DIY Installation Guidance
DIY installation of bases need not end up any less capable than professional ones. The main difference is that if anything goes wrong, you can be sure it is down to faulty parts or likely missing one vital part of the design process and you will have to deal with it. When looking to install a shed or structure without a full concrete base, it is important to look at load bearing and weight distribution against how the various options add up, to determine the total cost for a base.
EasyBases have been designed to fill the demands of multiple scenarios with minimal need for further expenditure. EasyBases inherent adaptability allows for them to be incorporated into custom solutions that are only limited by the imagination of the designer.
For the DIY customer who may be less aware of the considerations the professionals working with external structures must be aware of, we include the following general guidance and references to help in the design and planning for your structure.
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Building Sizes
Smaller Structures
The smallest structures have the widest range of options since load bearing and weight distribution are less complicated. A couple of millimetres from true on a 6’ shed is not ideal but far less of an impact than on a 16’.
Generally, simplicity and cost are the primary considerations.
Larger Structures
As sizes of structures increase, calculating and meeting requirements for load bearing, weight distribution and precise squaring of the structure becomes critical. For one, doors do not open and close if not square and a sloping floor is not likely desired!
Generally, a detailed site survey, mitigating post-install settling/sinking, ensuring wide points are adequately supported, precise frame shape and levelling are key. This is often why choosing a professional installation may be considered less hassle.
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DIY Considerations
For a DIY installation, making a decision from the ever expanding ‘only base you will ever need’ adverts may be harder than for professionals, who know what works and doesn’t, for a multitude of surface types. The following is how we look at where EasyBases EasyFrames fit into design considerations.
- Plastic solutions may not feel as strong or capable as other options but they represent the cheaper end of available choices. If not choosing basic plastic bearers, site preparation to fit plastic base squares and then filling with gravel will increase deployment time and relies on the siting being previously levelled.
- Beyond adding a few more bearers, you can build a basic wooden platform to spread load further but have to work out a solution to level the structure that may require more expense.
- You can buy adjustable ground screws or plastic base attachments but still have to connect them to a wooden frame.
- Over-engineering for the size of a structure can be a means of reducing risks from post-install sinking or settling. This is where concrete piers or what are noted as ‘Heavy-duty’ wooden frames that include concrete footings are used. While this increases cost, peace of mind is better than the prospect of having to start again to repair/remediate a lesser solution.
The table below is intended to give a rough indication or starting point when considering your surface and building type. Concrete of course wins hands down in most areas barring cost and portability. That is another of EasyBases’ benefits, if you want to lift your base and shift the building now or in 10 years, there will be no ingress of moisture as perhaps with a wooden base (however limited by tanalising) and it does not need breaking up and disposing of as would concrete.
| Surface/Substrate | Possible Base and Footing Options | Garden Building Type (regardless of base) |
| Concrete | Frame alone unless extra height desired. | Any – Shed (wooden, composite or concrete), Greenhouse, Garden Room (composite or solid wood)… |
| Concrete Piers/Pillars | Frame with feet or embedded bolts attached to inserts. | Similar to above although depending on overall load bearing considerations and pier foundations. |
| Sloping or uneven concrete (not cracked) | Frame with adjustable feet to suit surface | Shed (wooden or composite), Greenhouse, Composite Garden Room (small) |
| Compacted soil with/without masonry (slabs, bricks…) | Frame with load spreading feet. | Wooden Sheds and Greenhouses |
| Soil with ground screws | Frame with adaptions to fit specified/compatible ground screw types. | Most types, generally not a DIY choice, if taking this route it is advisable to seek professional input. |
| Extreme cases – steep slopes, water overhang… | Custom built frame and fixings. | These would fall into the category of bespoke designs and we would work with the designers and installers to produce what is needed. |
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Where do EasyBases fit in?
It is clear that EasyBases fit in the market as a precise and quick to build base solution. They are not a solution for all situations though and we would not market as such.
In a single product range, EasyBases provide multiple adjustable footing choices and a precision built base frame, at a cost lower than comparable wooden platform options that are one step up from basic bearers.
Further, EasyBases can be combined with existing methods, just as with simple wooden or plastic frames, such as embedding the bolts into concrete piers or simply laying an EasyFrame on paving slabs or bricks.
Placing an EasyFrame alone or with feet onto soft soil or grass would not be something we would recommend as this is not an intended use. You may feel using something you have to hand such as paving slabs or tiles is enough for your needs and with smaller wooden sheds this might be the case. Taking a risk with no or homemade load distribution is entirely at the purchaser’s discretion.
If wishing to add simple load distribution without raising the structure much higher, our new range of feet would suit but even on well compacted and drained soil, anything but the smallest sheds are going to need greater levels of support.
EasyFloors can be used in any case where an external overhang is required or the building comes with no floor. Calculations when considering these against the table below must consider the additional weight of the tiles.