How many bearers for shed

Once firm and dry the base is now ready for you to begin assembly of your garden building. Remove any vegetation from the area where you have chosen to construct your base. Use pegs and string to mark out an area for your base. Excavate the ground in the marked out area to around 2. Within the excavated area, lay approximately 1.

This will create a dry sand and cement mix. Level this mix - you may wish to use a rake and a spirit level to aid with the levelling process. Starting from a corner lay the paving slabs and tap down with a rubber mallet. The surface of the paving slabs should be slightly higher than the surrounding ground to encourage rain water drainage.

Use a spirit level to make sure all the slabs are square, level and firmly butted together. Brush off any excess sand and cement mix - the base is now ready for you to begin assembly of your garden building.

Remove any vegetation from the area where you have chosen to contrast your base. Excavate the ground in the marked out area to around 2" 50mm deep. These should be equally spaced at intervals of approx mm ensuring they are to run perpendicular to any floor joists which already come built in to your garden building. Make certain that all floor bearers are level with one another by using a spirit level. Use a rubber mallet to tap down the bearers if necessary. How many floor bearers will I need?

Summer Houses by Size 7 x 5. A shed will last longer with a solid level area and pressure treated bearers to raise the floor off the ground. Small Treated Shed Bearers. Shed Bearers 6' x 4' 1. Showing the floor. Floor in position. Shed Price List. Medium Bearers. Shed Bearers 7' x 5' 2. Medium to large Shed Bearers. When you have excavated all materials, make sure the base is level using a rake and remove the pegs and string.

However, the hard-core and concrete base will still need to be the same depth. To ensure your concrete shed base is the right shape and size, you will need to build a timber frame to line the edges when the concrete is poured. Any straight pieces of timber are suitable for building framework: old planks or similar will do just fine. Measure the base and cut four pieces of timber to size.

Fix them into a rectangular arrangement, taking care to check whether the diagonals are the same. Place your timber frame inside the excavated area. Using a spirit level, check that the frame is level and steady — anything less will not be sturdy enough for your shed. Next, spread a layer of gravel, stones or crushed ballast inside the timber frame and compact down until it is flat.

Use a compacting tool for best results. Cover the hard-core layer with a generous amount of sand and level it out. Concrete is mixed using one part cement to five parts ballast. Alternatively, buy a bag of dried concrete mix.

There are two ways to mix concrete: the first involves mixing it by hand using a shovel, and the second involves hiring a concrete mixer. The first method is just as good as the second and is a useful way of getting a bit of exercise, but is more labor intensive. If you elect to mix your concrete by hand, add the water slowly and be sure to mix it well into the concrete before adding any more.

The mixture needs to be fairly dry, so if it is too sloppy, add more dry mix. When you have enough concrete mixed and it is of the right consistency, pour it into your timber frame. Spread it out evenly and once the concrete is at the required level, use a piece of timber to smooth it off.

Rest the timber on each edge of the frame and using a sawing action, smooth the concrete surface. Check your base is level using a spirit level and add more concrete if necessary. Concrete needs around 24 hours to fully set. If rain is forecast, cover the concrete with a plastic sheet to protect it. In warm weather, place a damp cloth of sacks over the concrete and sprinkle with water to prevent the concrete from drying out too fast and cracking.

Once the concrete shed base has completely dried, you can begin to assemble your timber shed. A slab or paving stone base makes an excellent foundation for a shed, and is a popular choice for smaller garden sheds. As with a concrete base, location is all important, as placing a shed on uneven or sloping ground will result in an unstable shed.

Any paving stones can be used as a shed base, but thicker slabs are less likely to crack under pressure and will provide a more stable base. Instead, look for second-hand slabs to save money. Do make sure the paving stones you buy are all the same depth, however, or it will make life very difficult when you try to level them off. To prepare a paving slab base, use string and pegs to mark out an area approximately 5cm wider than the base of the shed.

Dig out the soil, topsoil or turf down to a level of 7cm. Once you have excavated the recess, remove the string and pegs. Mix together one part cement and eight parts sand thoroughly. Pour the dry mix into the hole and spread out evenly using a rake.

You will need about 4cm of dry mix. Make sure the cement-sand mix is nice and level. Starting in one corner, take a paving slab and lay it down carefully. Use a rubber mallet and tap the slab gently. Check whether the paving stone is even with a spirit level and move on to the next slab. Take your time laying the stones. Keep checking whether they are evenly laid and butted close together.

When you have finished laying the final stone, take a step back and look to see whether your paving stones are straight and perfectly level. If they are not, make minor adjustments with the rubber mallet and re-check. Brush the surface and remove any excess cement and sand mixture; or, if there are any gaps between the stones, add some more dry mix to plug them.

If you have done a good job, the end result will be a perfectly flat, level and solid base for your timber shed. For a quick, easy and inexpensive way to create a secure base for a shed, create a foundation using pressure treated timber bearers.

Pressure treated wood is resistant to rot and will last for many years. As such, it is a good base for a shed.