Wooden shed on a sloped garden - dig out or mount on blocks?

seamus

As it says, I've a garden with a pretty big slope - 1 in 8. I'm planning on buying a pre-built wooden shed - Barna or Waltons or similar.

Originally my thought process was to dig out the space and put down a paving slab base, but it was quite rightly pointed out to me that this would be a lot of digging. About a tonne of soil by my calculations :eek:
No guarantee that I wouldn't hit stones or some other crap halfway through, and I have no side passage, so no easy way of moving that soil out.

So same person's suggestion was to simply put down 4" concrete blocks in the usual supporting positions and stack them as necessary to make a level base. Then I could fit a wooden skirt around the bottom to keep pets and children from exploring.

Does this seem like the way to go or am I missing something?

sky6

It sounds like the way to go al-right.

CJhaughey

Put it on blocks, but do not cover the bottom in with panneling, it will become a home for vermin if you do.
I have mine on blacks for the last 5+ years and its lasted very well out of contact with the soil and no rat infiltrations either.
Make sure your shed has a strong enough base to do this, if the base is thin and weak it will bow and collapse.

seamus

Thanks guys. Definitely need something though to keep children and dogs from getting in underneath. Wire mesh maybe, but that will look crap. Was thinking of putting weed control membrane underneath anyway - would that help keep vermin out, if there's nothing in there for them?

seamus

Also, at one side, the stack will be pretty big; around 16", so 4 blocks stacked on each other. Am I being overly concerned that this could slip or should I use a 9" cavity block or something instead?

looksee

Also remember that you will have to reach up to open the door, which will then be swinging free. You will also have to put in some sturdy steps which you can haul a lawnmower etc up and down.

looksee

Any chance you could put it in sideways - across the slope, to make access easier and have the narrower width to support rather than the length? You could also dig out a small amount and have less height to support.

seamus

Yeah, the plan is to put it sideway across the slope. Garden slopes down towards the house, so the plan is to put in a shed like this with the shed door facing the house.

I would prefer side access to the shed (would also be cheaper...), but there's an oil tank in the way. Means there'll be a pretty big step into the shed, but that doesn't bother me much, it means I can get a longer shed.