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Shed Foundation Kit Frame ! Do I need one?

&

A Foundation Kit Frame
for an Duramax 8x6 Shed

How do you use a Shed Foundation kit for my Metal Canberra or Duramax Emerald Shed? For Details on our Shed Kits see

www.MclDirect.com

If you have bought an Lifetime HDPE, Trimetals or Tigerbox Timber shed from us then you do not need an optional Foundation Kit for your shed.

If you have bought an Canberra or Emerald Duramax Shed then you might consider buying the Foundation Kit Frame.

Most of our Metal sheds are sold without a floor. This article might be of Interest to you if you are wondering about whether you should buy a Shed Foundation Kit Frame.

How do I use the Frame?

Ideally Metal Sheds are assembled on a flat level surface and then once assembled the shed is screw fixed to the ground. The best base for a shed is always a concrete base as this gives you a great anchor point. Ideally if you are putting in a concrete base you might design it to be exactly the footprint of the sheds base perimeter. You might also design it to be slightly higher than the ground surrounding the shed. This means that any rain water landing on the shed will run off down the sidewalls of the sheds and fall away from the shed rather than seeping inside the shed. Keeping your Shed's floor dry is a good idea for many reasons mainly to avoid the floor being slippery and also to reduce any chance of condensation on the inside of the shed.

When building the concrete Plinth base try to add a plastic damp proof barrier membrane under the concrete or under your paving Slabs. Again this will help with avoiding dampness.

We have a good guide onhow to build a Shed Base at this link here!

Canberra Shed Foundation Kit
Showing Plywood Floor laid on Top

Now when you are buying your Metal Shed you will have the option of buying an optional Foundation Fitting kit frame. Once assembled the Frame will look like the photo at the top of this page. Both Canberra and Duramax Emerald sheds have these optional Foundation kits. Depending on the Size of the shed these usually cost between €50 and €100 extra. Sometimes customers will buy the frame and then decide not to install it. You could argue that installing the Metal floor frame makes for a better shed. It will involve more cost and it’s important that the foundation frame is still anchored to the ground. So you still need a solid base under the frame to screw fix into.

Some people who want to install their sheds over their lawn will buy the frame and then pour Concrete into and over the frame using it as a screed to level the concrete. The weight of the concrete then usually being an adequate anchor for the shed. Always try to imagine the worst wind that ever came to your garden. In February Ireland was hit by some big storms and this is why it’s so important to anchor fix your shed to a concrete base or deck.

Advantages of using the shed Foundation Kit are

It raises the shed floor some inches above ground level so this can help keep the floor of your shed dry.
It does add integral rigidity to the whole shed structure.

Disadvantages,

Extra cost of the foundation frame
Extra cost involved in buying good Plywood to sheet the Frame.
Or extra cost of floating concrete over the Frame.
Extra Time to build the shed.

I would recommend that you buy good Marine Plywood in 8x4 Sheets to sheet out the shed floor above the Foundation Frame. Buy the heaviest Plywood you can get (23mm thick if possible). Don’t use chipboard or MDF because it will go soft. The Plywood will last a lot longer if you coat it with a sheet of Floor Varnish before you install it! Coat both Sides for a really good job!