Get Plans to build your own DIY 10x12 Shed! shop.fixthisbuildthat.com/collections/outdoor-projects/products/modern-10x12-diy-shed-plans If you want to see the rest of the build you can find the videos here: 1. Building a Shed Foundation - ua-cam.com/video/XodcMhvfkXg/v-deo.html 2. Framing a Shed Alone - ua-cam.com/video/cGqx95JVsws/v-deo.html 3. Roofing a Lean-To Shed - ua-cam.com/video/Hv3EOTkR3xw/v-deo.html 4. DIY Shed Doors & Windows - ua-cam.com/video/rp3rJUWJeKE/v-deo.html 5. Finishing My Overbuilt Shed - ua-cam.com/video/uPO46hSpP0A/v-deo.html
When I was growing up, if I did something bad, my step dad used to make me dig fence post holes. I feel like your tip about having your kid dig the hole is a GREAT tip. It really made me not want to do bad things any more.
@@bozzskaggs112 When I look at the high level of mediocracy in todays young adult workforce, I wonder if teaching kids that hard work is a punishment wasn't a very bright idea.
All the buildings in our village,even the ancient stuff is built on raft style foundations,we are below the water table and have a huge lake right behind us, any timber on the ground,treated or not is done in just a few years. I used 24" lengths of 1- 3/4" rebar,to which I welded 4" squares to both ends,one end drilled for screws. These I then stood in my hole in the ground at 18" intervals so that only 9" was above ground level making sure the bottom square plates had at least 6" of gap under them and by using string lines to make sure the top plates were all level. I filled in around them to make my 'raft' and nothing has budged in 10 years or so and having insulated the floor timbers from the ground and the bracket via a rubber membrane between them( cut up truck mudflap😁) they are still in perfect condition.
Lol... as you were putting the gravel in by cart my first thought was I was going to suggest you get it delivered right to the foundation. I had the same problem years ago when I build my old shed. I was building it at my mother's house and I wasn't home when they delivered it. She didn't have them dump it where I needed it. Wasted a whole day just moving it over. Of course, lots of people have issues with big trucks coming on their property. Make sure you don't have a leach field under where the truck needs to drive, but if you can get it to dump there it's the single thing that will save you the most time.
Very good to see you taking the tamping seriously. I come from a mine engineering background, and our prof for tailings dams noted that one of the biggest concerns with building them is overseeing the compaction process. Apparently it's not uncommon for work crews to work fast and skimp on the compaction steps to get the job done faster. Which you can kinda get away with in a lot of applications (including stuff like this shed) but you'll always have some differential settling issues, and different drainage characteristics. Which, if you have an earth-fill dam, is a critical problem. Hope that pressure treated wood works out for you. I live out on the coast of BC (Canada just north of Washington State), and out here we tend to have issues with pressure treated wood not being as rot resistant at the cut ends than is needed in our quite wet climate. Folks who can afford it tend to use cedar instead - you can cut into a cedar log that has another tree grown over/around it and still find good wood in the middle, cedar lasts *ages* - for outdoor applications, and folks using the pressure treated stuff instead buy a product that you brush onto the ends to seal up the end grain. But thats for fairly extreme wet climates, we literally use the terms "rainforest" and "hypermaritime climate" to describe this area. You're definitely in a drier region, going by the trees in the background.
Down here on the humid Gulf Coast, I also like to seal the ends of pressure treated, especially if there's ground contact, like my kids swingset legs. When you look at the clean crosscut, you can just see how deep the treatment penetrated. That's essentially raw wood in the center, just asking for termites and other wood devouring critters.
Something I was told about, after I did exactly what you did. Drill a 1/8 to 1/4 hole through the timber first. You can get 8-10" long drill bit for this. Then use the auger bit with the small hole as a guide for the tip of the auger. Cuts out the measurements and hoping you get the big holes from each side line up.
I have a suggestion, when drilling through the beam. You can use a bit extension to give you the extra length. They come in 6", and 12" lengths. Could also been useful when attaching the rim joist . By the looks of the floor, the shed is going to be solid as a rock,... 👍
I’ve done a lot of foundation in my life and I’ve never done it the way you did it! And you could if used a sds hammer drill to drive the rebar in the ground, and clear gravel doesn’t compact that good
I'm building a 12 x 16 shed. I used my 5 x 10 trailer to purchase and haul the #57 gravel....1 - 1.25 tons at a time. I did not want a large pile sitting in one area of my yard even if it was right next to my location or the large truck doing damage. Made 7 trips and totaled 9 tons. I backed the trailer to the area and used the scoop shovel to hand load in place. Your foundation is very similar to what I built. The shed almost completed. I am down to installing the siding. I also built the doors from oak lumber harvested from trees we took down in our back yard. I very much enjoy your videos and your quirky(?) nature!
I built a 12'x20' workshop and did a similar gravel pad foundation 14'x22'. I had about a 13" slope over 22' and the top 6" was compacted rock so it was not easy to dig out, especially doing it alone by hand. It turned out great and sure beats the option of a block foundation or paying for a slab to be laid. The gravel pad and workshop look amazing and added value to my propery so well worth all the hard work.
I used a block foundation for a 10 x 12 kit-style shed. Looked good,; worked good; for about 2 years. Then became worthless. And made we wish I had done slab instead. House built in subdivision circa 1950s; in what was USA's largest walnut orchard. Yeah. Critters! Clean every year with "everybody out" routine requiring removal of all contents, spaying 100% of interior with bleach/water solution, cleaning all contents with same solution. Next cycle, I'm tearing down old and using your slab style.
I've built several sheds, decks, and fences over the years. You may consider doing a segment or a video on appropriate times to use nails vs screws. When I was first starting out doing DIY, I used screws for everything, but after a few fence sections fell over because of shear in the wind, I found there's a time and place for everything 😅. Can't wait to watch the rest of your build!
Okay. This is what I did seven years ago now, for my shed/shop 12'x16' (16'x20' foundation). It worked great! Thought this was my idea...nice to see someone-else did it, too. I used 4''L- 1/2" rebar to anchor the first tier of treated 6"x6" timbers to the ground (low wall, no deadmen). Used the same stone for the same stated reasons...delivery driver dumped the stones outside my foundation. 52 wheelbarrow loads later, I had the stones inside the walls. Used spikes for the upper tiers. Used 14"L timber screws with inside & outside "L-brackets" on the corners. Rented a compacter for the stones. A local builder delivered my custom shed, leveled with provided foundation (patio) blocks under all runners. Did not use floor joists. Shed sits on the stones and blocks.
