Our old wooden shed was crumbling so we knocked it down and have broken up
the
existing concrete slab and now have a 'Yardmaster' tin shed on its way this
week. The
new base is to be 2,70 metres by 3,38 metres.

If you go to this tinypic website you can see the photo of where we are at:

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5wated&s=4

The two front timbers are laid level, the back edge on the left goes up to
concrete gavel boards on to a fence and the back edge on the right goes up
to a wooden fence. The boards for the concrete at the two back edges have
yet to be put up. The two front edges in the picture have two layers of old
bricks loosely placed in to fill up the space and to bring the height up. We
are in north London, mill hill area and the soil underneath is good loam up
to a depth of a foot or so, then rests on clay.

Now here's the problem. Being novices my son and I have had to consult
various people. Some say get a mixture of about six or seven bags of
builders soft sand, mixed up at six to one with cement lay level it off and
then put down (some 50 in number?) concrete 450mm square slabs.

Another person has said to get six bags of ballast from Wickes mixed with
cement in a five to one ratio, plus 1.5 litres of water for every bag of
ballast. Tamp it down on the top and put the shed on top of it when dry.
They also said to get it all the concrete down and mixed within a two hour
time frame we should have at least two or three fit people, whereas there is
only my son and me who is sixty five so not so fit.

Would anyone know of any book on this, or be able to directly advise here
the *simplest* satisfactory way for a couple of novices please to get this
shed up on some kind of foundation? Thanks for any advice.

Would anyone know of any book on this, or be able to directly advise here
the *simplest* satisfactory way for a couple of novices please to get
this shed up on some kind of foundation? Thanks for any advice.




You're lookting at approx 9 sq. m, and - say 50mm thick. That is about 0.5
cu.m of Concrete needed.

I reckon you need one jumbo bag of Ballast (if it can be easlity delivered
to the location and 5/6 bags of cement. Unless you can beg/steal/borrow a
mixer then that's a lot of hassle.

What about one of those companies that will mix on the back of a truck and
deliver by the wheelbarrow?

Vortex3 wrote:


Would anyone know of any book on this, or be able to directly advise
here the *simplest* satisfactory way for a couple of novices please
to get this shed up on some kind of foundation? Thanks for any advice.




You're lookting at approx 9 sq. m, and - say 50mm thick. That is about
0.5 cu.m of Concrete needed.

I reckon you need one jumbo bag of Ballast (if it can be easlity
delivered to the location and 5/6 bags of cement. Unless you can
beg/steal/borrow a mixer then that's a lot of hassle.

What about one of those companies that will mix on the back of a truck
and deliver by the wheelbarrow?

Good advice but I think I might delay the delivery date until the base
is done and firm enough to work on.

john westmore_______ wrote:
Our old wooden shed was crumbling so we knocked it down and have
broken up the
existing concrete slab and now have a 'Yardmaster' tin shed on its
way this week. The
new base is to be 2,70 metres by 3,38 metres.

If you go to this tinypic website you can see the photo of where we
are at:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5wated&s=4

The two front timbers are laid level, the back edge on the left goes
up to concrete gavel boards on to a fence and the back edge on the
right goes up to a wooden fence. The boards for the concrete at the
two back edges have yet to be put up. The two front edges in the
picture have two layers of old bricks loosely placed in to fill up
the space and to bring the height up. We are in north London, mill
hill area and the soil underneath is good loam up to a depth of a
foot or so, then rests on clay.
Now here's the problem. Being novices my son and I have had to
consult various people. Some say get a mixture of about six or seven
bags of builders soft sand, mixed up at six to one with cement lay
level it off and then put down (some 50 in number?) concrete 450mm
square slabs.
Another person has said to get six bags of ballast from Wickes mixed
with cement in a five to one ratio, plus 1.5 litres of water for
every bag of ballast. Tamp it down on the top and put the shed on top
of it when dry. They also said to get it all the concrete down and
mixed within a two hour time frame we should have at least two or
three fit people, whereas there is only my son and me who is sixty
five so not so fit.
Would anyone know of any book on this, or be able to directly advise
here the *simplest* satisfactory way for a couple of novices please
to get this shed up on some kind of foundation? Thanks for any
advice.

Loads of info here http://tinyurl.com/5g6yn7

What kind of floor does this metal shed have?



--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"john westmore_______" wrote in message
...
Our old wooden shed was crumbling so we knocked it down and have
broken up
the
existing concrete slab and now have a 'Yardmaster' tin shed on its
way this
week. The
new base is to be 2,70 metres by 3,38 metres.

If you go to this tinypic website you can see the photo of where we
are at:

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5wated&s=4

The two front timbers are laid level, the back edge on the left goes
up to
concrete gavel boards on to a fence and the back edge on the right
goes up
to a wooden fence. The boards for the concrete at the two back
edges have
yet to be put up. The two front edges in the picture have two layers
of old
bricks loosely placed in to fill up the space and to bring the
height up. We
are in north London, mill hill area and the soil underneath is good
loam up
to a depth of a foot or so, then rests on clay.

