Foundation for a shed

[lostsoul65]

I'm buying a 8'x10' shed at Lowe's but I don't know how to put down a foundation. I was thinking of 2x4 about every foot and then 1/2" plywood on top and that should that do it?

 

[theoldwizard1]

Many cities/townships have building codes that regulate what your foundation must be.

The best solution is a 4" concrete pad.

 

[beakie]

I'm buying a 8'x10' shed at Lowe's but I don't know how to put down a foundation. I was thinking of 2x4 about every foot and then 1/2" plywood on top and that should that do it?

where are you, town/country?
how long will you be there?
how long may the shed be there?
what the landscape/ground like where the sheds going?

lots of info needed for informed answers to be given.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Two pressure treated 4x4 with angle cut ends for skids. Drill a one inch hole crossways near both ends of each skid. Build pressure treated floor on top, then set building on it and fasten. Easy to move later by skidding, or can be moved with a rollback for longer distances, by fastening a chain to the holes. Moved one half a mile Down a country road with the lift arms on a tractor. Drug it slowly right down the asphalt road on a wet morning.

 

[rodm1]

I'm buying a 8'x10' shed at Lowe's but I don't know how to put down a foundation. I was thinking of 2x4 about every foot and then 1/2" plywood on top and that should that do it?

That is what I did and it held up under very heavy winds. It will rot out and you will have to replace it eventually.

I recommend concrete if code permits.

 

[lostsoul65]

I'm not building a house just a simple little foundation for a 200 pound tin storage. There aren't any codes for it. It of course will be on level ground. It will never be moved. Again I don't know anything about this. So can someone tell me if I set a 8x10 feet foundation with 2x4. I will put 2x4 every foot making 10 2x4 not counting the ones to go around and connect them? On top 1/2" plywood. Will this work?

 

[87jeepwrangler]

I'd run 3/4" t&g for the floor tho, not 1/2", but yea, that will work for a while.

Realize their are different grades of pressure treated lumber (depot or lowes may not carry it, but real lumber yards likely will). Direct contact with dirt is hardest on any piece of lumber. Stone under the lumber will make it last longer. Again, this all depends on your expectations of longevity, etc

 

[p_mori7]

I had a tin shed like that a long time ago.

I removed the grass where the shed would go, added a 2" layer of stone dust that I tamped down by hand, set down a bunch of old 24x24 concrete patio stones I got for free from a neighbor, and secured the bottom of the shed to the patio stones with tapcons.

I sold the house 15 years ago... the shed is still there, still level, still being used !

 

[lostsoul65]

Would it help if I put down a couple of inches of mulch? I never put a shed together so could I make a 9x11 foot foundation and set my 8x10 shed on it or does it have to be exact?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Would it help if I put down a couple of inches of mulch? I never put a shed together so could I make a 9x11 foot foundation and set my 8x10 shed on it or does it have to be exact?

You don't want to set it on mulch. Mulch will decay and leave your shed sitting loped sided.


BTW, you might want to reconsider the tin shed. I don't think you will be happy with it after a few years. They don't hold up well against the weather, tree branches and when they rust, they look like ****.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Here is some reading to do on them from a few years back.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143434

 

[Ahicksv]

I put a 4" base of gravel, then leveled some landscape blocks and topped them off with PT 2x6. Took some time to hammer and level the blocks, but this foundation is solid.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I will put 2x4 every foot making 10 2x4 not counting the ones to go around and connect them? On top 1/2" plywood. Will this work?

Will it work. Yes ... for awhile, like others have said.

Another issue that no one has mentioned. Putting a shed directly on the ground is just asking every raccoon, opossum, skunk, rat in you neighborhood to dig a burrow underneath.

I removed the grass where the shed would go, added a 2" layer of stone dust that I tamped down by hand, set down a bunch of old 24x24 concrete patio stones I got for free from a neighbor, and secured the bottom of the shed to the patio stones with tapcons.

EXCELLENT ! I would only add that you should extend the stone dust and patio stones out at least 6" (12" better) beyond the edges of your shed.

 

[p_mori7]

EXCELLENT ! I would only add that you should extend the stone dust and patio stones out at least 6" (12" better) beyond the edges of your shed.

YEP ! That's exactly what I did. The bottom rails of the tin shed were secured to the centerlines of the concrete paving stones.

The are PLENTY of people giving away old pavers...find some on CraigsList and go get them... this also makes it REAL EASY to roll the lawnmower, bikes, etc IN/OUT of the shed.

IIRC, the bottom rails even had pre-punched holes for the fastening hardware...like every 12" or 16".

 

[CharlieM]

I would put down a 1-2" of 3/4 stone, tamped base, extend it about 1 foot around all sides. Its best for drainage and the runoff from the roof wont hit the ground and splash the sides.

 

[p_mori7]

BTW, you might want to reconsider the tin shed. I don't think you will be happy with it after a few years. They don't hold up well against the weather, tree branches and when they rust, they look like ****.

It's true that they can look like **** eventually...but a good 10 years of life is a reasonable expectation...the one I installed is about 18 years old now...it is showing dents & dings, but it's still nice & straight. It's still the same grey color, although I am pretty sure the current owners of the house have repainted it.

Tin sheds are affordable...I think I paid $200 for mine back in the day...it was all I could afford to get the mower & kids bikes & garden tools out of the weather. I had done a cost estimate on a nice shed that I knew I could build myself, and that was about $1000 just for materials...that was completely out of the budget.

