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I'm planning on building a shed, but before I start talking to professionals want to educate myself about the pros/cons of different methods.

  • Environment: very hot and humid climate, fairly dry/arid soil
  • Structure: 2 adjacent spaces, 10' x 10' (3m x 3m) each
  • Purpose: storing stuff, a space to rest

My question is if I should pour a reinforced concrete slab and build on top of this, or if I should use some concrete blocks and either steel or wooden framing with wooden flooring to build a structure elevated off the ground by about a foot.

In the area, I see both methods used and quite honestly cost is the most deciding factor for me. For cultural reasons, asking a bunch of people for quotes is difficult. Gut feel says concrete is easier to do but more expensive, elevated has the benefit of providing some cooling effect for the afternoon nap but labor intensive with lots of joists and beams. Labor is cheap where I'm building, though.

Any helpful pointers / considerations, etc. would be much appreciated.

Rob de Jonge
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  • 10x10 sheds are not that big. Usually a one person job, but two is nicer. If possible can look for second hand/rehome wood instead of buying new. – crip659 Jul 02 '23 at 12:41
  • You've asked a question which is almost entirely subjective. That's off topic here as it leads to lengthy discussion and a lot of "you could" with little chance of objective answers. – isherwood Jul 02 '23 at 12:55

2 Answers2

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I would go elevated off the ground. It will be cheaper, and it's no more difficult than pouring a concrete floor. Concrete entails digging, base course compaction, reinforcing, troweling and of course buying premixed concrete or mixing it yourself.

You need some posts (probably 9) concreted in, some joists, and then decking timber and walls etc.

I am not a professional but have built a few sheds, a few chicken coops, and a floating deck on a lake. Heres a photo of the last.

enter image description here

It's on 4 posts, rammed into the ground (2 of them, one metre into the lake), notches on the posts and joists on either side sitting on the notches, bolted together. They are cantilevered to make it look floating. Even the steps are floating (off the ground). I know the shed has walls and roof, but you have that in either of your constructions. This project was to teach the kids some skills, they were 10, 11, 14 and 15. I did the posts and the design, and they did the rest. Measuring, sawing, bolts, nailing etc.

Rohit Gupta
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  • Thanks a lot for your answer. It has made the work seem a lot less daunting. I'll be following your recommendation! – Rob de Jonge Jul 04 '23 at 05:29
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If the climate doesn't freeze, and/or minor movement is not an issue, (my case, it certainly freezes here) it's quite easy to build up a structure from the surface of the ground, without digging more than required to get past any topsoil/organic layer into stable subsoil in a few spots to put the base for a post/pier. The posts or piers can be masonry or ground-contact-rated pressure treated wood, as dictated by local supplies and costs. From there, beams, joists, and flooring.

Or you can dig deeper, if you like.

In any case, unless poured concrete is somehow absurdly cheap in your area, a raised floor is generally much less expensive.

I have one shed set on pressure-treated posts buried a bit more than 4 feet in the ground (no concrete used, not needed) and 4 more set on "feet" of a one-foot long section of pressure-treated post laid sideways with another set vertically on top of it that supports the beam supporting the floor and walls. The total cost for the sheds, completed, at the time was less than it would have cost just to have concrete poured for their floors. They are still standing and functional more than 20 years later.

Ecnerwal
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