Brad this summer we redid our backyard and I hand poured and leveled 5 cubic yards of gravel and 11 yards of top soil all using the Gorilla Cart. Here is the crazy part...I really enjoyed it. It was hard work but was pretty rewarding. I do wish I'd maybe done it when the weather was cooler though. I may be a masochist.
some of these commenters just don't understand...there can be a lot of value in just doing hard work. yes, I could have rented tools and done it 4x as fast, but I really enjoyed just putting in the work and seeing what I can accomplish with my hands and some basic tools
@@Fixthisbuildthat I feel that way whenever I see a home improvement project I completed: the setting sun shining off the painted garage siding that my kids helped me replace the rotted sill plate and repaint gives me a sense of pride that paying to have someone else do it does not.
Um. Am I the only one that saw the deer ghost at 9:42? Like I had to rewind three times because of how brief it was and making sure I wasn't losing my mind.
This is interesting. I just did my shed. Used an auger to dig the holes. Threaded rod and cement and then two nuts to the right level tightened against each other. Metal plates on each one and then the timber right over each rod. Gonna do the same again next summer for a garden office.
@@barneyhartman-glaser6972 well I probably could have but this is just a method that I used before that is relatively cheap and quick. All I have to do is dig the hole with the auger, pay for a delivery of concrete, pour and make sure the rod is level.
This is very similar (and sure a bit overboard) to a tent platform I've been planning, very glad to have this as a reference! Also love love the new property.
This is a very new/interesting/weird way to do a building foundation to me. We've always done cinder blocks on a leveled/tamped gravel perimeter with a higher middle (doesn't need to be flat) that then gets filled with gravel and throw a concrete slab on top of it. No worry about warping, less digging/tamping, no worry about eventual wood rot, no worry about critters etc. making homes underneath, etc. Also, outdoor rated screws are a far superior choice here as opposed to framing nails. Screws will stay in place and hold things together much better, particularly if the wood is open to the elements and bending/moving etc.
I just did this for a 10x20 resin shed kit. Very stable and drains great. Renting a compactor was key. You’d be surprised how much the gravel will compact and make the base very solid.
A big consideration to save your back… Rent heavy equipment such as tractors and backhoes. They are available at the Orange or Blue stores as well as equipment rental stores. They’re for the larger pro power tools that are generally too expensive or specific to buy.
Great video. Lots of great info. One thing I would change. Generally, when putting down sheet goods like plywood, I prefer to work across the sheet. Doing the perimeter first could leave a bow in the middle that you have to fight. Granted, it affects nailing more than screwing. But I still find it best practice to in essence roll it down while securing it.
I have only seen this type of foundation once or twice and it is for balcony sheds. Sheds where I live normally is on cinder blocks because it is easier and it is more often than not more than enough for what most people have in them. Some bigger sheds have concrete slabs as a foundation since they know it will have heavy equipment in it. The foundation you made are normally used where a house wants to have a raised land balcony/porch/deck where the difference of the lowest point on the ground and the underside of the balcony/deck will be is to big, they look super nice and many use the extra gravel space to have plants. But it is so much more expensive than a normal balcony/deck.... That foundation is also normally used for a middle of the lawn decking to just look nice, have good drainage, etc.
Quite refreshing to see you build something without all the fancy expensive tools, I've laid a few shed foundation in my back gardens and the work needed is real (so full credit for going the distance and digging it all yourself). I'm not sure a french drain style (ish - with the stone) is necessary but I am all for well over engineeing everything I build. Thumbs up from me.
Thanks for sharing this, Brad! I recently built an 8x16 shed, and I always like to have treated timber runners underneath in the event that I ever want to move it, it's ready to go. Once in place, I'll place pier blocks or solid cinder blocks/thick caps to keep the timbers away from the soil and have a hard surface on which to shim from. Also, using construction adhesive on top of all of your floor joists strengthens and quietens(yes, that's a word) the floor.
I put all my sheds on two large timber skids. If I build the shed myself, the skids go down first, then the floor framing is built right onto the skids, then the walls, roof. If I buy the shed, I simply jack up the shed and install the skids myself. I like the skids because I discovered that I move my sheds as I make more development to my properties, the skid mounts allow me to simply attach a chain to the skids and move it with either a tractor or a skid steer. Some I've moved over a quarter-mile, simply dragging them on the graveled driveways. I don't even unload the shed, just make sure nothing will fall over inside. I've even built a pump-house shed and picked it up with extended forks built this way and moved it over a half-mile. Since the skids support the entire floor, there was no distortion of the shed when picking it up. Another pump-house shed had a plywood bottom (under the bottom of floor framing) so I could set this on directly on top of a 8 ft. culvert buried deep into the ground. This shed had the entire floor foam-board insulated to keep the culvert and pipes / tanks from freezing. To move that shed, I picked it up with an excavator and nylon straps and set it in place. So I move a lot of sheds... and am planning on moving yet another one this summer! To level, I just use simple blocking or grade the ground surface. So far, 20 years have passed for some of these sheds and the skids are fine (no rotting). I used treated timbers of course.
Thanks for the video. I just built a pad exactly like this for my Standby Generator. However I didn't fill it to the top of the timbers. After seeing this I'm going to fill it up.
Good video, and even a small shed is a lot of work. I just did a 48x16 deck with a 2 1/2' retaining wall w/gravel as water table made me second guess concrete piers. What I did was use Home Depot tool rental to save a ton of the hard work. Sod cutter $69 for a 4 hour rental. Sister had one of the Mantis type mini-tillers, so I removed a couple tines and had a 6-8" wide excavator. $75 for a compactor rental. Not sure the Threadloks were necessary, I would have just run 9/16 holes every 2-3' before placing the lumber and used some rebar to keep the lumber together. Nice job, haven't finished the video so hope you're going to show the actual shed build. Only critique is using deck screws....
Saved yourself a few trips to the gym. I never would have done all that "foundation" work if the shed was just being set on skids. But you have a nice clean space now and the drainage around there is great.
