Flat pack metal shed - laying a base?

[Prizen]

Hi all

I bought a10x8 ft flat pack metal shed today. One of those thin galvanised sheet metal jobs; just using it for spray painting water based products.

question on a suitable base; as I won’t be going for concrete, can i just place some paving slabs on top of levelled hardcore? Or do I need sand and cement also? Also, would you recommend I hire a whacker to compact it?

thanks

 

[MARK.B.]

Yes you can use slabs and yes I would advise compacting the area well before laying them,you could just put onto bare hardcore base but for the small extra cost and a little extra work laying onto a bed of coarse sand and cement would be preferable

 

[mikej460]

I would lay a damp proof membrane onto the bare soil, making sure there are no sharp stones that may damage it, then the hardcore/mot then whack down and blind with a layer of sharp sand which you can whack then level off. Then lay your flags using some spare sand to fill any low spots.

 

[Jones]

My neighbours metal shed of similar size was on a concrete base and securely bolted to it until one windy night it left and perched in a tree.

 

[Prizen]

Thanks guys. Will hire a whacker and get some sand and cement.
The shed will definitely be a little flimsy but it is in a sheltered area

 

[Hornbeam]

How is the shed anchored down? |
The problem with metal sheds is that you can get very severe condensation, Easiest way to deal with this is to glue a thin layer of insulation onto the inside. Even the old style polystyrene ceiling tiles make a massive difference

 

[MARK.B.]

I got one of those tin sheds same size as yours as a temporary storage for bikes etc about 10 years ago and like yours is in a sheltered area. Apart from a few dents and bangs etc the shed is still sound and will likely last another ten. Be careful as the metal edges can be like razor blades and i learnt that the hard way , unless you have three arms you will need help putting the roof on

 

[artie]

Bolting it down on paving slabs can be a bit tricky.

 

[billgiles]

I had one of those tacky things. I despised it and hated it from day 1. Hot in Summer, cold in winter, forever dark and damp.

 

[stuart little]

My neighbours metal shed of similar size was on a concrete base and securely bolted to it until one windy night it left and perched in a tree.

Bet the kids loved it - instant tree house!

 

[stuart little]

I've had one for about 20 yrs (6' x 4'), moved it once to make space for a workshop, now it's used for wood storage [and mower], I've had no probs. with condensation & it's very dry. It's on a base of slabs laid on a membrane. The sides of the membrane are folded up inside the shed sides, shelves carrying the wood hold it all down.

 

[DanZ56]

I have a 8 x 6 metal shed for extra storage for my mobile home. I bought some flat concrete pavers (600mm x 600mm) as a base and just bolted the shed to them, using the angle brackets supplied and dyna bolts / loxins drilled into the slabs. Had some very high winds, but no movement in the shed. Didn't worry too much about a damp course, the shed is only used for storing outdoor furniture.
Almost got divorced over the shed construction, you definitely need a third pair of hands to help with the roof.

 

[mikej460]

I forgot to add that we had one to house a log boiler in. It is like a giant meccano kit and took me two days to install. I did put it on a concrete slab and bolted it down. I found I could Gorilla glue battens neatly into the vertical wall struts to support shelves, 13A sockets and a light switch. It served us very well unlike the log boiler which we sold after 2 years and replaced with a pellet boiler installed in the house.

 

[TRITON]

How is the shed anchored down? |
The problem with metal sheds is that you can get very severe condensation, Easiest way to deal with this is to glue a thin layer of insulation onto the inside. Even the old style polystyrene ceiling tiles make a massive difference

You can get a self adhesive insulation layer that effectively just foil covered bubblewrap
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291398874645?hash=item43d8b9f615:g:DtEAAOSwv0tU-Fpr
I've used this recently on a cat bothy, and used spray impact adhesive which bonded great to itself and the base.

 

[SteveBartley]

I had one of these which was generally ok and yes they are flimsy. Good advice above re the base. However should you get a significant snow fall, perhaps 2 inches or above remove it quickly from the roof, my roof got really bent inwards due to the added weight which was then impossible to straighten well and I had to put a central pole up to support the bent mid beam. The shed was never the same again with roof leaks depending on wind direction.