bucksoh
Footballguy
Not really sure this goes in here but me stepson put this badboy together https://i.imgur.com/I0ycKf5.jpg
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Home-owners...What are your current projects? (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter wilked
- Start date
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
Spent the weekend cleaning out my garage preparing for it to be demolished to prepare to get my pool taken out. Ordered a 30 yard dumpster, since the cost difference was negligible for the larger size. Laughed at the size when I saw it and never thought I could fill it. Cleaned out the basement since I had the space, and sure enough it is almost full.
Next step is building a shed in the backyard to house yard stuff while we do not have a garage. Any tips on the easier, most cost effective foundation to put a shed on top of? We are getting a vinyl kit, and I need to build something to put it on. The local handymen appear to be busy, so I don't want to wait months for this. I'm tempted to build a cement foundation myself, since it doesn't really matter what it looks like, but my wife is laughing at me for thinking I could do it myself.
Next step is building a shed in the backyard to house yard stuff while we do not have a garage. Any tips on the easier, most cost effective foundation to put a shed on top of? We are getting a vinyl kit, and I need to build something to put it on. The local handymen appear to be busy, so I don't want to wait months for this. I'm tempted to build a cement foundation myself, since it doesn't really matter what it looks like, but my wife is laughing at me for thinking I could do it myself.
wilked
Footballguy
You don’t need a cement foundation
i would put a layer of gravel down. 3-6 inches depending on your soil.
wilked
Footballguy
Did some electric work this weekend.
Ran an a new outdoor circuit, would have been done in an hour but had a ##### of a time fishing through the side of the house. Every time I lined it up and taped the wire on more crap from the house came down and blocked my hole. That was 30 mins.
Also got rid of the floating shelf under the tv. Had to move that outlet up 2 feet (and the cable / data wires. Of course I didn’t have 2 extra feet of Romex available and didn’t feel like running to the Depot to buy a junction box and more 12/2 so ended up pulling the whole circuit back to the panel and rerunning it more efficiently to gain the 24”.
Told my father in law (retired electrician) of my efforts and he texted me the best compliment he has ever given me:
“You are now the equivalent of a good solid 2nd year first term apprentice.”
Ran an a new outdoor circuit, would have been done in an hour but had a ##### of a time fishing through the side of the house. Every time I lined it up and taped the wire on more crap from the house came down and blocked my hole. That was 30 mins.
Also got rid of the floating shelf under the tv. Had to move that outlet up 2 feet (and the cable / data wires. Of course I didn’t have 2 extra feet of Romex available and didn’t feel like running to the Depot to buy a junction box and more 12/2 so ended up pulling the whole circuit back to the panel and rerunning it more efficiently to gain the 24”.
Told my father in law (retired electrician) of my efforts and he texted me the best compliment he has ever given me:
“You are now the equivalent of a good solid 2nd year first term apprentice.”
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Bull Dozier
Footballguy
Build a wood frame around the gravel to keep it in place? I've seen that design on the websites I've looked at for plans.
The only hesitation is the website for the gravel foundation mentioned something about compressing the gravel with some sort of tool. Once we get into needing to rent tools I don't have, I'm thinking why not just say a cement foundation then? (That's rhetorical).
belljr
Footballguy
No you are going to dig 3-6 down fill with gravel, hand tamp .
My small shed is on 2inches of red stone
Mario Kart
Footballguy
Curious but just gravel or with sand and/or other material to fill in the air? I don't have enough rocks for a 6" base so @Bull Dozier will have to buy them from somewhere else.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
Does the fact that mine will be 10x15 change the design needs? All the sites I can find on the googles talk about building a wood frame around it. While I don't have one right now, I will plan on having a riding lawn mower that would be kept in there (heaviest thing I can think of that will be stored there).No you are going to dig 3-6 down fill with gravel, hand tamp .
My small shed is on 2inches of red stone
belljr
Footballguy
If you are above grade you could put wood around it. Even belwo grade. THe wood is there to just keep the gravel contained.
