This is exactly what I was thinking for our shed. I couldn't explain my idea to my husband but with your video, it covers everything!!! Thank you so much!
Thanks so much Jerry! I was wondering how to dipose them off then I thought about it. Not really the landscaping type stone but still looks ok. Take care!
I'm gonna attempt something like this very soon. My difference is I plan on doing it just a little bit raised, and building it right over the old, broken concrete foundation our last shed had. (There's no saving it, haha)
Excellent work as usual Armando. It looks like you will have just what you need to keep your shed on the level. What sort of floor will the shed itself have?
Thank you Art! The shed would normally have OSB plywood flooring on galvanized joists, For a $100 more and to protect it from moisture and insect damage, we upgraded to pressure treated decking. It has some kind of resin finish on top so it looks nice without having to paint it.
Awesome job! Two questions: 1. You said materials was $700 in an earlier comment. Does that include renting the plate compactor and any other tools rented or purchased? 2. Before deciding to do this project yourself, did you get a quote to contract out this work? I’d be curious in what the contracted price was versus your true total cost, to see what the savings were by doing this yourself.
Thank you. I would add the $70 compactor rental to the amount. I own all the other tools that I used so no more added expenses on those. The $700 approximately would be for the lumber, stone, weed barrier, wood preservative and screws. I actually got a quote before deciding to do it myself and it was for $2500. I thought it was too much and the guy was talking about doing it differently compared to how I would like it done as I've wached in several videos so I decided to do it myself.
Great video. You mentioned using 12 ft 4x6 boards and the shed is 10x12. If the site is slightly larger than the shed, how did you get the 12ft boards to work for your site?
I used the 12 ft boards on the short sides and added about 2 ft extensions on the long sides. The notched cuts on the timber were used to extend the long sides to about 14 ft.
This is very thorough and informative, thank you! There are just a couple details of your build which need clarification. For me, these center around the design and construction of your timber frame. At 2:42, it appears you have cut a notch in the timber. - The timber looks tall; but is this actually just one of the 4 x 6es? - If so, did you cut at the 3-inch mark?
The frame is entirely made of 4x6 lumber. The notches are for the joints to extend the long side of the top lumber to about 14 ft. The bottom lumber on the long sides didn't have to be extended as part of it is buried underground. The 4x6 is actually 3-1/2" × 5-1/2" so the notch is cut at half of 5-1/2" or 2-3/4".
How level was your ground before laying the gravel? Was it basically perfect? I’m lazy and was wondering if it’s close (few inches here and there) that’s fine because you can just even things out with the gravel.
Thank you! I actually scheduled a whole day just for digging. I wasn't rushing it and it was making me feel tired easily so I was taking lots of rest in between. 😊
This is great. I am going to do this very soon. Question---Do I put crushed gravel under the timber before leveling as well? Or just lay the timber on the excavated dirt? thanks
I laid the timber directly on top of the dirt like most of the videos that I've seen. Some would suggest to also put gravel under the timber for added protection against wet dirt.
I just put in a gravel pad using crushed limestone also. Since there is no fines in it (for drainage sake) I’m wondering, when they put your shed on the gravel, did the shed runners make a ditch-like indentation in the gravel? Since the clean stone doesn’t compact as well as other rock I’m just worried about it flying everywhere when they drag the heavy shed onto it.
My shed was built/assembled on site so I would say the gravel didn't get disturbed in the process. But even if you get a pre-built shed, they would normally deliver it on wheels and just lay it down on site so I would think the gravel displacement will be very minimal.
Thanks for this video, very useful for people like me. Question : Wouldn't putting the weed barrier slows down drainage? Since you are putting gravel, wouldn't it be enough to block the weeds?
To be honest, I'm not really sure how deep should the gravel pad be for it not to grow weeds without the barrier. My pad has gravel areas that are just about 5" deep and I just thought that adding the barrier would be a good idea. I also believe that it should not have any problem draining the amount of rain water that it will get.
@@abcando1 Hey Cando, is 5" the recommended gravel depth? I'm trying to plan the correct amount of dirt to excavate, and amount of gravel to order. I'm not sure what depth is too much, and what is too little.
