Site Preparation

It is preferable for the shed site to be properly laid in advance of erection, and the following are the reasons we think why this is so.

A foundation properly laid is the key to the general stability and life of your shed.

We strongly advise that your building be placed if possible on a dry level area in your garden with a view to overall aesthetics and ease of access.

We recommend that your garden shed be erected on the following surfaces.

A level screed of crushed stone (hardcore) While some manufacturers recommend that the building be placed on concrete blocks, we find that achieving a complete level surface by this method is not always successful. When garden sheds are erected in this way concrete blocks can eventually sink, due to heavy contents within the building or if your garden soil is unstable .Concrete blocks may not sink uniformly and can in time compromise the stability of the building. To this end have included at no extra cost a pressure treated sub frame which is placed on top of a prepared level surface.

1. A level screed of crushed stone (hard-core No. 804)
2. A prepared cured concrete solid base
3. Standard patio pavers

The addition of our pressure treated base frame on any of the surfaces above will ensure that the floor of building is guarded from ground moisture, greatly improving the life of the shed.

Eliminating blocks also ensures that there are no unsightly gaps underneath the building. This is an area where vermin find most suitable to set up home.

Adhering to these instructions will ensure a speedy construction and will prolong the life of you garden shed.

(We can provide contacts for this service if required)

The Sub-frame serves two functions:

1. It ensures when laid on a level prepared site there is no gap under the building.
2. Because it is positioned at right angles to the floor joists it increases stability throughout the entire floor area.

Site Preparation

 There is no benefit removing earth or grass sod prior to laying down aggregate
 If there is a lawn already in place, cut grass as short as possible
 Ideally a pressure treated timber frame Fig.1 or block frame Fig.2 should be constructed to contain hardcore
 Hardcore should be laid to a depth of approx. 3 – 4 inches
 The finished surface should appear level to the eye. There is no need to whack

Our pressure treated base frame will be placed in the centre of this prepared area and floor is placed on top. The primary aim of prepared site is to ensure that it is elevated above the surrounding ground level.
After building is installed perimeter aggregate can be enhanced by a thin layer of decorative gravel if desired.

An elevated site is not required if area is already paved

We appreciate that in many gardens it may not be an option to leave an extra foot of space between boundary and building, however leaving adequate space here will benefit the building as it will allow air to circulate more freely around the structure and allow removal of invasive or decaying vegetation, which in time could reduce its lifespan

Unfortunately we do not carry out site preparation ourselves but should you wish this service we can forward you our contact recommendations

As noted at the top this is what we only recommend for garden shed or summer house but it is not a requirement for purchase

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call or send us pictures of your garden and we can help you go through your options