Thanks Brad! I am planning my shed build. Mine too is 10 x 12 so this is a timely project for me. I have more slope in my back yard and after watching this, I am thinking of renting a tiller after I stake out the 12 x 14 plot. My thought process is tilling up the top soil might make it easier to move the dirt to level out the ground before I add the gravel base. Mine will be a spring of '24 build so I'll have some time to research this theory. Thanks again, and looking forward to the rest of the build.
Two points; I would get a longer drill bit or a drill bit extension to drill the holes and I would also use a tamper to drive the rebar down instead of a hammer, it's much easier. Not so sure about the screws versus using nails; nails tend to flex while screws tend to shear, but maybe that's outdated thinking.
Looks like a stable foundation. When you were talking about the Gorilla Cart being a great tool to move gravel, I did wonder why you didn't have it dropped closer. Or why you weren't using a truck to move it. I don't have a truck, so I use my wheel barrow that has the 2 front wheels.
I think I would have done everything differently? But this is a handy reminder of what it looks like when people have different ways of doing things 👌 You can buy longer framing screws btw
Maaaan, good work, I feel moving that gravel. I did a 15x25 gravel pad for a 10x20 shed this past summer. I anti-varmited under the base with some wire mesh stapled to the inside of the rim joist and buried into the gravel about 4 or 5". I put it on before sheeting the floor.
Good job putting that together Brad! Watching you hand dig everything reminded me of my 14x16 "Covid" shed. The location I needed to use was so far out of level that I would have died if I had to hand dig it. Home Depot Rentals to the rescue with a one day rental of a mini bulldozer thingy with a nice big bucket to move dirt. We still had to hand tamp it because I blew my rental budget on the mini bulldozer. It was worth every penny though.
I always take old chain-link fence or metal fence from the garden store and lay it underneath the gravel. It stops the woodchucks from building a home.
OK, a couple suggestions from experience (I helped a friend put in an above-ground pool many years ago). 1 -- it probably would have helped if you'd gotten a tiller to loosen up the soil beforehand. "Oh, but then it would be soft, and settle!!" Yes, which is why you then run a hose out to it (possibly not practical in your specific circumstance) and then water the ground down to "pack" it, especially using the tamper. This leads to: 2 -- you can use a smallish 2x4 -- probably 2-3 feet long -- to gradually push some dirt to the opposite end (e.g., to "screed" it). Get it approximate when dry, and then you can scrape it better when wet, to even stuff out across the... ah... "board". This is probably easier than shoveling. You can even make it easier if you have two people and/or a small tractor/riding lawnmower -- you could have someone put weight on the board as the tractor pulls it slowly.THIS can make that levelling job far far easier. You could even rig something that let you stand and walk with it while keeping some weight on it as needed to find that nice middle ground that gets 2-4 inches at a time but not a hell of a lot more. Water it down again when you get all the leveling done, so you can be sure it's packed tight. Having heavily watered it -- turned it into serious mud -- will help really really pack the dirt down. Do **NOT** underestimate the value of using *water* -- even if -- particularly if -- you're using a hand tamper, like that shown -- to get the water compact. Doing it when it is distinctly slushy mud allows the sand particles to flow around each other to get tightly packed. Obviously, you don't want too much water, you don't want it puddling on the top, but really "slushy". It's good if it splats a bit when it lands, then there's a puddle when you've hit it a couple times. Yeah, you're going to get dirty... That's half the fun, until you track it inside and the wife gets very annoyed, so prepare ahead of time to clean off outside. 😀 NOT applicable to this scenario -- for a circular bed (e.g., a gazebo or a circular above ground pool), you can use rebar to create a pivot point, and then push it around to scrape a circle level, using a beam level such as the one you show, to get it very flat very quickly, as the scraping will push stuff into the holes readily. Again, apply water routinely to turn it to mud, so it moves and packs readily. You might have put some watershield -- tyvek -- down on the underside just because that part is going to collect dew and moisture?
I have a similar philosophy regarding my children and labor. I am willing to trade food and a place to sleep for labor. Why not take advantage of this resource of abundant energy and youth? It builds character. Not that I have any use for it but it sounds good.
Great video! I'm gearing up to build this same style foundation for my new 14'x16' woodworking shop. Pretty sure you've saved me from making some boneheaded mistakes along the way.
I have a Gorilla cart too and I love it! I just wish it was bigger and held more. I also wish the bottom of it was flat, so it would be easier to mix things in.
Good job on lapping your outside boards rather than using the same pattern that was on the bottom. As some one who did residential concrete for 30 years, several comments. One on your aggregate/rock, you do need the fines in the rock. This is mostly to fill in all the voids in the rock. Take a bag of beach sand to the rock, and put a hose on it, and in the 1 foot deep areas, you will have at least half of that sand disappear. Most people never consider how much open holes there are in gravel, even when compacted to 98%. The fabric on the bottom was a good idea, as much to spread the load as anything. The rock will eventually sink into the dirt, and your compaction probably was not getting any where near 90% compaction. You need water and a "sheep's foot" thing to get full compaction. The shovel, aka 'F n Idiot stick', and yes, I am a certified engineer of that tool, in the dirt you have, it is really a cutting tool, so if you sharpen it first, it cuts a lot easier. When all is said and done, it may have cost a bit more money, but a concrete slab would have worked out way better, and with the anchor bolts in the slab, it will never fly away unless you get an "end of times" storm.
you might just get some holes dug 2'+ into the ground, put used phone poles in there for a free frame, and then lay baserock with a loader and back drag it. do you care if you have baserock around the shed and rampint the doorway? fill the holes for the poles with baserock too, you need no concrete. i made a shade awning this way and a greenhouse. 4' centers for poles will work with corrugated galvanized, and used stuff works.
Great video. But here are some points. When you removed the grass, you should have gone down to 4 to 6 inches to remove all organic matter that could make the slab sink later. Also, the proper gravel depth under a concrete slab is 4". I have been a general contractor for over 40 years. Just giving you a helpful point.
It seems that a far easier and far cheaper method would be to elevate the shed on some footings, using patio blocks or something similar. Start by building the floor frame, then put blocks under the frame at regular intervals. Use something large like 12"x12" blocks to spread the load on the ground. No need to make the ground level, just use appropriately sized blocks to make the frame level. You don't need to worry about drainage because the shed is not sitting directly on the ground. That's what I did with my shed over 10 years ago, and it's still going strong. Using gravel to elevate the shed and provide drainage accomplishes the same goal, but is way harder and more expensive.