If a tin shed is what you can afford, that's perfectly OK...just do a good job setting it up, and it'll last a long time.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I'm the first to admit I'm no carpenter, so I may not have done things the way some of the more experienced members would have. My shed is 8'x12' and I wanted to have it stick around a while, so it has decent vinyl siding/windows, fiberglass doors & a 30 year shingle roof with a 5' ridge vent. All the lumber is treated or exterior grade with 2x4 framing 16" on center under a 1" treated plywood floor. The whole thing sits on 12' long 4x4 treated, on top of paver stones that were leveled right on the ground. It sits a good 5" off the ground & has been exactly like new for at least 3 years without any shifting or settling.

Tommy

 

[lostsoul65]

I still don't think I have it right. I want a 8x10 shed which weights about 200 pounds that I can buy at Lowe's for under $300 and I will hire 2 labors to help me. So I am planning on taking (2) 2x4's (11) feet long and put 8' 2x4's between them about every foot. Then I will put 1/2" plywood on top of that. I'm 66 years old so I don't care if it last for decades. Will this work? Do I have the right idea. I'm good at computers but if you give me a screw drive I'll ask what end should I use. So have patience with me. Thank you.

 

[Rob_b]

If your going to put lumber on the ground, at least make it pressure treated stuff. Either way, you may or may not out last it.
If you plan on making it a decent shed, put down a concrete pad larger than the shed so you have a border around it.
I built (assembled) a plastic panel shed that is a great shed(not a rubbermaid). It is anchored down to the pad via tapcons. The concrete is minimum 4" with a wire screen in it and fibre in the concrete mix. Its a floating pad that was poured on a bed of 3/4" gravel. This pad will be here till i'm well into the dirt as will the shed be.

The way I see it, do it once, do it right...and forget it...

 

[SteveCh]

What you propose will work. The 2 x4 will be minimal but place paving stones or some old bricks or whatever beneath them to keep them off the ground. You will need a number of them to keep the 2 x 4s from flexing. Even pressure-treated wood will last much longer if kept off the ground and out of moist soil.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I still don't think I have it right. I want a 8x10 shed which weights about 200 pounds that I can buy at Lowe's for under $300 and I will hire 2 labors to help me. So I am planning on taking (2) 2x4's (11) feet long and put 8' 2x4's between them about every foot. Then I will put 1/2" plywood on top of that. I'm 66 years old so I don't care if it last for decades. Will this work? Do I have the right idea. I'm good at computers but if you give me a screw drive I'll ask what end should I use. So have patience with me. Thank you.

If you lay it right on top of the sod, it will sink into the ground and your plywood will be touching bare ground. I give it 2-3 years at best.

If you insist on putting it on bare ground/sod (no gravel, etc) use pressure treated 2x8 spaced 24" "on center". Use pressure treated 3/4" plywood. You must use "hot dipped" galvanized nails/screws or stainless nails/screws or the chemicals from pressure treating will eat through them is a couple of years. When it does sink into the ground, at least it might last 4-6 years before your foot goes through the floor.

Of course, you could get a family of skunks or raccoons living underneath ...

 

[lostsoul65]

What you propose will work. The 2 x4 will be minimal but place paving stones or some old bricks or whatever beneath them to keep them off the ground. You will need a number of them to keep the 2 x 4s from flexing. Even pressure-treated wood will last much longer if kept off the ground and out of moist soil.

I understand so instead of having the 2x4's every foot I could have them every 18 inches. I will have over a hundred foot of 2x4's so I could get some cheap red bricks at Lowe's and for every foot of wood how much brick would I need. If the bricks are 9 inches than have 18 inches between them would be ok but I would have a brick at every corner so would that work?

 

[Dustball]

Here's what you can do for an 8x10 shed with very basic prep and it'll work out just fine.

Lay two 6"x6"x10' pressure treated posts parallel to each other and spaced 5 feet apart. Lay these posts on top of six 12x12 paver blocks leveled to each other, three blocks per skid.

Cut 11 2x4's to 93" long. On a flat surface such as a driveway, nail the four outer boards (two 2x4x10's and two 2x4x93") together to form a box. Within this box, nail the remaining 93" long boards in place every 16 inches plus I like to nail an extra one at the 4 and 8 foot mark to have a full surface to nail the seams of the plywood flooring to. Once the frame is together, carry it over to your 6x6 posts and nail the frame to the posts. Once that's done, lay your 3/4" plywood decking on top (one 4x8 sheet and one 2x8 sheet) and nail those in place.

If you want to go the extra step, lay a bead of construction adhesive down on each framing member before putting the plywood down.

I've attached pictures showing what to do.

On the shed I built in the past, I screwed everything together. I moved it twice and I sold the shed ten years later and everything was still rock solid.

 

[radrush]

I don't know how to put down a foundation.

Again I don't know anything about this.

Dude,

Seriously - ever consider reading a book?

2x4s with 1/2" plywood on mulch?! No, that's ridiculous and won't work. I think it's best if you refrain from any and all home improvement projects. Best to just let your wife/GF handle this stuff from here on out.

 

[Dustball]

Dude,

Seriously - ever consider reading a book?

2x4s with 1/2" plywood on mulch?! No, that's ridiculous and won't work. I think it's best if you refrain from any and all home improvement projects. Best to just let your wife/GF handle this stuff from here on out.

Come on, that's unnecessary. Everyone has to learn somehow.

Lostsoul- watch this video to get an idea of assembly.