10x12 concrete slab for shed - DIY?

[aigel]

I need to replace my 40+ year old 10x12 metal garden shed and would like to go with another basic 10x12 metal shed but this time have a wood-free floor. Concrete seems the best solution.

I don't want to spend $2k having a slab poured for erecting a $500 shed. Can I pour a slab myself, without hiring a concrete truck? Looks like about 45 cu ft of concrete, which comes out to 100 60 lbs bags of quickcrete. That seems tough without a mixer and even with a mixer rental, 100 bags of quickcrete are $300 and this sounds like a lot of labor doing it piece mail. Any help on how to do this on a budget?

There are metal floor frame kits but they still require wood floor boards. Are those prone to termite damage? Can these floor boards easily be changed? This shed is at a house that I will rent out in the future, so it should be both inexpensive but also last 20-30 years without major service.

G

[Sooner or later]

Concrete blocks?

[Norm K]

I bought a lot with a 300K sqft building in Houston about ten years ago. The seller had owned the building for 50+ years and had reportedly poured the entire concrete floor himself ... in 10'x10' sections. So I'd have to say that, yes, a guy can probably pour a single 10x12 pad without too much trouble. On a side note, the building was completely unsuitable for my purpose but was, very fortunately, built entirely from rough-hewn cypress. The recyclers had quite the bidding war over that one - more than paid for the 40 acre parcel.

_

[Tidybuoy]

I personally would do the job myself. I poured a 14x14 slab in my past. In my case, we have a concrete place about 3 miles away so I purchased the concret pre-made but it came in a trailer which I towed home (basically, a giant wheel barrow).

I've also done smaller projects with bags of quickcrete but keep in mind that the first 25 bags will go pretty well and then you will be exhausted. The next 75 bags won't go as easy. If you go the bag route, definately rent or buy a mixer, that's a lot of bags to mix with a shovel. I just bought a cheap mixer at home depot that was $225 but I also have a few projects coming up this summer.

You might check craigslist for mixers or inquire on this board - maybe someone close to you would lend one.

Also, consider the cost of cement tools, it can add up. It ultimately may cost more than you want but cement under that tool shed will definately be better than wood or dirt.

[oldE]

$2000 for two yards of concrete?
What would it cost to rent a mixer?
Best
Les

[speedster911]

There are cement places that rent a trailer of premiex - I think they are one yeard each. It's been a while since I used them. The trailers tilt and make the pour very easy. I think Central Concrete in SJ was a place I used about 15 years ago .

Another option is cement blocks and run some treated 4x4's. many times the pier bocks are free on CL. You can secure the piers with some baged cement and if you interbrace the 4x4's it is super solid. I have an 8x12 shed sitting on this type of subframe. I added 1.25 " plywwod on top of the 4x4 and have shed sittimng on that. A real overkill the way I did it.. but no movement at all over 5 years.

[URY914]

Pouring concrete is A LOT of work. If you've never done it before you'll be surprised how much work it is. The pre-mix in the trailers is the only way to go. Mixing bags is way too slow. I've done it several times. Go to You-tube and watch how others do it.

[LakeCleElum]

Rent a mixer and do the bags with a good wheelbarrow....Easy......

When I was a kid, helped my dad pour a slab for a garage 60 x 30'........Hauled the gravel one pickup load at a time from a gravel pit, me one shovelful at a time....Took 1/2 the summer on that job........

[Esel Mann]

What about 16"-18" square pavers on concrete fines underneath? Footers where shed needs support/retention?

[gr8fl4porsche]

Get it 100% ready to pour and order a truck.

Too much is better than not enough.

Have a friend or 2 help.

Tell them you are an amateur and they can slow the set time down for you.

Watch you tube vids on finishing.

