Soil and Wooden Structures

Hello everyone,

Rather shamelessly I have signed up here to ask a question of you good people. I am not a big gardener by anybody's definition, but I do need some advice, and would be grateful if somebody could assist. I hope that I am posting this in the right section. If not, please tell me and I'll happily move it somewhere more suitable.

So, I have recently bought a house.
at the end of the garden is a big wooden out-house/music studio thing (see attached image).

Also in the garden is a mound of soil/mud/stones/etc. that I have started to break up, with the plan of levelling it out across the rest of the lawn area (again, see attached images).

I have removed an old slightly manky deck from in front of the wooden shack and it has left a gap between the base of the structure and the ground (images).

I assume that I shouldn't just be packing soil against the bottom of the shack and into this gap, but what do I need to do to effectively level off what will become a lawned area that butts against, or pretty much against the front of the shack, without doing something stupid that will need to be repaired in the future?

Hopefully this all makes sense! The pictures should help out if it doesn't. I'm after something that I can do fairly easily and cheaply myself ideally, but I want it to be a good, long-term solution mostly.

Thank you in advance for any replies. Don't be afraid of telling me that I'm doing something ridiculous and making a massive mistake. I would rather know than not know!

 

Dont pack soil under the "shack", it needs an airflow underneath.

 

Hi and welcome @wishiwasskinny
As @pete says leave the gap under the front and probably sides and rear of your shack.
Have you considered paving at the front, this would help to stop soil/debris going under the shack and give you an area to step down onto.
You look to be doing fine levelling the rest out.
Let us know how you get on.

 

As said Id leave the air gap free of grass soil plants etc preventing damp and rot.
Maybe run a strong wire mesh across the gap to prevent any foxs rats etc from setting up home under you r shed . a narrow gravel strip in front of the gap may be a good idea ?

 

Thank you all,

I think I'll run some wire mesh along the bottom and create a narrow gravelled area between the shed and the lawn to put some potted plants on or something.

I'll try to remember to post some pictures when it's all done!

 

Actually, there's another thing.
I need a step of some sort to go at the front of the shed.
I've seen some companies selling a self assemble 3 or 4 step wooden deck, but I really only need one step.
Anybody got any bright ideas?

 

Can you build a step from bricks and then top it with paving stones?

 

Build one from decking? Or use some scrap wood to make a step shape and fill it with concrete, for a solid concrete step. Then remove the wood after. There's plenty of guides online, that's my next job in the garden, I'm putting it off though as it looks pretty Labour intensive... A lot easier than digging! Your description makes it sound easy!