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I put a thread on here a couple of weeks ago and got very helpful replies about making the base using slabs, not concrete. I spoke to a local builder and he said I need to use cement as well as ballast/gravel to make the base firm, so it doesn't shift over time. Is he right, or just trying to flog me cement, or being over cautious? I liked the idea of slabs because I thought it meant I could get away with not using cement or concrete. I'm basically lazy and DIY-shy, but I really don't want to be dismantling the shed after a couple of months to sort an inadequate base! Any more tips? Ta v much.
Is he suggesting a dry mix? Not a bad idea. Personally I'd have laid a concrete slab but I can appreciate they are a pain if you ever want to move it and not everyone has a cement mixer in their shed.
Rubber - thanks for your reply. I think he was suggesting a wet mix - something I need to add water to and use along with the ballast to stop the whole base shifting over time with the effects of rain. It kinda made sense, but helpful people on here have advised me about creating a slab base without mentioning cement. I'm trying to make the job as simple as possible but without it being useless, and I don't have the experience or tools for a concreting job really.
I used http://www.plasticshedbase.co.uk/
Means I can move it whenever I need, can revert base to lawn when needed etc. I haven't even filled it with gravel yey and its working fine!
Mines put straight onto gravel. Not moved an inch in 3 years. If your using ground anchors and don't have skills for base get someone in. Days work.
I spoke to a local builder and he said I need to use cement as well as ballast/gravel to make the base firm, so it doesn't shift over time.
I put an 8*8 shed on a slab base about 14 years ago, it hasn't moved yet. Slabs, proper;y laid, will be fine.
Don't be scared of making a concrete base, it really is a piece of err wee to make, surprisingly so. You can hire all the stuff you need for a few quid a day. Be a shame to spend hundreds on a shed and then half arse it.
I put slabs straight onto a well compacted ballast and it's been fine for 5 years with no signs of movement.
You can help stop water erosion by filling gaps between the slabs with mortar.
The question is does it matter?
If you were putting in a wood shed then a bit of settling/shifting might matter but I don't see why a little would matter with the metal shed...
Only that if the levels move and the angles shift, the doors might not line up as well as they should.
I'm fitting mine this weekend onto gravel and I'll see how it goes.
The gravel is already in place and seems flat, also it should offer better drainage and mean the Asgard isn't on standing water.
If it looks pissed up it'll have to slab it but hopefully it'll be fine.
Can't imagine why you would have to ground anchor it, mine weighs 20st in old money, without bikes.
The question is does it matter?
Yes - If the frame warps (because the base isn't level) then the clasps on the lid don't line up with the plate on the front for the locks.
You do get some spacers with the box to help correct this.
A Dry mix would be a good halfway house between slabs only and a concrete pad but like people have said, it's probably not needed.
I can't remember if I said this in your other thread or just thought it to myself; it might be worth putting a large concrete block in to the area under the shed to allow for a ground anchor to be installed. Dig a pit in a place you know will be accessible in the shed, preferably with the sides flared out further as it goes down to give it more holding power with less concrete. Fill with a concrete mix and level it off with the surrounding flags. You should be able to mix enough easily in a wheelbarrow with a spade.
If your flag base is done correctly with adequate drainage to stop ground swell from rain and frost you should be fine for a good long while.