Hi,
Ive just ordered a shed (3m by 3m) and so need to lay a base for it. I
live in a little terraced house with no rear access so everything has
to come through the house.

I've a flat lawn so have removed a little over 3m by 3m of turf. I had
to move a flowerbed so the level of the base is a little higher than
the surrounding lawn.

I saw 25 paving slabs (60cm by 60cm) for a quid each so I bought them
all - they are heavy duty slabs.

I was planning on leveling the soil, laying some landscaping net to
stop weeds and the like, then laying sand and then laying the slabs on
top of the sand. I was going to hire a compacting tool to try to stop
sinking etc.

So to the question, should I lower the base so it is beneath the
surface of the lawn so that the slabs are a little proud of it for the
final product? I've got loads of pebbles so how about using pebbles
instead of sand and laying the slabs on them? the garden is pretty well
drained.

Once Id put the slabs down I was going to put some 50mm by 75mm bearers
across them to take the weight of the shed.....

Help me please!!! cant decide what to do.

wrote:
Hi,
Ive just ordered a shed (3m by 3m) and so need to lay a base for it.
I live in a little terraced house with no rear access so everything
has to come through the house.

I've a flat lawn so have removed a little over 3m by 3m of turf. I had
to move a flowerbed so the level of the base is a little higher than
the surrounding lawn.

This should be the end goal, you don't want water inside the shed, or the
bottom of it resting in water.

I saw 25 paving slabs (60cm by 60cm) for a quid each so I bought them
all - they are heavy duty slabs.

I was planning on leveling the soil, laying some landscaping net to
stop weeds and the like, then laying sand and then laying the slabs on
top of the sand. I was going to hire a compacting tool to try to stop
sinking etc.


If you are laying them where lawn has been then you don't need a compacting
machine, the lawn hasn't sunk in ??? years so why should it sink now? - just
scrape off the loose soil down to a firm base and level with sand, then
sprinkle a bag of cement over it and rake it in, making a weakish
sand/cement bed, lay your slabs on this.

You don't need a weed embrane because:1) they don't work, and 2) weeds won't
grow where there is no sunlight.

So to the question, should I lower the base so it is beneath the
surface of the lawn so that the slabs are a little proud of it for the
final product? I've got loads of pebbles so how about using pebbles
instead of sand and laying the slabs on them? the garden is pretty
well drained.


don't use pebbles under slabs, they don't hold still for any length of time.
Also the higher you can get it above the lawn, the better, preferably a good
four inches (this is to avoid leaf litter and/or snow piling up against the
sides or back and causing rotting of the timbers)

Once Id put the slabs down I was going to put some 50mm by 75mm
bearers across them to take the weight of the shed.....


Some timbers underneath will allow air circulation yes.

Help me please!!! cant decide what to do.

wrote:
Hi,
Ive just ordered a shed (3m by 3m) and so need to lay a base for it.
I live in a little terraced house with no rear access so everything
has to come through the house.

I've a flat lawn so have removed a little over 3m by 3m of turf. I had
to move a flowerbed so the level of the base is a little higher than
the surrounding lawn.

I saw 25 paving slabs (60cm by 60cm) for a quid each so I bought them
all - they are heavy duty slabs.

I was planning on leveling the soil, laying some landscaping net to
stop weeds and the like, then laying sand and then laying the slabs on
top of the sand. I was going to hire a compacting tool to try to stop
sinking etc.

So to the question, should I lower the base so it is beneath the
surface of the lawn so that the slabs are a little proud of it for the
final product? I've got loads of pebbles so how about using pebbles
instead of sand and laying the slabs on them? the garden is pretty
well drained.

Once Id put the slabs down I was going to put some 50mm by 75mm
bearers across them to take the weight of the shed.....

Help me please!!! cant decide what to do.

Does the shed have its own floor?

I'd drive 8x 2x2x15" square stakes into the ground, put a 2x2 batens bolted
to the stakes and the shed placed on this platform then bolted to the
platform.
This scenario be raised above the lawn about 3" to 4" and no need for any
slabs or groundwork and damp.

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

Sorry, 3x2 stakes.


