Can you build a shed on grass?

The short answer is no, you cannot put a shed directly onto grass, I know what you’re thinking, you see most garden sheds on grass. However these Sheds that go onto grass encounter a multitude of problems including (but not limited to) damp rising, severe condensation, warping, cracking, and rotting.

Today we’ll look at all the reasons that you can’t put shed on grass – and offer simple alternatives that’ll get you out of doing a lot of unnecessary work.

 

Can you build a Wooden Sheds on Grass?

No. Almost every wooden shed in Ireland is built up on blocks. The blocks can sit on the grass, but the shed should not touch the grass directly. Raising a wooden shed is the norm because it prevents it rotting from the ground up.

Imagine placing a wooden shed directly onto grass. The entire frame would be in contact with the soil, right? So any time it rains, the wood would become wet – and because soil holds onto water, the wood would remain damp even long after the rain has stopped. Even with the best pressure treatment, it would only take several months of constant dampness to degrade the wood considerably. The base of the shed would quickly become weakened and your shed would basically fall apart from the ground up.

What CAN I build my wooden shed on?

The answer is simple – blocks! All Wooden Sheds go on blocks. We recommend 4″ solid blocks. Do not use cavity blocks.

4″ solid blocks offer a simple way to get a shed built in the garden without going to any great length to prepare a foundation. In fact, we do not recommend that you build your wooden shed directly onto a concrete slabs either (for the same dampness reasons as mentioned above). In the image above, you can just about see the four blocks under the wooden shed, between the shed itself and the neat concrete base.

Need to know how many blocks you need for your wooden shed? You can see how many blocks you need for your Wooden Shed here.

 

Can you build a Steel Sheds on Grass?

No, but Steel sheds are a different beast to wooden sheds, altogether. Their frames are made from steel, so it’s not a rotting issue that prevents you from plonking your shed onto grass. Instead the main reasons are assembly and warping.

Assembly

Assembly of a steel shed on grass is nigh on impossible. Our Steel Sheds are built upon a metal frame. This frame needs to sit flat, or it won’t line up with the panels of the shed. The image below shows a base frame from one of our steel sheds. We’ve changed the colours of the panels so that you can see how many individual pieces go together to make it (don’t worry, they’re not this colour really). For the wall panels of the shed to all sit correctly, all these pieces need to be in flat, level and in the right position:

Now imagine trying to flatten this out on slightly uneven soil. The smallest divot or stone could throw your entire shed out. When panels don’t line up correctly, sheds can leak, warp, crack or become very damp. Doors can be impossible to install and even if you’re lucky enough to part-build the shed, the roof would be a nightmare to connect up. In fact, the vast majority of our 1-star reviews over on Trustpilot are are from people who didn’t assemble their sheds on a solid, level base and who were then furious that it was leaky or that the doors wouldn’t line up.

So if nothing else but for your own sanity (and ours) do not even attempt to assemble your steel shed on an unstable base, like grass.

 

Warping

Right, so if you’re a big thick eejit who went ahead and managed to somehow build your steel shed on grass, you’re not out of the woods yet. Your base is sitting on soil and soil shifts and your shed will sink over time. If your shed should sink on one side quicker than the other side, the panels will very slowly begin to be pulled apart. The panels will warp slowly as they’re pulled apart and eventually the panels will crack.

A solid foundation is required for the longevity of any structure. This goes doubly for any building that’s built in a country with a weather that’s as temperamental as ours.

What CAN I build my steel shed on?

Steel Sheds need to be build on solid, level bases. This can be concrete, paving slabs, tarmac, concrete or even treated decking. We also sell Shed Bases here at Sheds Direct Ireland that are suitable for steel sheds. These simply click together and offer an instant base without the hassle and cost that comes with concrete or tarmac. If you’ve any concerns about a base, get in touch with us and we should be able to advise if they are useable or not.

 

External References:

• Shedstuff.org: Can you put a shed on grass?
• GardenProjectsAdvice.com ‘“Can a Shed Sit on Grass? We ask the Experts”
  
• Quora: “Do you need a solid foundation for a garden shed?” (there is some AMAZINGLY bad advice from random punters in here)