[Closed] Expanding my Shed-dom

Second hand site building... job done.

Second hand site building... job done.

Normally you lay concrete on a bed of hardcore. Probably not that important for a shed base. Personally I'd dig down a foot, put in 6" of hardcore and then pour 6" of concrete on that, which will be more than adequate.

You really don't need 150 of concrete for a shed base, good consolidated ground and 3 inch is plenty. How ever my favoured method Is 6x2 joists supported on concrete pads. Plenty of airflow under the floor etc.

I wouldn't drop it on bare ground or grass, dig down a few inches as suggested and compact some hardcore in there before dropping concrete

Keep the current shed, but build an extra floor?

6x2 joists supported on concrete pads. Plenty of airflow under the floor etc.

Have done the same and it works well.

Thinking about it, I don't want to dig a foot down, get into hardcore and concrete if i can avoid it. Apart from the environmental impact that's a lot of soil etc to shift. I also don't really want to break up the old base as I think it's going to be like the rate my brikkie chaps base (probably at least 30cm).

What about a hybrid approach. The new extended area would be ala mcmooter posts with the other ends laid on the old concrete perhaps?
It would mean keeping the same width but I could add more length.

How ever my favoured method Is 6x2 joists supported on concrete pads.

We have a 16' square 'shed' which is supported on 8 concrete slabs. there are 8 breeze blocks with threaded bar coming out, which the 4x4 base of the shed rests on. Just to be clear, no hardcore was laid, no concrete was laid, the breeze block lumps of concrete just sit on 2' square paving slabs.
Y'all think this is stupid, probably, given the shed probably weighs 2 or 3 tonnes, but on grand designs once, they did it with a house. Ok so they dug down a few foot and layed some concrete, but that's considerably heavier.
Same principle, and it works.
Much cheaper, easier and looks and works better.

Timber is the way to go.

Any pics of your existing?

It would mean keeping the same width but I could add more length.

I get emails offering that every day 🙂

nealglover - Member

It would mean keeping the same width but I could add more length.

I get emails offering that every day

My width is and length are adequate, I'm just being greedy 😉

I'm liking the idea of blocks on paving slabs. My FiL built many an outbuilding that way

Keep the current shed, but build an extra floor?

But - with the extra floor do you build up? Or Down:

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How much bigger than the existing one are you going ?

pics would be useful

+1 for the post option. Concrete is overkill for a wee shed.

We used this stuff + weed proof membrane for a playhouse in our garden, which is basically a small shed in disguise. Dead easy to lay, feels rock solid so far (only been down for a year though), and all you need is the base pieces + membrane plus a shovel and a line-level to flatten the ground first.

http://www.ecobase.biz/

For my dad's 15x10 shed we cleared some turf and laid a bed of sand on top of a weed-proof membrane. We laid a 5x3 grid of 15 paving slabs onto the sand, laid some wooden beams across them and then sat the shed on top.

I think it's been previously demonstrated that there is no such thing as 'overkill' when it comes to this place and sheds!

footflaps
Normally you lay concrete on a bed of hardcore. Probably not that important for a shed base. Personally I'd dig down a league, put in 6' of hardcore and then pour 6' of concrete on that, which will be more than adequate.

You can never be too careful eg only last week I was installing a bird bath:

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/7986444405/ ]Bird bath footings[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/brf/ ]brf[/url], on Flickr