Best way to level a building

[ralphvince]

I just moved a fairly good size shed. It's now on my property and still sitting on the trailer. The spot I'm putting it is not very level. The shed has a treated 2x6 framed plywood floor is going to be set on concrete blocks (like it was where I bought it). Only I plan to put in 4 of those trailer house anchors on the corners and put some chains to eyebolts under the floor. I dont like free standing sheds because a heavy wind can flip them over.

Anyhow, I plan to put blocks in all 4 corners and also in the center. But the land where I am putting it is pretty crooked. What's the best way to level the shed? I'd normally just put a level in the middle of the floor and level it in both directions, but until I get the blocks under it, the floor has a bit of a sag in the middle. I know this because the plywood siding has a gap in the rear which was not there before the move. (it's sitting on the trailer across two railroad ties on each end, so the tires did not drag against the floor). That's why the center of the floor has a sag. I know this will all straighten out when it's blocked, but I'm not sure how to level it with the present sag in the floor.

The shed floor size is 12 X 16 feet, and the walls are 10 ft. in front and 8 ft. in the back, with a 2 ft. drop on the roof from front to back.

[LouB]

Use what I think is called a "line level" String with a level hanging from it?

[notbob]

High Explosives.

nb

[jamesgangnc]

For an existing structure place all the block pads and level them before moving the shed on top of them. You may need to measure the underside to make sure your interior pads meet up with a floor joist.

12x16 is pretty big, you might consider several interior pads rather than just one.

I don't know where you are but I've built several 10x10 sheds around our neighborhood. All on block pads. I've not staked any of them down and none have ever moved. But these are converntional construction with 5/4 pt floors, 2x4 frames, wood lap siding, and asphalt shingles.

[HeyBub]

Get a 12 ' (straight) board, put it on the floor so that it's supported only on the ends, and put your level atop the board.

[dpb]

[e-mail] wrote: ...

As at least a couple of other said, level the pads then put the shed on top.

Of course, unless you put enough of a footing underneath the pads, settling and frost heave will change it w/ time anyway so there's not much point in getting particularly precise about unless do more than put a block on the ground.

--

[DanG]

I would set a series of "pads" that are all leveled before the building. It would be possible to arrive at the final stack, record the finished size, remove to get the building in location, restack to known elevations.

[SteveB]

Am I the only person whose immediate response was "Diesel fuel and fertilizer?" :)

seriously, I think the other poster who suggested leveling the pads then setting the building on was onto something.

nate

[N8N]

Am I the only person whose immediate response was "Diesel fuel and fertilizer?" :)

seriously, I think the other poster who suggested leveling the pads then setting the building on was onto something.

nate

[Tony]

Yes... I've had some empty for a while and the wind never budged them. And what the hell am I thinking? How many places have we seen sheds for sale that were empty? And how many of them got blown around during storms? If I see a bunch of them upside down tomorrow I'll know it was someone here! I suppose hurricanes, or tornadoes can throw them around, but most of them would self destruct if tied down. I suppose staking it down would be like they do to house trailers, so the shed will become a permanent building and add to the property taxes?

[horseman&farmer]

Years ago I had a 36 foot long x 14 foot wide (3 section) horse shelter flip right over on it's roof, and that had eight 4x4 posts 3 feet in the ground. I had just built it. The high winds ripped it right out of the ground, flipped it, and it was 25 feet away from where it originally was. All the fences came down with it, and all the horses were loose. What a damn mess. Luckily no horses were hurt other than a few minor scrapes. I had built the shed so strong it never came apart, but several posts snapped and the tin roof was pretty damaged as well as a few cracked rafters.

The only laughing part of the whole thing was the stallion. He had all the mares to himself, and instead he was hiding in the remains of another tiny 6 foot pony shed which was tipped on it's side, and he barely fit in it, because it was only intended to be a pony shed. He was scared to death. According to the weather bureau it was just high winds. I say bullshit, it was a damn tornado. It also took shingles off the house, the garage, and the concrete block barn as well as 2 of the 3 couplas on the barn were tore off, and a horse trailer was on it's side. I stake my horse sheds after that, and I'll stake any other shed too. Of course THAT storm would likely have ripped those out too.

[aemeijers]

Most places, nope- only a permanent building if it is bolted to a slab foundation. In this part of country, you do not pay property taxes on a trailer, even a double-wide that will never be moved again. But you DO pay property taxes on the garage and front porch most people around here add to them. Silly, I know, but even up here in snow country, most trailer owners are retirees, and they vote, so nobody wants to mess with them.

[jamesgangnc]

If you're going to stake the floor joist system to the ground then you also need ties from the wall to the floor system as well as hurricane straps from the roof frame to the wall. Otherwise the wind is just going to take it apart at it's weakest link.

[keith]

The fertilizer isn't necessary but does make the job go faster.

Shims. Pads will never stay level.

[SteveB]

I suppose staking it

Check local codes. In a lot, a building is considered for taxation if it sits on a foundation. Otherwise, it is classified as a temporary outbuilding, and not taxed. Also, it may have something to do with your zoning. I life in an AG1 zone, that is single family houses up to 25 acres. The rules are a lot less stringent than 1/10 of a mile away across the street where it is residentially zoned. I recently moved in two seagoing containers to make a shop out of. No permit required. Nothing. Across the creek, they are not allowed. Check locally, as the way things are where I live, and the way they are where other people live have nothing to do where your taxes are computed.

Steve

Visit my site at

All errors, brain farts, misspelled words intentional because this computer is set to Spelchek French, and I can't get it to do any different.

[SteveB]

Where I live, 50 mph winds are common. The most they have been since we lived there in four years is 78 mph. If you want to see just how windy it can get in your area, just build a shed and don't stake it down. I predict you will find out within a year or two.

Steve

Visit my site at

All errors, brain farts, misspelled words intentional because this computer is set to Spelchek French, and I can't get it to do any different.

[HeyBub]

Which brings up an interest question: How do house levelers know when the house is level?

For all I know, they put a marble on the floor and see which way it rolls.

I'm thinking they use some sort of laser beam along the foundation, but would appreciate actual knowledge or a link.

[Tony]

Well I suppose it can happen, but evidently it is quite the exception rather than the rule. Does the closest place where they sell sheds tie down the model sheds? How many have toppled?

[Tony]

At one house I had the seller left 2 sheds that were about 10 years old, no sign of them being blown around. Then in the following 12 or so years while I was there they never moved from the wind. 22 years and the wind never bothered them. But before the house was built, the trailer that was tied down very securly moved 1/2" in a gust of wind. I felt it, and I was scared the whole thing would tear up and fly away but it stayed. It actually bent the trailer. From underneath I jacked it up with three bottle jacks and suddenly it popped back a half inch to where it originally was on the blocks. It never lifted off the blocks, just slid sideways.

[Tony]

In PA and TN house trailers are taxed just like all other permanent buildings. Many years ago in PA people used to try to avoid property taxes on house trailers by leaving the axles and wheels on. They got away with it for a while but not in years. If you poured a footer for a shed it was taxed, I'm not sure about being tied down, because I have never heard of a shed being tied down until reading this thread.

But you DO

Yes here in these parts of TN my front porch is recorded on my tax info along with the garage, AND the attic above the garage! It's not even a finished attic... yet. I suppose when I finish it I'll have to keep the shades drawn. I can't complain too much, my taxes here are still well under $1000/year and the house I sold in PA my taxes were almost $4,000/year, and that wasn't any mansion either!