Level Foundation for a Garden Shed

Tools:

shovel
12-ton hydraulic jack
nails
line
line level
kneepads
concrete footings
pressure-treated lumber (cedar)

1. First determine how crooked the shed is. Drive a nail into the siding at each end of the shed, 2-inches above the base, and run a string tautly between the two nails (figure A).

2. Clip a line level on the string at the midpoint of the shed and check the level (figure B). The bubble should be in the center.

4. Slide in a board to use as a pad for the jack, place a 12-ton hydraulic jack on the board and put another board between the top of the jack and the foundation beam. Start jacking up your shed (figure D).

5. Keep an eye on the bubble. Once the shed is raised enough to clear the center support, remove the old support and dig a shallow, flat-bottomed hole at the end that was sagging. Dig a similar hole at the center support.

7. Once the shed is level, slide more wooden spacers under the center until they come up to the base of the shed (figure F). Slowly lower the jack until the shed rests on the new support.

9. Slide more spacers under the corner once the shed is level (figure H).

10. Lower the jack and let the weight of the shed compress the soil beneath the spacers. Lift the shed one more time with the jack and insert more spacers.