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Yeesh. Why on earth would you wait and drill, when you can set the proper anchors right into the wet cement? I want a cave. Let's make a mountain and hollow it out!
Because its a mother****er to deal with if you place them off just a few inches. With a project this small its just easier to drill, set and place. takes about 2-3 minutes per bolt if you are using a hammer drill with the right bit. I do several hundred of them per year.
What I did in a similar situation was drill my pressure treated sill, insert the anchors in the holes, and set the whole thing on the setting cement. Worked for me.
I just wanted clarification. The original OP just stated that the city wanted the shed secured to the ground or foundation. I don’t think they ever specified a concrete slab. Is it possible that even tent anchors would qualify such as these screw in anchors: http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=227657284&sellerid=30885553 ?
If you don’t need a full slab; you could also just dig corner holes and throw in a few bags of cement and some anchor bolts.
I have two plastic sheds and I simply have one right on the leveled gravel and the other on a treated 2X4 floor with treated plywood. I secured the one to the treated base and the other one I just drove anchors into the ground. The one Rubbermaid shed I have had for over ten years. They have both survived pretty strong winds of 60+ mph. In winds, greater than that, I doubt if the plastic sheds themselves would survive. If they did not survive my hoarder rating could be lowered!
i just wanted clarification. The original op just stated that the city wanted the shed secured to the ground or foundation. I don’t think they ever specified a concrete slab. Is it possible that even tent anchors would qualify such as these screw in anchors: http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=227657284&sellerid=30885553 ?
If you don’t need a full slab; you could also just dig corner holes and throw in a few bags of cement and some anchor bolts.
I have two plastic sheds and i simply have one right on the leveled gravel and the other on a treated 2x4 floor with treated plywood. I secured the one to the treated base and the other one i just drove anchors into the ground. The one rubbermaid shed i have had for over ten years. They have both survived pretty strong winds of 60+ mph. In winds, greater than that, i doubt if the plastic sheds themselves would survive. If they did not survive my hoarder rating could be lowered!
I just wanted clarification. The original OP just stated that the city wanted the shed secured to the ground or foundation. I don’t think they ever specified a concrete slab. Is it possible that even tent anchors would qualify such as these screw in anchors: http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=227657284&sellerid=30885553 ?
If you don’t need a full slab; you could also just dig corner holes and throw in a few bags of cement and some anchor bolts.
I have two plastic sheds and I simply have one right on the leveled gravel and the other on a treated 2X4 floor with treated plywood. I secured the one to the treated base and the other one I just drove anchors into the ground. The one Rubbermaid shed I have had for over ten years. They have both survived pretty strong winds of 60+ mph. In winds, greater than that, I doubt if the plastic sheds themselves would survive. If they did not survive my hoarder rating could be lowered!
Obviously a concrete slab is the best option, but at the price I was quoted ($1500 for a 6x8 or 7x7 slab) it's not even a consideration, so I was curious whether people had built on wood platforms on pre-formed concrete piers.
I won't be spending hundreds of dollars on a vinyl shed just to anchor it to the ground!
I'm also not going to be pouring a slab myself, especially not in our obscene heat. Considering the cost of materials, tool rental, etc. plus the potential costs of cleaning up a screw-up which is a VERY huge possibility, I'd rather pay someone to do it right while I sit in air-conditioned comfort. Sorry, but that's just how I roll. I'm not afraid of hard work, but I know when I'm outclassed and something like this would be beyond me. Plus, I'd be doing it alone. I don't have the kind of friends who would pitch in on this.
Obviously a concrete slab is the best option, but at the price I was quoted ($1500 for a 6x8 or 7x7 slab) it's not even a consideration, so I was curious whether people had built on wood platforms on pre-formed concrete piers.
I won't be spending hundreds of dollars on a vinyl shed just to anchor it to the ground!
I'm also not going to be pouring a slab myself, especially not in our obscene heat. Considering the cost of materials, tool rental, etc. plus the potential costs of cleaning up a screw-up which is a VERY huge possibility, I'd rather pay someone to do it right while I sit in air-conditioned comfort. Sorry, but that's just how I roll. I'm not afraid of hard work, but I know when I'm outclassed and something like this would be beyond me. Plus, I'd be doing it alone. I don't have the kind of friends who would pitch in on this.
None of us know your land or where you want to place your shed. We also don’t know your location and how prone you are to severe weather. We also do not know what you intend to store in your shed after you have it up. We were coming up with ideas to save you money.
I agree that the concrete slab is the best and strongest. I just don’t know if you need that much?
There are some other considerations that you should have with any concrete slab. I presume that you have a spot that is not prone to flooding during heavy rains? The slab will probably be poured on top of the ground - therefore it will be 4 to 5 inches above the ground with the shed base installed. If you are going to store a riding tractor or push equipment (like lawnmowers); you should maybe consider pouring a ramp while you are pouring the slab?
