Building a 10' x 12" shed. Are bricks high enough?

[chruler]

I have an old concrete slab in the backyard and I'm about to build a shed on it.
I want to keep my motorcycle in there and the usual yard tools.

Here in Vermont, we get a good amount of snow and rain and I'm thinking it will be best to raise the shed up off the slab.

I know it would be less expensive to just build walls, but I'm concerned about the wood rotting and the moisture from the concrete. So my plan is to build the floor on about 50 bricks to raise it up off the concrete and let the air flow beneath it.

I think 2 x 6's will be sufficient seeing that they will be supported every two feet and I'm using 3/4" plywood for the floor.

My intention is to brush all the wood down with wood sealer before I even start cutting, and to brush the ends after each cut. I did this on a shed I built on cinder blocks, in a shaded area, 25 years ago and the floor still totally solid to this day.

Do you guys think the height of a single brick, on a concrete slab will be enough air space under the shed so it will last a long time?

Construction starts Sunday.

 

[readhead]

I suppose it would work. The obvious question is why you wouldn't just build it on the slab.

 

[thickhead]

Is the slab lower than the surrounding ground or broken up?

 

[59 wagon man]

wouldn't the first snow of the season probably be more then 4" rendering the 4" gap covered?

 

[CJ7VFR]

wouldn't the first snow of the season probably be more then 4" rendering the 4" gap covered?

That is what happens to any shed that is built with the 4x4 skids under it. Most the sheds built that way have the skids placed on top of a gavel bed, giving the shed about a 3.5 inch gap at the ends for air to get in and circulate underneath it.

Any 4 inch or greater snowfall will cover that space until the snow melts a bit. It is not harmful to the shed, as the snow pretty quickly melts away from the air gap spaces. Or if you were worried about it, you could always shovel out any accumulated snow on the ends of the shed to expose the air gaps.

Jim

 

[CJ7VFR]

I suppose it would work. The obvious question is why you wouldn't just build it on the slab.

Maybe he is not using pressure treated wood for the ground contact at the slab?

I don't know if I would want to put regular wood directly in contact with a concrete slab that is subject to having water sit on it. The way he is talking about doing it, it doesn't sound too much different than how a garage is built, or a house that sits on a block foundation. He is just using bricks in place of the blocks.

The OP will let us know. If it was me, I would use the solid concrete blocks that are 4 inches thick instead of regular bricks. It would be stronger, give you more surface area, and be taller than a regular brick.

Jim

 

[readhead]

My point was why not use the slab as the floor if it is above grade.

 

[CJ7VFR]

My point was why not use the slab as the floor if it is above grade.

I think he is asking because he said this in his post:

"but I'm concerned about the wood rotting and the moisture from the concrete."

It sounds like with the amount of rain he gets where he lives, that the concrete slab has water sitting on it when it rains, which would rot out regular wood pretty quickly if the wood had direct contact with the concrete.

I don't recall ever seeing a shed around here sitting on a concrete slab that didn't have some type of ground contact pressure treated wood as a base for the shed that was between the slab and shed floor.

But I live in New Jersey where it gets pretty wet, so maybe in drier climates you can do that. Here you can't.

Jim

 

[chruler]

The concrete slab is from an old garage that was long ago torn down.

The footprint of the shed is considerably smaller than the slab. That's what has me worried about water puddling around the walls, if I don't raise it up 4".

I'm thinking it would be best to spend the extra money to build a sturdy floor on 50 or so bricks to put some air space underneath it. I imagine it will stay drier inside the shed and be less harmful to the bike and tools I intend to store.

 

[jshillin]

Is the concrete at all above the level of the ground around it? If it is, I'd use pressure treated on the concrete and build right off of it. I couldn't only entertain the brick idea if the slab is lower than the ground around it.

 

[readhead]

Okay. Now I see where you are going. Seems like a sound idea. I don't think you need 50 bricks. 9-12 maybe?

 

[CJ7VFR]

The concrete slab is from an old garage that was long ago torn down.

The footprint of the shed is considerably smaller than the slab. That's what has me worried about water puddling around the walls, if I don't raise it up 4".

I'm thinking it would be best to spend the extra money to build a sturdy floor on 50 or so bricks to put some air space underneath it. I imagine it will stay drier inside the shed and be less harmful to the bike and tools I intend to store.

I would agree with you about the air space under it helping to keep it dry. You want some kind of air moving around to help dry things out.

At my fathers house we built a shed about 20 years ago that we used some solid 4 inch thick concrete blocks that were placed right onto the ground to raise it off the ground for air to get under it. We leveled the ground as much as possible, and then used two blocks stacked on top of each other to raise the floor of the shed about 8 inches. We made a "grid" out of the blocks so that there were blocks at each corner of the shed, rows of blocks along each side, along each end, and also throughout the center.

Then we used pressure treated 6x6's on top of the blocks to make a frame for the 2x4 framing for the floor to sit on. Then we added the plywood on top of the 2x4's for the shed floor.

The shed is still going strong, and the blocks made for a nice air space under the shed.

Jim

 

[ishiboo]

It's only 10'x12"? I guess that's nice as you can use the CH ruler to measure the one dimension.

 

[chruler]

It's only 10'x12"? I guess that's nice as you can use the CH ruler to measure the one dimension.

Well, if I wait 6 weeks or so, I can build it with this. But I really need the shed now so I can move my bike up from Connecticut and start riding!

Anyway, as I said earlier, I built on cinder blocks, in a shaded area, 25 years ago and the floor is still totally solid to this day.

 

[RWorth]

I'd glue down a PT 4x4 sill and build off of that, using the slab as your floor.