YOu could put some type of flooring over the gravel though. It depends on the shed I guess.
https://www.alansfactoryoutlet.com/blog/bid/79263/Gravel-Foundation-Recommended-for-the-Storage-Sheds
YOu could put some type of flooring over the gravel though. It depends on the shed I guess.
https://www.alansfactoryoutlet.com/blog/bid/79263/Gravel-Foundation-Recommended-for-the-Storage-Sheds
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Bull Dozier
Footballguy
OK, the shed in that picture looks to have a skid foundation as well. So the shed I've ordered has a plastic floor that obviously can't sit directly on the gravel (or at least I think). So would I need to build a skid foundation to sit it on top of the gravel?
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
belljr
Footballguy
Yes my floor had pre drill holes. I have i think 20 spikes nailed in to the gravel/ground.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
belljr
Footballguy
Yes. And mine is but with the walls attached to that also it just adds more support for bad weather etc
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
OK, well I'm leaning toward just digging a hole, filling it with gravel, putting the shed on top, and if something goes wrong I'll just tell my wife some stranger on the internet told me to do it.
Spike
Footballguy
I had a cement slab poured but the only issue is how long you give it to cure and that you need to screed it yourself.
If you are not knowledgeable about it, you could do a less than stellar job.
belljr
Footballguy
I already preempted that I have a much smaller structure
You can tell your wife that my structure smaller than yours, but she already knows that
Mario Kart
Footballguy
Not sure what it would take but what about digging ~12" holes in a tic-tac-toe pattern and using something like these instead of pouring cement? Might need more than 9 (tic-tac-toe) holes for the size of your shed but then you fill the rest with gravel for additional support of the main floor. Maybe put a hole wherever the pieces connect, so more than 9 if needed.
offdee
Footballguy
No, they'll ultimately sink and shift. You'll need a minimum of 6" of depth dug in ground and then fill it with 3/4" traffic bond. Buy a $30 Hand tamper and compress it all down. Then you can level off with 1/4" traffic bond, if needed (and then tamp that all down).
The 3/4" traffic bond and tamping it all down to compress it as you go is what is key.
This site's calculator will help you figure out how many tons of the 3/4" traffic bond you'll need:
http://halquiststone.com/crushed-stone-products/calculator
I recently finished a cement patio extension with nice stepping stones that were ultimately bonded together with polymeric sand (links of pics a few pages back) and by doing the traffic bond base gave me a solid foundation. Turned out great and is solid.
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Bull Dozier
Footballguy
You people are killing me trying to get me to do it "right."
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
So I've decided to go with the wood frame around the gravel pit for the foundation. Do I really need the wood foundation to be as deep as the gravel, or can I go with a hole being dug deeper in the ground and one row of timbers for the frame?
Mario Kart
Footballguy
I still think you should use the pavers for the shed to rest on and when you put the gravel/stones in, you have to dome them because they will settle into the ground... that is what the tamper is for. The pavers will give the shed something to rest on if/when parts of the stones settle differently.
offdee
Footballguy
This is all installed and so cool. It claims to only light up with a pure swoosh but I have a breakaway rim so needed to mount the sensor a bit different then directions stated (shows on a non breakaway rim so no spring cover)....the angle now lights it up on any make (even if it hits the rim). I actually like this better as lights up more often after every score. Pretty much everyone who's walking by the house or drives by slows up and gawks at it and gives it the "that's cool" thumbs up. Yesterday one guy walking his dog said "don't make any shots when my son is driving by on his bike or I'll never stop hearing him ask for one for our hoop!"
Son thinks it's the coolest and can't wait for sundown shooting.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
The ground. I plan to dig out a rectangle the shape of the foundation. Lay the timbers down. Then dig deep enough to get a 6" base to lay the gravel. Any reason why this wouldn't work, and the timbers need to be as deep as the gravel?belljr said:
I think I'm going with a skid foundation after all on top of the gravel.
offdee
Footballguy
The point of the 6" of compacted gravel is for it to be the solid foundation. That should be underneath ALL of the structure to avoid sinking and shifting. Putting the shed frame on the ground and then just the gravel on the inside of the shed frame defeats the purpose. Things will shift and sink on soil. May be fine for a year or so, but you'll regret it down the road.