You stated that you wanted to watch others do the work. However; you could save a lot of money doing it yourself. If you are capable of making a 7 foot, inside diameter, square out of 2X4’s, leveling it and securing it with stakes around the outside perimeter; then you could possibly pour it yourself. Some concrete suppliers have trucks that will mix on the site. Here is an example of the trucks: http://nationsminimix.com/ Of course I do not know if one of these trucks could get close enough to pour on your spot? They are heavy large trucks and you don’t want the truck over your septic system (if you have one). There could also be branches and trees that get in the way?
Your 7X7 foot (4 inch thick slab) job would only require about .6 cubic yards of concrete - or about 24 X 80 pound bags. Buying concrete by the yard; the approximate cost is $50 - it would run a little more for those mix-on-site trucks. Four 2X4X8 would cost about $12. One longer 2X4X8 for a screed would be about $4. Toss in maybe one extra 2X4X8 to make stakes and you would have another $3. In other words; your $1500 job would be possible for under $100 - without labor. For $1400 you could really crank up your air conditioner when you went back inside!
None of us know your land or where you want to place your shed. We also don’t know your location and how prone you are to severe weather. We also do not know what you intend to store in your shed after you have it up. We were coming up with ideas to save you money.
I appreciate that, but I'm extremely apprehensive about pouring concrete myself.
I'm in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, so we do have severe weather from time to time. I plan to store garden tools and later a propane grill in the shed along with other miscellaneous outdoor items.
Quote:
I agree that the concrete slab is the best and strongest. I just don’t know if you need that much?
There are some other considerations that you should have with any concrete slab. I presume that you have a spot that is not prone to flooding during heavy rains? The slab will probably be poured on top of the ground - therefore it will be 4 to 5 inches above the ground with the shed base installed. If you are going to store a riding tractor or push equipment (like lawnmowers); you should maybe consider pouring a ramp while you are pouring the slab?
I thought about this myself. I would like a ramp, but I wouldn't know the first thing about building one. I do plan to store a wheelbarrow, a grill (they have wheels too) and probably my bicycle in the shed, so a ramp would help out a lot.
Quote:
You stated that you wanted to watch others do the work. However; you could save a lot of money doing it yourself. If you are capable of making a 7 foot, inside diameter, square out of 2X4’s, leveling it and securing it with stakes around the outside perimeter; then you could possibly pour it yourself. Some concrete suppliers have trucks that will mix on the site. Here is an example of the trucks: http://nationsminimix.com/ Of course I do not know if one of these trucks could get close enough to pour on your spot? They are heavy large trucks and you don’t want the truck over your septic system (if you have one). There could also be branches and trees that get in the way?
Your 7X7 foot (4 inch thick slab) job would only require about .6 cubic yards of concrete - or about 24 X 80 pound bags. Buying concrete by the yard; the approximate cost is $50 - it would run a little more for those mix-on-site trucks. Four 2X4X8 would cost about $12. One longer 2X4X8 for a screed would be about $4. Toss in maybe one extra 2X4X8 to make stakes and you would have another $3. In other words; your $1500 job would be possible for under $100 - without labor. For $1400 you could really crank up your air conditioner when you went back inside!
It's not because I'm lazy or anything. It's because I really, truly, honestly do not think I'm capable of doing this job properly myself. I know myself pretty well and am well aware of my own strengths and weaknesses and if I think I can't do it, it's probably a good idea if I don't.
My husband is in the process of building a garden shed for me. We also found that concrete prices were ridiculously high for the small shed we wanted (5' x 6').
What he ended up doing was essentially burying a concrete block on each corner enough so that they were level with each other. Then he built a pressure treated frame to rest on the blocks, which ended up being the base of the shed. He put pea gravel around and between all the blocks, for drainage, I think.
I would think you'd be able to attach the anchors to the buried concrete blocks.
They actaulyl make blocks just for that type of tenpory sheds that cradle the fllor joist. But its really not that diffiult to rent a concrete mixer and if you study now to do a reenforced slab .pour one that size yourself.I helped a neighbor who poured a 5X 10 slab just a few months ago.We even under reamed the slab with post digger to give it more stabilty over time. Easy pour the ream collumsto 24 inches with rebar sticvkig up . next daypour the slab and fisinish it with a straight 2X4 and trowel putti g in anchors for walls.Rented mixer made it pretty easy really.
My husband is in the process of building a garden shed for me. We also found that concrete prices were ridiculously high for the small shed we wanted (5' x 6').
What he ended up doing was essentially burying a concrete block on each corner enough so that they were level with each other. Then he built a pressure treated frame to rest on the blocks, which ended up being the base of the shed. He put pea gravel around and between all the blocks, for drainage, I think.
I would think you'd be able to attach the anchors to the buried concrete blocks.
You could try but I would be worried about spalling.
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