After you have decided where to build your summer house, one of the most important decisions is whether to build on an existing foundation or to create a new concrete foundation. A new concrete foundation allows you to lay out the footprint of your structure in any shape or size and makes it possible to include spaces under the building that can be used for storage, such as a garage or shed, an extra workbench area, or even a shower. Read on to learn how to build a summer house on a concrete base, step-by-step.
A summer house built on a concrete base will be more solid and stable than one built directly on the ground. The base also makes it easier to install walls, floors and ceilings. Another benefit is it provides extra insulation from the ground. There are several steps to build a summer house base on top of a concrete foundation. Some of these steps must be completed before pouring the concrete for your foundation and others after pouring.
A summer house can be a cosy spot to enjoy your garden, providing shelter and storage space. They are designed in a variety of styles and sizes to suit many different homes; however, many people worry that the building process is too complicated. It’s true that they do require a steady hand and some DIY know-how, but with our step-by-step guide you will find it surprisingly easy to construct one yourself.
Prepare The Base
You’ll need to have a concrete base in place before you can start building your summer house. If you don’t have one, you can build one yourself or hire someone to do it.
Preparing the Base
The first step is to clear any debris and level the ground with sand. Make sure that all sides of this are as even as possible so that when you pour the concrete, all areas will be exactly level with each other and there won’t be any dips or bumps in which water could collect at points over time (which could lead to cracks). Next use spirit levels throughout your area and check that there aren’t any dips or bumps in those levels either; if there are, then fill them up with more sand until everything is flat again (don’t forget about checking between each board).
Ensure the base is level
Once the base is fully level, you can begin to place sand and gravel. This will help to better distribute weight across the base, as well as help prevent cracks from forming later on in your structure’s life.
You’ll want a spirit level to ensure that your base is level in all directions—if one corner has a higher height than another, then you’ll need more sand and gravel added there in order to bring it up to the same height as your other corners.
Level the base with sand
Once the base is in place, it’s time to level it. Sand is ideal for this purpose and will help smooth out any bumps or dips in your concrete slab.
To level using sand, simply pour small amounts at a time over different areas of your slab as you go around, making sure that all areas are covered evenly. You can use a large garden rake to spread the sand evenly while also packing it down as you go along. Once every area has been raked with sand, spread an additional layer across all surfaces using a shovel or hoe until they are flat and even with each other when viewed from above.
Lay the concrete
- Use a trowel to smooth the concrete.
- Use a spirit level to check that it is level, as this will help to prevent moisture from collecting at one end of the house and causing damage over time.
- Use the base and flooring as guides when laying down your sheet of paper or newspaper; this way, you can make sure that it stays in place until everything else is finished (the pieces of wood have been nailed down).
- Cover your base with sheets of newspaper, then cover those with sand so that they stay put while you work on them later on in this process (you don’t want them moving around too much). If you’re worried about damaging any furniture nearby while working on this project, cover it with protective materials such as cardboard boxes before covering them up completely with sandbags – these will provide extra protection against accidental bumps or falls during construction work.
Lay the flooring
After you’ve poured your foundation, the next step is to lay the flooring. This can be done using a concrete screed (a tool used to level and scrape away excess concrete) or trowel. Tip: before you begin pouring your foundation, make sure that you have enough room for such equipment in order to work comfortably with it.
After leveling out your floor, add some water to create an even mix of cement and water before adding any sand or gravel. Use a shovel or trowel to spread these materials evenly across the entire surface area of your patio or garage addition. Once they are evenly distributed throughout, use another tool such as a rake to smooth out any bumps that may remain from earlier installation processes so that only smooth surfaces remain when finished.
Choose a Timber Summer House from our Range of Garden Summerhouses.
When choosing a timber summer house, it is important to take into account the space you have available, as well as the style of your garden. Garden Summerhouses offer a range of summer houses that are suitable for any location and can be customised to suit your needs. We also offer advice on how to build a summer house on a concrete base.
A summer house can be a cosy spot to enjoy your garden, providing shelter and storage space.
A summer house can be a cosy spot to enjoy your garden, providing shelter and storage space for all those items that you don’t need every day but still want to keep close to hand. It’s also the perfect place for children to play or for a quiet break with a good book. The design of your summer house will depend on what you have room for and what features are important to you.
The main purpose of this type of building is generally storage – however, it doesn’t have to be. You could use yours as a workshop or potting shed, or even as an office where you can pay bills online or put together spreadsheets without having worry about being disturbed by family members who want something from another part of the house.
Final words
Hopefully, we’ve given you a clear and concise guide to building a summer house on a concrete base. We know the struggle, and we came to these tips even the one about watching badminton through our own trial and error. Remember that the important thing is to keep on trying. As we covered earlier, you don’t have to go super hard on yourself for slip-ups, because this journey can take time and looks different for everyone. Plus, don’t forget that the best way to keep yourself on track is to keep it fun, keep it positive, and keep yourself engaged with the people and the world around you. After all, caring about others is a great reason to switch to this lifestyle in the first place.