Thank you so much for getting to shed building! I’m about to start my own shed project as we’ve recently purchased and built on some land. Excited to see your step by step and follow your lead!
I had some boards outside covered with plastic. The moisture from the ground started molding the bottom boards. Not sure how your plywood is going to keep from molding.
I am having a prefabricated shed brought in and this was perfect for me to start creating the gravel base for it. My question is. . . since the shed that is being delivered already has a floor to it, should I make a shed foundation as shown to make it sturdier or would having the floor of the shed sitting on the gravel be sufficient. The shed is actually going to be a 12x20 dog kennel with 4 kennels inside.
If planning to use "blocks/pavers" to support walls, and worried about critters easily gaining entrance by digging below shed and gnawing wood, consider supplementing with hardware wire and concrete or post mix. I had to do this for a chicken coop/run I built: 1) dig a trench between posts; 2 run hardware cloth up between studs and posts, with bottom of run more than exceeding bottom of trench; 3) cut bottom of hardware cloth and kick into bottom of trench; 4) use generous amounts of post mix to fill trenches between posts and studs; 5) If you later see entry spots or evidence of attempts, patch with more hardware cloth. Don't allow even a small win for the critters or they will persist.
Nice built very solid. I am curious though, you put a lot of emphasis on "Drainage". It seemed to me that you were concerned about it a lot more than I would be. What is it that I don't know about your property, or the use of your shed, that is going to make really good Drainage such an important thing?
Great job. I recently installed a resin shed (couldn't pass up the clearance price - 50% off!) and had to weigh my options for the foundation. I considered installing a frame on a deck block foundation before finding a retired concrete pro who poured an 8x20 slab for $1600. My property sloped more than yours, and I have a wrist injury, so digging out the grade was not an option for me, but this looks much better than the frame option I was considering.
I bought a large cart when we bought our new property that is 1.75 acres and I swear to god it was worth EVERY PENNY PAID!! That was the best $300 I ever spent!! I use that thing for everything!! And the fact I can hook it to my little mower makes it even better because then I don’t have to manually pull all that weight to the beck of the property!
I wish I could pound rebar into my ground like that, but mine is so super full of sizeable rocks due to the glacial moraine. If I dig just a one foot cubed section of dirt, I'm sure to have at least 20 rocks in the 3 inch to 7 inch range, plus lots of smaller ones and frequently a bigger one. Every anchor I have tried to drive never makes it past 12 inches without hitting an impenetrable barrier. And forget trying the average auger.
Great video and instructions - very inspiring. Question - What do you do if the 4x4 skids are not perfectly leve i.e., they have a crown? I suspect then you will never be able to have a level ground!
Did my foundation really fast. Hired a concert guy to lay a concrete foundation in one day! 😅 We get really high wind up on our exposed hill so I needed the weight.
What is the benefit of a foundation like this vs. a reinforced concrete slab? This seems to take less time, however won't the gravel set with time? I know this might also be a specific question due to type of soil, but in general...
Yaay! Thank you for using a foundation that isn’t a concrete slab. I’ve wondered before if it’s truly necessary to have a concrete foundation for a shed
Get Plans to build your own DIY 10x12 Shed! shop.fixthisbuildthat.com/collections/outdoor-projects/products/modern-10x12-diy-shed-plans
If you want to see the rest of the build you can find the videos here:
1. Building a Shed Foundation - ua-cam.com/video/XodcMhvfkXg/v-deo.html
2. Framing a Shed Alone - ua-cam.com/video/cGqx95JVsws/v-deo.html
3. Roofing a Lean-To Shed - ua-cam.com/video/Hv3EOTkR3xw/v-deo.html
4. DIY Shed Doors & Windows - ua-cam.com/video/rp3rJUWJeKE/v-deo.html
5. Finishing My Overbuilt Shed - ua-cam.com/video/uPO46hSpP0A/v-deo.html
Treat the cut ends to prevent rotting and cut the rebar at a sharp angle to make it easier to pound into soil
When I was growing up, if I did something bad, my step dad used to make me dig fence post holes. I feel like your tip about having your kid dig the hole is a GREAT tip. It really made me not want to do bad things any more.
welp, looks like Holes is getting a sequel
It made me get smarter in not getting caught doing something bad.
@@bozzskaggs112 When I look at the high level of mediocracy in todays young adult workforce, I wonder if teaching kids that hard work is a punishment wasn't a very bright idea.
@@Azaduur yes, it's much better to just let kids do whatever they want with no consequences!
@@bmorg7244 Your words, not mine.
All the buildings in our village,even the ancient stuff is built on raft style foundations,we are below the water table and have a huge lake right behind us, any timber on the ground,treated or not is done in just a few years. I used 24" lengths of 1- 3/4" rebar,to which I welded 4" squares to both ends,one end drilled for screws. These I then stood in my hole in the ground at 18" intervals so that only 9" was above ground level making sure the bottom square plates had at least 6" of gap under them and by using string lines to make sure the top plates were all level. I filled in around them to make my 'raft' and nothing has budged in 10 years or so and having insulated the floor timbers from the ground and the bracket via a rubber membrane between them( cut up truck mudflap😁) they are still in perfect condition.
A true engineer 👍🏼 over design and over build, loved it! This is the theme of most of my projects, well done sir.
if you're gonna do it, over do it :)
Lol... as you were putting the gravel in by cart my first thought was I was going to suggest you get it delivered right to the foundation. I had the same problem years ago when I build my old shed. I was building it at my mother's house and I wasn't home when they delivered it. She didn't have them dump it where I needed it. Wasted a whole day just moving it over.
Of course, lots of people have issues with big trucks coming on their property. Make sure you don't have a leach field under where the truck needs to drive, but if you can get it to dump there it's the single thing that will save you the most time.
Very good to see you taking the tamping seriously. I come from a mine engineering background, and our prof for tailings dams noted that one of the biggest concerns with building them is overseeing the compaction process. Apparently it's not uncommon for work crews to work fast and skimp on the compaction steps to get the job done faster. Which you can kinda get away with in a lot of applications (including stuff like this shed) but you'll always have some differential settling issues, and different drainage characteristics. Which, if you have an earth-fill dam, is a critical problem.
