sky_driver

I am in the process of planning the building of a little outdoor cottage for my daugher to play in. It will be approximately 6' x 8'. What should I do about the foundation? Should I pour a cement slab 4-6 inches in thickness, or should I build a floor with 2x4's over concrete support posts. Thanks for any suggestions.

WarWagon

Personally, I would go with the wood on top of the concrete, as the wood gives a cozier feel and may be a bit better if she chooses to play on the floor. You can actually buy galvanized steel foundation kits that are self leveling and make for some easy setup, which can then be finished off with concrete and/or whatever medium you want. You can probably find them on the Sears website.

Tophat665

How bizzarre, I was just about to start a thread on this very topic.

I have a 7x7 prefab shed that fire code won't let me keep where I built it (which is the only level place in my backyard.) I do not want to pour a big ol' concrete slab that I will still be there when I sell the house, yet building a wood footing and levelling it with cinderblocks and slates is so trashy. My neighbor had the idea of building a 8x8 enclosure of landscping 4x4s, levelling that, and filling it with gravel. I think that's the way I want to go with it.

However, any advice is appreciated.

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fhqwhgads

If I were building the project, I'd build a floor frame outta 2x6 lumber and elevate it from the ground by using concrete blocks. There's some that are shaped like a pyramid with the top grooved to accept 2x lumber. I wish I had a picture of one to link to, but I can't find one.

cj2112

they're called pier blocks, and it really is a good way to go

kazoo

I've built a number of sheds using pressure treated 4x or 6x laid either directly on leveled earth or on an area of gravel. Check with your local municipality regarding regulations, as they can be quirky.

Some require concrete pads, others have setback requirements from property lines. The worst I've encountered required 3 sets of plans sealed by an architect or professional engineer and had to go before the local planning commission and the municipal engineer for approval. Yes. For a shed.

Shed material = $200
Labor to erect = $200
Legal bullshit = priceless

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Tirian

Also along the lines of kazoo some areas will charge additional property taxes for a "permanent building", but not for a moveable.

I would think that a poured pad might be considered permanent. Most folks around where I live get two large timbers (depends on size of shed) and build a framed floor over the two timbers called skids. Once built the entire thing can be slid around a little (may require tractor etc.) or even moved to a new location on a trailer.

fhqwhgads

Yeah, dem things. Thanks for the assist.

sky_driver

Thanks to everyone. Fhqwhgads, pier blocks were what I ment when I said concrete support posts, but I did not know what they were called. Thanks also to cj2112 for the correct name and picture.

eagle1

I built a 6x8 chicken coop that way using the pier blocks.

We live out in a wooded are and are prone to have little furry rodents run around. Ecspecially when you have chickens and their feed around.

Rodents like to live in the space under sheds and the such, and if you are using pier blocks, that will leave a nice, dry 12" living space under the house/shed.

What I did to combat this and it has worked well so far is to lay two sections of 1" holes, 4' high poultry fencing down on the footprint of your shed. Leave enough around the edges to wrap up onto the floor of your shed, but be sure that the entire floor is covered. Tack down around the edge of your floor and then when you put your walls in, the bottom plate of your wall will cover the sharp edges of the fencing so that now one will get poked.

This pretty much encloses under shed so that no rodent can crawl under or burrough under your shed.

Just an idea that has worked for me.

Daval

Great thread. I plan on building a shed as well and have two questions:-

Keep in mind that I have no building skills so use easy language

1. The pier block system looks like the idea way to build, but how do you level on a sloped yard? My whole backyard has a gentle slope all the way down to the road (i live on a corner lot), so one side could easily be 4" higher than the other.

2. I figure an 8' x 8' shed will suit my needs nicely and I won't need a building permit for somethign that small. I want to build this in the corner of my yard, but I have a 7' tall fence that I cannot touch - it belongs to the city. How would I do this? I couldnt see moving it into posistion once its built?

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kazoo

What you will need to do is remove earth on the high side of the elevation until the pier blocks sit level in both planes. Do not remove too much at a time, as disturbed soil will settle, changing the elevation. When in doubt, use a tool called a digging bar-one end is spade shaped, and the other circular to tamp the soil and ensure compaction and future stability.

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