Now here's the problem. Being novices my son and I have had to
consult
various people. Some say get a mixture of about six or seven bags of
builders soft sand, mixed up at six to one with cement lay level it
off and
then put down (some 50 in number?) concrete 450mm square slabs.

Another person has said to get six bags of ballast from Wickes mixed
with
cement in a five to one ratio, plus 1.5 litres of water for every
bag of
ballast. Tamp it down on the top and put the shed on top of it when
dry.
They also said to get it all the concrete down and mixed within a
two hour
time frame we should have at least two or three fit people, whereas
there is
only my son and me who is sixty five so not so fit.

Would anyone know of any book on this, or be able to directly advise
here
the *simplest* satisfactory way for a couple of novices please to
get this
shed up on some kind of foundation? Thanks for any advice.




Do NOT use soft sand for concrete, use sharp sand. Soft builders sand
has rounded grains that make for a much weaker concrete. Buy ballast
and ordinary portland cement. 1 bag of cement to 20-24 shovels of 20mm
ballast.

AWEM

On Aug 3, 11:58*am, "john westmore_______"
wrote:
Our old wooden shed was crumbling so we knocked it down and have broken up
the
existing concrete slab and now have a 'Yardmaster' tin shed on its way this
week. *The
new base is to be 2,70 metres by 3,38 metres.

If you go to this tinypic website you can see the photo of where we are at:

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5wated&s=4

The two front timbers are laid level, the back edge on the left goes up to
concrete gavel boards on to a fence and the back edge on the right goes up
to a wooden fence. *The boards for the concrete at the two back edges have
yet to be put up. The two front edges in the picture have two layers of old
bricks loosely placed in to fill up the space and to bring the height up. We
are in north London, mill hill area and the soil underneath is good loam up
to a depth of a foot or so, then rests on clay.




Now here's the problem. *Being novices my son and I have had to consult
various people. Some say get a mixture of about six or seven bags of
builders soft sand, mixed up at *six to one with cement lay level it off and
then put down (some 50 in number?) concrete 450mm square slabs.

That's 3-4" depth of mortar in total, so no saving over a poured
concrete base. I dont see much sense putting slabs down when you can
just pour more concrete and get a better result. If you're doing a
poured base, the mix should contain stone as well as sand.
If you were going for a slab base, 2" of mortar isnt usually needed -
with the mess you've got it would be, but why slab when you can just
continue to pour.


Another person has said to get six bags of ballast from Wickes mixed with
cement in a five to one ratio, plus 1.5 litres of water for every bag of
ballast. Tamp it down on the top and put the shed on top of it when dry.
They also said to get it all the concrete down and mixed within a two hour
time frame we should have at least two or three fit people, whereas there is
only my son and me who is sixty five so not so fit.

Would anyone know of any book on this, or be able to directly advise here
the *simplest* satisfactory way for a couple of *novices please to get this
shed up on some kind of foundation? *Thanks for any advice.


http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Sheds

The short version is in your case I'd definitely go with a poured
base. 1:3:5 would do nicely, though you could use weaker if preferred.


NT

The Medway Handyman wrote:
john westmore_______ wrote:

now have a 'Yardmaster' tin shed on its way this week. The

What kind of floor does this metal shed have?

If it's anything like my Yardmaster, there will be no floor. The bottom
frame simply bolts down to the concrete base. Works fine structurally,
but I did have a problem with damp coming up through the concrete and
causing condensation (I've since put down a plastic membrane covered
with OSB which does the job).

Pete

wrote:

That's 3-4" depth of mortar in total, so no saving over a poured
concrete base. I dont see much sense putting slabs down when you can
just pour more concrete and get a better result.

My Yardmaster shed is on (preexisting) slabs. Given the choice, I'd
recommend straight concrete - the unevenness of slabs makes it harder to
prevent water running under the base rail and into the shed.

Pete

On Aug 3, 2:32*pm, "Andrew Mawson"
wrote:

Do NOT use soft sand for concrete, use sharp sand. Soft builders sand
has rounded grains that make for a much weaker concrete.

Sharp sand concrete can be made stronger, but I dont think theres any
DIY application where the difference is significant. It does matter
for roads & bridges.


NT

wrote in message
...
On Aug 3, 2:32 pm, "Andrew Mawson"
wrote:

Do NOT use soft sand for concrete, use sharp sand. Soft builders
sand
has rounded grains that make for a much weaker concrete.

Sharp sand concrete can be made stronger, but I dont think theres any
DIY application where the difference is significant. It does matter
for roads & bridges.


NT

Having broken up 30 cu yards of various bits of concrete previously
laid in a barn as a grotty floor I can assure you concrete made from
soft sand is definately much weaker - they'd obviously used up what
was to hand, and the bits made from yellow builders sand were like
butter compared with the grey bits made from sharp sand.

AWEM