Hi Everyone,

I am trying to replace my crumbling old 7’x7’ shed with a larger 8’x16’ kit one I got a good deal on. The issue is that the old shed is on a cement slab. I was originally planning on just expanding that slab but I realized I would have to mix and pour ~60+ bags of cement by myself and the only way I would be able to do that is to mix and pour it in small sections over the course of several weeks. Unfortunately pouring from a truck is not an option due to the distance from the road and a single person gate to get into the yard so it would be cost prohibitive to make the cement truck wait for that long even with several people to help.

The other option I can think of would be to rip out the old slab entirely and put the entire shed on a wooden platform instead which would be far cheaper a and would allow us to take the shed with us if we ever moved but I’ve never broken up a concrete slab before so I’m not sure how hard that would be. (a nearby road company does take concrete for free to reuse it)

Does anyone have any suggestions on this?

 

Welcome to the forums!

Sometimes concrete breaks up pretty easy but sometimes it can be a real job. If I intended to go with wood I'd use a portion of the slab as a footer for the wood or maybe erect the shed next to the slab and utilize the slab when a flat solid surface is needed to work off of.

IMO the best option would be to pour more concrete. You could just pour a perimeter to set the new shed on and then fill in the rest later.

 

How are you planning to get the 8' x 16' shed pieces into a yard, if the yard can't accommodate a line of wheelbarrows?

Do you have access to a lawn tractor that fits through the gate? Can you find or borrow a 1 ton towing strap?

If you do, I would go to the local big-box store and have them deliver the gravel for the base, a pallet of cement, AND rent and deliver a small wheeled cement mixer.
Have them deliver on a Friday so you can work over the weekend. The mixer doubles as a wheelbarrow, the tow strap lets you move a full mixer easily, but you'll likely need someone to steer as you tow.

You have to excavate a base for the pad in advance.
Use the mixer to move the stone, use the tractor and a tow strap if it is too heavy to move easily.
Use the mixer to mix the cement, use the tractor to tow the full mixer to the shed site.
Repeat as necessary.

 

Also, check with your local building and zoning codes. Small sheds are often allowed without permits but when you go above a certain size they start falling under zoning restrictions like how big they can be or how far it must be from a property line.