Unsure of how best to set out your ground screws? Don’t panic. Here is the preferred method from a leading provider of garden rooms on the South Coast.
1) Pick a corner point of your garden room and mark it with a peg. It’s advisable to start with the corner point that you are least flexible with. For example, if the front right corner has to be in line with X and 400mm from Y, start with this corner.
2) measure out your 4 sides from this point and mark each corner with a peg. Check the dimensions on your sides and then the diagonals, ensuring that the layout matches the drawings. Run a string line around the pegs creating a visible square that marks your garden room.
3) Place your first ground screw on the corner point and start placing out, with a maximum distance between screws of 1200mm for SIPs and 1500mm for joist based builds. Remember to account for the position of the bracket when positioning your ground screws. The brackets should remain within the string line and be positioned for the supportive timbers to sit on.
4)Pre-drill the holes with a 25x450mm SDS drill bit to loosen any roots or stone and create a pilot hole for the ground screw. Start winding in the ground screw, remembering to keep it level. The ground screw must be between 50-300mm above ground level only.
5) After all the screws are installed, attach chosen brackets to screws using carbon steel self-drilling screws 5.5x22mm.