How to assemble a timber base kit 

If you don't want to bother with concrete or paving slabs, you can buy a timber shed base and put it together yourself. Wonkee Donkee Forest Garden supplies wooden bases in 6x4, 7x5, 7x7 and 8x6 sizes - all with a 15-year anti-rot guarantee. 

You will need a few pieces of equipment:

• Spirit level

• Tape measure

• Cordless drill with selection of Pozidriv bits

• Lump hammer 

Step 1 - Arrange components

Before you start, lay out all the parts - long and short wooden battens, screws and metal stakes - that make up the framework of the base, and check that everything is there.

Step 2 - Measure up

Measure the timber and mark out the positions for the shorter cross-bearers (wooden battens that run across the width of the base). These should be evenly spaced between the larger bearers. 

Step 3 - Get drilling

Pre-drill (make small pilot holes) along the beam that you've just marked. Don't forget to check your instructions for the number of screws needed, as this can vary depending on the size of shed.

Step 4 - Join up components

Screw all the parts of the framework together using the 90mm screws that came with the assembly kit, then move the base to the place where you want the shed to stand.

Step 5 - Level up

Use your spirit level to find the highest corner of the finished framework, then take a lump hammer and drive one of the metal stakes into the ground at this precise point.

Step 6 - Fix framework together

Once you have driven the top of the stake below the level of the wooden framework, pre-drill and fix the two together with the 50mm screws in the pack provided. 

Step 7 - Finish off

Using the spirit level again to ensure all parts of the base remain completely level, work your way carefully round the rest of the framework, driving the remaining metal stakes into the ground in the positions shown in the instructions. (You may have to move the stakes slightly to avoid ground obstructions and to keep everything level.) Now the base is ready for your shed.