Gravel shed installation

[SamTakoy]

Hi,

What are the pros and cons of the over-the-gravel installation of sheds, as in

I'm looking to have an 8x10 shed built.

Thanks!

Sam

[willshak]

SamTakoy wrote the following:

I have two 12' x 16' all wood, fully framed buildings sitting on gravel beds, One was converted to a poolhouse that has a sink with running water and a drain pipe to a septic tank. They haven't moved in 20 + years.

[bob haller]

concrete floor much better choice.

dryer in building espically in wet weather. animals can dig their way into your building

[aemeijers]

(sorry for the direct reply- Tbird 5 is still randomly sending direct replies instead of to group.)

Agreed, but as we have beaten to death on here multiple times, in many areas a concrete floor makes the tax man consider it a permanent building. And 8x10 is likely one of the kit sheds, which expects the skids and wood floor to attach the walls to, or is possibly even delivered assembled. Gravel base is okay for those, but I'd still be inclined to put it up on precast piers or blocks, so you can stick a leaf blower under there a couple times a year, and the skids are not sitting in water. Of course, if you do that, you have to rig a ramp at door if anything with wheels will live in there, so there are always tradeoffs.

If cost was no object, my 'shed' would be more like a small garage, with actual footings and stem wall, and interior slab resting on a proper ledge on the footings. If tax man ever questions the slab my tin shed is setting on, my story (which happens to be the truth) is that the slab and surrounding fence (slab is bigger than shed, which leads to leaks) is actually an old dog pen, and previous owner just plopped a shed in there. That is why when tree crushed it a couple months ago, I went out and bought same make and model- I'm not constructing a 'new' shed, I am repairing the old one. And I will likely reuse some of the old parts, to make the new one stronger here and there. (Double up some beams and corners, etc.)

(Now if the weather would just cool down- been so hot and wet here that the grass is back in spring spurt mode instead of dormant like it should be in mid-August. Keeping the grass and the weeds in check is purely using up all my outside-chore ambition this month.)