Leveling a shed

[NUTTSGT]

If you want the smaller tube I knw what I would do.

Cut the 8" tube length wise, push one inside the other till you have the size you want and duct tape it shut. Slide it in the ground. Once it's in the ground it's not going to open back up.

 

[thejudges69]

First, don’t think of the skids as supporting the whole structure. Since the building is designed to haul down the road the walls act like beams and provide support for the floor joists. The skids are mainly for supporting the building during transportation and supply approximately 50% of the floor support. You can put in as many supports as you want but three on each side would be plenty.

Getting the building up on the posts can be a problem. Usually we get the building in position and then pick the building up and place supports under as required. We are in a freezing location and have not found frost heave to be a factor.

Solid concrete paving blocks make good supports. It may be possible that one end will be on the ground and you only have to install four supports. Obviously your plan will work and yes the sonotubes should go all the way to the bottom of the hole. Just giving another option.

I'm able to get the building on posts with ease. The issue with blocks us the lay of the land. There is about a 12" variation from one end to the other. (See pics at top). The mention of sonotubes was to keep from heaving. That was discussed above as well. If I use the ground as its own sonotube it can heave, but if I leave the sonotube in the ground and leave it smooth, the ground will have nothing to bite into. At least that's the thought above. I need a good amount of blocking to get it level, not to mention the wetness of where it's at, they will sink in a quick manner I believe where the tubes will be sitting on the clay and limestone foundation.

I was originally going to do 3 tubes per runner, but I'm afraid the span will be to great. 4 sits a little better with me.

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[thejudges69]

If you want the smaller tube I knw what I would do.

Cut the 8" tube length wise, push one inside the other till you have the size you want and duct tape it shut. Slide it in the ground. Once it's in the ground it's not going to open back up.

That was my thought as well. You ever cut one? They don't seem difficult to cut. I'm waiting for the ground to either freeze it dry up a little before I drill. I need this project done though. I may end up paying someone to be honest cause this engines still taking a ton of my time.

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[Prospecter]

PVC would give frost less to "grab" and might reduce heaving.

 

[thejudges69]

PVC would give frost less to "grab" and might reduce heaving.

And readily available and won't deteriorate like the cardboard tube.

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[BetterDays]

At some point, I will need to level and address my shed as it is on a hill side.
Thankfully, it was pretty level when I checked it this summer. I will need to figure out how to get under it and fix all of it at some point in time, as I am sure it is still sinking due to how wet that part of the yard stays.

Pic attached is from when it was 1-2 days old.
This is the closest I could set it to the property lines per zoning, as they require 15' distance. If not, it would have tucked nicely in the corner of the property on flat ground.

 

[thejudges69]

Back to square one. I started marking for pillars, there is 12" of difference from one end of the shed to the other. I can't get fill dirt in there and don't know how I'd get limestone in there. I'm thinking of cutting 2 trenches in the dirt and laying RR ties down for the building to sit level. I'm not convinced that will work though. I'm gonna go back through and re-read all the above comments.

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[paredown]

Man, if I had the Kubota with an auger, Sonotube would be the answer!

(We've cut them on the jobsite with a fine blade on the sawsall--and probably a row of three on the low side would be plenty for a shed...)

If you wanted to get crazy, you could level your Sono's, set in metal deck supports, and run a beam the length of the low side:
https://www.decksgo.com/deck-beam.html

 

[thejudges69]

Man, if I had the Kubota with an auger, Sonotube would be the answer!

(We've cut them on the jobsite with a fine blade on the sawsall--and probably a row of three on the low side would be plenty for a shed...)

If you wanted to get crazy, you could level your Sono's, set in metal deck supports, and run a beam the length of the low side:
https://www.decksgo.com/deck-beam.html

I have no issues using tubes. I gotta either level that area where the shed will be, or figure something else out. Right no the floor if the shed is 18" off the ground on one end. It's pretty steep incline into the building.

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[Hank11]

A bottle jack, a water level or a string level and a bunch of foot long pieces of 2 X 8 or 10 scraps. Then some solid 8" cap blocks. Start on the front and jack and crib the front skid into level. Go around back and do the same and level front to rear.

Scoop out with a small shovel or trowel just enough dirt to get your blocks all the same height. Put up 4 stacked piers in front and 4 in back. When it all looks pretty level, set the building down off the cribbing and onto the block piers. Done. With a helper this might take a couple of hours.

 

[thejudges69]

A bottle jack, a water level or a string level and a bunch of foot long pieces of 2 X 8 or 10 scraps. Then some solid 8" cap blocks. Start on the front and jack and crib the front skid into level. Go around back and do the same and level front to rear.

Scoop out with a small shovel or trowel just enough dirt to get your blocks all the same height. Put up 4 stacked piers in front and 4 in back. When it all looks pretty level, set the building down off the cribbing and onto the block piers. Done. With a helper this might take a couple of hours.

Perhaps you didn't read the whole thread.

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[Hank11]

Yes I did read the whole thread.

If you place the cap blocks on level solid soil and put your building down on them - its done. What makes you think the shed is going to fall off a sound, level, flat stacked foundation?