ETA: I'd recommend to make the gravel foundation square min. 1 feet wider on all sides of shed base size (so will have a 1-2' foundation border around). Don't want to put the shed right up to the edge of the gravel foundation.
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Bull Dozier
Footballguy
Sorry I didn't explain it well. Yes, the timbers surrounding the gravel will be larger than the shed itself.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
Slightly more difficult, and slightly more expensive. I'm already pushing my handy man skills by building a wood frame to dump the gravel in.
While the expense isn't a big deal, I don't want to spend more than I have to. I am only building this shed because we had to have our garage demo'd to take our pool out. I cannot afford that, plus building a new garage right now. Every dollar I spend on this project is another dollar I have to spend before I build a new garage, so I'm trying to go as inexpensive as possible, while still building something that will last.
offdee
Footballguy
Ah gotcha, so the timbers are more of just a aesthetic border around the shed to cover up the gravel foundation underneath. Nice.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
Partly. Also to prevent the gravel from spreading, and making it easier to cut/edge around the shed.
Mario Kart
Footballguy
Maybe not this style but something like it because once that shed is down, you ain't moving it for some time. A part of me thinks I should have double bagged my areas this summer but one layer it was other than minor overlap.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
Some of the site recommended this. I really don't understand how weeds could grow up through six inches of gravel laying underneath a shed. But if they can, I guess that explains why I can't kill them easily from my lawn in the first place.
Mario Kart
Footballguy
In my pics somewhere in this thread, I dug out weeds and stuff on the one side of my yard. I did this early one morning after it rained, which is good because since that day we haven't had much rain here, but I was careful to try to get as much root as possible. One area was bad while the rest were easier to do but some of these roots were two feet long. The average was about a foot but a couple dozen had two feet or more under the ground. It was a pain but hopefully it was worth it because hopefully I got, no pun intended, the root of the problem. You'll hate yourself if after a couple of years you begin to see weeds pop out knowing you could have done more to prevent them or prevent how much time you may get without weeds.
SWC
Bromigo
that planter is great but your lawn looks even better holy smokes do you ever just go out there and roll around in it because i shure as hell would take that to the bank brochacho
mr. furley
Footballguy
wife informed me that the mice which have popped up in one of our window wells are apparently living under the siding
now to remove them. what's the best way? blast of air to scare them out? fire? seal the hole shut and hope they die inside the walls?
now to remove them. what's the best way? blast of air to scare them out? fire? seal the hole shut and hope they die inside the walls?
UOFI_316
Footballguy
Chemical X
Footballguy
we have screened porch skylights and I just added llumar film to reduce sun and heat. just installed an awning on my 8x12 grill deck. got it for $145- and found a handyman to install. not automatic, so I feel like a shopowner when I crank it open.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
Shed is progressing. We had 5 tons of gravel (recycled concrete) delivered Tuesday, as well as 8 yards of mulch for another part of the yard. Yes, that is a lot of mulch. Moved the entire pile of mulch Tuesday night. Moved maybe half the gravel last night. My lower back is killing me. Will be stopping at the liquor store on the way home to self medicate once I finish the job.
2x4 frame for the shed foundation is constructed and waiting for the gravel to be in place. This is the most highly technical engineering I have ever accomplished. I followed the instructions to complete it (essentially, two 15 foot 2x4s along the side with 12 8 ft 2x4s running across). I was mainly worried about it being square, but the diagonal measurements are withing 1/2 inch of each other. The directions said to "square it up" when completed, but I have no idea how I could adjust that with 50+ nails in place.
Once the gravel is in place, the frame goes on the gravel and I play with that until it is level. That might be the most challenging. I have two layers of 4x4 surrounding the gravel, which are almost level. The 4x4s should be higher than the gravel, slightly, so that shouldn't matter (I'm hoping).
2x4 frame for the shed foundation is constructed and waiting for the gravel to be in place. This is the most highly technical engineering I have ever accomplished. I followed the instructions to complete it (essentially, two 15 foot 2x4s along the side with 12 8 ft 2x4s running across). I was mainly worried about it being square, but the diagonal measurements are withing 1/2 inch of each other. The directions said to "square it up" when completed, but I have no idea how I could adjust that with 50+ nails in place.
