my own shed, but just don't have the time and energy (it's needs to be done within the next year and what with having two small children, one with special needs, and my own chronic illness, I can't manage it!)

Bill Door - I think it should be big enough... Two old sheds are only 4x6ft each, so 8x6 in total, so it's nearly twice what I have already. Plus it's the biggest I can get in the space I have! When I say man shed, it's really a woman shed as it'll be mine, not for hubby! The journey is part of it, but I do the finish touches and the prettying up. All the heavy stuff is done by someone else, because as much as I'd love to, I just can't manage it.

Anyway, lots of good advice and options here. I'll have to do some sums and talk to the builder.

[ACE]

I've learnt a lot from my mistakes in the past. A big concrete apron laid then the shed put on only for the rain to run into the shed, because the water ran down the sides onto the concrete apron that was bigger than the shed, silicone sealer fixed that. Another I put some small footings in then a brick high all round with a pitch damp course rolled out, the water collected in the damp course, so Stanley knife in action to trim back to under the larch lap. But the door was too short or you had to step over. Slabs are good if they are big heavy ones as long as you can drill them without cracking them to bolt down the shed if it gets windy. Now I just get crushed hardcore and a whacker. sink a couple of stakes, put the shed on the spot and some big bolts through the stakes to stop it blowing away. If you don't want a rough floor a bit of sand for levelling and some cheap slabs tidy it up. I realy should buy a shed with a floor but have yet to find a floor strong enough.

[picman]

Our plot soil seems to eat timber !  boards placed as path edges last  less that 2 years , so I moved the shed (6x8) I took over 14 years ago and painted the floor joists with roof bitumen , then stood it  on concrete blocks (6), its leans a little now but not rotting , touch wood   

[ancellsfarmer]

Current shed is approx 3.6mx2.7mx2m. at eaves. Built with 2  3.6m x1.8m x0.8m pallet racks(free from warehouse clearance) placed parallel on concrete base with polythene membrane buried under screed. Triangular trusses built of scrap 4x2 from skips, and laid across racks at 600mm centres. Boarded roof lengthways with scrap floorboards from demolition site(including nails for the asking.) Clad in weatherboarding from local fencing yard fixed to wooden studs cut from scrap 4x2, hung from racking, to give a tidy, secure and weatherproof perimeter£60. Roof clad in new heavyweight felt and new cloutnails(£28) Reused redundant door from previous occupant. Racking is massively strong (designed to take 12x 1.2 tonne pallets) and freestands: therefore not a building, needs no planning consent and could be dismantled at will for reuse.Guttering from neighbours skip, likewise fluorescent lights- new tubes. Provides internal shelving/work bench/sawbench etc but its just not big enough!!

[Vinlander]

My plan for a shed involves a very strong floor - minimum  100x50mm - with plenty of diagonal cross-bracing.

It also involves some land that hasn't been dug for over 30 years or the next bit might be a problem.

Drive in metal post-holders at say 1m spacing all around outside the perimeter so the posts fit around the floor to hold it up off the ground. Probably best to use longer posts that overlap so you can easily accommodate any subsidence and still keep the floor level.

Then just build on it.  Simple - though I haven't tried it yet.

Cheers.