Hi all.
I've bought a 6' x 4' metal shed.
I don't want to drill holes in back yard
paving and the yard has a bit of a slope on it
Will a layer of sand inside a bit of shuttering do
for laying on 4x 5cm x 90cm x 60cm slabs?

Thanks.

Arthur

Arthur 51
wibbled on Monday 19 April 2010 15:20

Hi all.
I've bought a 6' x 4' metal shed.
I don't want to drill holes in back yard
paving and the yard has a bit of a slope on it
Will a layer of sand inside a bit of shuttering do
for laying on 4x 5cm x 90cm x 60cm slabs?

Thanks.

Arthur

Have a quick google back at this group for "shed base" - there've been a
couple of discusions recently IIRC. I recall mention something about sand
and slabs.

Cheers

Tim

--
Tim Watts

Managers, politicians and environmentalists: Nature's carbon buffer.

Arthur 51 wrote:
Hi all.
I've bought a 6' x 4' metal shed.
I don't want to drill holes in back yard
paving and the yard has a bit of a slope on it
Will a layer of sand inside a bit of shuttering do
for laying on 4x 5cm x 90cm x 60cm slabs?

Thanks.

Arthur

Not really.

The shuttering will rot or move, then the sand will erode and the slabs will
tip.
Far better to add a few spadefulls of cement to the sand to give a
semi-solid base for the slabs, and the shuttering can be taken down after a
week or two without any worries about erosion

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

"Phil L" wrote in message
...
Arthur 51 wrote:
Hi all.
I've bought a 6' x 4' metal shed.
I don't want to drill holes in back yard
paving and the yard has a bit of a slope on it
Will a layer of sand inside a bit of shuttering do
for laying on 4x 5cm x 90cm x 60cm slabs?

Thanks.

Arthur

Not really.

The shuttering will rot or move, then the sand will erode and the slabs
will tip.
Far better to add a few spadefulls of cement to the sand to give a
semi-solid base for the slabs, and the shuttering can be taken down after
a week or two without any worries about erosion

--
..
I keep finding instructions for slab bases...
Describing a dry sand and cement mix but no mention of
wetting the raked mix before laying the slabs down.

I'm confused.

Arthur

Arthur51
wibbled on Tuesday 20 April 2010 22:23
.
I keep finding instructions for slab bases...
Describing a dry sand and cement mix but no mention of
wetting the raked mix before laying the slabs down.

I'm confused.

Arthur

You don't. Mix dry, lay the slabs as if on sand (pack it, tamp it, level it,
lay slabs. Much easier than laying on wet mortar - take all the time in the
world.

Then a gentle hose over the top will get between the slabs and start setting
the cement. Hose is optional because enough moisture will come out of the
ground t do the job, but a light hose down will kick the process off in a
timely manner.

--
Tim Watts

Managers, politicians and environmentalists: Nature's carbon buffer.

Arthur51 wrote:
"Phil L" wrote in message
...
Arthur 51 wrote:
Hi all.
I've bought a 6' x 4' metal shed.
I don't want to drill holes in back yard
paving and the yard has a bit of a slope on it
Will a layer of sand inside a bit of shuttering do
for laying on 4x 5cm x 90cm x 60cm slabs?

Thanks.

Arthur

Not really.

The shuttering will rot or move, then the sand will erode and the
slabs will tip.
Far better to add a few spadefulls of cement to the sand to give a
semi-solid base for the slabs, and the shuttering can be taken down
after a week or two without any worries about erosion

--
.
I keep finding instructions for slab bases...
Describing a dry sand and cement mix but no mention of
wetting the raked mix before laying the slabs down.

I'm confused.

Arthur

There's enough moisture already in the sand to set the cement, plus it will
soak moisture up from the ground.

Just mix the cement with the sand in the hole using the rake, get it as
level as you want it, then lay the slabs on it.

Don't walk on it for a day or two and then build your shed, the mortar will
carry on curing for weeks after the shed is up and will gradually get harder
and harder.

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

"Tim Watts" wrote in message
...
Arthur51
wibbled on Tuesday 20 April 2010 22:23
.
I keep finding instructions for slab bases...
Describing a dry sand and cement mix but no mention of
wetting the raked mix before laying the slabs down.

I'm confused.

Arthur

You don't. Mix dry, lay the slabs as if on sand (pack it, tamp it, level
it,
lay slabs. Much easier than laying on wet mortar - take all the time in
the
world.

Then a gentle hose over the top will get between the slabs and start
setting
the cement. Hose is optional because enough moisture will come out of the
ground t do the job, but a light hose down will kick the process off in a
timely manner.

--

Nothing wrong with the above method. However I'm currently working on a
patio project and I'm using a weak cement mortar of about a 12:1 mix of sand
and cement. I'm doing it wet with a splash of Feb (plasticiser) which I
think is important as it allows the mortar to respond better to being tapped
down , much more so than on dry mortar in my experience It goes down 2 to 3
inches thick just over the area of a slab then I pull 3 deep grooves in it
with a bricklaying trowel and place the slab on top. The slab is easily
tapped level and aligned.

mark

mark
wibbled on Thursday 22 April 2010 15:20


Nothing wrong with the above method. However I'm currently working on a
patio project and I'm using a weak cement mortar of about a 12:1 mix of
sand and cement. I'm doing it wet with a splash of Feb (plasticiser) which
I think is important as it allows the mortar to respond better to being
tapped
down , much more so than on dry mortar in my experience It goes down 2 to
3 inches thick just over the area of a slab then I pull 3 deep grooves in
it with a bricklaying trowel and place the slab on top. The slab is easily
tapped level and aligned.

mark

Nice variation

--
Tim Watts

Managers, politicians and environmentalists: Nature's carbon buffer.