The 4x6 lumber is actually 5-1/2” on the wider side, so I guess you can do 5” to 5-1/2” depth if you’re not laying gravel under the lumber. I’m not sure if there is a recommended depth of gravel for the pad.
@@walterbrob Oh, yes they will. Even without the base being a greater area than the shed (1 ft. of exposed gravel around the entire perimeter), weeds would find a way. But this application of landscape fabric isn't really for weed control, it's for stabilization of the gravel base; establishing a barrier between it and the dirt beneath.
Hello Armando! Just wanted to ask how you did the half lap joints? I think you did an excellent job on the base and I got really inspired by you to build one myself. Salamat!
Hi Mark, I just screwed using 2 of the 4" long screws on top of the joints. Of course, pre-drilling is important so they won't crack. I also drove a rebar in the middle of each of the short extension wood pieces to reinforce them. Thank you din. Ingat!
Hi, I have a plastic shed from lowes and I want to do a gravel base as well. Can the plastic shed sit directly on top of the gravel or should there be something in between the gravel and shed floor?
The plastic shed can sit directly on top of the gravel pad. But being that plastic sheds are more sensitive to misalignment, the gravel base would really need to be well leveled and compacted.
In my opinion, it is the weight of the gravel and the shed constantly pushing on the timber frame that may cause movement of the timber, the reason why you need the rebars.
Sir, I ordered the same 10' by 12' shed as you did. Now when you made the foundation frame 10' by 12' was there any problem with the shed being to big to fit the 12' length? Our Home Depot only carries 12' pre treated 4X4 lengths.
Nice work. I have a question, I see some parts of your timber under the ground level. Did you only bury them up to a specific point to level them and not the entire length or width ?
Thank you and yes, that would be correct. I wanted the top surface of the timber on the front side of the shed to be a little higher or almost the same level as the ground, then I leveled the rest of the timber border based on it. I was lucky to have enough lengths on the lower buried timber that will cover the visible sides on the ground.
@@abcando1 so as for the sides of the shed base, you cut the timber and on partially buried it. It looks like, for example, if it was 12 feet long, you only buried 6 feet on a slope on each side of the shed and then stacked another timer on top the entire length. My apologies for the rhetoric.
That's right, the lower level timber on the sloping sides didn't run the whole length of the border, just long enough where it won't show any visible gaps looking on the sides.
HI Canado, Thank you for the great video. I'm building a 15x23 shed pad and your video is helpful. I was reading that #57 granite stone was the best for the shed foundation. Do you recommend the limestone gravel instead?
I read that 3/4" washed gravel is best for the shed pad when I was planning on doing mine. The 3/4" washed limestone gravel is the one available at my local landscaping supply and that's what I used. Not really sure about granite stone but it seems like it can be used for the same purpose.
Whatever you use the stones need to be irregular in shape so they lock together. Shingle isnt great because the stones are too smooth washed by the sea as they are.
@@colinwood1337 crushed stones need to be not only irregular but it should contain mixed sizes with dust. my mistake is just getting 3/4" crushed stones without dust and other sizes. You need to get "crush run"
I was also wondering about that before I did the project because it's hard work. I just thought that not removing the grass and roots may not enable the soil and stone to compact very well which may cause movements when they die later on.
I believe a concrete pad will be more expensive and more labor intensive. I also just prefer doing the work involved in a gravel pad installation compared to a concrete pad.
I bought this because I did not have a clue about the design, materials composition and building of a shed. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxb2mhCug-GkCWrq69Ce2I0nM0D4QpxAquIt is absolutely fascinating, with clear, readable text and helpful illustrations also enough videos. There is a great sense of creativity and enthusiasm underlying the projects which the authors develop, from a bike shed to a glorious eco-shed. I like the way explanations are provided for decisions made from a range of options. I am not really in a position to rate the more technical detail, but think I am prepared to boldly go shed- building, equipped with this manual.
