Any tips or tricks? It's taking way too long and I'm getting fed up trying to build this palletoid shed.
>>3002255When you say leveling the foundation, are you pouring concrete or just trying to make the ground level for a different kind of foundation?
>>3002260Just making several spots level for cinder blocks, not the entirety of the ground, I don't have any machinery/patience for that. Am I doing it wrong digging these little holes?I mean I would think so cause the rain will probably fill them back up with dirt around the block. I'll probably have to excavate way more space than just these holes. What gets me is how tamping fucks things up, considering I have to move the block then put it in the exact same space which almost never happens, making the block itself uneven and then higher or lower than the other blocks. I really don't want to get filtered by something as mind numbing as this but it really is fucking doing me fookin' head in. Specially because it's been raining every day and my dog doesn't like the tamper and gets getting the way and stealing the line level. If I didn't have to dig so deep to level some of these blocks I'd be done already. It's amazing how much elevation changes even without looking like it.
>>3002261Fucking rain man. If I could just get this third block leveled I could continue to the other six by leveling them three at a time. The main issue is that im literally digging into the side of a mountain now, it's going to be one hell of a lot of work if I can at least just get fucking started. I want to get this done so I can build the shed itself in a day. That would be really fun. I'm sick of having to spend the most time on the worst possible part of building. I have to do this all over again with. 10x20 shed. I don't want my first experience with building to be ruined by this obnoxious slop. It's supposed to become a major part of my life/interests
>>3002261Yeah, you are doing it wrong. You want to dig down further than you need and then fill the hole back in with a thick layer with rocks. The rocks are much easier to get level.You have to do it properly if you are using blocks too. They are the most likely to settle and fuck up the foundation. That said, they are also probably easier to shim to fix than other foundations. As long as they don't get all cockeyed and tilted.
>>3002272>Just finished leveling the third block>Now have to re-level the firsthttps://youtu.be/-2sPVGk61WY?is=WNou-pc39CWqFeO7&t=475
>>3002279Put stakes in the ground and tie string between them. Adjust string until level and keep the distance between the string and the blocks equal.
>>3002281I have a line level and some anchors I can use, thanks fren, might not anchor this shed but the 10x20 I definitely will
>>3002281Are these levels suitable for leveling the blocks?https://youtu.be/YB03TDaYVR0
>>3002283Maybe. You should use 2 or more for redundancy.
>>3002283They are fine.You gotta make sure you've done your lines correctly though. The way I was taught was to stake past the corners. Picture related. You can just use standard stakes if it is a smaller layout. Overbuilt ones like this are for when you gotta make the line as tight as a guitar string to keep it from sagging.First you locate your stakes. You can do this with just plain wooden or metal stakes but the way it was done here was specific. You put up these stakes in the rough area that should be in and then put a piece between them as a crossmember. That crossmember is where you tie the line. That way you can adjust each line left or right up to several inches as you are making sure the layout is square. Or, if the ground isn't hard as shit, you you can just use single stakes and move the stake the line is tied to to square things up. Tie your lines on the OUTSIDE of the stake. There are specific knows for tying lines to stakes. Use them.You can find square by measuring from corner to corner like a big X. When each side of the X is the same length it is square. That requires a big tape measure. If you ain't got one you can use Pythagorean Theorem to check for square. If you missed that math class or fell asleep when the Donald Duck cartoon was airing it is simple: Measure three units from the corner along one line and mark the line. Measure four units from the same corner along the other line and mark that line. Measure between the marks. If it is 5 units it is square. If it ain't, it ain't.Once everything is square and plumb you can start leveling your blocks. You line doesn't have to touch the blocks. You can use a yardstick or tape measure (or a stick with a mark at the right spot) and measure down from the line to where the block is. As long as each block is the same distance down from your level line, the blocks are level.
>>3002292square your layoutdig holesdump in gravel and sandapply water to settle it flatset in blockscheck leveladd sand as necessary???success!
