I am moving out of the apartment world. Into a ‘cosy’ sized house with ample backyard for a little bike and tool shed.
My question is, being lowly plebian rental scum, I’m always a bit afraid of asking real estate agents for anything, let alone attacking a concrete slab with a hammer drill and putting in some anchor bolts. Thus I need you help.
I want a shed big enough for my four bikes. And a little work bench and a shelf, work stand folded up etc etc. I’m thinking one of the 1.5-2x 3 m ones (under 9m2 doesnt need planning permission and can be bought cheap).
The real question is (posed to engineers and thinking people) is how to bolt/anchor/weigh down the shed sufficiently to prevent it flying away in strong winds. I am an architect. I can’t math. But I have studied rudimentary engineering, wind loads and factors of safety, etc.
Any ideas? So far my main idea is to bolt it to concrete pavers running around the edge of the walls. I have enough construction knowledge to get it watertight, but need some ideas on how to go about secure it.
If it gets too hard i might have to ask the landlord, but thats a last resort (hopefully 6 dyna bolts wont give them too much grief?)
i doubt they will worry about a few drilled achor bolts in the floor, i mean you can always refil them with concrete once you move back out right?
i reckon ask the question, and ensure you have a solution for post rental, ie you will remove and refill holes and smoothen out (if the owners want that) But surely a shed would add value for the owners? so maybe a good thing?
I’d avoid trying to use any existing structure for footings. Why don’t you just get a shipping container? If that’s not an option, why not use some concrete wheel stops (like those in a car park) that can sit on the ground and your floor/walls can bolt to them? Footings don’t have to be underground. Having said that, I’ve seen car tyres, rocks and metal plates used as excavated footings.
What sort of ground is it?
You can buy big screws that you use to screw into the ground for tents and even strong enough to winch cars off.
Or use Blue tip screw bolts, Way better than dyna bolts.
Star pickets banged in each corner with bolts or screws will be more than ample.
With 4 or 6 of these anchors, two or three lengths of 4’x’3 and some used h/wood brick pallets you can get yourself a raised floor to to then batten screw your shed down to.
I’ve put up sheds at all my rentals and simply asked the landlord if it was ok. Never been a problem and I think its best that they know so they don’t freak when they come past for an inspection.
I’ve always used big fat tent pegs (300-400mm long - two each corner and a few along the sides) driven into the ground to hold them down. Lined with pavers inside. Never had any hassles. Having said that, if you’ve got an existing slab, ask if you can use it, I imagine the owner won’t care if you refill them when you leave.
If you’re worried about putting big holes in the concrete, maybe use a powder actuated nail gun. You can get nails for them that are about 2mm thick. (or thicker obviously) When you want to pull the shed down, the nails snap quite easily, so then all you’d have to do is cover the tops of the tiny nail shafts.
If you do it, just make sure you shoot the nails through some timber so that when you remove the shed the timber can be pulled off and you will be able to break the nails (because there’ll be about 40-50mm of clearance.