I need a semi-permanent footing for a 10 x 12 wood-frame shed. Has anyone here ever used the precast concrete deck blocks as a base for a shed? Will frost heave of 1/2″-1″ kill this idea?
The blocks would be set over gravel filled pits and the the shed frame would be anchored at six places around the perimeter to keep it from blowing off in winds.
Edited 12/23/2004 7:51 pm ET by TJK
Edited 12/23/2004 7:59 pm ET by TJK
Replies
Are you building this for yourself or for others?
How will you anchor the shed?
The anchor issue regardless, if I was building a shed for me I would lay the deck blocks directly on the gravel. If the frost heaves the bulding nothing really bad will happen. Just keep an eye on it.
For a client, posts or piers to a footing below the frost line.
Jon Blakemore
There precast four and five foot tall pyramidic piers available for about 35 - 38 bucks.
Dig hole and plunck
They have a hole tapped for bolt to attach post hardware
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Thanks for the suggestion on the pre-cast piers. I've seen the plastic blow-molded forms for piers, but I've never seen one precast-- about how much do they weigh? I live in a dry climate where the temperatures get cold enough in Winter to freeze the ground 12" deep.
You wouldn't need a four foot deep pier then. They may not even be available at your suppliers down there.
They weigh enough thqat it is all two men can to to place them. What I do is have them delivered, and then beg, borrow, or steal a backhoe. I dig the hole, and have an eyebolt with the same threading as the bolt hole tapped in that i thread into place in the top of it. I then use a little old chain and the bucket to boom it into the hole, using lines to get within a half inch to an inch of where it should be centered and then seat it plumb. ( in some soils I will have placed washed stone base first and compacted it too. That helps align tops to neaqr level if needed)
Then I start the backfill carefully with shovel and tamping until about a third of the way up, and finish off with the backhoe, and move to the next one. two guys can average twenty minutes each after the batter boards and lines are up
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
A dry climate with well drained soil - I wouldn't worry about heaving at all for just a shed.
The idea of shallow foundations is to use well drained soil to keep water from collecting under you because it is the water in the soil freezing that heaves.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I used them. Seem OK, but fairly expensive for what they are. No problems yet after several years. Shed is freestanding on very short 4x4 posts into the dek bloks.
Fine thing if shed is unattached,, especially with gravel tamped in under them. i doubt it will move
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
As the domestic deva said, these blacks are cute but costly. Plain old concrete blocks would do the job for less money.
The key is to keep the area dry. Do a good job with your gravel bed, and a small building like that should be fine.
What's your climate like?
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
What does everyone consider costly? I geet them for 13 - 18 bucks depending on size. Don't consider that costly.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!