Concrete shed base poorly done

booksandbikes

Have just seen that Asgard now do this sort of portable shed base, so I guess this can be used if it is not level…and we certainly don't have a 60mm drop. This will at least keep it off the ground. Not particularly cheap though. 🤷‍♀️

https://www.asgardsss.co.uk/shed-base-flexistore

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82066516#Comment_82066516

I'm getting the impression that you guys don't necessarily think it is a poor quality job?

It isn't a job I'd have been proud to say was mine. But if you don't pay him what you still owe and he takes you to court then the question is whether it is bad enough that you shouldn't have to pay. On the basis of the pictures and the purpose the concrete was laid for, I don't think the job is bad enough that you could have confidence of winning (in the absence of a particular specification the work can be judged against).

The job has been made more difficult than it could have been by taking the concrete right up to the (retaining?) wall at the back. If there was a gap of say 6" between the slab edge and the wall then there would have been some space for the tamp beam to overhang the shuttering. Achieving a high quality tamped finish against a wall is harder, and arguably isn't justified for a shed base where the concrete won't be seen.

The other reasons for leaving a gap would be for drainage of the retaining wall (it looks like drainage holes have been drilled into the wall) and so the slab is structurally disconnected from the retaining wall. If it is possible ground water will grain through those holes onto the shed base then it was even more important to give the base some fall rather than making it perfectly level.

So overall it isn't a great piece of work, but probably not bad enough to justify withholding any of the agreed payment.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82066524#Comment_82066524

Timber (or composite) bearers will do the same job at a much lower cost in your situation. The packing shims Asguard supply with the shed should sort out any problems.

booksandbikes

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82066561#Comment_82066561

Ok, thanks for the opinion, I appreciate it. 😊 I'm just disappointed that it doesn't have a nicer finish.

There was initally a gap between the slab and the retaining wall - he had put shuttering against the retaining wall so he could get the shed (somewhat) level. Then they came back later and removed the shuttering and filled in the gap with concrete.

Do you have any suggestions on how to tidy up the bit on the side with the dolly blocks, if render won't do it? And as the edge doesn't have beading where it has been rendered, is there anything we can put along it to stop the render crumbling over time?

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82066597#Comment_82066597

Do you have any suggestions on how to tidy up the bit on the side with the dolly blocks, if render won't do it?

I'd wait until you decide whether you'll need a step or not.

And as the edge doesn't have beading where it has been rendered, is there anything we can put along it to stop the render crumbling over time?

If the shed goes on 50x50 bearers then I'd cover the exposed part of the concrete with strips of something like tiles or thin slabs with a reasonable overhang of the render. The tile/slab would protect the top of the concrete/render join and the overhang would mean any water dripping off will drip clear of the rendered wall. This does depend how much of the concrete will still be exposed once the shed is up - if the strip is very narrow then it might be better to use something as vertical 'flashing' instead of anything used horizontal.

booksandbikes

We definitely won't be putting steps in where the blocks are. It just looks awful as it is, would like to do something to neaten it up.

Yeah, the renderer suggested some sort of tiling to create an overhang so we will probably do that.

georgehere

It would have been nice if he had taken a bit more care, but overall I think I'm with the general view that it's 'ok' - hopefully you get the £200 discount.

If it were mine I would flatten the edge with a cold chisel and stick a piece of wood on to improve the look of that edge or maybe if you are going to paint the whole step just paint it out the same colour as the step.

The metal shed will last but be aware they are flimsy, noisy when putting things in and its not as easy to attach things like hanging racks to the walls for tools as they are thin. Although you need to maintain them, wooden sheds are worth considering instead and much easier to fit out and adjust doors etc. You might also find it simpler to get a wooden shed with a window for light vs metal options.