Cheapest easiest way to build 16x10 shed base

Question

I would like to lay a 16 x 10 shed base as  heap as possible.  The last year has made finances extremely tight.

What is the best way to do this please.

I would like to afford to hire someone to help me but it's just not possible at the moment.

Any advice greatly appreciated. 

Thanks

Steve · Accepted Answer

Doing your own concrete base will be the easiest, most effective and long lasting plus is fairly cheap. 

Start by digging out the area to around 6-8inches deep, use 4x2 timber around the area as a level guide and ensure each timber is intact level. Add some sort of hardcore and wacking down. Broken bricks or stones. Buy some ballast and cement from a builders merchants for the area stated you'll require around a ton of ballast (£40 average cost) 8 bags of cement (£40 average cost) hire a cement mixer for a day (£20) and have this set up next to the desired area. Add water to the mixer and then around five shovels of ballast to a shovel of cement but keeping the mix wet/sloppy.  Once the mixer is full pour slowly into the hole. Once the area is full use a length of timber to pat down and pull across ensuring the timber is long enough to reach the full width timbers you laid at the beginning. (you may require help for that bit. 

P

Gary · Answer

Hi to save a lot of digging make a level framework the size you require with a minimum 75mm walls then just mix up lots of concrete and fill until the frame is level once the concrete has set remove the frame and hey presto one shed base hope this helps cheers Gary GFS

Toby · Answer

Hi, 
It will depend on where the shed base is being sited, but I am assuming that it is on an existing lawn. 
To do the job properly, I would use a dumpy bag of chippings, compacted level and using a timber boarder as shuttering and mix a dumpy bag of ballast with a 6:1 ratio with cement and lay a 4 inch thick concrete slab. I would expect the materials will cost around £150-£170, plus hire of a compactor £35/day. 
A cheaper alternative would be to use old paving slabs, usually being sold online. As long as they provide a level base, the shed weight will be relatively distributed, although there is a greater chance of the slabs moving, so some future adjustment may be needed. £25 for old slabs, or £3.50/slab for new ones at the builders merchants. After all, they will be beneath the shed so they don't need to look beautiful. 
I hope that helps.
Toby

Lorcan · Answer

Slab base is cheap and easy very durable and will be ideal to hold a shed

Sue · Answer

You can lay on pallets which you can obtain cheaply or free (Facebook).
Worth just spending £50 on a tin or oil-based paint and spraying the pallets as the oil will feed the wood and prolong life significantly to stop rotting.
Sue

Liviu · Answer

Good afternoon, I do believe that the cheapest way to do it will be to buy one already made and you'll only have to install it in your Garden.

Tamoor · Answer

Build the frame of the shed in separate pieces, i.e, get wood poles at the length you need and then wooden planks that you will use for walls and nail and screw them together and this way it will bemassively cheaper than buying from anywhere else and it will be stronger.

Patrick · Answer

2-ft by 2-ft concrete slabs will be the best foundation for your shed laid properly it will not sync

Gareth · Answer

Hi, so as we all know we love a cheaper option , although cheap does not always mean its the best option .. if this is for a basic sized run of the mill shed ,lightweight in structure then I would suggest laying down a hardcore(type 1) base, whacker this at 50 mm intervals and use total 130mm then once that is whackered to a solid finish fully compacted you would be laying slabs on a semi wet mix , making sure that you actual slabs sit 50mm above ground level, this is to help keep the shed from sitting in water due to heavy rain etc..  this would be a good alternative to a much more costly concrete base which would need steel mesh and is also messy work..  although if the base was to be holding any heavy structure like a concrete shed/garage then I would suggest reinforced concrete base with 150mm stone and 100/150mm of concrete with a steel mesh inside for strength.

But don't forget you would need to also use maths as u will need to bare in mind that you want the base to sit well above ground level so this reduces water getting into the structure. You would need therefore to make shuttering to form the area u are concreting,  lots more work involved but is a stable and solid base that will last many years if laid properly

Cheapest easiest way to build 16x10 shed base

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