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Serious question, did a neighbor's shed comment ever change how you build?
A guy I was helping put up a basic 10x12 shed in his yard last fall kept pointing at the ground and saying, 'The frost line here is 42 inches, you know.' I'd been just pouring a simple slab for years, but he was so sure about it. Has anyone else had a simple tip from a neighbor make you redo your whole foundation plan?
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troy_bennett6mo ago
Depends on the shed and the soil. For a basic 10x12 on decent ground, a good 4-inch slab with proper gravel and wire mesh is fine. Frost heave is a real thing, but going down 42 inches for a light storage shed is major overkill. That neighbor was probably just repeating something he heard without knowing the full context.
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tessa8686mo ago
Oh man, this reminds me of a blog post I saw from a guy up in Michigan. He did a time-lapse of his shed slab over two winters. He only went down like 6 inches with gravel and rebar, and it hasn't moved a bit. His soil drains really well though. He said the key is more about keeping water away from the base than just digging super deep. Makes total sense!
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jessicajohnson6mo ago
Actually saw something like what @tessa868 mentioned happen to a friend's shed. That frost line advice sounds extreme, but ignoring it completely can really bite you if the ground is bad. It's about the soil and water, not just a set number.
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