Hope that pressure treated wood works out for you. I live out on the coast of BC (Canada just north of Washington State), and out here we tend to have issues with pressure treated wood not being as rot resistant at the cut ends than is needed in our quite wet climate. Folks who can afford it tend to use cedar instead - you can cut into a cedar log that has another tree grown over/around it and still find good wood in the middle, cedar lasts *ages* - for outdoor applications, and folks using the pressure treated stuff instead buy a product that you brush onto the ends to seal up the end grain. But thats for fairly extreme wet climates, we literally use the terms "rainforest" and "hypermaritime climate" to describe this area. You're definitely in a drier region, going by the trees in the background.
Down here on the humid Gulf Coast, I also like to seal the ends of pressure treated, especially if there's ground contact, like my kids swingset legs. When you look at the clean crosscut, you can just see how deep the treatment penetrated. That's essentially raw wood in the center, just asking for termites and other wood devouring critters.
Thanks for showing how to build a shed from the ground up as this would help me immensely!.
Something I was told about, after I did exactly what you did. Drill a 1/8 to 1/4 hole through the timber first. You can get 8-10" long drill bit for this. Then use the auger bit with the small hole as a guide for the tip of the auger. Cuts out the measurements and hoping you get the big holes from each side line up.
Great tip!
"pilot hole"
I have a suggestion, when drilling through the beam. You can use a bit extension to give you the extra length. They come in 6", and 12" lengths. Could also been useful when attaching the rim joist . By the looks of the floor, the shed is going to be solid as a rock,... 👍
I’ve done a lot of foundation in my life and I’ve never done it the way you did it! And you could if used a sds hammer drill to drive the rebar in the ground, and clear gravel doesn’t compact that good
Great job, Brad. I enjoy watching someone else working. I've done plenty of it in my life.
Bill
I'm building a 12 x 16 shed. I used my 5 x 10 trailer to purchase and haul the #57 gravel....1 - 1.25 tons at a time. I did not want a large pile sitting in one area of my yard even if it was right next to my location or the large truck doing damage. Made 7 trips and totaled 9 tons. I backed the trailer to the area and used the scoop shovel to hand load in place. Your foundation is very similar to what I built. The shed almost completed. I am down to installing the siding. I also built the doors from oak lumber harvested from trees we took down in our back yard. I very much enjoy your videos and your quirky(?) nature!
I built a 12'x20' workshop and did a similar gravel pad foundation 14'x22'. I had about a 13" slope over 22' and the top 6" was compacted rock so it was not easy to dig out, especially doing it alone by hand. It turned out great and sure beats the option of a block foundation or paying for a slab to be laid. The gravel pad and workshop look amazing and added value to my propery so well worth all the hard work.
I used a block foundation for a 10 x 12 kit-style shed. Looked good,; worked good; for about 2 years. Then became worthless. And made we wish I had done slab instead. House built in subdivision circa 1950s; in what was USA's largest walnut orchard. Yeah. Critters! Clean every year with "everybody out" routine requiring removal of all contents, spaying 100% of interior with bleach/water solution, cleaning all contents with same solution. Next cycle, I'm tearing down old and using your slab style.
In UK we call that a house!!!😂
I've built several sheds, decks, and fences over the years. You may consider doing a segment or a video on appropriate times to use nails vs screws. When I was first starting out doing DIY, I used screws for everything, but after a few fence sections fell over because of shear in the wind, I found there's a time and place for everything 😅. Can't wait to watch the rest of your build!
I'd love to see some data on ring shank vs screws in both shear and pull out strength.
Grk makes screws that are approved for framing. those are my go to
@@Fixthisbuildthattime to do a collab with Mathias. 😆
@@Russianmafia10 I see them called "construction" screws, vs "deck" screws. I typically get torx drive.
@@RossReedstrom construction screws are still not structural. They make special structural screws that are different.
Okay. This is what I did seven years ago now, for my shed/shop 12'x16' (16'x20' foundation). It worked great! Thought this was my idea...nice to see someone-else did it, too. I used 4''L- 1/2" rebar to anchor the first tier of treated 6"x6" timbers to the ground (low wall, no deadmen). Used the same stone for the same stated reasons...delivery driver dumped the stones outside my foundation. 52 wheelbarrow loads later, I had the stones inside the walls. Used spikes for the upper tiers. Used 14"L timber screws with inside & outside "L-brackets" on the corners. Rented a compacter for the stones. A local builder delivered my custom shed, leveled with provided foundation (patio) blocks under all runners. Did not use floor joists. Shed sits on the stones and blocks.
Brad this summer we redid our backyard and I hand poured and leveled 5 cubic yards of gravel and 11 yards of top soil all using the Gorilla Cart. Here is the crazy part...I really enjoyed it. It was hard work but was pretty rewarding. I do wish I'd maybe done it when the weather was cooler though.
I may be a masochist.
some of these commenters just don't understand...there can be a lot of value in just doing hard work. yes, I could have rented tools and done it 4x as fast, but I really enjoyed just putting in the work and seeing what I can accomplish with my hands and some basic tools
@@Fixthisbuildthat I feel that way whenever I see a home improvement project I completed: the setting sun shining off the painted garage siding that my kids helped me replace the rotted sill plate and repaint gives me a sense of pride that paying to have someone else do it does not.
Um. Am I the only one that saw the deer ghost at 9:42? Like I had to rewind three times because of how brief it was and making sure I wasn't losing my mind.
Wth😮😅
I saw it!
seen. wtf
Excited about this series. I'm going to build a 10x12 in my yard for storage next year and this is helpful! Thanks for sharing
I'll make all the mistakes for you!
@@Fixthisbuildthat is the finale coming soon?
This is interesting. I just did my shed. Used an auger to dig the holes. Threaded rod and cement and then two nuts to the right level tightened against each other. Metal plates on each one and then the timber right over each rod. Gonna do the same again next summer for a garden office.
that sounds cool
Why not just build it on concrete piers?
@@barneyhartman-glaser6972 well I probably could have but this is just a method that I used before that is relatively cheap and quick. All I have to do is dig the hole with the auger, pay for a delivery of concrete, pour and make sure the rod is level.
This is very similar (and sure a bit overboard) to a tent platform I've been planning, very glad to have this as a reference! Also love love the new property.
Thanks!
Great job Brad looking great. Can’t wait to see it finished
Also if you have a tiller or can borrow one use that to churn up the dig line to make things easier.
