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How To Level and Square a Storage Barn Using Concrete Blocks
This process is simple and works well for storage barns that are up to about 16'x32' in size.
It's a good idea to pick a location for your storage barn that has good ground drainage and a slight slope. Good drainage will help reduce the amount of ground moisture that migrates into your barn through the floor. Caulking the flooring joints will also help minimize this problem. Popup sprinkler heads are another potential water hazard for your building. Cap off or re-route any sprinkler heads that are under your building and do the same for any heads that will spray on the sides.
No need to kill the grass. Spare the chemicals and save the planet! The grass under your storage barn will not get enough light to grow and will die out very quickly leaving you only the perimeter of the building to worry about cutting. You only need to cut it short and you are good to go. The leveling blocks can be laid on the grass or if the ground is rough you can level the placement of the blocks using a shovel.
After you decide on the ground location, don't forget to look up and check for any overhead objects that will interfere with the roof of your barn. Tree limbs move a lot in the wind and if they rub the shingles on the roof any at all, your roof will very quickly become porous! This is not good a good thing!
When you shingle your roof, you will need at least a couple of feet of clearance between the roof and any limbs to allow for some working room. Overhead electrical lines require more clearance and must be even higher, well above head height plus an arms length from reach. Have your electric power company move or raise any wires that don't give you this clearance. The same goes for telephone wires, cable TV, or mystery wires. Be safe!
Step 1 - To get started decide if you want to align your storage barn to your house, fence or another structure. If so measure the distance you want your barn to be from the structure and place a block at the corner of your new barn. Measure the length or width of your barn from this block to the next corner. Place another corner block here and make sure that it is the same distance from your alignment structure as the first block. You now have a straight line that will guide the alignment of your barn. DO NOT move these guideline blocks as you level and square the rest of your barn foundation. You will move only the other blocks to square things up.
Step 2 - Measure and place a block at the other two corners and square them roughly by sight. Set the spacing between your corner blocks for your barn width and length. Remember, DO NOT move your guideline blocks. You are now ready to do a little fine-tuning. Look at figure 1 and 2. Measure the diagonal distance between two of your corner blocks. Make the same measurement between the other two corners. If the measurements are within ¼" of each other, you are square! At least square enough to begin the floor framing process. If you are not within the ¼" move the block that has the longer diagonal measurement toward the other corner block by about half the difference between the diagonal measurements. Next, move the other corner block by the same distance to maintain the correct spacing between blocks. Check the diagonal corner measurements again and repeat the process until you are within ¼". Resist the temptation to move the guideline blocks or you will be in a circular argument. No winners there!
Step 3 - After your corner blocks have been squared you should add additional blocks between them for more floor support and add another line of blocks if you are planning for more than two runners under your floor frame. We recommend a 5' to 6' grid spacing on your blocks. Place your floor runners on the blocks and stack blocks to level the runners roughly by sight. Next, nail together the perimeter of your floor frame on top of your runners. Measure your frame corner diagonal lengths using the same method as in Step2. Square your floor to the runners by moving the frame to bring your diagonal measurements to within ¼" of each other. Nail the floor frame to your runners using only a few nails. The final tweaking of your frame will take place after you have leveled your floor and begin nailing the floor decking to the floor frame.
Step4 - Start at the high side of the ground slope and begin leveling the floor along one wall using blocks and shims under the runners. Continue leveling around the building going in one direction until you are back to the starting point. You may need to repeat this process a couple of times to "tweak in" the level as close as you like. Remember a square and level floor is the key to an easy to build barn!
Tools needed: Framing level 2' or 4' is even better, Tape measure that will reach between the diagonal lengths, Shovel for leveling rough ground.
Material Needed: Solid concrete leveling blocks, Wood shims should treated, Asphalt roofing shingles for minor leveling adjustments.
For professional tools and to make your job easier check out easiplans.com. You will also find a good assortment of detailed and inexpensive barn plans and tools.
