Shed Base for a DIY novice

We have recently decided to purchase a wooden shed for our garden.

We're looking at a 10x6 shed and after seeing some online guides for shed bases, I thought I would get stuck in and get the foundation done myself.

As a complete novice, I set off last weekend and have now dug a 11x7 hole in the garden to give a nice border around the shed.

Next steps is to level off the soil to some extent, compact it a little (jump on it and hit it with a shovel!), add sand/cement dry mix and then slabs on top...just how I read...

Given the measurements of the hole and the set width of paving slabs (400mm, 450mm or 600mm) I want to minimise any cutting etc of slabs as I have no equipment...can anyone advise what is the maximum gap I can leave between the slabs? Most guides say they need to be butted together (I guess that means tight against one another?).

As the hole is a funny size, I was thing using 400mm slabs with 20mm gaps between slabs (filled with dry mix after)...will this be ok?

Or am I better off laying slabs closer together and filling the gap with bricks?

Thanks in advance.

well, this page gives pretty detailed instructions is quite clear that they should be butted together.

http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/Article/build-a-shed-base

having said that, i left about a 1cm gap between each so that the slab base is the same size as the footprint of the shed. the gap doesn't seem to have done any harm. the reason i did the slab base the same size as the shed is to avoid rain splattering up from an oversized hard surface on to the shed. in your case, since you have now dug the hole, i would be tempted to do the slabs in the center of the hole, and maybe fill the gap with something which drains, like gravel (or just some of the soil you have dug out). if you don't get things exactly level on an oversized base, you might end up diverting rain water underneath your spanking new shed.

wrathkeg, thanks for your reply.

Clearly as a novice, I didnt quite think things through with regards to splash back and water running under the shed given there is a good chance the floor might not be even!

I think I may take your advice and lay a slab base equal to the size of the shed base, I will fill the edge with gravel to allow for drainage...might even look quite nice with a boarder around it.

might also be worth thinking about guttering on a shed that size and a water butt. i have a 10x8 pent roof shed and it's amazing to me how much water it collects which would have otherwise been dumped down the back of the shed. when i did mine wickes was the cheapest place i could find for the water butt and mini guttering. in my experience garden centres seem to charge astronomical sums for the exact same products in some cases. but then again you could probably have a scone and buy a scented candle while you are there.