Sealing a shed to a concrete base
Barry Watts
base?
I have an 8'x12' heavy duty shed being delivered/erected this week. There
is no floor to the shed, which will stand directly on a large level,
concrete base. I have a roll of 10" wide damp-course vinyl and thought I
would stand the upright walls onto this, then find a way of sealing the
vinyl to the shed and concrete.
I first thought of folding the vinyl up against the shed wall,
stapling/sealing. But then one single leak would provide a well of water in
which my shed could happily rot. So instead I thought I would cut the
vinyl flush with the shed walls, making a neat waterproof seal, barely
visible, directly beneath the entire shed wall. Then I thought I would
apply some kind of sealant to where the wood joins the vinyl joins the
concrete. Does anyone have any ideas which product would be best for the
job? Tar I suspect, would be great - but I'm no specialist and whatever I
use would need to come from B&Q or Homebase (that defines me as UK-based,
for non UK readers...).
Any views appreciated.
Baz (Wood, Essex).
BigWallop
"Barry Watts" <Bew...@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
news:b6q3bd$i5p$1...@hercules.btinternet.com...
Hi Barry,
If you seal the bottom of the shed you'll only create a barrier from both
internal and external water which will lie against the wood until it
eventually evaporates or is sucked up by the wood.
You'd best leave a small gap under the wood, about and inch would do, to
allow any water to run away without touching the wood at all.
Fitting a skirt of damp proofing material around the gap will keep out
draughts and furry friends, but will not allow water to climb up.
Our shed is standing up off the base using its main posts which we first
painted the bottoms of with bitumen paint. Then a skirt of roofing felt
flashing is tacked around the inside with roofing felt nails ever four
inches. I also put in a floor using garden decking standing on 2 by 2 wood,
which are also painted with bitumen paint.
A bit more, and I mean a bit more, expensive but, seven years on and it
still doesn't leak or let the wind blow through.
HTH
BigWallop
AndWhyNot
I put mine on a single course of bricks, with a tiny timber overlap,
then damproof membrane on top of that ............. and as I live in a
VERY WINDY exposed area, I sank threaded rod into the concrete base to
bolt the whole bugger down so that it did not dissapear into the
fields next doors...... slapped some bitumen onto the outside brick
course, been fine for two years. Now we get horizontal rain here
(depending on the season) literally, and that does not get in!!
>
Cicero
"Barry Watts" <Bew...@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
news:b6q3bd$i5p$1...@hercules.btinternet.com...
One of my sheds sits on a base which is almost exactly the same size as the
shed. I fitted a wooden 'skirt' around the bottom of the walls so that it
overlaps the base and so forms a 'run-off' for rain. I sealed it with
'Evostick' flashing tape. The shed is bone dry inside after about 5 years.
You might try this idea if your shed / base are roughly the same size.
Cic.
Barry Watts
Baz