Buidling a base for a plastic shed

[SMS]

My sister in-law bought a plastic shed at Costco (Keter Bellevue) with floor dimensions of 100.5" x 80.5". ("

") Someone at Home Depot said that she should set it on a pad of concrete blocks that sit on a base of sand and gravel, all of which she ordered and had delivered.

I thought this was a pretty bad idea for a plastic floor shed, and that it will be difficult to get all those blocks arranged into a level, even, platform. I would have built a base out of pressure treated plywood sitting on a frame of 2"x6" pressure treated studs, and set that on level ground without using any gravel or sand.

But now that she's bought all that material, is practical to sit it on blocks, placed in gravel, even if it weren't an optimal arrangement? I also thought of putting pressure treated plywood on top of the concrete blocks and screwing the plywood to the bocks, but that's a lot of screwing.

[gfretwell]

By time you get done with all of that you could have poured concrete.

[George]

Not sure (never mind)why she asked the experts at home depot but their suggestion does sound ridiculous.

You might want to do some checking for accessories. My neighbor bought a plastic shed like that and the separate base was a set of heavy interlocking plastic "tiles". They spread some pea gravel and put the base down on the gravel.

[HeyBub]

Sure, that'll work. She could even just put the shed on the ground (it's PLASTIC - what could go wrong).

A more interesting question is why she asked the door-greeter at Home Depot instead of you?

[JIMMIE]

I put in one similar to what the store suggested. I put crushed gravel on the bottom and fine crushed gravel on the top. I use it for a pump house and garden tool storage.

Jimmie

[RicodJour]

The sheds with the plastic bases are nice as they go together quickly and you don't have to worry about rot, but they do have some downsides. The underside is basically a waffle with thin ribs supporting the walking surface. There's not very much surface area to those ribs to distribute the load to whatever is underneath. Soil, gravel or sand will all subside a bit - to varying degrees - and the ribs tend to "cut" into the grade material. A framed 2x platform has a lot more surface area to distribute the load and won't settle nearly as much.

When I install something that's supposed to be flat, I like it to stay flat. For that reason when I install such a shed, I prepare the grade as level as possible and use leftover brick pavers around the perimeter and more pavers (or flagstone) distributed interior to the perimeter to support the floor at key points - roughly 16" on center.

The pavers give a nice finished look to the installation and the floor stays flat.

R

[benick]

The guy at HD just recommended a way that he knew SHE could do with a shovel and rake...Besides it is a pretty common way to do it and that way was an option in the assembly instructions...Perhaps if YOU had been with her he would've recommended the wood floor , also an option in the directions....Or perhaps with the money she has spent on that "plastic shed " and floor she could have bought the materials and you could have built her a real shed...

[bgoodard234]

Hey SMS -

Those methods you describe - in my opinion - are a little haphazard. When I created the base for my plastic shed - I followed the plans I found here -

for a wooden foundation. They also had a cement foundation write-up, but th at was too much for me. I found the guide for the wooden foundation was sim ple - and I'm not that handy. Hopefully that helps.

[bgoodard234]

Hi SMS - the method you describe sounds a little haphazard in my opinion. I 'm not very handy, but when I installed a base for my plastic shed, I found this article to be helpful, easy, and straightforward -

This is for a wood en base and I think they had one for concrete bases as well but that was to o much for me. Hopefully this helps!

[DerbyDad03]

I hope she didn't wait 4 years for your suggestion.

[Rich]

replying to SMS, Rich wrote: I would suggest getting rid of all of that useless stuff and using a pile of dirt leveled out. That seems like it might do a decent job of supporting this so called shed.

[richsessums]

I'd just go with a dirt foundation. Just spray some roundup on the area an d also three extra feet on each side. Get a pile of dirt and spread it aro und where you just applied the roundup. Make sure the dirt is flattened ou t and perfectly level. Just to be sure, build a wood foundation out of 4X4 's and PT lumber. Also, make it level by using string and those wood borde r things that you see on construction sites. Be careful though, wear goggl es and gloves and elbow pads. Ear protection is not a bad idea either. Wh en you are done get out a level and see if it's all level. Build shed and enjoy.

[trader_4]

Which makes the just applied Roundup useless. Roundup (glyphosate) works by contact with growing vegetation. On bare ground it's useless. Covered up with soil it's doubly useless.