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Metal sheds Two shapes are commonly available, Apex sheds that come to a point in the middle, like the traditional house shape and Pent roof sheds that have a roof that slopes from one high side to the other lower side. In general apex sheds are cheaper and pent sheds have more head-room. Apex sheds have the door on the end while pent sheds tend to have the door in the wider side. Pent roof sheds allow for a workbench at the higher side and use the lower side for storage of tools etc. an arrangement that is not really possible in an apex. Planning permission and building regulations may be required, Please check with your local authority prior to ordering
Sheds ned to be on a good foundation, though not necessarily as substantial a foundation as is sometimes thought. A large solid concrete slab will of course be excellent, but is a considerable amount of effort to mix and lay the concrete required for even a modest shed. If you decide on this route, then the slab should be at least 100mm - 4" thick. Generally the larger the shed and the more it used as somewhere to work - walking in and out regularly, the more substantial the base needs to be. Wooden sheds always come with a wooden floor, usually consisting of tongue and groove boards held together with battens, these will come into contact with the ground and no matter how well soaked in preservative they are, they will rot if placed directly on the soil and so need something to keep them off the soil. The purpose of a shed base is to provide a level platform for the shed so it can be erected properly and to keep the wood away from damp soil. If anything it is useful to have the shed base standing slightly proud - half to an inch will do - of the surrounding soil. Perfectly adequate for the majority of purposes for simple storage sheds up to about 8ft x 6ft is a base of paving slabs laid dry onto levelled soil.
You can get by with less than a complete covering of slabs, as long as you have the full length of the battens that hold together the floor supported - I have a shed in the garden that houses my mower and bags of compost, it had precisely this kind of base laid 10 years ago and is still as good now as it was when first erected. The shed itself will keep the base dry.
Related Questions Received Q. How do I calculate a template to ensure the corners for my shed base are square? the size of the base is 14ft X 10 ft A. You could buy a "builders square" or "framing square" a large set square with arms about 18-24" long or alternatively make yourself a triangle with sides in the ratio 3:4:5 and you'll get a perfect right angle. Wood is the best material and can be whatever is to hand, just knock a nail or screw through the joints. The bigger the pieces the more accurate it is i.e. 3,4 and 5ft work better than 30, 40 and 50cm. You can check if you have it right by measuring the diagonals, if they are identical, then you have four right angles, if not, then start again! Mark out the base of the shed with pegs and string first before you start to dig it out and prepare the foundations. Q. How do I lay a base for a small garden shed I have just bought? A. Follow the instructions for laying a patio if you want the best foundation. Just lay slabs on soil if a simple basic base will do for a small storage shed. The main thing is to keep the wood dry and off the soil.
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