How To Level The Ground For A Rubbermaid Roughneck Storage Shed

The Rubbermaid Roughneck is a line of high-density plastic sheds. They install much like a big puzzle. The key to installing the shed and having the door work properly is to locate the shed on a level surface. The best way to level the ground for a storage shed of this type is to use crushed stone. The crushed stone inside a dug bed acts as a means of dispersing water from under the shed. The edges of the dug-out area serve as a retaining wall for the stone.

Step 1

Pull the floor pieces out of the box and lay them flat on the ground as if your were assembling them. Depending on the size of your shed, you might have one or two floor pieces. Measure the total width and length of the floor with a tape measure.

Step 2

Measure the area in the yard where you wish to install the shed, adding 4 inches to the floor measurements. Drive wooden garden stakes into the ground with a hammer at the four corners where you will install the shed.

Step 3

Dig out a base 4 inches deep in between the four corners with a shovel. This removes the sod from the area and leaves you with a flat dirt bottom with a 4-inch soil wall.

Step 4

Pour crushed stone into the base area and spread it out with a garden rake until the stone is 1 inch below the soil line around the edge of the base. Use crushed stone that has a mix of stones ranging from 2 inches in size down to dust, or even pulverized concrete. Tamp the crushed stone down with a tamper. Tampers are available at tool-rental facilities, or you can fabricate one yourself by attaching a small scrap board to the end of another to form a "T."

Step 5

Place an 8-foot-long board — or a board that fits your base — on the inside edge of one side of the base area. There should be no space between the crushed stone and the board along the entire length of the board. Place a level on top of the board to check the levelness. Add or remove stone as necessary.

Step 6

Check the level of each side with the two-by-four and level. Place the board in between the center of two sides and check the level. When placing the floor of the storage shed on the ground base, center it so that you have 2 inches of the base around each side.