When placing your garden building, whether it be a log cabin, shed, or garden office etc, it is important that it is built on a solid and strong foundation. We have designed a foundation system that works well with our garden buildings in place of a concrete base. It is called Premium RapidGrids.
Why Choose Premium RapidGrids for a Garden Building Base?
Laying a Base for Your Garden Building
Before any assembly work takes place, it is vital that a suitable foundation is laid to support your new garden building. It needs to be done to the correct size. As well as be strong enough to hold the weight of the building and its contents. The entire base needs to support the whole load so that the weight is evenly distributed, and not causing undue stress on specific parts.
The base you are installing the garden building on must be level, flat and square. It needs to last so it can maintain support throughout the whole life of the garden building.
A log cabin, for example, naturally moves and settles over time as the individual logs expand and contract throughout varying weather conditions. If the building is not sited on a solid enough foundation it could potentially cause problems with the structure. If the base is not level enough to begin with, then it could hinder the construction process of logs easily slotting together.
Concrete is the most commonly used foundation, which will usually require the expertise of a skilled tradesman. But there are other options available that will work just as well.
When laying a concrete foundation, we recommend adding 100mm on to the size of the garden building all the way around each side. For example, a 4m x 3m garden room will need a base of approximately 4.2m x 3.2m. This will ensure you have enough space available for it to comfortably and safely fit on. If the base is the exact same size as the building, there is no margin for error in case it is slightly out of the square or your measurements are a little off. Although you should still always try to use the most accurate measurements you can.
Find out more about how to build a log cabin base.
What are Premium RapidGrid Foundations
If you are looking for an alternative to a concrete base, then our Premium RapidGrid foundations are the ideal solution. They are quick to install, cost effective and more environmentally friendly.
The foundation system is made up of weed control membrane and heavy duty plastic grids that interlock with each other to form a durable rigid base for the garden building to sit on. This strong base offers support underneath the entire building, spreading the weight across the ground.
Laying concrete usually needs professional tradesmen to ensure it is done correctly, making it a costly and time consuming process. Our Premium RapidGrids foundations are designed as a DIY system so that you can save time and money by easily laying the base yourself.
Saving Money
If budget is a constraint to your garden building project, then Premium RapidGrids are the perfect choice, as they cost much less than it would to lay a concrete base. Laying a deep concrete base requires lots of earth to be dug out from the ground. You will then need to find a way to dispose of this excess soil. Either with the expense of hiring a skip or numerous trips to the tip.
In comparison, relatively little soil needs removing to lay the RapidGrid foundations, meaning it makes less of an impact on its surroundings. In medium-firm soil conditions, you will typically only need to dig down 30-40mm to sufficiently hold the building stable. The more level the ground is to start with, the less soil you will need to move in order to level out the ground underneath the grids.
Saving Time
Laying a RapidGrid foundation is relatively quick and minimal hassle compared to using concrete. It takes time to dig up the garden, mix and pour concrete, smooth it out to ensure it is level, and then wait for it to completely dry. It can take at least 1 – 2 days for concrete to set sufficiently enough to build on without compromising the base.
With a RapidGrid base, there is no waiting around. Once it is pieced together on the ground you are ready to start building straight away. Please note, you will need to fill the grids with pea shingle stones, or similar, which you will be able to purchase from a local DIY store or builder’s merchant.
The Premium RapidGrids foundation system is suitable for use in most gardens. But is primarily designed to work in areas with medium-firm ground conditions. It requires adequate drainage. These foundations are not suitable for use in waterlogged places, peat, recently disturbed or unstable ground, or on steep slopes.
Premium RapidGrids are available as an optional extra for the majority of our garden buildings. Including Log Cabins, Summerhouses, Garden Offices and Garden Sheds.
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