Hi All,
This Easter, I am going to try and lay the concrete base for my Log cabin. I am purchasing and building in the summer. So far I have had 1 quote which included some tree clearance and breaking up a previous base and small patio, which came in at over 5k!!!!!
So I am going to do as much of it myself. Yesterday I started to remove some bushes and trees, which went quite well. I am carrying on and removing the stumps today. I will be then taking down one of the 2 existing sheds and looking at breaking up the base. As I am a complete novice when doing this, I have a few of questions.
The larger of the 2 sheds is still being used. If I empty it, are sheds moveable in one piece??? I still need somewhere to store all my crap between taking up the old base, laying the new base and putting up the cabin? Idea was to put shed back temporarily on new base while I wait to but the cabin up.
Is hiring a jack hammer the best way of breaking up the bases, or seeing if I can hire a man and a mini digger to do it? Again I have never done anything like this before...
I have a bunch of old bricks etc. Could I use these if I smash them up as part of the hardcore for the base? Will it realistically save me any cash vs time to smash up? How much hardcore would I need? Also DPM - can I join 2 bits of dpm together and still have a waterproof seal? I can only see dpm in 4m wide rolls.
What is the best way of creating a form for this size? Do I need to try and get 5m long bits of timber or can I join 2 together to create the 5m length? should I hire road forms instead (look Ma I can google ) Also what do I do about screeding the top top of the concrete to make sure it is level? Do I need to find a straight edge that is a bit longer than 5 meters? Any ideas??
I am also going to use the base as the floor to my cabing, so I am going to use a float to make it super smooth. Again I am going to hire one I think.
Also for the base I can also buy from the cabin company a composite foundation beam (https://www.tuin.co.uk/Composite-Profiled-Foundation-Beams.html) so that the timber will never be in contact with the base. I presume once it it in place I can seal around the foundation beam to stop any water ingress. What would be the best thing to use to seal?
Think that is it for questions for the moment. Any help would be greatly appreciated..
Nick
This Easter, I am going to try and lay the concrete base for my Log cabin. I am purchasing and building in the summer. So far I have had 1 quote which included some tree clearance and breaking up a previous base and small patio, which came in at over 5k!!!!!
So I am going to do as much of it myself. Yesterday I started to remove some bushes and trees, which went quite well. I am carrying on and removing the stumps today. I will be then taking down one of the 2 existing sheds and looking at breaking up the base. As I am a complete novice when doing this, I have a few of questions.
The larger of the 2 sheds is still being used. If I empty it, are sheds moveable in one piece??? I still need somewhere to store all my crap between taking up the old base, laying the new base and putting up the cabin? Idea was to put shed back temporarily on new base while I wait to but the cabin up.
Is hiring a jack hammer the best way of breaking up the bases, or seeing if I can hire a man and a mini digger to do it? Again I have never done anything like this before...
I have a bunch of old bricks etc. Could I use these if I smash them up as part of the hardcore for the base? Will it realistically save me any cash vs time to smash up? How much hardcore would I need? Also DPM - can I join 2 bits of dpm together and still have a waterproof seal? I can only see dpm in 4m wide rolls.
What is the best way of creating a form for this size? Do I need to try and get 5m long bits of timber or can I join 2 together to create the 5m length? should I hire road forms instead (look Ma I can google ) Also what do I do about screeding the top top of the concrete to make sure it is level? Do I need to find a straight edge that is a bit longer than 5 meters? Any ideas??
I am also going to use the base as the floor to my cabing, so I am going to use a float to make it super smooth. Again I am going to hire one I think.
Also for the base I can also buy from the cabin company a composite foundation beam (https://www.tuin.co.uk/Composite-Profiled-Foundation-Beams.html) so that the timber will never be in contact with the base. I presume once it it in place I can seal around the foundation beam to stop any water ingress. What would be the best thing to use to seal?
Think that is it for questions for the moment. Any help would be greatly appreciated..
Nick