I appreciate those final rebar hits on beat with the music at 7:08.
This is a very new/interesting/weird way to do a building foundation to me. We've always done cinder blocks on a leveled/tamped gravel perimeter with a higher middle (doesn't need to be flat) that then gets filled with gravel and throw a concrete slab on top of it. No worry about warping, less digging/tamping, no worry about eventual wood rot, no worry about critters etc. making homes underneath, etc. Also, outdoor rated screws are a far superior choice here as opposed to framing nails. Screws will stay in place and hold things together much better, particularly if the wood is open to the elements and bending/moving etc.
oddly enough interesting and weird are some of the top adjectives people use to describe me 😂
@@Fixthisbuildthat ditto my man.
Agree ... wood will rot fast.
It’s just a shed. I did the same way over 20 years ago and no problem.
@@OtikaOtikaOtikait depends what fast is to you. I have a 60yo retaining wall here made of 6x6 and it is still holding fine
I built my 10*14 foundation using this method. A couple of years later, it's holding up perfectly. Definitely recommend this method!
I just did this for a 10x20 resin shed kit. Very stable and drains great. Renting a compactor was key. You’d be surprised how much the gravel will compact and make the base very solid.
yeah, I should have probably just rented one
@@Fixthisbuildthat Hey, but at least you don't have to hit the gym: biceps and lats already worked!
A big consideration to save your back…
Rent heavy equipment such as tractors and backhoes. They are available at the Orange or Blue stores as well as equipment rental stores. They’re for the larger pro power tools that are generally too expensive or specific to buy.
Great video. Lots of great info.
One thing I would change. Generally, when putting down sheet goods like plywood, I prefer to work across the sheet. Doing the perimeter first could leave a bow in the middle that you have to fight. Granted, it affects nailing more than screwing. But I still find it best practice to in essence roll it down while securing it.
I look forward to seeing the multi story car park that you are going to build on that base!
I have only seen this type of foundation once or twice and it is for balcony sheds.
Sheds where I live normally is on cinder blocks because it is easier and it is more often than not more than enough for what most people have in them.
Some bigger sheds have concrete slabs as a foundation since they know it will have heavy equipment in it.
The foundation you made are normally used where a house wants to have a raised land balcony/porch/deck where the difference of the lowest point on the ground and the underside of the balcony/deck will be is to big, they look super nice and many use the extra gravel space to have plants. But it is so much more expensive than a normal balcony/deck.... That foundation is also normally used for a middle of the lawn decking to just look nice, have good drainage, etc.
Quite refreshing to see you build something without all the fancy expensive tools, I've laid a few shed foundation in my back gardens and the work needed is real (so full credit for going the distance and digging it all yourself). I'm not sure a french drain style (ish - with the stone) is necessary but I am all for well over engineeing everything I build. Thumbs up from me.
it's refreshing seeing all these people telling me to use expensive tools vs talking about my expensive woodworking tools, lol
Thanks for sharing this, Brad! I recently built an 8x16 shed, and I always like to have treated timber runners underneath in the event that I ever want to move it, it's ready to go. Once in place, I'll place pier blocks or solid cinder blocks/thick caps to keep the timbers away from the soil and have a hard surface on which to shim from. Also, using construction adhesive on top of all of your floor joists strengthens and quietens(yes, that's a word) the floor.
yes, I considered using construction adhesive, but since this will be utility storage I decided against it
I put all my sheds on two large timber skids. If I build the shed myself, the skids go down first, then the floor framing is built right onto the skids, then the walls, roof. If I buy the shed, I simply jack up the shed and install the skids myself. I like the skids because I discovered that I move my sheds as I make more development to my properties, the skid mounts allow me to simply attach a chain to the skids and move it with either a tractor or a skid steer. Some I've moved over a quarter-mile, simply dragging them on the graveled driveways. I don't even unload the shed, just make sure nothing will fall over inside.
I've even built a pump-house shed and picked it up with extended forks built this way and moved it over a half-mile. Since the skids support the entire floor, there was no distortion of the shed when picking it up. Another pump-house shed had a plywood bottom (under the bottom of floor framing) so I could set this on directly on top of a 8 ft. culvert buried deep into the ground. This shed had the entire floor foam-board insulated to keep the culvert and pipes / tanks from freezing. To move that shed, I picked it up with an excavator and nylon straps and set it in place. So I move a lot of sheds... and am planning on moving yet another one this summer!
To level, I just use simple blocking or grade the ground surface. So far, 20 years have passed for some of these sheds and the skids are fine (no rotting). I used treated timbers of course.
Oh boy, a shed build! 😃🍿
This made me think of your build!
Thanks for the video. I just built a pad exactly like this for my Standby Generator. However I didn't fill it to the top of the timbers. After seeing this I'm going to fill it up.
Good video, and even a small shed is a lot of work.
I just did a 48x16 deck with a 2 1/2' retaining wall w/gravel as water table made me second guess concrete piers. What I did was use Home Depot tool rental to save a ton of the hard work.
Sod cutter $69 for a 4 hour rental.
Sister had one of the Mantis type mini-tillers, so I removed a couple tines and had a 6-8" wide excavator.
$75 for a compactor rental.
Not sure the Threadloks were necessary, I would have just run 9/16 holes every 2-3' before placing the lumber and used some rebar to keep the lumber together.
Nice job, haven't finished the video so hope you're going to show the actual shed build.
Only critique is using deck screws....
This is awesome. I wish I had used your method when I built my chicken coop. Especially like the gravel bottom.
Saved yourself a few trips to the gym. I never would have done all that "foundation" work if the shed was just being set on skids. But you have a nice clean space now and the drainage around there is great.
That is a lot of work! I will have to take the frame with the gravel only!
Great job my friend. Can't wait for plans. Good luck
Thanks Brad! I am planning my shed build. Mine too is 10 x 12 so this is a timely project for me. I have more slope in my back yard and after watching this, I am thinking of renting a tiller after I stake out the 12 x 14 plot. My thought process is tilling up the top soil might make it easier to move the dirt to level out the ground before I add the gravel base. Mine will be a spring of '24 build so I'll have some time to research this theory. Thanks again, and looking forward to the rest of the build.
I'd rent a tamper too, because you're right, the ground will be pretty loose after you run a tiller through it! 😅
@@serversurfer6169 That's a great idea. Thanks!!!
