Site levelling

I am trying to level a site so I can build a shed. The shed will be 6m by 3.5 m. I am having great trouble getting the site level. I did have a olant operator come in some time ago before we did some other building. However I wasn't there to supervise and the site was not level. I am not able to find this operator now. As the shed will have a dirt floor I want it to be level. I may put a concrete floor down later but this will have to wait for a while. My problem is as I dig it out I always to have the high side higher? Can anyone tell me how I can make sure the area is level from front to back and from side to side?
Many thanks
Charles Castle

I paid $30 for a laser level from Bunnings, tripod, 360 degree rotating head, the lot. It basically fires a laser beam for a distance of at least 50 metres. As long as you set it up correctly it is very accurate and I reckon it is fantastic value. I would then bang in a peg at each of the four corners, use one as your benchmark and then, using a bit of timber as a staff, put the staff on your benchmark peg and mark the position of the beam. Place the staff on the other pegs, point the laser at them and adjust the depth of the peg to suit the mark. A string line across the diagonal pegs will assure you of a level site. I would suggest compacting fill to make the site level, rather than further excavation.

Maybe use clear pipe with water. IE water level to mark out at say every 2mt then uses a sprit level.

unless you're planning on doing a lot of this type of work you may find it cheaper to make a water level.

you'll need a clear plastic flexible tube equal to the diagonal of the shed plus say another 4 feet for your proposed application assuming the slope on the site isn't too wicked.

Fill the tube with coloured liquid ( e.g. food dye from the super market added to water ) as it is easier to see than clear water.

you can also use garden hose with a shorter length of plastic tube securely fixed into each end.

you probably remember from physics that water finds its own level. A quick google search will find a number of articles on this e.g.

http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/WaterLevel.htm

once you've got a peg marked in each corner of the shed with level marks on you can measure down on each peg by the same number of mm to the level that you want for your shed floor. you can then run bricklayers line or similar from peg to peg at that level. Then put an edge board round your desired shape ( fixed to pegs hammered in on the outside. You can then use straight edge to scrape any excess dirt into the dips by running it over the shed area with the bottom touching two of the parallel edge boards.

you can always use the boards, the straight edge and the tube for other things. On the other hand your mates may slip you a few beers for letting them use your laser level and you'll get your money back eventually. your call.

cheers

Jackie

Put in a swiming pool some years bago and followed Jackiew's method plastic tube and food colouring worked fine beauty of this is get one end set and you can mark around the sides in as meany places as you want then one board cut to length measured from the fluid level and presto you can also check the middel of the area





Don't take life too seriously; No one gets out alive.

Many thanks indeed for all your help. I now know how to go about something which has been causing me a lot of thought, and I wasn't getting it right. The laser level sounds fine. It will have other applications for the next project, and for building as well.
I very much appreciate all your help.
:) :) :) :)
Charles Castle

For that size you can use a string line and a string level ($10) which hangs in the middle of a taut stringline. Pick your finished height and string line away. If I knew where you where you could borrow my laser.... maybe...it only cost $2500.00:cool: . But its pretty good:rolleyes: .

Cheers

I would recomend the water level over the laser any day. Unless it's a decent laser don't trust it. I took a cheapie home to check it out and found that it was out by about 15mm per metre! :eek: Took it back for a refund of course :rolleyes:

Mick

This is a way of setting out a site for a shed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

I would recomend the water level over the laser any day. Unless it's a decent laser don't trust it. I took a cheapie home to check it out and found that it was out by about 15mm per metre! :eek: Took it back for a refund of course :rolleyes:

Mick

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That would be the manual levelling POS. Yep tried that, 200mm out at about 18 metres:eek: . The Leica you just chuck it somewhere and do 4000m2 blocks no worries to a couple of mm. I actually looked at the GMC today and dropped it in horror when I saw the spirit levels. I guess it could be OK over short distances if well set up.

The price of lasers is coming down dramatically. The Leica was 2 1/2 grand a year ago but well under 2 now. But it doesn't matter how much they cost, a big compactor will *#** them!.

Cheers

I'm going to have to defend the "el cheapo" laser level. I set it up and measured the four corners of a reasonably large swimming pool. The laser said that they were all at the same level, as was expected (I placed a staff on a float at each of the corners). I have also swung it around the brickwork on my house and either the brickie who built the house used a similar level and my brickwork is up the ##$$ or the laser level is pretty accurate . As I said, it is imperative that it is set up correctly and better still if you have a few benchmarks to check it against.

I recently put up a 6x5 colrbond garage, and the ground well needed a great deal of work.

The trusty old water level never failed me- ofcourse I would prefer a good laser but for the same result and about $10 of plastic you decide.

I wouldnt recommended pouring the slab after the shed has gone up either.

Any experienced builder will tell you the slab must come first.

Mark out your levels- whack the area (hire a whacker the skippy type :)
build up the area if need be whack again and form her up.

Just my opinion Im not sure what sort of construction you had in mind but remember overkill is better than underestimating the structure altogether.

My laser cost about $1200.00 and in my mind thats a cheapy. works pretty good with in a few mm over 100mt.
Its self leveing so i am very careful not to drop it as it might bugger up the calibration.
I would not waste the $50 on a GMC its a waste of space unless u want an over size laser pointer.
If you are from a trade back ground you should be able to rember back to your tafe days and how to set up and use a dumpy. I prefer the dumpy any day over the laser but the thumb screw really gives me the $hits
Go the water pipe.

If you really want to use a laser or theodolight then hire one otherwise I would advise using a water level.

Levels use to drive me crazy.

I purchased a rotating laser level GMC for $170, first one did not work.

Second one it was accurate BUT, impossible to set up on stand that worked.

It took at least 20mins to get level only to have the wind blow which would move the crappie stand.

They only have two adjustment nobs, they need three.

Then when working over a distance of 20 metres picking up the laser beam is never easier.

So I purchased a receiver for $170 for gasweld great investment.

Gave away the GMC and purchased a rotating laser for $550 but still only 2 adjustment nobs [very frustrating] but the stand is good quality.

If doing over again I would purchase a complete package for about $1,000.

Water level should be fine.

I would also recommend doing the concrete slab first.

Barring that, I would put a shallow layer of road base.

This should allow you to level out dips and bumps in the floor and provide a better base than dirt.

Good Luck

Pulpo

I've restumped houses with a dumpy and worked a treat. :)

Water is fine but hiring a laser or a quality dumpy if you do it right will get you within a mm where the water meniscus is that at each end.

Do the floor first - an absolute must. Think about drainage - it's nice to know that apart from a level work area the drainage will move out the door.

I did the levels one weekend using one point as my reference and noting all the other points as + or - the reference. then just worked to those dimensions.

Water will help you after that but I bet if you go around the area with water you will manage to find a cumulative error.

FWIW

Jamie

If you can't afford the slab before the shed you put down decomposed granite, this will give you a reasonably firm floor and will be a bit better to walk on than roadbase. Run a wacker packer over the ground first if it needs it.