Child Item

How much gravel needed for a garden shed base?

Eric31

I've just purchased a narrow slider garden shed.

Screen Shot 2022-10-14 at 12.52.20 pm.png

The dimensions are 2.25 metres by 0.78 metres and I'm going to place it on concrete pavers.

I'm not planning to put a concrete slab down as it's so small.

Just wondering how much gravel I would need for the base?

Find more posts tagged with

Tools and Materials

Building and Construction

Accepted answers

All comments

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Eric31. It's great to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about constructing a garden shed base.

Since most sheds are designed to sit on a concrete slab, it's a bit hard to give you an exact figure on how much gravel you'd need for a compacted base. You could follow @Adam_W's guide on How to lay paving for a path, where he suggests a base of 30-50mm of road-base compacted down, then a 20-30mm layer of bedding or paving sand. That would be around 0.0878 m³ of gravel. I'd suggest starting with ten bags which should get you most of the way there. Eight bags of sand will also be needed. Compactors can be hired from our stores for your project. Alternatively, if you decide to create a slab, this guide by @tom_builds on How to pour a concrete slab will be useful.

I'm not sure if you've thought about this yet, but you'll need to fix the shed down, so it doesn't blow away in high winds. This is one of the advantages of using a concrete slab as you'll find the pavers don't offer such a stable foundation.

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Mitchell

tomjgardner

Hi team. Following on from the above - I was going to use roadbase, sand / crusher dust and then large eco-slab pavers (900 x 600) for both stability and drainage. My concern is the fixing point made above. If you arent pouring concrete (my built is in the middle of nowhere so im trying to avoid this) - what are the options / ideas to fix the shed down? Sleeper pegs into the compacted roadbase maybe? Strapping around the bottom of the pavers?
Just looking for ideas and not an engineering opinion 🙂

Thanks in advance. Tom

Akanksha

Hi @tomjgardner,

Thank you for your question. Our resident D.I.Y. expert @EricL should be able to assist you when he's back online later today. In the meantime, let me also tag @Adam_W and @riziqbl to see if they have any thoughts.

Akanksha

Sporko

Hi Tom I used the concrete screw bolts below on my sheds. Dunno what ecoslabs are but provided they can hold a bolt and you're not drilling to close to the edge. Get a hammer drill and follow the instructions on the packed for pilot hole drilling and dust removal. Solid as.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ramset-6-x-50mm-zinc-ankascrew-masonry-anchor-10-pack_p2260324

EricL

Hello @tomjgardner

I suggest having a look at this discussion - Garden shed on timber base by @Malcolm. Opting for a heavy timber base has several benefits, including elevating the shed above the ground to prevent ground moisture from accumulating inside and preventing rainwater from seeping into the shed floor. Additionally, the timber frame can be dismantled and reconstructed in a different location, which is a definite advantage.

I suggest anchoring the shed to the timber frame using a nut and bolt set along with angle brackets.

I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with the ecoslab product. However, if you are after a similar looking paver, I propose checking the Everhard 600 x 600 x 50mm Paving Slab. It is possible to drill into the paver, however, I can't make any guarantees if the paver will not crack or split while being drilled into. There is no assurance that the paver will keep the shed in place in the event of a storm hitting the side of the shed.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Jason

Hi @Sporko and @tomjgardner,

Let me extend a very warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and thank you for joining in the discussion. We look forward to reading all about your projects and plans for around the house and garden. Please don't hesitate to post anytime you need a hand or have something to share with other members.

I'd also like to remind readers of this discussion that the helpful @tom_builds shared a step-by-step guide How to pour a concrete slab which is always going to be a recommended base for a shed.

Thanks,

Jason

Child Item