With all due respect, you’ve worked hard and paid close attention to detail…….but this is completely unnecessary for a portable barn/shed built on treated skids. Not to mention it would have been cheaper and quicker to have a cement pad poured. We’ve hauled these barns for one of the biggest players in the industry for over ten years and after too many warranty issues including moisture damage and settling the rock pad is NOT the way to do it. Always buy a barn that is “engineer certified” and follow the blocking chart. Solid cement blocks under the skids reduces settling and eliminates any moisture transfer long term. Put a 4x8x16 solid cap block 5’ feet apart maximum under all the skids. Anchor it. Then if you don’t want to see blocks and anchors skirt the building with lattice or something that breathes. We’ve actually seen these rock pads with lumber frame around it create a tub effect and hold water.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the video. Our town permit requirements actually mentioned not to use cement blocks for foundation and only concrete or gravel pad is allowed. I do not see it to be quicker, cheaper, not to mention easier mixing concrete all by myself even if I rent a concrete mixer to build the pad. I would have gone the concrete pad route if I believed it otherwise.
This is actually one of the best clear example of how to build a foundation for a shed thank you for your video
Thanks so much for the very nice comment, really appreciate it.
Using your video, we built our shed foundation! Other than the sore muscles, it turned out great, and we saved almost $2000! Thank you for sharing!
That is awesome to hear! Really appreciate the comment.
This is exactly what I was thinking for our shed. I couldn't explain my idea to my husband but with your video, it covers everything!!! Thank you so much!
Really appreciate the comments and glad you found the video helpful! 👍
Great job...the leftover stone looked great around the hvac unit...great job showing us the process.
Thank you so much, really appreciate the nice comment!
Hi Armando you did a great job on the base. I like how you covered the AC area with the leftover stone, looks awesome.
Thanks so much Jerry! I was wondering how to dipose them off then I thought about it. Not really the landscaping type stone but still looks ok. Take care!
You really did a great job! Thanks for posting this, really helped me get a picture of how much work this is. Need to get you a bigger wheel barrel!
Thanks so much! Glad you found the video helpful.
Thank you Cando. Feels good to learn from your experience. Helps in my upcoming Tuff Shed installation 🙂
Really glad you found the video helpful. Hope your shed install will go smoothly. 👍
Awesome job. I'm in the process of doing a foundation for my new shed. Nice simple detailed information 👌. Thank you
Thank you so much. Hope the video helps in your foundation project.
Thank you for the explaining your leveling process
Thanks for watching.
Best vid on this topic I’ve seen to date 👍🏾👏🏾
Thanks for the comment, really appreciate it!
Where ever you live, great soil…I would’ve never got the rebar in without hitting sand stone…you did an awesome job with that foundation
Thanks Anthony! I live in Darien, Illinois and you are right, it's good that we can actually dig deep down the soil here easily.
you have a beautiful place! good job.
Thank you so much for watching. Really appreciate the comment.
Great video, all I needed for my project.
Thanks for watching!
I like your handiwork very neat and precise! 👍🙌
Thanks so much!
Great video!
Thank you!
Wow!! Excellent job!!
Thanks so much!
@4:18 - That's a long piece of rebar to hammer in, Good thing you didn't hit any rocks while putting it in!!
Good job Uncle 👍🏽! Ayos
Thank you! 🙂
I'm gonna attempt something like this very soon. My difference is I plan on doing it just a little bit raised, and building it right over the old, broken concrete foundation our last shed had. (There's no saving it, haha)
Good luck on your project 👍
Beautiful job ,very impressive.
Thanks so much!
No underground bunker? Ha ha Awesome job? Armando. Extra space is always nice. Enjoy your new shed soon.
That would have been a much cooler project, Drew. 😀 And yes, I can use more space for clutters. Thanks and have a great week!
Excellent work as usual Armando. It looks like you will have just what you need to keep your shed on the level. What sort of floor will the shed itself have?
Thank you Art! The shed would normally have OSB plywood flooring on galvanized joists, For a $100 more and to protect it from moisture and insect damage, we upgraded to pressure treated decking. It has some kind of resin finish on top so it looks nice without having to paint it.
Good job. Very helpful thx
Thanks for watching!
Thank you, Great Job.
Thank you so much!
Awesome job! Two questions:
1. You said materials was $700 in an earlier comment. Does that include renting the plate compactor and any other tools rented or purchased?
2. Before deciding to do this project yourself, did you get a quote to contract out this work? I’d be curious in what the contracted price was versus your true total cost, to see what the savings were by doing this yourself.
