dhumble5 Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 Your advice please. All I want is a solid base for a garden shed. I will be laying 600-400 mm paving slabs. My question is can I just put some building sand on top of my grass to get a level I will put a membrane on the grass before the sand goes on. I will be laying aprox 30 of these slabs do you think a tone of builders sand will be enough as I have not done this before? Thanks in advance for your advice. Derek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 Make up a semi - dry mix of sand and cement...(not all in one go) screed it off and lay the slabs on it ..butted up... when done spray some water on it and leave it a couple of days..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy.plinker Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 I'd dig down 3"-4" to make cutting and strimming easier afterwards on the grass,and as ditchman says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 depending on the construction, if you're building a timber shed with a timber floor, your shed base should not have a larger footprint than the shed, it should also be raised above ground level so water doesn't stand and pool on the slabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Your advice please. All I want is a solid base for a garden shed. I will be laying 600-400 mm paving slabs. My question is can I just put some building sand on top of my grass to get a level I will put a membrane on the grass before the sand goes on. I will be laying aprox 30 of these slabs do you think a tone of builders sand will be enough as I have not done this before? Thanks in advance for your advice. Derek. I would remove as much organic matter as you can as it will rot and perhaps subside causing the slabs to become uneven, hard to say how much sand you will need as I don't know how level you will get it, damp proof membrane and air flow under the shed is good, presuming its wooden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Am using railway sleepers for the base of mine. Three strips dug in ground, levelled with gravel and whackered down, then the three sleepers, then shed. Haven't decided if I'm building from masonite or buying shed yet though, but whichever I decide, base will still be sleepers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Short lengths of scaffold poles knocked in the ground in a lines the length of the shed, two rows. Top it off with poles the length of the shed, level up with a spirit level, all tightened up with doubles...lay the shed base on the top. No digging, laying slabs, or shoveling sand etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon mad Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 I'm doing one now for a 6 x8 shed I'm digging out bout 7 inches putting hard core in compacting it then laying the slabs on a wet mix butting them all up there are many bases to put a shed on but most people that in ploy me to do them want a really solid base so this is how I do them ! I'm doing one now for a 6 x8 shed I'm digging out bout 7 inches putting hard core in compacting it then laying the slabs on a wet mix butting them all up there are many bases to put a shed on but most people that in ploy me to do them want a really solid base so this is how I do them ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southfields Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Pigeon man is spot on ! That's the best possible way to lay a shed base & simplest ! Just using sand is no good it will sink overtime and can be a pain to get all slabs level but if you do go for the sand only use SHARP sand not BUILDING. Atb Southfields Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubble Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 I would / have used concrete 4" posts Lay them like sleepers with aprox 18" centres Bed them on sand / cement dry mix to get a level Air can circulate and the timber is out of the wet Slabs tend to push water under the shed. Neill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdsallpl Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 I put a 10 ft by 8 ft shed direct onto 2x3 timbers levelled up and supported on bricks. The shed was position on rough ground and this was over 10 years ago. Took about 15 minutes to prepare. Why mess about with all the hard work and the expense of slabs when no one will see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 The excavate and fill with 2" down stone stands a lot less chance of subsiding than any other method. I always leave a hole in the middle for a shallow plastic container with a vertical stand pipe at the side. A lot safer than throwing rat poison underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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