Once the gravel is in place, the frame goes on the gravel and I play with that until it is level. That might be the most challenging. I have two layers of 4x4 surrounding the gravel, which are almost level. The 4x4s should be higher than the gravel, slightly, so that shouldn't matter (I'm hoping).
Copeman
Footballguy
Sink a few cinder blocks into the gravel, will make leveling the frame easier. in fact, the frame would lie mostly on the cinder blocks.Shed is progressing. We had 5 tons of gravel (recycled concrete) delivered Tuesday, as well as 8 yards of mulch for another part of the yard. Yes, that is a lot of mulch. Moved the entire pile of mulch Tuesday night. Moved maybe half the gravel last night. My lower back is killing me. Will be stopping at the liquor store on the way home to self medicate once I finish the job.
2x4 frame for the shed foundation is constructed and waiting for the gravel to be in place. This is the most highly technical engineering I have ever accomplished. I followed the instructions to complete it (essentially, two 15 foot 2x4s along the side with 12 8 ft 2x4s running across). I was mainly worried about it being square, but the diagonal measurements are withing 1/2 inch of each other. The directions said to "square it up" when completed, but I have no idea how I could adjust that with 50+ nails in place.
Once the gravel is in place, the frame goes on the gravel and I play with that until it is level. That might be the most challenging. I have two layers of 4x4 surrounding the gravel, which are almost level. The 4x4s should be higher than the gravel, slightly, so that shouldn't matter (I'm hoping).
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
How would it make leveling it easier? I'm thinking the gravel is going to be pretty easy to manipulate to get level.
I'm following a plan online and hadn't seen anyone suggest the blocks before.
The gravel is half laid, so no changing my plan now.
Ron Swanson
Footballguy
Finally bought a window AC unit for my garage/shop. Ran the dedicated circuit for it last weekend and will get it in tomorrow. Then I can complete my other projects that have been piling up because it's been too hot to spend time out there. I may just move in out there. Beer fridge, Alexa for music, plenty of seating...I've also got an old marine commode in the attic...
wilked
Footballguy
Had you considered a wall a/c unit? Would have been my preference, keep the window for sunlight
Copeman
Footballguy
As long as the gravel is compacted tightly you should be fine.Bull Dozier said:How would it make leveling it easier? I'm thinking the gravel is going to be pretty easy to manipulate to get level.
I'm following a plan online and hadn't seen anyone suggest the blocks before.
beer 30
Footballguy
Sounds like it's too late now but we have about 15,000 of these in our rental fleet, plenty of 1 Ton and 1.25 Ton units that run off 115v. Can wheel them around to where you want and WALA, cool air! Spot Coolers
Ron Swanson
Footballguy
A wall unit would have been more of an install than I wanted to tackle since I have cement block walls. I looked at portable units but floor space is more important to me than losing light. I've got plenty of windows and good LED lighting as well.
Wingnut
Footballguy
About had a heart attack last week when I was weed eating around my young mango tree and accidentally took a big spot of bark off near the base 
I've been spraying copper spray to keep the fungus away, it seems to be doing ok and has put out a whole new flush of growth since it happened so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I tied it to stakes the next day so the trunk doesn't flex in the afternoon t-storm winds with hopes that the wound light heal better/faster.
First pics when I transplanted from pot to the ground on March 1st. 2nd pic taken August 1st, 5 months later. It's almost 5 feet tall now. Hoping it fruits in the next year or two.
Mango March 1st
Mango August 1st
I've been spraying copper spray to keep the fungus away, it seems to be doing ok and has put out a whole new flush of growth since it happened so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I tied it to stakes the next day so the trunk doesn't flex in the afternoon t-storm winds with hopes that the wound light heal better/faster.
First pics when I transplanted from pot to the ground on March 1st. 2nd pic taken August 1st, 5 months later. It's almost 5 feet tall now. Hoping it fruits in the next year or two.
Mango March 1st
Mango August 1st
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