locoboy
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| posted on 23/6/05 at 12:49 PM |
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Ground leveling for Shed
Chaps,
I have lifted all the turf in order to lay the slabs for my shed to sit on.
I have laid small patios before with no problems but as this area is bigger than anything i have done before (18 x 12) i dont want to use the highest
point as my reference nor the lowest, how do i find a bit of middle ground (excuse the punn!!)
Also is there any easy way to roughly level the ground off my chosen reference point?
The shed is comming on the 8th July eeeeeeeeeeeeeek! and i want to start laying slabs on Saturday.
Cheers.
ATB
Locoboy
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nick205
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| posted on 23/6/05 at 01:02 PM |
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Are you laying the slabs on a sand base or straight on the ground?
Once you've got the ground roughly level, it's easier to lay the slabs on a bed of sand and use that to level it off. Might also be worth
some edging boards to keep it all in place.
Nick
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mookaloid
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| posted on 23/6/05 at 01:04 PM |
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If you want it to be level, without digging out, you need to pick the highest level
I have always used gravel to put sheds on. If you put them on flagstones then the water which lies on the flags keeps the shed timber wet and
eventually it can rot.
The gravel allows the water to drain away and it is really easy to lay.
Cheers
Mark
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 23/6/05 at 01:07 PM |
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Make a small heap of wooden pegs, about 1" square in section. Get hold of 5 or 6 metres of thin plastic tube (cheap aquarium stuff is ideal)
and a jug of water coloured with ink or food dye.
Bang a peg in at a likely location and fix one end of the tube to it with a tie-wrap. Now fill the tube with enough water so that you can get the top
of the water in line with the top of the peg (you'll have to lower the other end!). Now go around your site banging in pegs until their tops
are in line with the top of the water at the unfixed end of the tube.
The tops of the pegs are now level, and you can measure down then to get the height you want. Leave the pegs in until you've laid all your
slabs, making sure that they line up with your measured marks.
Does that make sense? 
rgds,
David
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locoboy
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| posted on 23/6/05 at 01:31 PM |
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Good suggestions chaps,
The slabs are going on a dry mix of sand and cement.
The shed company will not errect anything on a ' non solid and level base comprising of timber, paving slabs or concrete'
i kind of inderstand your 'plumbers level' DJ!
I was after a bit of middle ground so that i can scrape earth away from the higher parts and use it to fill in the lower spots, not choose my high
reference point and need poo loads of soil/sand and cement to make up the height.
ATB
Locoboy
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 23/6/05 at 01:46 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by locoboy
The shed company will not errect anything on a ' non solid and level base comprising of timber, paving slabs or concrete'
Pardon? Did you just write what you meant to write? They WON'T build it on solid materials?
quote:
i kind of inderstand your 'plumbers level' DJ!
You can use the same principle to do what you want... take 2 long stakes, and tie the tubing to both. Put the bottom of both stakes on the same bit of
level ground and pour in some water. Use a pencil to mark the waterline on both stakes.
Now you and a friend can go around the site, put each stake down and see clearly which bit of ground is higher.
DJ
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Jonr
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| posted on 23/6/05 at 08:49 PM |
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my tuppence worth.
Go with the hosepipe level, it's one of the best tools you'll ever use!!! it really is ancient technology but bloody brilliant.
I would build the shed on well spaced breeze block piers. Start with oneblock high on the highest level and just dig a little and pile the bricks
high enough on all the others to make em level. Find out where the structural members are on the shed base and position the piers to fit, 2 - 3 ft
spacing. Use the hose or a spirit level to keep em all level, or have a pile of 6mm ply to shim them with. Propably want a bit of foundation for each
pier, depends on your ground. (farking horrible hard clay soil here, nasty to dig, but stick something in it or on it and it stays there!!)
No digging out a few tonnes to level the ground, no shovelling a couple of tonnes of sand around and with blocks at 50p a pop, likely to be cheaper
than slabs.
IMHO
This isn't a kit car crisis style shed that your going to have to dismantle to get the car out is it
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locoboy
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| posted on 24/6/05 at 10:14 AM |
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Sorry DJ, they wont erect on anything BUT solid sound surfaces.
Jonr,
Its too late to use the breezeblocks as i have the slabs and have already gone to the trouble to lift the turf!
I borrowed a lazer level from my dad yesterday so it looks like life may get a bit easier
No crisis shed here its 18*10 feet with 7 foot double doors on the end A nice cosy home for the beast 
ATB
Locoboy
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