Thank you. I would add the $70 compactor rental to the amount. I own all the other tools that I used so no more added expenses on those. The $700 approximately would be for the lumber, stone, weed barrier, wood preservative and screws. I actually got a quote before deciding to do it myself and it was for $2500. I thought it was too much and the guy was talking about doing it differently compared to how I would like it done as I've wached in several videos so I decided to do it myself.
Hi, did the $2,500 quote include all material or was that the price just for the labor?
That was total for labor and materials.
Great job!!
Thank you!
Very nice work. Thanks for sharing
Thank you!
Looks good 👍🏾
Thank you!
Great video. You mentioned using 12 ft 4x6 boards and the shed is 10x12. If the site is slightly larger than the shed, how did you get the 12ft boards to work for your site?
I used the 12 ft boards on the short sides and added about 2 ft extensions on the long sides. The notched cuts on the timber were used to extend the long sides to about 14 ft.
This is very thorough and informative, thank you! There are just a couple details of your build which need clarification. For me, these center around the design and construction of your timber frame.
At 2:42, it appears you have cut a notch in the timber.
- The timber looks tall; but is this actually just one of the 4 x 6es?
- If so, did you cut at the 3-inch mark?
The frame is entirely made of 4x6 lumber. The notches are for the joints to extend the long side of the top lumber to about 14 ft. The bottom lumber on the long sides didn't have to be extended as part of it is buried underground. The 4x6 is actually 3-1/2" × 5-1/2" so the notch is cut at half of 5-1/2" or 2-3/4".
@@abcando1 Thank you very much!
How level was your ground before laying the gravel? Was it basically perfect? I’m lazy and was wondering if it’s close (few inches here and there) that’s fine because you can just even things out with the gravel.
I just tried to roughly follow the level of the timber borders for the dirt inside, then tamped it with the hand tamper.
Great work! I need to do something similar for my shed, roughly the same size as yours. How long did it take for you to dig the soil?
Thank you! I actually scheduled a whole day just for digging. I wasn't rushing it and it was making me feel tired easily so I was taking lots of rest in between. 😊
Great video. Also watched the install video. Do you remember how much this was in materials for the base only?
Thank you so much. I would say the material cost would be around $700.
Looks great
Thank you!
Does the compactor make a big difference or can I get by with one of those hand ones? I’m needing to build a foundation for a resin shed 8’x15’
I would recommend the plate compactor to prevent the base from settling overtime.
Nice job!
Thank you!
This is great. I am going to do this very soon. Question---Do I put crushed gravel under the timber before leveling as well? Or just lay the timber on the excavated dirt? thanks
I laid the timber directly on top of the dirt like most of the videos that I've seen. Some would suggest to also put gravel under the timber for added protection against wet dirt.
@@abcando1 thanks!!!
can you post a list of all your items / supplies for reference.
I just put in a gravel pad using crushed limestone also. Since there is no fines in it (for drainage sake) I’m wondering, when they put your shed on the gravel, did the shed runners make a ditch-like indentation in the gravel? Since the clean stone doesn’t compact as well as other rock I’m just worried about it flying everywhere when they drag the heavy shed onto it.
My shed was built/assembled on site so I would say the gravel didn't get disturbed in the process. But even if you get a pre-built shed, they would normally deliver it on wheels and just lay it down on site so I would think the gravel displacement will be very minimal.
Great job. That’s the exact shed I’m installing in a few weeks. How big did you make your gravel pad?
Thank you! It is about 12 ft x 14 ft. I used 12 ft long boards on the shorter sides and added about 2 ft pcs on the longer sides.
@@abcando1 thank you
great job!
Thank you!
Thanks for this video, very useful for people like me.
Question : Wouldn't putting the weed barrier slows down drainage? Since you are putting gravel, wouldn't it be enough to block the weeds?
To be honest, I'm not really sure how deep should the gravel pad be for it not to grow weeds without the barrier. My pad has gravel areas that are just about 5" deep and I just thought that adding the barrier would be a good idea. I also believe that it should not have any problem draining the amount of rain water that it will get.
@@abcando1 Hey Cando, is 5" the recommended gravel depth? I'm trying to plan the correct amount of dirt to excavate, and amount of gravel to order. I'm not sure what depth is too much, and what is too little.