 

[saryon7]

I like the idea of the bricks and think they will work just like you intend.

 

[chruler]

Some great suggestions.

I'd love to build it without a floor because it's easier to roll the motorcycle in an out, but the more I think about it, the more I get concerned that the concrete will just wreak havoc on the bike during the winter as it warms and cools and releases a lot of moisture.

Part of the slab is above ground level and part it is below.

The bike is already 10 years old and the aluminum doesn't look so great. It's a 2007 HD Dyna Super Glide with no real frills to it, but I don't want the little chrome I have to rust up too quick. It's no trailer queen.

 

[captain14]

Why not use concrete pier blocks? Place them and then use 2x10 to build your floor platform on. Then build the walls on the platform and raise them.

It's elevated , designed for the dimensional lumber and easier to level 4-6 piers than multiple bricks.

We've built two sheds using these and they are 25+ years old and no floor issues.

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Concrete-Dec...ual-7-125-in-x-10-375-in-x-10-375-in/50113084

 

[chruler]

Those pier blocks look interesting. I'll look into it. Thanks!

 

[Kaizen]

Why not use concrete pier blocks? Place them and then use 2x10 to build your floor platform on. Then build the walls on the platform and raise them.

It's elevated , designed for the dimensional lumber and easier to level 4-6 piers than multiple bricks.

We've built two sheds using these and they are 25+ years old and no floor issues.

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Concrete-Dec...ual-7-125-in-x-10-375-in-x-10-375-in/50113084

Like this suggestion. I used 9 concrete 8x8x16 blocks at corners and midspan on my 10x12. Didn't use pt or seal a thing. just moved it last summer and no rot at all. high and dry is the way. don't mess with little bricks. figure out a way to attach good steel wire at the bottom to keep animals out. going to be hard to attach to concrete pad. suggest where you will have ramp and placing bike to double the joists and screw floor down well.........oooh make it a drive through.

 

[chruler]

Ha! Wish I had the space to make it "drive thru!" That would be great.
Unfortunately, "she" has ideas on putting some gardening **** in their too.

 

[chruler]

HOLY ****! Almost $1600 in materials!

Looks like my 10 x 12 is going to become an 8 x 10. I need to save some gas money for the motorcycle this summer!

 

[rburke65]

So you are goingto elevatetheside walls but not installing a floor?

 

[kbs2244]

I would rather see you build up a brick, or block, wall 1 or 2 feet high and put your wall on top of that.
You should be able to seal the slab/brick joint to keep any water out, and the height will protect your wood from moisture.
If you end up getting puddles outside self leveling concrete patch will solve that.

In my county, if the wood was less than 4 inches above the dirt they wanted gutters and downspouts top prevent splashing onto the wood.
That may be something to think about.

 

[chruler]

So you are goingto elevatetheside walls but not installing a floor?

No. I'm going to lay out 40 or 50 bricks in an 8ft x 10ft pattern and build the shed on top of the bricks.

There will be bricks supporting all the joists and the perimeter of the shed allowing air to flow underneath the shed so the wood won't rot and the shed will stay dry inside.

 

[kbs2244]

You do know you are building a rodent home?

 

[chruler]

You do know you are building a rodent home?

Not really concerned. The shed is a good distance from the house and I figure, everyone's gotta live somewhere. There are a lot of garages and sheds really close by in my neighborhood that make much better homes for vermin. It'll be OK.

Just bought the materials to make it 8 x 10. $1028 including shingles, drip edge, prime T1-11, 2 x 6 floor joists, 2 x 4 walls, double door, ramp, trim and hinges. Just need to go get the beer now.

Sunday is build day!

 

[pattenp]

Just be sure to use pressure treated lumber wherever it comes in contact with the bricks, piers. Regular untreated wood will rot and painting on preservative won't last.

 

[captain14]

post some pictures of the build here so we can follow along.

 

[chruler]

I'm using PT lumber for the floor joists, plywood flooring and roof. I may roll a coat of wood sealer on it all before I start the build just for good measure.

 

[nicholsmf]

Brick are not structural. They are only a veneer. Use a concrete block that is rated to support the load.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

 

[sberry]

@ Put a row of bond blocks around, a rod around thru it, grout and skip the additional floor. Similar to post 24 in this thread.

 

[bczygan]

@ Put a row of bond blocks around, a rod around thru it, grout and skip the additional floor. Similar to post 24 in this thread.

This!

And make it the same size as the pad!!!!!

Bill

 

[astroracer]

What kind of straight line wind do you commonly get in Vermont? I didn't see any mention of anchors to bolt the shed down so it doesn't get blown off the "bricks"...
Mark

 

[chruler]

What kind of straight line wind do you commonly get in Vermont? I didn't see any mention of anchors to bolt the shed down so it doesn't get blown off the "bricks"...
Mark

Good point but I don't see it going anywhere with a 600 lb motorcycle in it.

 

[chruler]

The shed is done! Photos tomorrow!

 

[chruler]

OK, here's a bunch of photos showing the build. My buddies Jack and Tony came over to help. Jack is a carpenter by trade with all the right tools and years of experience. Took us about 8 hours to build this complete. Could have done it in 7 if we resisted the beer! But that wouldn't have been as much fun.

 

[sberry]

That looks really good.

 

[chruler]

Thanks! I offset the the door so the motorcycle will be closer to the left wall and lean that way when it's parking leaving more room for other stuff.

Sure is great to have skilled friends to help out with these things!

 

[captain14]

Anything thing on the exterior still need to be painted?

Nice Looking shed.