"Edee em" wrote in message
...
Bit of a simple question, I hope:

I want to form for a 10x8' concrete pad for a shed. The spot I want the
shed in has a bit of a slope. I believe it to be about 4-5" over a 10'
run. The problem thus is how to build the forms to take out the slope in
the grade. I imagine a 2x4 in the back (high end) and a 2x6 in the front
(low end) but what is the best way to get the sides to go from 4" to 6".
Of course I may be way off in my thinking and would appreciate any other
thoughts.

Thanks.

--
edee em
I know the truth is out there, but I like to stay in...

What I would do, as an old concrete formsetter would be this:

Think about how they make concrete foundations for houses. They make the
edges thicker than the rest so that the walls have extra support, and the
rest of the slab doesn't "walk", or shift. You don't want the slab to just
conform to the top of the landscape, but be fortified at the edges.

If it were me, I would dig down with 2 x 6's and 2 x 8's, BUT only making
the outside of the perimeter deeper than the center of the slab. Pack the
loose dirt before you pour. This would accomplish more than one thing.
First, should you want to drop some cheap cheap (did I mention cheap) rebar
around the deep footer part, that would assure, but not guarantee that the
slab would last longer than if just poured with plain concrete. Secondly,
with the perimeter dug as a footer, this would keep water from infiltrating
in and under and through the slab later, causing voids, hence weak spots.
Thirdly, you are talking about only a few more sacks of concrete, say $20
for the whole job. You do a little more digging, but you end up with a
level SOLID slab that you will probably never ever have to fool with again.
Don't forget to put the anchor bolts around the perimeter if you are going
to use a plate, or to match the pattern on the bottom channels of your shed.

So much can be done with these little slabs with a little forethought and a
few extra dollars, rather than writing back with, "HELP, MY SLAB IS
CRACKING!" An hour's more work and $20 more in cost.

As the man said, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later."

Steve