The 4x6 lumber is actually 5-1/2” on the wider side, so I guess you can do 5” to 5-1/2” depth if you’re not laying gravel under the lumber. I’m not sure if there is a recommended depth of gravel for the pad.
Weeds need sunlight to grow. There wouldnt be aby under the shed
@@walterbrob Oh, yes they will. Even without the base being a greater area than the shed (1 ft. of exposed gravel around the entire perimeter), weeds would find a way.
But this application of landscape fabric isn't really for weed control, it's for stabilization of the gravel base; establishing a barrier between it and the dirt beneath.
good job, thanks!
Thanks so much!
Is the digging mainly to get rid of the grass and major sloping?
Yes
Very nice!!
Thanks so much!
Hello Armando! Just wanted to ask how you did the half lap joints? I think you did an excellent job on the base and I got really inspired by you to build one myself. Salamat!
Hi Mark, I just screwed using 2 of the 4" long screws on top of the joints. Of course, pre-drilling is important so they won't crack. I also drove a rebar in the middle of each of the short extension wood pieces to reinforce them. Thank you din. Ingat!
Great info, what number/type of gravel did you use? Looks like it was washed too
Thanks. It was 3/4" washed limestone gravel.
@@abcando1 thank you
Good Job Kuya!
Thank you! 🙂
Hi,
I have a plastic shed from lowes and I want to do a gravel base as well. Can the plastic shed sit directly on top of the gravel or should there be something in between the gravel and shed floor?
The plastic shed can sit directly on top of the gravel pad. But being that plastic sheds are more sensitive to misalignment, the gravel base would really need to be well leveled and compacted.
I will have a go to don’t myself sometime this week
Good luck on your project 👍🙂
Beautiful
Thank you!
Is the rebar not overkill? Considering that there will be tons of gravel inside, the frame shouldn't be able to move. Any answers are appreciated!
In my opinion, it is the weight of the gravel and the shed constantly pushing on the timber frame that may cause movement of the timber, the reason why you need the rebars.
Sir,
I ordered the same 10' by 12' shed as you did. Now when you made the foundation frame 10' by 12' was there any problem with the shed being to big to fit the 12' length?
Our Home Depot only carries 12' pre treated 4X4 lengths.
The gravel pad frame dimensions are actually 12' x 14'. I used 12' long 4x6 lumber on the short sides and added 2' long pieces on the long sides.
@@abcando1 Got it! Thanks for the Speedy Response greatly appreciate it!
Hi, thinking of doing this myself rather than a concrete base. At 1:54, what is the bent-spade looking tool on the left called ? Thank you :)
Hi Gary, thanks for watching. It's a garden hoe, very useful tool for gardening. Take care. 🙂
@@abcando1 Thank you :)
How deep did you dig your base?
Did you put gravel under the frame before the tarp or just on the bare ground?
The wood frame is placed directly on top of the soil but can also be good to put gravel under it.
Did you think it would also help to have gravel under your surrounding frame?
I believe it would be helpful to prevent the wood from touching the wet soil for extended period of time.
How much gravel did you order?
How did this hold up after a YR?
And does it freeze in the winters where your at?
It's holding up pretty good, and yes, it does freeze here in Illinois.
Nice job 👍🏼
Thanks so much!
Nice work. I have a question, I see some parts of your timber under the ground level. Did you only bury them up to a specific point to level them and not the entire length or width ?
Thank you and yes, that would be correct. I wanted the top surface of the timber on the front side of the shed to be a little higher or almost the same level as the ground, then I leveled the rest of the timber border based on it. I was lucky to have enough lengths on the lower buried timber that will cover the visible sides on the ground.
@@abcando1 so as for the sides of the shed base, you cut the timber and on partially buried it. It looks like, for example, if it was 12 feet long, you only buried 6 feet on a slope on each side of the shed and then stacked another timer on top the entire length. My apologies for the rhetoric.
That's right, the lower level timber on the sloping sides didn't run the whole length of the border, just long enough where it won't show any visible gaps looking on the sides.
@@abcando1 thank you thank you.
