Caught a bit of a podcast about building a shed foundation on clay soil

The host said something like 'you fight the dirt, you lose every time' and it made me stop sanding. I've been trying to force a level base for a small project in my yard, which is basically solid clay after a rain. What's the actual move for a simple 8x10 shed pad when the ground just won't behave?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elizabeth9d ago

My own shed project taught me the same hard lesson. I spent two full days with a rented plate compactor trying to beat my clay into submission. The floating deck frame idea is the way to go, as it moves with the ground instead of fighting it.

flores.mark9d ago

My buddy tried to fight his clay yard for a shed base last spring, lol. He spent a whole weekend with a tamper and gravel, only to watch it turn into a wavy mess after one good storm. The guy at the lumber yard finally told him to just build a floating deck frame out of pressure treated wood right on top of the grass, then put the shed on that. It sounds wrong, but it actually worked and hasn't moved an inch. Sometimes you just have to work with the crazy soil instead of against it.

sam_cooper9d ago

Man, just build a wood skid frame directly on the ground and let it float with the soil.