>>3002255>tips or tricks?get them close enough and then use pieces (sheets) of steel to shim the gaps
>>3002255360 laser levels are like $25 on Amazon.WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE! I might buy an extra just to go around corners without resetting etc.I'd also suggest at least one bag of sand, and more like 4 bags of concrete.level 4 blocks with wood slims using the laser, so that there is a few inches clear space under the blocks, then fill blocks with cement and let it flow to create nice bases around blocks.Don't worry about some wood shims buried in concrete.
If levelling the foundation is hard I advise you reconsider building a structure.
>>3002307Squaring the layout is extremely challenging thoughever even when tripping on vyvanseI keep digging into random clay deposits and large heavy rocks. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be that close to the base of the mountain too but OY VEYhttps://youtu.be/AcwtSi49m8QAt least I have all my tools down here in the gulch basin now
>>3002504it's a shed, just throw some leveling sand down or shim the sill lmao
>>3002511Too late for leveling sand and also impractical since I have to drag it down into the gulch and it costs money.>>3002366Look at this absolute TRENCH I had to dig just to get one side of the foundation level with the other. This fucking sucks. I want to start drilling deck boards into the pallets to attach them together already. I did not expect to have the majority of my time spent on this one mind-numbing task. I'm sure it's going to be obnoxious as fuck perfectly leveling each and every block after they are all at the same elevation. https://youtu.be/Ga8qW4-zt0s
>>3002658
>>3002659FUUUUCK WHY IS THIS SO HARDFUCKING RATTLESNAKES TRYING TO KILL ME AND MY DOG NOW?!
>>3002660NNNOOOOOOOO!
>>3002661Do I use the ultra great sword or the bastard sword to kill it? Fuck why didn't I get a gun sooner?!
>>3002662No...No..It's hissing.It's drawing closerDog is safe anons. I'm in a life or death battle here
>>3002663It escaped. A sword strike was too risky so I threw a rock at it. The beast now resides amongst the 10x20 shed lumber underfootWhen the hell can I even get back to work?
>>3002665fucking pathetic wristletsshoulda strangled it with your barehands then fried it up for lunch
>>3002667I've slaughtered snakes with the ultra greatsword before but they weren't poisonous. I wanted to give the bastard sword a shot at it but I didn't want to dull the blade so I hesitated too long while it crept towards the lumber pile, decided on a rock last minute. I hit it but who knows how much HP it lostI'm man enough to admit I am terrified. I didn't think they would come up this far in elevation and I'm actually trembling in fear in my camper writing this. My poor dog too...I don't know what Im gonna do now. I wish I had slain it with the ultra great sword and quenched its thirst for snake blood. I didn't trust the sword and I failed my mission because of it... never lose faith in the sword..
>>3002667It's gonna get all its snake buddies to come here now...if I had time to practice the legendary Stürtzhau strike I would've been confident enough to outpace the striking range of the rattlesnake. Alas I was too busy learning about construction. Fucking hell this just exemplifies how many things can go wrong when building a simple palletoid shed
What do I do...I can't have a deadly snake slithering about in the shadows poised to take our lives...this failure ends in absolute misery and terror
Coyotes, snakes, rodents, bugs, loud neighbors running generators all night, intensive labor in 95 degrees fareinheit heat, having to haul water in and trash out, patellar tendonitis while having to hike in and out of the gulch...this first year is extremely challenging and forcing me to push past my limits constantlyWill I ever be comfy again?!https://youtu.be/Y9jxTUCZR4Q
No because I fucked up the whole process by digging down instead of building up. The ground is way less level than beforeIf I can summon the strength to start over doing this the right way I think I can have the pallet shed done by the end of the week, clearing the way for the 10x20. However by tonight I also need to unearth my tent which in currently submerged after torrent of mud encapsulated it...or maybe I'll just sleep in my car. I can't sleep in the camper near the snakeberghttps://youtu.be/5xLbHBdb6Xg
The Master Block is now level with a parallel block right before a rain storm ruins yet another full day of productivity. At least building up is easier than digging down. AND my dog keeps getting in the way, doesn't like the tamperAND my brother who's struggling needs me to play Halo with him every evening when the sun goes down and it cools off/stops raining...Why is everything so contradictory and unhelpful in my life right now, great and mysterious 4chud?I can't even drink safely at night to kill the Vyvanse high with the snake hiding right next to my usual drinking spot where there's WiFi.
>>3002695Bro, where are your stakes and lines? You are making this harder on yourself.
r u screencap your yootoob vlog for pics?spend less time being vain and more time setting string lines
>>3002707I don't have any stakes. I'm just pulling the line level taught with the master blockYeah I shouldn't have tried to make the master block the lowest one, the center cinder block is way easier to level around. Can't believe my hedge clippers are also dull so I can't even get these damn bushes out of the way as well...>>3002709I'm just venting into the void, this shit is overwhelming, specially on vyvanse. Need to put it all into perspective before I can calm down and get it all done one step at a time. Seriously am dealing with some sketch shit too. The neighbor's generator isn't normal. Also I could die at this point too, need to let some niggas know
>>3002709And I'm subtly fishing it sub-advice on how to deal with the dog/brother thing. She's literally getting in my way basically the entire timeIf any anons happen to know that'd be helpful too
>>3002712Put your dog in your house and start thinking about drainage around the foundation and the grade of the incline behind your trench. Are you gonna get washed out after heavy rainfall?
>>3002713She's in the camper now, it's all I got. Don't know if it's enough with all the fucking generator noise and the sound of the tamper. I think the drainage mainly just turns to mud in this run-off in the gulch, but the fact that I had to dig so close to the mountain is making me concerned with the slightly possibility of that happening. I think I might have to end up using this gravel, maybe even digging a culvert. I actually had to move this entire building site because it was too close to that culvert and some of the mud washed into the blocks and sunk them in deeper. So potentially the soil isn't gravelly enough to absorb rainfall/pool...but I don't now, the top layer seems fine and this is above the drainage in elevation a bit
>>3002714Another option is putting the shed on stilts. Then you need an auger (or post hole digger if you hate yourself), some concrete and some water. Snap a chalk line to cut the posts level and complete the decking. You probably still want a French drain that runs off to a lower elevation.
>>3002715the dude cant get 3 cinderblocks in an 8ft row even halfass level he aint digging sculpted drainfields to 1/4 per foot
>>3002715>>3002718He's right I'm a noob, that's why this is so hard whether it's adding or removing elevationMight go ahead and use rocks but I'm not sure about this level of drainage, I've seen many sheds in the mountains without gravel bases under the blocks...https://youtu.be/YB03TDaYVR0
>>3002720I'm still raising this sketch spot that was supposed to be where the master block lay because I don't know if that pile will stay level...I'm probably just going to end up making a really wide area of it level so the space under the block doesn't give wayThat's why I wasn't sure if digging out the side of the mountain was the better option or notKinda just going with a hybrid approach, probably using gravel when and where I absolutely need to. This is tough because each decision seems to have its drawbacks
>>3002721Ain't I can't exactly trust Claude on whether or not this trench isn't going to cause problems and if gravel is enough or if I should just dig the trench out more or something. That's why I'm posting so frantically, there's so much going on which requires me to finish this fast but I don't want to make mistakes in the processhttps://youtu.be/jU-VUz5Zfpo
FUCK So neither building up the soil nor digging into it was the right call...dude I'm kinda fucked now. I bounced between Chaude and 4chud I'm too much. I guess there really isn't getting around using a ton of gravel/rocks now but still, fuck I was trying to avoid it
>>3002732And this dog my mom got for me needs all my attention and my mom also keeps trying to rush me to bring me an AC cause she the thinks the dog needs it and my brother has schizophrenia and needs to play games and I now have to rake all the pine needles out of the gravel, fill buckets with it shit and it's all just so impossible. I don't even know what to do now, I literally just can't do anything it seems.
She is literally just constantly in my way, I can't put her anywhere or she howls constantlyThat's why she's in the OP photo, subtle hint at WHY I'm getting filtered so hard and any advice/ability to vent might just get me through it somehow. At the very least through this thread I've realized it just isn't possible to not use gravel. There are a few gravel deposits that aren't going to be a hassle to collect from, if I fucking can I even get to them at all. I just literally can't even move lads, she's not letting me do it.
>>3002733>>3002734Try giving her some dog treats with tryptophan in them.
>>3002733 it'd be quicker if you got job at mcdonalds for a few weeks then payed a man to set it up for you
>>3002735She's a viszla and just has a ton of energy, I've already taken her on several hikes>>3002736I can't leave her alone. I'm still trying to just get some gravel and make sure the soil is layered and compacted under all the blocks, gathering the gravel is tough because I need to do this all over again with 12 blocks for a 10x20 shed kit. I was trying to save the deposits for that...
>>3002739You know you could buy a decent size canvas tent for less than $2k?https://kodiakcanvas.com/collections/canvas-camping-tents
>>3002740No, it's already over since I bought the stuff but also I'll probably need a wood burning stove and warmth for the Winter because an inversion is likely to set in the gulch basin. Plus some wild animals destroyed all my tents recently, a bear could probably destroy a canvas tent easily. Plus all the fucking noise from 2 different generators, top and bottom of the entire gulch/mountain, which various dogs left outside all night at different times. I need to do this but I can't. Had to drop what I was doing and take her on ANOTHER hike. Bet my brother is also pissed that we didn't play Halo but I literally can't even stop her from forcing me to exercise her, I can't even get done what I need to here but he doesn't get it, he just thinks I'm his enemy or something. God all of this just turns something fun into a hectic nightmare where mistakes can easily be made. Hoping that soil layered and compacted with gravel is going to be enough. The pallet shed is just temporary anyway. I need to move onto the 10x20 before a rattlesnake den is made into all the lumber.I almost can't believe all of this is going on without typing it out, it's just unreal
>>3002739if ur using those blocks as footings they don't necessarily have to be level with one other, just level each individually.frame joists and run posts to the block to level
>>3002741Geofoam block retaining wall.
>>3002744Ah, if only I had known that sooner. Claude is saying that disturbed soil isn't going to hold up and I've dug/built pretty much everything by now, whole reason I got the line level
>>3002747ai doesn't work unless you know everything already. you don't need line, use a normal level on joist after it's framed
>>3002746>>3002746Maybe for the Earthship later.Claude is even saying that I'm maybe okay just compacting the soil without adding gravel, I can't even fucking really assess how much is nearby cause this dog is just constantly needing everything at once, just hiked up the gulch to put her to sleep and my brother is now freaking out cause we didn't do our stupid nightly Halo routine he's trying to start at a maddeningly ridiculous time. He's just incapable for having empathy for my needs now. So is my mom apparently, by introducing a polarizing vector of the dog into my, essentially cutting down any sliver of gaming time I apparently needed to have with him to nil. Why is everything made impossible for me by my family?Even my dad is hounding about me getting this shit done, rushing me when he doesn't need to. I don't need their help carrying stuff down here but they're trying to force me to accept their help. My Mom even is trying to give me this gigantic fucking cabinet which I don't need and it's going to be extremely difficult to lower into the gulch. Why is everything just made harder than it has to be for me constantly. I don't even know what the solution is for these foundations because I can't even get started. Always something or someone just in my way.
>>3002748Joist? But it's a pallet shed...
>>3002751...and?
>>3002750Wow. Tomorrow after 5 he wants to play Halo, the entire evening which is not going to mesh with the dog's needs. It's either that or he spirals and stops eating, thinking food is poisoned cause everyone hates him. Could this really happen to any one else? Am I the only one who has to just deal with this impossible situation all the time? I mean life is unfair but so unfair I can't even live it? Fuck
>>3002752Why does it need joists? I wanted to just slap the pallets together. Holy fuck, Claude is wrong again. Going to have to unbury the circular saw while risking a snake bite after measuring an entire subfloor frame ie joists...then cut all the deck lumber to fit, then haul it down. If I get a single spare second and don't die from a snake attack.
>>3002753I think you were misdiagnosed and put on drugs that are making you into a spastic. Stop doing drugs and try again.
>>3002755This situation with the dog and my brother exists regardless. If I had no interruptions I'd be done by now and wouldn't be messing up digging up or compacting shit, I probably would have had tons of buckets full of gravel ready to go after the first anon told me what to do, but the fucking madness of the situation is causing me to try to come up with solutions that are causing more work because I can only start doing one thing and have to stop before it gets done.
>>3002756And bouncing between Claude and 4chan isn't helping, I thought anon meant I should build a floor frame but the pallets are the floor frame, he just means the points where the pallets come together. Honestly it's really all just too late for that, every block is level with the master block now, it's just that the earth beneath it is unstable and I need tons of gravel which is precariously mixed in with other types of sediment and even when it is poured into the ground beneath the blocks, the surrounding area around every block that isn't the master block is either a hole, trench or built up soil...none of which are capable of staying in place, if I could have just got some gravel without this dog constantly interfering I probably would have each block layered enough to ensure it's sold and showed you guys just to make sure none of the facets of the earthwork are unstable long term.
>>3002754>why cuz that's how above grade structures are built on hillside terrain :)
>>3002759I think I'd just prefer to ensure each block is level with the master block and slap the pallets together rather than engineering the leveling artificially with joists... I'm not a skilled carpenter and this type of structure isn't able to manifest in a way where I'm not out of my element, I get just throwing in gravel so I'll TRY to stick with that but holy fuck I just can't be left alone. My burden weighs so heavily on me I'm paralyzed.
>>3002760I just need to tell people this, I have to get it off my chest. I also looked into the spiritual implication of a rattlesnake entering my land and hiding in wait, becoming a danger to my life because it bites me when I'm drinking off the vyvanse and I can't drive and could just pass out. It means that someone in my life is trying to sabotage me and I should beware. My brother knows I need to do this, he knows my stuff got destroyed by coyotes, but he wants to take up as much of my spare time regardless, particularly with a game I don't like because I find it boring but also because he and our babysitter wouldn't let me play it or go off and do my own thing, I think he remembers that, I think he just wants power over me and to make me suffer using his illness.
Have to spend the night with extreme caution due to the active rattlesnake, and deal with the loud motherfucking piece of shit generator cunts but tomorrow I have a plan that anons might not have expected. There are tons of flat rocks in the area that I will put under every block that isn't the master block, then I will layer with quarter-sized rocks mixed with soil to build each one up to the same level as the master block itself which needs a thin layer of gravelAfter that I will actually use half sized blocks on higher elevated areas so they still line up with the master cinder block even after refilling the trench/holes with layers of rock, soil and just a bit of gravel. I will layer all of them at the same time, then level them easily. Using the tiny slivers of time I have not exercising the dog/playing a shitty game with my brother to actually finish this and get the pallet shed finished/insulated so neither of us have to deal with putrid neighbors literally fucking trying to disturb my dog's sleep. Once all the building materials are out of the way of the site for the 10x20 shed kit, I can level it normally just using gravel by digging up the two gravel deposits that I actually have, probably starting with that first thing tomorrow. But I swear to God it's the same thing every day and now worse with my stupid brother starting this. The dog WILL need a morning walk, she WILL try to get in my way any time I use a tool, she WILL force me to take her on another walk, then she WILL fucking need to take a nap and not allow me to make any noise with my tools, then of course she WILL need another fucking walk, and another one in evening before she goes to sleep, each and every fucking time between getting in the motherfucking way for the entire time except maybe miraculously for a few minutes allowing the plan to be put into motion, it being just simple enough to do this.
