Making a base for a shed

[rodofgod76]

Not sure where I would put this but here goes.

I've just bought a shed today, it's 7x7 and will be here on Friday. I want to place it at the bottom of my garden, but the lawn is very uneven there and slopes up by about 1 foot across the width of the shed. What I'm thinking of doing is digging it out as level as I can and then maybe laying 4" or so of gravel for the shed to sit on. Would this be ok?? The floor of the shed is 12mm tongue and groove. I've never paved an area before and think that could be a lot more moneywise compared to gravel. I reckon I could gravel the whole area for around 40 quid.

[tootles]

Sand and paving slabs might be a better idea.......................
Level out the ground as best you can, throw in a few of bags of sand, poss mix a bit of cement (dry mix) and lay your slabs on top. Water the whole thing in and wait a couple of days.
However, others may know far better........................

[bubblewrap]

I have slabs under my shed on the lottie been there 3 & a half years with no problems.

[Sweepster]

Join freecycle, if you haven't already, and ask for paving slabs - they seem to be offered quite frequently. Am just about to put a load on there myself, but south Leicestershire is probably a bit far for you

[taff]

There used ot be a shed in the old house I lived in, it was a wooden shed, the base was just placed on a load of more or less hardcore, quite chunky hardcore, with large blocks under the main struts, it was there till I pulled it down, so it was there for over 6 years.
I'd agree that paving slabs are better, but you could also get away with digging out 4 trenches and lining them with breezeblocks or similar.

[jackie j]

Our shed is raised off the ground on thick wood, not quite sleepers size, my OH levelled the ground and then we put weed control fabric then the wood, the fabric was then pulled up to the shed and a plank nailed to the shed, stops rabbits etc getting under and therefore being able to get onto our plot.

[geoff]

A shed should be either flat on the base so there isn't enough rooom for anything to hide or build a nest: rats are the obvious candidate. Or high enough off the base so it feels exposed, and also for cats to get under. What you don't want is for there to be come nice dark, cosy nesting sites underneath because your shed is about 2 or 3 inches of it's base - like mine!

[nomates]

keep the base of your shed level .....as in time the shed will weaken and you will get problems like the door won't shut properly .....but also keep it off the ground so put about 4 sacrificial timbers under the base .....let theses rot NOT the shed .....slabs would be better ....however if the gravel is level and doesn't subside in time it should provide drainage so I can't see a problem with it .....however slabs cemented down would be even better IMO

[rodofgod76]

I agree that slabs would be best. But I've never even attempted to lay slabs before. Where the hell do you start? i.e do they need a hardcore base etc etc

[Bagpuss]

Hi Rodofgod76, laying slabs isn't too difficult. I levelled out the area for my small shed, compacted the soil with a sledgehammer (a case of wrong tools for the job!), made a sand and concrete dry mix, raked and levelled this, popped the slabs on top and tapped down until level. Brushed a little more of the dry mix over the top to go between the joins. Three years on it is still standing (and level!)

[snohare]

Frost heave may scupper your plan with the gravel, depending on where you live, Rod - hard ground frosts can cause the moisture in the ground to expand and push up unevenly, making the floor of the shed distort. The harder the frosts or variations in moisture you get in your substrate, the more you need a good base. If you lay the gravel deep enough, you'd be all right I suppose.
Laying Slabs 1.01
To lay slabs, you need builder's sand (not sharp sand), a hefty rubber mallet, a spirit level (or if you are really broke, a wide necked glass jar full of water) and a good strong back. Level off the soil, lay a sprinkling of slightly damp sand an inch or so thick. Lay the first slab down, shoogle it a bit until it displaces the sand from the higher parts underneath it to the lower parts. You will sometimes have to raise it up to take out excess sand - this is where you see from the impressions on the damp sand which bits are higher than the others. When you get good, you can have just five small handfuls of sand under each slab - every corner and one in the middle.
When you have done this properly you will find it is stable, does not rock from side to side or corner to corner. The acid test is standing on it and rocking your weight from corner to corner. If it doesn't move, goodoh, onto the next one.
If you pay attention to the spirit level at all times, pointing it in different directions, you will end up with a totally level slab. Use this first one as your guide, start laying the others down next to it. Keeping them all on the same plane is the hard bit ! A long straight board on edge with the spirit level on top, or a very tight line along the side adjusted with the level, is a good help. You can happily scoop out sand from under the middle of the slab to the edges - it comes naturally, as a way of avoiding the rockiness you get with sand being too high in the middle. Great way to save on sand too, you will need a bag for every two three slabs unless you are really good.
Thump 'em with the mallet to bed them in, expect to raise and lower each slab a couple of times at least (that's why the good strong back).
If you are using the old 2' by 3' slabs that weigh a ton, use a strong cord run underneath with a loop at one end - leave enough free at either end for you to stand upright with it in your hands, and you can gently ease it down by loosening off the string without having to bend. Once it is bedded in, pull the string out through the tiny gap you have left, then tap the slab slightly sideways till flush. Replace the cord whenever it frays, you don't want to have it snap !
If you want to be really posh, you can use concrete or postmix underneath to make it more solid; or add some cement powder to the sand, it will stiffen it up over time.
It is not rocket science, anyone can work it out, but it is time consuming - 10 minutes a slab probably - and very hard work - think of the weight you are lifting in total for an area 8' by 8' ! With old slabs you really need that cord to save your back, it is an absolute lifesaver (unless you let it fray too much). Every time you bend your back even slightly doing this job, it will ache that much more the next day. Get a gofer to help lift the slabs while you scoop sand, you have it made. (Shame about the gofer's back ! Guess who was a gofer ?)
Personally I would use sleepers or breezeblocks underneath, much less hassle.

[rodofgod76]

Thanks Snohare!!

Dug out the base this afternoon, man alive, as it's on a hill it's about 10" deep at one end. Just gonna have to have a step down onto the paving at that end.

Do you not need to whack the sand or anything? Got the soil pretty level, does it have to be perfectly level??

Mind you. Guess I could still put breezeblocks down couldn't I? Be a lot easier I suppose, not to mention cheaper!!

[kiwirach]

can i throw in a question about shed bases please.....i have just scored a shed off freecycle which i will collecting next weekend(when i organise a man with a van!), and need to start thinking about a base for it. its to go on my allotment.
do you advise this same method....sand and slabs for it, or is there another way i could do it. (guess i'm thinking how i'm going to get all that sand and slabs down to the plot!)

[Hans Mum]

my shed at the lottie is on secondhand slabs and it hasnt budged, i just leveled the area and as they are really thick slabs put them straight down without any sand and its been fine (we are on clay soil) it was a job and half getting the slabs onto the plot but it has been worth it

[rodofgod76]

Had a read of paving expert last night, decided to lay it on slabs. With use a dry mix of sand mixed with cement. One thing I'm not sure of is, do you spread the sand/cement mix all over the base, level it all off and then lay the 400x400 slabs? Or do you spread it only over an area slightly smaller than one slab?