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Can you use wooden pallets for garden shed floor?

Tricia2002

Hi, I have an Absco Standard Bike Shed 3.00m x 1.52m x 2.08m and I'm looking at getting a cheap flooring for the bike shed?

Can wooden pallets work, if I treated the wood and nail down wooden sheets on top? Or what other cheap options are there? I got quoted a wooden floor kit would cost $1000 , I don't want to spend that much.

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Tricia2002

Hi, I have an Absco bike shed 3 X 1.52, says I need to bolt down to a cement slab, and need to buy extra Anchor kits. I want to try an alternative way of anchoring my shed, by using Matrix Shed Floor Panels

on their site it mentions how to anchor a shed down.

https://www.designflow.com.au/shed_floor_panel.html.

Has anyone used these before to anchor a shed down, can you share pictures of what it looks like, because I'm not sure how it is done.

EricL

Hello @Tricia2002

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your question about using pallets as a garden shed floor.

Unfortunately, timber pallets don't last long when in contact with water and soil. You have a few options when it comes to building a shed floor.

Purchase a pre-made shed frame such as the - STILLA Oxford Shed Accessory Heavy Duty Floor Kit.
Build your own timber frame using Treated Pine Outdoor Timber Framing 90 x 45mm, DEKO 250 x 150 x 150mm Instant Concrete Foundation Block, and 2440 x 1220 x 12mm AA Grade Mixed Plywood
Make a concrete flooring base.

Among those, the most affordable option is the concrete base. You'll approximately need 26 bags to create a base that is 75mm thick. If you go ahead with this option, I suggest hiring a cement mixer from your local store to speed up the mixing of the cement. For extra strength, I recommend putting in Whites 1800 x 1050 x 5mm Light Duty Reo Mesh in conjunction with Whites 25 - 40mm Plastic Reinforcing Bar Chair - 20 Pack.

Here are some handy step-by-step guides:

Here are some shed flooring projects our Workshop members have shared.

Let me tag our experienced members @r23on and @Brad for their recommendations.

If you need more advice or information, please let us know.

Eric

EricL

Hi @Tricia2002

Are you using the Matrix 590 x 590 x 20mm Charcoal The Shed Tread Panel? I'll have to give Matrix a call and find out what anchoring systems they recommend. I suggest having a look at the local council rules and regulations regarding anchoring your shed. If not done correctly, the shed could get blown away in a storm and cause harm and property damage. As soon as I have more information, I'll get back to you.

Eric

Brad

Concrete is cheap, strong and has weight to hold a shed down when anchored properly.

Sleepers are a bit harder to layout to get a level floor and if just used around the walls depending on the span you could use ply or similar on top.

Treated pine is a bit light if you live in a high wind area and takes a reasonable DIY skill set but you can have a wide choice of materials for the top.

Steel frame similar to trerated pine but harder to work with and less options for fixing a top.

Sometimes pallets have a ply top which is definatly not a A grade face finish which with some work can be seperated out, I would paint the underside before fixing them down to a frame.

I like the old style Ekodeck as an almost no maintenence option, pitty they don't make it anymore. decking boards would be my next choice.

I dislike standing on concrete for extended lengths of time, gym mats can be used to make the floor less harh and more comfortable.

Tricia2002

Thanks Eric, yes they are the Matrix 590 x 590 x 20mm Charcoal The Shed Tread Panels. I did give the company Design Flow a call, where the matrix panels are manufactured. They told me pretty much what is on their website.

"To install, first prepare a flat area. Use of sand and weed mat is recommended if placing panels on soil.

To join, align clips and slots then step or push down to clip together.

To unclip, insert a flat blade screwdriver into slots and lift one clip at a time.

To secure a shed to the ground, you will need 4 screw type tent pegs and 4 angle brackets.

Attach the angle brackets to the shed in the corners.

Drill holes through the angle brackets and the shed floor panels large enough for the tent pegs to fit through.

Screw the tent pegs into the ground through the angle brackets and the shed floor panels."

I wish that they could show a video or even pictures to demonstrate to show how it is done. I couldn't find any demonstration videos on YouTube either.

EricL

Hi @Tricia2002

I've spoken to Design Flow and they don't have any videos for the ground installation. I suggest checking with your local council what ground anchors are allowed for your shed. There are auger anchors that you can use, but they must be the approved anchors your local council recommends. Unfortunately, tent pegs and tent anchors will not be safe for your shed. Your local council will typically have rules in place for garden shed anchorage. It's best that you meet or exceed these requirements to avoid costly fines.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Tricia2002

Thanks Eric for checking, i thought I could use my pavers for the perimeter to bolt the shed on, and fill the area with the matrix panels, do you think that could work?

MitchellMc

Hi @Tricia2002,

As mentioned, Absco sheds are designed to be fixed to a concrete slab or timber flooring kit. To be covered by warranty, comply with building codes, be weatherproof for normal weather conditions, and be resistant to extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain, combined with high wind gusts, they must be fixed to an approved base. The shed requires 15 x 10mm Dynabolts into a solid concrete slab in order to provide rigidity and stop it flying away in a storm. It's not so much what material you wish to place around or inside the shed as flooring, but how you will fix the structure down. This is where your local council comes into play, and you'll need to check whether fixing the shed to pavers would comply. I would suggest that there's a possibility that after extremely high wind gusts, which you might experience once or twice a year, you'll need to retrieve your shed and attached pavers from the next-door neighbour property. I've seen a structure pick up four x 20kg concrete blocks, which it was attached to, and fly away like it was attached to nothing.

In answer to your question, what you have suggested could work. However, it won't comply with warranty conditions, possible council requirements, and there's a good chance it will blow away in high winds.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Tricia2002

Hi Mitchell, thanks for your reply. I won't be able to use a concrete slab and a wooden floor kit would be to expensive. I'm going to use cement pavers around the perimeter to bolt down the shed on and fill the middle area with Matrix floor panels or even see people use pea or stone gravel. I have another small shed about 1.5 x1.5 metres put down onto small paver bricks around 12 years ago, and that has not lifted up during high winds.

I could always put extra bolts into the cement pavers to give more security.

Brad

I think Bunnings employee's have to be careful with the advice they give, given there would be public liability issues for bad advice if it was to turn pear shaped.

I would use sleepers over pavers as there is more weight in them but I also have an old aviary that was replace by a shed that is just sitting on pavers in the back yard waiting to be thrown away it hasn't blown away yet...

MitchellMc

That's fair enough, @Tricia2002.

If you change your mind, creating a concrete slab that is 3000x1500x75mm would require around 39 x bags of Bastion 20kg Concrete Mix which would cost $284. @tom_builds has excellent articles on How to pour a concrete slab and How to finish a concrete slab which I trust you'll find helpful.

Mitchell

Noyade

"Unfortunately, timber pallets don't last long when in contact with water and soil."

I learnt that a few years back - termites loved them. 🙁

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