Anyone done medium size concrete slab?

[highres604]

I just bought one of those plastic sheds from costco to replace my old rotted wood one. It was sitting on a wooden platform that was on top of a pile of gravel. Appox size 8x10

The new shed has a plastic, rubbery floor. It is not firm or solid so when I layed the floor on top of the gravel, I could feel it shift and move. I am going to try and make a new base using either a new wooden platform or poured concrete.

I'm no mr handyman, but I think I can handle building another simple box platform but with it sitting on the sometimes wet gravel, it will just rot again. I could put the platform on top of cement blocks, but I think this looks too ghetto.

Best option is concrete (i think) ,however this is kind of scary. Has anyone (non handy) here done it before? Is this something I should be contracting out?

[604STIG]

Highly recommend getting someone to do it for you. Last thing you want is a permanent sub-floor that isn't level or even for your shed to sit on. Your shed will be lop sided in turn and the joints will end up with gaps.

[MindBomber]

A few ideas..

1. 24"x24" patio pavers.

Simple - dig 6" down, backfill 4" inches with sand and gravel, set the pavers.

Advantage - ground level, easily disassembled.

2. Wooden frame on concrete blocks w/ fascia.

Simple - build the frame, set it on blocks positioned within its perimeter, add a nailing edge and fascia to cover the "ghetto blocks."

Advantage - easily disassembled, no digging.

Disadvantage - not ground level.

3. Wooden frame on posts set in concrete w/ fascia.

Same as above, but substitute the blocks for posts.

Advantage - more secure than blocks.

Disadvantage - not ground level.

4. Concrete.

A small concrete pad isn't too challenging, really. Dig down 8", backfill 4" with sand and gravel, build a perimeter form out of 2x4's and stake the sides with off cuts, add rebar in 2'x2' squares or concrete mesh (welded wire, comes in 5'x10x sheets with 4"x4" squares, iirc, easier to cut than rebar and will work fine), mix in a wheelbarrow according to the instructions, poor, level it off with a board. It won't come out unlevel, because you're leveling it against the form. Just make sure the base has good drainage.

Advantage - strongest, ground level.

Disadvantage - most work, very difficult to remove.

[lowside67]

Great post from Mindbomber. I am a big fan of the pavers, no need to mess around with messy concrete, simple to install, and much easier to get rid of down the road. I don't think I'd build a gazebo on them but for something like a shed, I could live with it. I'd just add that I would put down a layer of anti-growth matting so that you don't end up with a bunch of vegetation growing between the pavers.

Mark

[Hondaracer]

i wouldnt worry to much about rebar or any sort of structural steel even if your just using bags of quickcrete, once the slab has setup for a few days and you put your shed on it you'll never notice cracks or anything anyways and the steel will make it infinitely harder to remove in the future

also you can rent an electric cement mixer from home depot for like $30 for 6 hours or somthing, this would be by far the easiest way to mix and pour the concrete, mixing in a wheelbarrow fucking suckssss

[MindBomber]

Mark - good point on the weed matting, thanks.

Hondaracer - I pretty much agree, on my own place, I wouldn't add rebar. It's just a little extra security against major cracks if the base isn't good, possibly a good idea for a hesitant DIY'er.