HI Canado, Thank you for the great video. I'm building a 15x23 shed pad and your video is helpful. I was reading that #57 granite stone was the best for the shed foundation. Do you recommend the limestone gravel instead?
I read that 3/4" washed gravel is best for the shed pad when I was planning on doing mine. The 3/4" washed limestone gravel is the one available at my local landscaping supply and that's what I used. Not really sure about granite stone but it seems like it can be used for the same purpose.
@@abcando1 Thank you!
how well does the gravel compact or lock in together? I just built one and the gravel don't seem to compact or lock in together.
I think it compacted pretty good. I made sure I did several passes of the plate compactor around the entire pad.
Whatever you use the stones need to be irregular in shape so they lock together. Shingle isnt great because the stones are too smooth washed by the sea as they are.
@@colinwood1337 crushed stones need to be not only irregular but it should contain mixed sizes with dust. my mistake is just getting 3/4" crushed stones without dust and other sizes. You need to get "crush run"
@@jcontradiction agree irregular shapes AND sizes. Not sure about fine particles - i mean rain soon washes dust out of railway ballast?
I must really be a lazy person but this looks like a nightmare!
May I know your foundation size? external 12x10? Or bigger than that?
The gravel pad is about 14x12. The shed is 12x10.
Did you cut the wood on an angle?
No, I did not do any angle cuts on the wood.
Hi , what is the legnth of the Auger bit that you used?
It’s 18” long
I don’t get it. The wood will rot?
It’s pressure treated.
is 5 ton about 4 yrds of 3/4 crushed rock?
I believe that would be correct.
What’s to stop the wood base from rotting???
They are pressure treated ground contact rated wood which resist rotting.
@@abcando1 Thanks.
So gravel base is enough . We don't need cement base?
Yes, that's correct.
Do you have to remove the grass?
Yes I did.
I want to use a geotextile fabric on top of the grass then place stone. Will that still work? Or do you have to remove the grass?
I was also wondering about that before I did the project because it's hard work. I just thought that not removing the grass and roots may not enable the soil and stone to compact very well which may cause movements when they die later on.
Looks expensive
Isn't it cheaper to just do a DiY concrete pad?
I believe a concrete pad will be more expensive and more labor intensive. I also just prefer doing the work involved in a gravel pad installation compared to a concrete pad.
Dennis found your video and he is copying what you did thank you great job!
Thanks so much, Rhea! Hope you’re all doing great! Regards to everyone! 🙂
2:55
I’ll pay you to build me one! lol
Thanks but I'm not sure if I would want to do it again 😄
Nice but too many procedures, tools, materials, costs, etc.
Thanks for watching.
😅
I bought this because I did not have a clue about the design, materials composition and building of a shed. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxb2mhCug-GkCWrq69Ce2I0nM0D4QpxAquIt is absolutely fascinating, with clear, readable text and helpful illustrations also enough videos. There is a great sense of creativity and enthusiasm underlying the projects which the authors develop, from a bike shed to a glorious eco-shed. I like the way explanations are provided for decisions made from a range of options. I am not really in a position to rate the more technical detail, but think I am prepared to boldly go shed- building, equipped with this manual.
Yes, they do
With all due respect, you’ve worked hard and paid close attention to detail…….but this is completely unnecessary for a portable barn/shed built on treated skids. Not to mention it would have been cheaper and quicker to have a cement pad poured. We’ve hauled these barns for one of the biggest players in the industry for over ten years and after too many warranty issues including moisture damage and settling the rock pad is NOT the way to do it. Always buy a barn that is “engineer certified” and follow the blocking chart. Solid cement blocks under the skids reduces settling and eliminates any moisture transfer long term. Put a 4x8x16 solid cap block 5’ feet apart maximum under all the skids. Anchor it. Then if you don’t want to see blocks and anchors skirt the building with lattice or something that breathes. We’ve actually seen these rock pads with lumber frame around it create a tub effect and hold water.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the video. Our town permit requirements actually mentioned not to use cement blocks for foundation and only concrete or gravel pad is allowed. I do not see it to be quicker, cheaper, not to mention easier mixing concrete all by myself even if I rent a concrete mixer to build the pad. I would have gone the concrete pad route if I believed it otherwise.
Salamat po.
Walang anuman, salamat din po 😊