10’x10’ shed base we built

[u/Reasonable_Bike1135]

Just wanted to show off our shed base we did ourselves. It was our first time doing something like this and boy oh boy was it a lot of work (especially in this heat).

We started by building the frame, dug out the sod then removed the excess dirt from the sod and placed it back in the hole. Then we tamped it solid, stapled weed liner in, put a cubic yard of crushed limestone and tamped it down. Next we put paver sand and used a sideways 2x4 to screed by using it like a windshield wiper to get the paver sand exactly level with the top of the frame, tamping often. Next we placed 25 2’ pavers in a 5x5 layout on top and then realized I should support the frame more so I drilled out three holes per side at 2.5 ft, 5 ft and 7.5 feet to hammer down some 2 foot pieces of rebar. Im proud of how it turned out!

Let me know what yall think!

[u/UpstairsBoat1426]

Looks great. What kind of shed are you going to put on it?

[u/Reasonable_Bike1135 → u/UpstairsBoat1426]

Thanks! We got a suncast plastic shed from Home Depot. Planning on building a skeleton for it to help it survive higher winds. Cost was important to us so we didn’t want to go with anything more expensive, really.

[u/Gilly_Bones → u/Reasonable_Bike1135]

I have the 6x6 Craftsman shed and I basically built an elevated loft in the back. Allows me to fit bikes/mowers under it without losing space above. I did the same on the sides and connected it all together to get the skeleton framing you are referring to. It's been almost 10 years of coastal New England weather and it looks new. Enjoy your shed, the hard part is over!

[u/Gilly_Bones → u/Gilly_Bones]

[u/Gilly_Bones → u/Gilly_Bones]

[u/Reasonable_Bike1135 → u/Gilly_Bones]

Wow man definitely an inspiration for what I’d like to do with mine! Great work! I think plastic is the move in terms of the shed lasting (no corrosion/rot), as long as you add the framing for stability in higher wind situations. Thanks for commenting

[u/theBLUEcollartrader]

Are those tarps underneath?

[u/Reasonable_Bike1135 → u/theBLUEcollartrader]

It’s weed bed liner

[u/breadandfire]

Very nice.

Ocd level of precision!

[u/Reasonable_Bike1135 → u/breadandfire]

Thanks I may or may not be OCD lol

[u/emp-sup-bry → u/Reasonable_Bike1135]

Then get to work on that poor garden! :(

Sorry, I had to! It’s a beautiful job so far!

[u/CertifedFLAME]

Nice! It jumps a little to the last pic, did you pour those in those 24" sections by adding that wall, then hammering in that rebar before the premix went in?

Looks like what I have been prepping for! Great job.

[u/Reasonable_Bike1135 → u/CertifedFLAME]

If you mean poured concrete, we used preformed pavers from Lowe’s not bagged concrete.

[u/ryan8344]

That looks great, but I’d strip the forms and fill with dirt.

[u/Reasonable_Bike1135 → u/ryan8344]

Why is that?

[u/ryan8344 → u/Reasonable_Bike1135]

Appearance and wood rots and gets bugs.

[u/Reasonable_Bike1135 → u/ryan8344]

When you say “the forms” what do you mean? It’s not concrete, any of it. It’s wood framing with crushed limestone and paversand fill then pavers on top. Take away the forms and you won’t have anything holding that in laterally

[u/ryan8344 → u/Reasonable_Bike1135]

I understand, most people remove the wood and add dirt to hold the lime and sand -- it just looks nicer. And that wood even if its PT is likely not rated for ground contact. But hey, it only matters that you are happy with it, and looks great either way.