[Evans, Marv]

A 10x12x4 in. slab is 40 cu ft., which comes out to about 1.5yds. of concrete. Each ready mix bag is 2/3 of a cu. ft. (at least the ones I've bought at H.D.), which equals 61 bags (not including any extra to cover irregularities). I did a slab like that once and bought the one cubic yard trailers of ready mix. It worked out great. The only thing I didn't like about it was the bumping on the road towing them home made the concrete aggregate settle a little and I had to mix it up when I got it home, plus it started to set up a little. I used the extra half yard for an apron. Since then I've made a few sheds with concrete piers rather than slab. I like it better. I leveled the area, set 12 (or 15?) piers leveled, ran ten foot pressure treated 4x4's and laid 2x4's perpendicular, flat side down with maybe half in. or more spaced between & covered them with plywood sheets. I used lag bolts to secure the base plates.

[HardDrive]

$2000 for a 10x12 slab!!! WTF? That's insane.

I put a 10x12 shed on our rental property in Seattle. Wood floor over 2x6 joists, it rests on concrete blocks about 4 inches above grade. I bought it from Home Depot. All I had to do was provide level ground and the blocks. They came out and assembled the whole thing on site for like $1200. 4 years later, very a happy with it.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Esel Mann

What about 16"-18" square pavers on concrete fines underneath? Footers where shed needs support/retention?

I would look into this as an option.

There are all kinds of pavers to select from.

Once you get the paver base down, just level it with a short piece of 2x4 and start laying your pavers.

Then sprinkle some builder's sand on top and broom into the cracks.

[cabmandone]

Frame it and pour it. It's not rocket science. For the size you're talking make a "L" shaped screed board have it poured and then screed and broom finish. OR if you have a few friends, buy a lot of sakrete and rent mixer.

[look 171]

Bag, mixer or ready mix in a buggy isn't your problem. You problem is your help. You need another person to help with the pour or finish the concrete. This is not really something you can do in a days. a 4' thick 10x12 slab is about 1.5 yard of concrete or about 90 bags of 60 lbs bag of concrete. Its no fun unless you are looking to punish yourself.

Why not jsut pour small footings and set a pier on top and run floor joist over girder and install plywood subfloor on top of that and put your lil' building on top of that. All that can be done in a day and the cost would be a couple hundred bucks

[Baz]

[GWN7]

Pouring bag concrete mix is hard dirty work. The lime from the concrete gets on your skin, in your eyes/mouth and burns. Add your sweat to that to make it worse. I've done it. Have the mixer and all the tools.

Look on Craigslist for 24 X 24 blocks. Lots of people pull them and sell used for 1/3 or less the new cost. Even at new retail your cost will be the same or less than what you would pay for the 100 bags of concrete.

Put them on a bed of gravel and then sand on top to lay the blocks on (this insures good drainage). The whole base might only cost you $100....

[DanielDudley]

Once you get up to 50 or 60 bags, it becomes easier and cheaper to have a truck come out. At least that is how it works around here. That slab will be about 2400 pounds of dry concrete, which has to be trucked to the site.

I did a slightly bigger slab a few months ago, and it took three trips with a 1500 pound truck. I was done mixing and pouting by 11 or so, went to lunch. It was ready to trowel in about an hour after floating it a couple of times.

It's all about what you want, and concrete is a great base, but if anyone wants to lose that shed, they will need a jackhammer to get that slab out. This is why it is so common to build a pressure treated deck and build the shed on that. Pavers are an interesting solution, but I have some under a shed at my house, and a ground hog decided to undermine one corner.

If you are in fair shape, it won't be too hard to mix that amount of concrete, but it would be easier and cheaper to pay for a short load if you can get one. I expect there are YouTube videos all about this...

[DanielDudley]

Some guys build a pole barn type shed, and put the pavers or concrete in later. It can be quick, depending on your soil.

[David]

Originally Posted by gr8fl4porsche

Get it 100% ready to pour and order a truck.

Too much is better than not enough.

Have a friend or 2 help.

Tell them you are an amateur and they can slow the set time down for you.

Watch you tube vids on finishing.

+1. That's what I did to add 18" to the width of my driveway. I think the truck was $300 for about 3 yards.