Looking to build a brand-new timber building? Well, it’s time you start thinking about the groundwork! In this guide, we will go through how you can get a firm, levelled, and reliable base for your buildings to sit on!
Having a solid concrete base and foundation is one of the key factors to ensuring your timber buildings stand for a very long time. It prevents the bottom of the building from getting rotten or even sinking to the ground.
Groundwork Process
There are four crucial steps to preparing the ground for a timber building, whether a field, your back garden or anywhere else.
Step 1. Choose the location
Step 2. Clear the ground free of debris
Step 3. Level the ground for the foundation (concrete, gravel, or other)
Step 4. Begin to build your timber building base
Let’s have a look at these four steps in more detail below!
Choosing the location for your timber building
When choosing where to place your timber building, you not only need to consider how it will look on your property but also the structural elements:
- will you be able to access your timber building in that specific location easily?
- will the location be able to drain excess rainwater properly?
- will you need planning permission to build your timber building in that specific location?
A vital tip that is very easy to forget is that the timber building location needs to be slightly larger than the exact size of your building. Otherwise, the building will either sink into the ground or collapse on the side.
You will also need to think about the extra space required for yourself and your animals to move around freely and also the space you may require moving equipment and furniture in and out of the buildings.
Once you know where your timber building can be located, you can begin to prepare your site!
Clear the ground
It is crucial to ensure that your chosen location has a level ground; this will help avoid any risks when you begin to build your timber building base.
Firstly, you must clear the ground, removing plants, stumps, weeds and more. This is the perfect stage to kill all the weeds, and if you fail to do so, these will start to grow through the cracks of your base and potentially ruin your beautiful timber building.
Level the ground for the foundation
To avoid structurally unstable timber buildings, you must clear the ground of dead weeds, leaves, and stones. Once that is done, you must finish levelling the ground with a sturdy landscaping rake.
Pro Tip: Use a spirit level to measure the edges of your timber building location.
Then you can use a tamper and work your way from the edges moving closer to the centre of the ground. After this step is complete, it’s time to lay down some landscaping fabric, and this will prevent the weeds and moisture from reaching the floor of your timber building.
Begin to build your timber building base
The last step for the groundwork of a timber building is to lay a base for the building. Here are the different types of options for the base:
- Crushed stone base – provides good water drainage and protection against weeds.
- Pavement slab base – known for sinking into the loose ground if not prepared correctly.
- Timber base – with it, you can raise your building to keep it dry and clear of weeds.
- Concrete base – permanent and long-term solution that will keep your building dry and clear of weeds.
Jon William Stable’s Groundwork Service
Let’s recap the crucial aspects of the groundwork for your timber buildings!
It is essential for your building to be placed on a flat and solid base to ensure that your timber building is usable; for example, doors and windows can open with no trouble. You now also know that the base chosen for your building can be either concrete, timber, or crushed stones.
And now that your base is ready, it’s time to consider what timber building you will invest in!
Here at Jon William Stables, along with the ranges of our timber buildings, we also offer in-house groundwork services that will enable you to ensure the longevity of your high-quality timber buildings
The Jon William Stables team has a wealth of knowledge in concreting and vast experience constructing our timber buildings. Want to find out more about our groundwork service? Contact us at 01380 850965 or fill out an enquiry form.
