Groundwork & Foundations

How long can I leave a 8x6ft concrete paver exposed

Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 3.11 PM

Hi, I have dug out a void in the garden for a shed foundation and raked it level. I'm keen to get going right away with the foundation but the shed doesn't arrive until September(!) Is there any reason not to leave the foundation exposed that long? If so I can start the foundation at the end of summer but prefer not to as the shed and converting to sauna will be a big project for me. Also I have a question about the materials I will need. The shed is 8x6 ft and will have quite a bit of weight in it as I am building a sauna in there. So quite a bit of timber cladding all over the insides, tiling the floor, benches, plus the sauna heater and coals which weighs at least 100kg in that one spot. I want to use concrete pavers instead of a slab foundation because I'm doing it myself to save cost (and I've read that pavers can actually be stronger / less resistant to cracking anyhow). I'm planning to make the foundation 9x7 foot and use these layers: - Mot 1 base. Do I really need to lay 10cm deep?! The soil is dry and firm, and so far I haven't hit clay, though I haven't dug quite that deep yet. But the shed will be pretty heavy with everything above and e.g. 4 or 5 people sat in it. For 10cm deep x 274 x 213 cm I estimate I'll need 0.58 cubic metres. Each bag says it covers 0.02 m3, so that would be 29 bags exactly. I rather buy it in these bags as the extra cost over getting a jumbo bag is worth it so I can carry them through the house more easily. https://www.wickes.co.uk/Tarmac-Granular-Sub-Base-Mot-1-Major-Bag/p/131884 - Blue circle Slablayer, 25mm deep 274 x 213 cm is 5.84 sq metres. Each bag covers 0.4225m² to 25mm depth. So that's 14 bags https://www.wickes.co.uk/Blue-Circle-Ready-To-Use-Slablayer---20kg/p/153707 Should I buy extra slablayer to mortar between the concrete pavers? - Concrete utility paver slabs Each one is 60 x 60 cm = 0.36 m2. To cover my 5.84 foundation I'd need 16 slabs. https://www.wickes.co.uk/Marshalls-Richmond-Smooth-Buff-Paving-Slab-600-x-600-x-38-mm/p/153361 Any advice would be appreciated as it's a different kind of job to anything I've done at home so far!