How To Pour A Concrete Slab For A Shed

Any homeowner wants to have a solid foundation for their property. A concrete slab can do wonders in providing a strong foundation not only to the interiors of your home but also to your garden shed. It can be the strongest and long-lasting foundation for your shed. A concrete slab will maintain the shed level and keep the grass and weeds from growing under and around your shed. 

Learning how to pour this slab properly is essential to maintain the desired shed level that will protect from rot, mold, and moisture. If you are going to pour a concrete slab on your own, you will need to plan and prepare the tools that you will use. 

Materials and tools you will need: 

• High-quality cement
• Crushed stones
• Wheelbarrow
• Water
• Sand
• Round bladed (digging) shovel
• Pickaxe
• Tamper
• Float 
• Spade
• Wooden stakes
• Strings 
• Screws
• Steel bar 
• Wire
• Anchor bolts
• Plastic sheeting
• 4 feet level
• Tape measure
• Hammer
• Trowel  
• Protective gear (work gloves, safety goggles, rubber boots, and a dust mask 
• Concrete mixer

A concrete pad foundation, you will need the following: ½ rebar, gravel, wood for a pad, and 2x4s for stakes and kickers.

 

Steps on how to pour a concrete slab for a shed:

1. Find an appropriate place for your slab, ideally a flat ground. Clean and prepare this ground by eliminating roots, grass, rocks, and dirt. Get the measurement of the shed’s dimensions and mark the location of the slab on the ground using a string and wooden pegs. The slab must be a little bigger than the shed. 

2. Using a spade and pickaxe, dig the spot up to the depth of 20cm. If you find any roots, simply remove it. Make sure that the base of the excavation is level. 

3. The wooden formwork should be built using timber planks and screws. It must be about 10 cm above the ground around the perimeter of the foundation hole. The formwork must have no gaps in it. 

4. Pour in a 15 cm layer of crushed stones and compress it with the help of the tamper. 

5. Prepare and mix a batch of concrete using the following ingredients – sand, water, and cement. Make sure to read and follow the instructions on the cement bag. 

6. Pour in about 5 cm of mixed concrete and using a float, flatten it out. Also, make sure that it is properly level. 

7. Get your steel rebar and cut it to size. Wet the pieces of steel rebar with water and lay it on top of the newly poured concrete. Using thin wire, fix the rebar together. 

8. Again, pour another 5 cm layer of concrete on top of the steel bar. It must be level with the top of the wooden framework. Smooth out the surface using float. 

9. Just before the concrete dries and solidifies, place anchor bolts in the four corners of wet concrete. This will serve as the stand later on. Make sure that you insert the anchor bolts on the right location because it will be challenging to reverse it once the concrete dries. 

10. Let the concrete set for at least 24 hours before removing the wooden framework. Remove any sharp edges of concrete. 

11. Allow the concrete to cure for 28 days. As you let it cure, occasionally damp the surface with water to keep its moisture. Cover it with plastic sheeting for protection. 

12. After 28 days or once the concrete has cured, put the wooden shed at the top of the slab attaching it to the anchor bolts.