Hello, I’m new to this forum and after hours of searching and reading, I still haven’t solved my problem.
I want to build a garden shed.
I need a foundation for it. Since our soil condition isn’t very good, it should be a strip foundation with reinforcement. But since I have zero experience with this, I wanted to learn about it online and, ideally, build the whole thing by myself.
I’ve read a lot and watched videos, but unfortunately, I haven’t found a suitable step-by-step guide for a strip foundation. Then I found this forum, and if you can’t help me, who else will. 😉
So, regarding the topic. I bought the garden shed used. It needs to be dismantled first. After I finish the foundation, I will set it up again. Eventually, a sauna will be installed inside to make winter more enjoyable.
Garden shed dimensions: 4 x 4 meters (13 x 13 feet) – wall thickness 44 mm (1.7 inches).
Strip foundation (I think): 30 cm (12 inches) wide and 80 cm (31 inches) deep.
The slab on the ground will be removed (30 cm (12 inches) deep).
Then 20 cm (8 inches) of gravel, compacted with a tamper to about 15 cm (6 inches).
A vapor barrier (plastic sheet) will be laid.
Afterwards, the slab with reinforcement will be poured (the reinforcement should be about 3 cm (1 inch) shorter at the ends). The height should be such that it stands 10 cm (4 inches) above ground level, so the shed doesn’t sit in dampness.
Questions for you:
Are my ideas and what I have read online (and in forums) correct?
Does the foundation need to be exactly the same size as the shed? Meaning the outer dimensions?
Should it be 10 cm (4 inches) above ground? More or less? Because when I look at pictures, you never see the foundation, just the outer walls of the shed.
What kind of base do I need for the strip foundation? Gravel like in the slab base? Does it also need to be compacted? Do I need a vapor barrier there as well?
Our groundwater level is quite high. What should I do if I encounter water?
Do I have to check the local development plan (building permit / planning permission) to see if this is even allowed?
I hope you can give me some tips and help.
Thank you very much in advance!
I want to build a garden shed.
I need a foundation for it. Since our soil condition isn’t very good, it should be a strip foundation with reinforcement. But since I have zero experience with this, I wanted to learn about it online and, ideally, build the whole thing by myself.
I’ve read a lot and watched videos, but unfortunately, I haven’t found a suitable step-by-step guide for a strip foundation. Then I found this forum, and if you can’t help me, who else will. 😉
So, regarding the topic. I bought the garden shed used. It needs to be dismantled first. After I finish the foundation, I will set it up again. Eventually, a sauna will be installed inside to make winter more enjoyable.
Garden shed dimensions: 4 x 4 meters (13 x 13 feet) – wall thickness 44 mm (1.7 inches).
Strip foundation (I think): 30 cm (12 inches) wide and 80 cm (31 inches) deep.
The slab on the ground will be removed (30 cm (12 inches) deep).
Then 20 cm (8 inches) of gravel, compacted with a tamper to about 15 cm (6 inches).
A vapor barrier (plastic sheet) will be laid.
Afterwards, the slab with reinforcement will be poured (the reinforcement should be about 3 cm (1 inch) shorter at the ends). The height should be such that it stands 10 cm (4 inches) above ground level, so the shed doesn’t sit in dampness.
Questions for you:
Are my ideas and what I have read online (and in forums) correct?
Does the foundation need to be exactly the same size as the shed? Meaning the outer dimensions?
Should it be 10 cm (4 inches) above ground? More or less? Because when I look at pictures, you never see the foundation, just the outer walls of the shed.
What kind of base do I need for the strip foundation? Gravel like in the slab base? Does it also need to be compacted? Do I need a vapor barrier there as well?
Our groundwater level is quite high. What should I do if I encounter water?
Do I have to check the local development plan (building permit / planning permission) to see if this is even allowed?
I hope you can give me some tips and help.
Thank you very much in advance!
Ever heard the saying? If you build cheaply, you build twice.
Especially when something is done by an amateur who has no real understanding of how to execute the work properly.
I would also simply argue that not every type of wood is suitable for constructing a sauna. It simply gets very damp in there.
It’s also good that you’re thinking about how to keep moisture out from the outside, but inside you’re creating humidity levels similar to those in tropical climates.
Especially when something is done by an amateur who has no real understanding of how to execute the work properly.
I would also simply argue that not every type of wood is suitable for constructing a sauna. It simply gets very damp in there.
It’s also good that you’re thinking about how to keep moisture out from the outside, but inside you’re creating humidity levels similar to those in tropical climates.
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