@@frankbiondo2476 I’m glad to help. Good luck! 🍀
Two points; I would get a longer drill bit or a drill bit extension to drill the holes and I would also use a tamper to drive the rebar down instead of a hammer, it's much easier. Not so sure about the screws versus using nails; nails tend to flex while screws tend to shear, but maybe that's outdated thinking.
Looks great! I would do something to coverup those ends so you don't have critters moving in under your shed!
Looks like a stable foundation. When you were talking about the Gorilla Cart being a great tool to move gravel, I did wonder why you didn't have it dropped closer. Or why you weren't using a truck to move it. I don't have a truck, so I use my wheel barrow that has the 2 front wheels.
Yes, I vastly underestimated the time it would take to level the ground. And was not ready when gravel showed up
I think I would have done everything differently? But this is a handy reminder of what it looks like when people have different ways of doing things 👌 You can buy longer framing screws btw
Maaaan, good work, I feel moving that gravel. I did a 15x25 gravel pad for a 10x20 shed this past summer. I anti-varmited under the base with some wire mesh stapled to the inside of the rim joist and buried into the gravel about 4 or 5". I put it on before sheeting the floor.
smart! I'm going to put something there but didn't consider burying it in the gravel, that's a great idea
Good job putting that together Brad! Watching you hand dig everything reminded me of my 14x16 "Covid" shed. The location I needed to use was so far out of level that I would have died if I had to hand dig it. Home Depot Rentals to the rescue with a one day rental of a mini bulldozer thingy with a nice big bucket to move dirt. We still had to hand tamp it because I blew my rental budget on the mini bulldozer. It was worth every penny though.
sounds awesome!
I always take old chain-link fence or metal fence from the garden store and lay it underneath the gravel. It stops the woodchucks from building a home.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
The perimeter encasing the ground can be made with large plastic landscaping ties which are more expensive but will NEVER rot.
I built one for my 14x24 shed and did mot go to all your trouble. It is just as good to.
OK, a couple suggestions from experience (I helped a friend put in an above-ground pool many years ago).
1 -- it probably would have helped if you'd gotten a tiller to loosen up the soil beforehand. "Oh, but then it would be soft, and settle!!" Yes, which is why you then run a hose out to it (possibly not practical in your specific circumstance) and then water the ground down to "pack" it, especially using the tamper.
This leads to:
2 -- you can use a smallish 2x4 -- probably 2-3 feet long -- to gradually push some dirt to the opposite end (e.g., to "screed" it). Get it approximate when dry, and then you can scrape it better when wet, to even stuff out across the... ah... "board". This is probably easier than shoveling. You can even make it easier if you have two people and/or a small tractor/riding lawnmower -- you could have someone put weight on the board as the tractor pulls it slowly.THIS can make that levelling job far far easier. You could even rig something that let you stand and walk with it while keeping some weight on it as needed to find that nice middle ground that gets 2-4 inches at a time but not a hell of a lot more.
Water it down again when you get all the leveling done, so you can be sure it's packed tight. Having heavily watered it -- turned it into serious mud -- will help really really pack the dirt down. Do **NOT** underestimate the value of using *water* -- even if -- particularly if -- you're using a hand tamper, like that shown -- to get the water compact. Doing it when it is distinctly slushy mud allows the sand particles to flow around each other to get tightly packed. Obviously, you don't want too much water, you don't want it puddling on the top, but really "slushy". It's good if it splats a bit when it lands, then there's a puddle when you've hit it a couple times. Yeah, you're going to get dirty... That's half the fun, until you track it inside and the wife gets very annoyed, so prepare ahead of time to clean off outside. 😀
NOT applicable to this scenario -- for a circular bed (e.g., a gazebo or a circular above ground pool), you can use rebar to create a pivot point, and then push it around to scrape a circle level, using a beam level such as the one you show, to get it very flat very quickly, as the scraping will push stuff into the holes readily. Again, apply water routinely to turn it to mud, so it moves and packs readily.
You might have put some watershield -- tyvek -- down on the underside just because that part is going to collect dew and moisture?
Looks good. I like the idea of mixing / pouring a concrete footer instead of 4x6 beams. My 2 cents.
This is awesome!! I need to figure out how to begin a similar job, but at 16'x20' in a yard that slopes...
I have a similar philosophy regarding my children and labor. I am willing to trade food and a place to sleep for labor. Why not take advantage of this resource of abundant energy and youth? It builds character. Not that I have any use for it but it sounds good.
Pretty massive work, Brad! But you did a fantastic job! Well done!!! 😃
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thanks, MC! 💪 💪
Great video! I'm gearing up to build this same style foundation for my new 14'x16' woodworking shop. Pretty sure you've saved me from making some boneheaded mistakes along the way.
Gotta give you props for the tenacity with getting that last timber down.
Great video. Good explanations as it was being built.
I have a Gorilla cart too and I love it! I just wish it was bigger and held more. I also wish the bottom of it was flat, so it would be easier to mix things in.
Good job on lapping your outside boards rather than using the same pattern that was on the bottom. As some one who did residential concrete for 30 years, several comments. One on your aggregate/rock, you do need the fines in the rock. This is mostly to fill in all the voids in the rock. Take a bag of beach sand to the rock, and put a hose on it, and in the 1 foot deep areas, you will have at least half of that sand disappear. Most people never consider how much open holes there are in gravel, even when compacted to 98%. The fabric on the bottom was a good idea, as much to spread the load as anything. The rock will eventually sink into the dirt, and your compaction probably was not getting any where near 90% compaction. You need water and a "sheep's foot" thing to get full compaction. The shovel, aka 'F n Idiot stick', and yes, I am a certified engineer of that tool, in the dirt you have, it is really a cutting tool, so if you sharpen it first, it cuts a lot easier. When all is said and done, it may have cost a bit more money, but a concrete slab would have worked out way better, and with the anchor bolts in the slab, it will never fly away unless you get an "end of times" storm.
Brilliant. Obvious but not obvious if know what I mean.
Most pre-made sheds have wooden bases that rot away due to damp.
Like the levelling idea.
Always enjoy your videos. Very well done.
