Got my shed project totally wrong after that rainstorm in Florida

I was building a 10x12 shed in my backyard in Tampa, thought I had everything level and solid. Then we got that freak 4 inch downpour last August and the whole thing shifted about 3 inches off the blocks. Turns out I didn't compact the ground enough under the gravel base. Now I always rent a plate compactor and spend twice as long on the prep work before I even lay a single board. Any of you guys had a foundation fail on a small build that made you change your whole process?

2 comments

2 Comments

jennifer_fisher17d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that's brutal. Ngl, I would've just sat in the empty hole and cried over the wasted lumber for a solid hour. Honestly, Florida sand is basically just lying to you about being solid ground, it shifts like a cat in a sunbeam. At least you found out before you had the roof on and it pancaked into a twisted pile of wood.

amy30217d ago

That kind of thing is a tough lesson but honestly it's better to learn it now. Here's a practical tip from someone who's seen this happen: you can get a soil probe for pretty cheap at any hardware store. Before you even think about digging, just push it down in a few spots around where you plan to build. If it goes down easy and comes up with wet sand, that ground is not going to hold anything. You really want to dig down to where the sand is compacted and stable, sometimes that's a few feet deeper than you think.