Cement foundation for shed

Apr 26, 2004 2 Replies

I plan to build a 10'x12' shed in my yard. I have this patio area made up of 7-8 rectangular slabs of cement, all with different surface and each slightly tilted so that I have this uneven patchy surface.



What I want to do is erect a shed over a large portion of this patio and I am trying to decide if a cement or wood floor is best for the floor. OK, wood is easy, I just need to make some footings. My question centers around the cement pour.



Do I need to remove all that ugly patio cement and start with a new slab poured onto compacted earth or can I (and this is the real question) pour a new slab on top of the old cement. I suppose I would need a comcrete bonding agent and either rebar or a metal fabric to reinforce but is building up like this a recipe for cracks or other problems. The old patio is probably 30years old and is unlikly to settle much more. What minimum thickness should I use?


Probably be helpful to know what climate you live in. I can't advise you on concrete part but in many locals now, you need a permit to put up even a small storage shed as you mention plus in our area, they tax you if it is on a concrete slab (permanent building) but not if is on runners - wood floor - thus considered temp. movable building.

Walt Conner

What you are talking about is concrete, not cement. Cement is a component of concrete.

Your plan is a recipe for disaster. You need footings. The concrete slabs you are talking about are not footings. Hire a professional to help you do this project right.

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