@ 15:00ish.... It's all about that base, 'bout that base, more gravel.
you might just get some holes dug 2'+ into the ground, put used phone poles in there for a free frame, and then lay baserock with a loader and back drag it. do you care if you have baserock around the shed and rampint the doorway? fill the holes for the poles with baserock too, you need no concrete. i made a shade awning this way and a greenhouse. 4' centers for poles will work with corrugated galvanized, and used stuff works.
Great video and teaching as always... btw LOVE the shadow ghost deer in the frame that you added.
Great video. But here are some points. When you removed the grass, you should have gone down to 4 to 6 inches to remove all organic matter that could make the slab sink later. Also, the proper gravel depth under a concrete slab is 4". I have been a general contractor for over 40 years. Just giving you a helpful point.
Excellent work. Your videos are always visually pleasing. 😃👍
Thank you so much 😀
Awesome! Video! Thanks for sharing!
Great job! I like the Ghost deer at 9:41 too. haha!
Would you recommend using dpc sheet to stop damp rising through floor timbers
Great video. Thank you!
Hello Ghost deer 😊!
Yeah, what's with that? I had to come look through the comments to see if I was crazy! lol
❤
can't wait to see the final product !
thanks!
Nicely done and it will last a very long time.
It seems that a far easier and far cheaper method would be to elevate the shed on some footings, using patio blocks or something similar. Start by building the floor frame, then put blocks under the frame at regular intervals. Use something large like 12"x12" blocks to spread the load on the ground. No need to make the ground level, just use appropriately sized blocks to make the frame level. You don't need to worry about drainage because the shed is not sitting directly on the ground. That's what I did with my shed over 10 years ago, and it's still going strong. Using gravel to elevate the shed and provide drainage accomplishes the same goal, but is way harder and more expensive.
Very informative…..job well down!
Good job anchoring but I agree with other comments as should of keep the dirt away from the timber’s. But awesome job.
Thank you so much for getting to shed building! I’m about to start my own shed project as we’ve recently purchased and built on some land. Excited to see your step by step and follow your lead!
other tutorials are also available................... jus sayin
Curious what the cost difference was for this vs a poured slab.
I had some boards outside covered with plastic. The moisture from the ground started molding the bottom boards. Not sure how your plywood is going to keep from molding.
I am having a prefabricated shed brought in and this was perfect for me to start creating the gravel base for it. My question is. . . since the shed that is being delivered already has a floor to it, should I make a shed foundation as shown to make it sturdier or would having the floor of the shed sitting on the gravel be sufficient. The shed is actually going to be a 12x20 dog kennel with 4 kennels inside.
If planning to use "blocks/pavers" to support walls, and worried about critters easily gaining entrance by digging below shed and gnawing wood, consider supplementing with hardware wire and concrete or post mix. I had to do this for a chicken coop/run I built:
1) dig a trench between posts;
2 run hardware cloth up between studs and posts, with bottom of run more than exceeding bottom of trench;
3) cut bottom of hardware cloth and kick into bottom of trench;
4) use generous amounts of post mix to fill trenches between posts and studs;
5) If you later see entry spots or evidence of attempts, patch with more hardware cloth. Don't allow even a small win for the critters or they will persist.
Built mine 40 years ago. Poured concrete with rebar. Overkill maybe but built to last.
10-minute mark: Love that you are promoting life insurance. Always a good time to bring it up. 👍
You did a good job capturing audio in this one, Brad. It can be a real challenge outdoors.
Thanks! got a little windy there at spots, but that dead cat helped a ton
@@Fixthisbuildthat i don't think I'd have even known if you hadn't called it out. Great job!
Curious as to why the 4x4 side is left exposed with the possibility of that providing shelter for skunks??
I learned from a ditchdigger that using a pickaxe to break up the soil and then you can use a flat spade (even a snow shovel) to dig out the dirt.
Cant wait for the next video!
Nice built very solid. I am curious though, you put a lot of emphasis on "Drainage". It seemed to me that you were concerned about it a lot more than I would be. What is it that I don't know about your property, or the use of your shed, that is going to make really good Drainage such an important thing?
Great job. I recently installed a resin shed (couldn't pass up the clearance price - 50% off!) and had to weigh my options for the foundation. I considered installing a frame on a deck block foundation before finding a retired concrete pro who poured an 8x20 slab for $1600. My property sloped more than yours, and I have a wrist injury, so digging out the grade was not an option for me, but this looks much better than the frame option I was considering.
how long would that pressure treated timber framing out the gravel base in the trenches last since it is directly in contact with the dirt?
I bought a large cart when we bought our new property that is 1.75 acres and I swear to god it was worth EVERY PENNY PAID!! That was the best $300 I ever spent!! I use that thing for everything!! And the fact I can hook it to my little mower makes it even better because then I don’t have to manually pull all that weight to the beck of the property!
I literally just realized I could hook this one up to a hitch!
@@Fixthisbuildthat it’s a life changer!
I wish I could pound rebar into my ground like that, but mine is so super full of sizeable rocks due to the glacial moraine. If I dig just a one foot cubed section of dirt, I'm sure to have at least 20 rocks in the 3 inch to 7 inch range, plus lots of smaller ones and frequently a bigger one. Every anchor I have tried to drive never makes it past 12 inches without hitting an impenetrable barrier. And forget trying the average auger.
Yeah, I only hit one rock (where I ground off the rebar) so I was lucky. It's pretty rocky here, but not like what you're saying
Brad, they make machines that do the digging and other ground work for you!!! Yeah, they do... Seen it myself...
Great video and instructions - very inspiring. Question - What do you do if the 4x4 skids are not perfectly leve i.e., they have a crown? I suspect then you will never be able to have a level ground!
Seriously love the “Ghost Deer” 😂
Did my foundation really fast. Hired a concert guy to lay a concrete foundation in one day! 😅 We get really high wind up on our exposed hill so I needed the weight.
What is the benefit of a foundation like this vs. a reinforced concrete slab? This seems to take less time, however won't the gravel set with time? I know this might also be a specific question due to type of soil, but in general...
at 9:43...was that the ghost of buck's past?
Yes it was 😂😂
Yaay! Thank you for using a foundation that isn’t a concrete slab. I’ve wondered before if it’s truly necessary to have a concrete foundation for a shed
this option will be much much cheaper (and more work, lol). I have about $250 of materials in the gravel base vs close to $1000 if it were poured
@@Fixthisbuildthat and concrete produces alot of CO2 so the gravel will be a greener process