UK Online Allotments: How to put a Shed up

What you read and see in the den stay's in the den, haha.

If you decide to put a shed on your allotment there are a few factors you might want to consider IE what type of shed the shed location on the plot, is your plot prone or susceptible to flooding etc. I decided I wanted a potting shed and was lucky enough to find this one on that funny old auction site “what a result”.

Having decided I wanted a potting shed , I'd only seen the usual Solar and Pent type potting sheds, in varies different qualities of materials and finishes etc and there not cheap. I also had a couple of ideas on were the shed should go, but on buying this particular shed it committed me to one position, and believe me when I say I'm more than happy with it.

Now I'd bought the shed it was time to build a foundation. I'd already acquired some paving slab's, my step mother had a summer house put up in her garden in the summer, and had some broken slabs she wanted to get rid of, so I happily took them away. I then took six complete slabs up from my back garden patio (lol), they were dangerous and uneven anyway, and she's very understanding is the Mrs Allotment Apprentice.

I then laid the six slabs out where I wanted the shed too go, measured the positions and cut around a slab with a shovel. I then removed the slab and dug down three to five inches roughly, then I broke up some of the broken slabs with a sledge hammer as small as reasonably possible creating a type one rubble, I then filled the hole I just dug with the rubble, put a whole slab on top of the rubble to find the level, then knocked up a three to one dry mix of sand and cement, removed the whole slab and poured the mix on the rubble making sure it fills between the gaps of the rubble, at this point you need to get the slab as level as possible using a spirit level.

I repeated this procedure on the other three corners and then the two middle ones. Once this is completed you can leave it overnight and it will set but I'd leave for a few days before putting the shed up I left it just over a week, you can pour water over the paving slab to start of the setting process.

Just before you carry all of this out you'll need to consider the frame for the shed to sit on, and the slabs need to support the frame equally on all four corners and in the middle across the joists giving an even weight distribution throughout, I was lucky in that the frame came with shed and fitted the slabs I took from the garden perfectly.

Now you're ready to put your shed up, the hardest part of this is getting enough bodies to commit their time but fortunately I was lucky.

Firstly my mate the Community Gardener @FHTMOAllotment was generous enough to help me empty the shed and dismantle it and bring it home and then get it to the plot.

I also had a neighbour who again helped me dismantle it and put the shed up again, along with a couple of mates who also helped me put the shed up.