--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

The3rd Earl Of Derby wrote:
wrote:
Hi,
Ive just ordered a shed (3m by 3m) and so need to lay a base for it.
I live in a little terraced house with no rear access so everything
has to come through the house.

I've a flat lawn so have removed a little over 3m by 3m of turf. I
had to move a flowerbed so the level of the base is a little higher
than the surrounding lawn.

I saw 25 paving slabs (60cm by 60cm) for a quid each so I bought them
all - they are heavy duty slabs.

I was planning on leveling the soil, laying some landscaping net to
stop weeds and the like, then laying sand and then laying the slabs
on top of the sand. I was going to hire a compacting tool to try to
stop sinking etc.

So to the question, should I lower the base so it is beneath the
surface of the lawn so that the slabs are a little proud of it for
the final product? I've got loads of pebbles so how about using
pebbles instead of sand and laying the slabs on them? the garden is
pretty well drained.

Once Id put the slabs down I was going to put some 50mm by 75mm
bearers across them to take the weight of the shed.....

Help me please!!! cant decide what to do.

Does the shed have its own floor?

I'd drive 8x 2x2x15" square stakes into the ground, put a 2x2 batens
bolted to the stakes and the shed placed on this platform then bolted
to the platform.
This scenario be raised above the lawn about 3" to 4" and no need for
any slabs or groundwork and damp.

Good idea except for the timbers being way too small, 2X2 in the ground will
rot inside 18 months, a more efficient way would be to use concrete fence
posts laid flat on the ground (if the op hadn't already purchased flags) and
lay the shed on this....he would have an instant 4 inch step up and it would
never rot....the shed would probably have to be affixed to the posts somehow
though, probably drilled/plugged and screwed.

Phil L wrote:
The3rd Earl Of Derby wrote:
wrote:
Hi,
Ive just ordered a shed (3m by 3m) and so need to lay a base for it.
I live in a little terraced house with no rear access so everything
has to come through the house.

I've a flat lawn so have removed a little over 3m by 3m of turf. I
had to move a flowerbed so the level of the base is a little higher
than the surrounding lawn.

I saw 25 paving slabs (60cm by 60cm) for a quid each so I bought
them all - they are heavy duty slabs.

I was planning on leveling the soil, laying some landscaping net to
stop weeds and the like, then laying sand and then laying the slabs
on top of the sand. I was going to hire a compacting tool to try to
stop sinking etc.

So to the question, should I lower the base so it is beneath the
surface of the lawn so that the slabs are a little proud of it for
the final product? I've got loads of pebbles so how about using
pebbles instead of sand and laying the slabs on them? the garden is
pretty well drained.

Once Id put the slabs down I was going to put some 50mm by 75mm
bearers across them to take the weight of the shed.....

Help me please!!! cant decide what to do.

Does the shed have its own floor?

I'd drive 8x 2x2x15" square stakes into the ground, put a 2x2 batens
bolted to the stakes and the shed placed on this platform then bolted
to the platform.
This scenario be raised above the lawn about 3" to 4" and no need for
any slabs or groundwork and damp.

Good idea except for the timbers being way too small, 2X2 in the
ground will rot inside 18 months, a more efficient way would be to
use concrete fence posts laid flat on the ground (if the op hadn't
already purchased flags) and lay the shed on this....he would have an
instant 4 inch step up and it would never rot....the shed would
probably have to be affixed to the posts somehow though, probably
drilled/plugged and screwed.

I was looking for the post idea of insulating it from wood,but cant
remember the name? what they do is ...after sinking the post into the
ground a plastic/galvanised covering fits over the post and the shed is
bolted to these items?

Yes 2x2 is a bit weak. :-)

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

Phil L wrote:


Good idea except for the timbers being way too small, 2X2 in the
ground will rot inside 18 months, a more efficient way would be to
use concrete fence posts laid flat on the ground (if the op hadn't
already purchased flags) and lay the shed on this....he would have an
instant 4 inch step up and it would never rot....the shed would
probably have to be affixed to the posts somehow though, probably
drilled/plugged and screwed.

How about digging 6 or 8 holes 15" to 18" deep in the ground and cutting
the slabs into four pieces and dropping them pieces into the ground in each
hole so it raises the shed above the ground by a couple of inches?

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite