Pole Barn Floor Leveling

[rambler]

As a side note, the builder offered to level it for me with a skid steer, but wanted $3500, and that was to use dirt on site. That was just too steep.

Wow! I had the site for my 48x81 shed leveled for roight around $1000, came one day with a dozer. That was within about 6 inches of real flat. Had that done a few months & few rains before the builders came.

I had the floor leveled to perfection with a skid steer, several loads of crushed concrete, and more loads of gravel hauled in to make a driveway & floor for $2600.

They wanted that kind of money just to spread a little dirt for a smaller shed? Wow.

I agree you will have problems with settling & compacting it, as it won't rain in there, but I can see why you didn't jump at their offer!

--->Paul

 

[mburke121]

A few of you have commented on compaction, so let me ask a basic question - What's the down side of not having the floor tightly compacted? I assume I can expect settling over time, as I drive in and out of the shed? Are there any other issues with this? If not, I don't have a problem if I have to add material every year or two for a couple of years to keep things leveled. I also don't mind if the floor gets a little uneven. Am I missing something?

 

[jenkinsph]

I think you will find it to be a mess without compaction. It was suggested to put the dirt in in 2" layers, compacting between each layer. I think that is your best bet. Finish off with a six inch layer of engineered fill and thin layer of gravel on top. I should add you will need to sprinkle water on to help it pack tight between the layers.

The problem with not compacting the soil is it will settle unevenly, You will have ruts where the tractor is and soft spots in the corners and edges.

I suggest you look into buying a good used compactor for about $750 that you could resell after this is over. I bought a used Bomag plate compactor about two years ago for $700 and kept it since I can use it about 10 days a year. That is cheaper than renting or buying a new one. Most rental stores will have all types of decent used equipment for sale at all times.

 

[Jim in ICT]

Around here you could rent a skid steer for about $250.00 per day with trailer. If you've never run one, you should give it a go, especially one that accelerates and turns with one hand control and digs and dumps with the other. Easier than steering with the left and right controls and dig and dump foot controls. I really enjoyed using one to do my digging work.
Best time I ever had with my pants on!

 

[rambler]

The uneven settling & rutting will show up as more of a headache than you think over time.

You can spend the time doing it right now; or you can spend years trying to get it right.

Think of how you are in this spot to begin with - you shoulda got it level before the building was started. now oh darn, gotta fix it up after the fact.

If you don't try to deal with the settling issue, then nexy year, you'll be 'oh darn' again, as you realize your shelves are falling over, you have to clean _everything_ out of the shed to level it up again, and in a year later it will be uneaven again....

We're just trying to save you from a mess later on.

My big shed, we waited 6 months before pouring a 1/2 concrete floor. The other half, now after a monumental rain, the post holes they dug settled first last month! Big depressions formed after much digging, leveling, compacting. I'd sutter to think what that floor would be like if I tried dry-filling it after the building was up. I just pulled some 300 bu full wagons into it, I think they would have sunk & I'd rip up the floor trying to pull the wagons out - get stuck in the soft dirt.

I realize you are smaller scale, but really the same idea.

Just trying to save you labor & re-working down the road.

--->Paul

 

[scorpian5]

It looks like your building should have more bracing.

 

[2manyrocks]

Did the contractor discuss your site with you before he got so far along it was too far gone to turn back?

Reminds me of a carport around here that the installer threw up on unlevel ground.

 

[jinman]

Keeping a dirt floor in a pole barn is a guarantee of dust, dust, and more dust. When the native soil drys out, it will produce dust. Sand and pea gravel will reduce the dust considerably, but nothing like concrete or asphalt. I'd prep that floor with a topcoat of coarse sand and pea gravel no matter what fill you chose. The dust in my wife's old dirt floor barn was stifling. She put hay down in stalls for the animals and you had to have a mask on to move the hay around. It seemed like the clouds of dust never settled. I guess if you wet the floor down often, it would reduce the dust, but that seems like a hassle.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I would go at it a couple of ways. I would start with a retaining wall and skirt to hold the material in. I would make sure I had good drainage. Get a couple loads of fill dirt and dump on the low side. Use a tractor and box blade to move it around the best you can. Rent or hire a Bobcat to touch it up and spread some glass sand or fine gravel on top. You don't need it to be dead level. just get close. A few years later when you need new gravel, work on any spots you are not happy with.

 

[sunnyside360]

As a side note, the builder offered to level it for me with a skid steer, but wanted $3500, and that was to use dirt on site. That was just too steep.

I just completed a similar project but my building was 42'x72' and built by Morton Building. The rough excavating was done last fall and the bldg pad was supposed to be within 1" of level. When Morton constructed the bldg 2 mos ago I found the pad was out of level by about a foot or about half of what yours is off. Another excavator came over with a track skid steer and fixed it by leveling the dirt inside and then leveling 44 tons of 2A stone. On the outside, the excavator moved clay dirt around the building and tapered away from the bldg for running water away. The excavator also used a backhoe to put in 280 ft of 4" drain pipe (each corner) to carry water away from the down spouts. Received the invoice for this work yesterday and am just writing the check today for $3024.
I think you could have your job done for much less than what I paid. You might get a couple more bids priced by time and material used (what I did).
Good luck.

Edit/add: The $3024 also included digging 140 ft long trench 3 ft deep for my underground electric service wire.