Most economical paving slabs? Shed base.

Lopéz · 22 Oct 2013 at 12:44

I need to lay a shed base, around 16x10 in my garden.

I can't lay a concrete base as I am probably looking to move on from this house in the next couple of years and will be taking the shed with me, so I don't want to leave behind a whopping great slab especially after going to the expense of laying it.

I'm finding economical paving slabs hard to come by, anyone have any tips? The other route I was considering was suggested to me by a shed builder, which is to simply use rows of breeze blocks hammered into the soil to make what are essentially long bearers and rest the shed on top of that.
He said unless I was planning to use it as a garage or something that should be more than sufficient.

Any suggestions or pointers?

Nightglow · 22 Oct 2013 at 12:57

150mm concrete blocks with a piece of dpm on each of them, then sat on that is a 75mm square fence post, the length/width (can't remember which way they run, it's opposite to the floor bearers run on the shed floor) is all I'm using to support one of my sheds.

Blocks are probably about half a metre spacing between them, could have wider spacing I suppose, but it stops any possible sagging, as does the 75mm bearers.

EDIT: Post are 10' lengthwise, & the floor bearers are crossways, blocks & floor haven't sunk or sagged in the 3 years it's been down.

And you could use 100mm concrete blocks, just I happen to acquire the 150mm free off freecycle, so I used them.

pitchfork · 22 Oct 2013 at 13:41

Gumtree or similar, people sell second hand slabs all the time.

neil_g · 22 Oct 2013 at 15:08

the most economical i found were the british standard concrete ones from B&Q. they flippin heavy though, you'll need a good vehicle to get them. i used 6 60x60x5cm for my 8x6 shed.

pitchfork · 22 Oct 2013 at 15:16

neil_g said:
the most economical i found were the british standard concrete ones from B&Q. they flippin heavy though, you'll need a good vehicle to get them. i used 6 60x60x5cm for my 8x6 shed.

Aint nothing gonna be cheap from B&Q, try a proper builders merchants.

neil_g · 22 Oct 2013 at 15:32

pitchfork said:
Aint nothing gonna be cheap from B&Q, try a proper builders merchants.

yeah probably. i did try to see if any merchants would deliver as they were some distance away but wouldnt for the small quantity so went for B&Q which was much closer and saved on fuel.

johnny6 · 22 Oct 2013 at 15:44

Could you not scout around your local area and see if anyone is completing any building work. You could offer to take their bricks/slabs off their hands for free, saving them the hassle of getting rid of them/saving space in their skip.

My folks did this for the materials for their shed base. Nothing ventured nothing gained so to speak.

Burned_Alive · 22 Oct 2013 at 16:13

When do you need them and how far are you willing to travel?

wazza300 · 22 Oct 2013 at 17:00

sit it on some concrete garden fence posts? lay them down in a row