Foundation Guide

A garden house or sauna house needs a solid foundation, because a load-bearing foundation is crucial for the stability and durability of the entire building. Only in exceptional cases
– especially for particularly small garden or sauna houses made of weatherproof material
– it may be sufficient to merely compact and level the soil.

For a wooden garden house or sauna house, on the other hand, it is always useful and even necessary to lay an adequate foundation. Because if the wood comes into direct contact with the earth, it can rot. Find out more about the different types of foundations and what needs to be considered when building them in the following guide.

Build the foundation for the garden house or sauna house yourself?

A foundation for your new Garden shed or Sauna house you can easily build wood yourself with craftsmanship and physical effort. In this guide, we will give you a general overview of the structure of the individual foundation types. If you have specific questions, need help with specific problems or would like individual advice, a specialist is the right place to go.

What foundations are possible for garden houses/sauna houses?

Slab foundation

A slab foundation is a particularly simple way to create a solid base for an outdoor garden shed or sauna house. It is particularly suitable for small models with low weight.

Here's how it works:

1. At the planned location, first excavate the total area of the garden house/sauna house plus 10 cm, with a depth of about 25 cm.
2. Then fill the dug hole – first with a gravel bed about 10 cm high and then with a thin layer of sand.
3. Lay the paving stones. You can check whether these are correctly aligned with the help of a spirit level. Fill in any joints with sand.
4. Place a mortar support at the edges of the foundation hole if the soil is loose. In this way, you can reliably stabilize the slab foundation.

Concrete floor slab

If the ground at the location is very soft or the garden or sauna house is a stately size, you should rely on a particularly stable concrete foundation. In this case, the load of the building is evenly distributed over the entire concrete floor slab.

The work steps in detail:

1. Excavate the surface of the burrow to a depth of at least 80 cm. This provides adequate frost protection. Important: Add 10 cm on all sides of the surface for the formwork of the slab.
2. Erect the formwork by placing sturdy wooden boards against the walls of the foundation hole. You can check whether the boards are correctly aligned with a spirit level.
3. Now pour a cleanliness layer of masonry concrete (C8/10) with a height of 5 to 10 cm. Alternatively, you can also add a layer of gravel or sand about 15 cm thick.
4. Lay a separating layer, for example made of PE film.
5. Now insert the reinforcement meshes to prevent cracks in the concrete.
6. Apply about 15 cm of concrete and pull off the mixture horizontally with a smoothing disc.
7. Reference : Remember to compact the concrete before peeling it off. This is the only way to ensure optimal stability of the base plate.

Strip foundation

A somewhat more labor-intensive alternative to the previously mentioned foundation types for garden houses and sauna houses is the strip foundation. In this variant, only strips of concrete are poured in places, each of which lies under the walls of the later building.

The floor slab is correspondingly thinner on the total surface of the house, for which a thickness of ten cm is sufficient. With a strip foundation, the load of the garden house or sauna house is thus distributed selectively and not over the entire area, as is the case with the foundation slab.

This is how you build the foundation:

1. Mark out the total area of the garden house or sauna house with a border of 10 to 15 cm. Remove the entire area by about 20 cm.
2. Now dig out the soil for the foundation strips. Dig to a depth of at least 80 cm so that there is sufficient frost protection.
3. After excavation, fill a cleanliness layer of masonry concrete of 15 to 20 cm into the holes.
4. If the ground is particularly soft, you should board the walls of the foundation holes.
5. Lay out a PE film to separate the cleanliness layer from the concrete that follows.
6. Insert the reinforcement mats and pour concrete over the foundation strips and the previously excavated base of the garden house or sauna house. Compact the mixture, smooth it out with a straightener and you're done!

One Pool Wooden for the garden also needs a solid base, because a load-bearing foundation is crucial for the stability and durability of the pool. For our models, it is sufficient to level and compact the soil.

For the indoor area of the pool, it is recommended to lay a thin layer of sand of about 1 to 2 cm under the pool. This provides a more comfortable walking experience in the water and also protects the pool liner at the bottom of the water basin.

Build the foundation for the Karibu pool yourself?

You can easily build a foundation for your garden pool yourself with a little craftsmanship and the right approach. In this guide, we give you a rough overview of the structure of the individual foundation types. On the other hand, you can get answers to specific questions, help with problems and comprehensive advice from a specialist.

What foundations are possible for pools?

Compacted subsoil

For the Karibu pool, it is sufficient to level and compact the soil. A thin layer of sand of about 1 to 2 cm should be piled up under the pool so that it is pleasant to walk on the pool liner later in the water. This also reduces the degree of stress on the pool liner.

Here's how it works:

1. Dig the surface of the pool about 25 cm deep.
2. Fill the hole with a gravel bed of about 15 cm and then a layer of gravel of about 5 to 10 cm.
3. Now pour on a thin layer of sand of about 1 to 2 cm.
4. Finally, compact the entire area thoroughly with a vibrator - and you're done!

Slab foundation

A slab foundation is also a particularly easy to build, but extremely solid basis for your new pool in the garden. Learn how to build it here.

Here's how it works:

1. Dig out the surface of the pool plus 10 cm, keeping a depth of about 25 cm.
2. First fill a gravel bed with a height of about 10 cm and then a thin layer of sand into the hole.
3. Now lay the paving stones for the slab foundation. Use a spirit level to check that the bricks are level.
4. Fill the joints between the pavers with sand to seal them. A mortar support at the edges of the foundation can help stabilize the slab foundation if the ground is loose.

Concrete floor slab

If the ground in the garden is very soft or if it is a large pool, a concrete floor slab is the ideal choice. In this case, the total weight of the building is evenly distributed over the surface, which ensures the highest possible stability.

Here's how it works:

1. Excavate the area of the garden pool, plus 10 cm on all sides for the formwork of the slab. Dig to a depth of at least 80 cm so that the concrete is protected from frost.
2. Insert the wooden board formwork into the hole and use a spirit level to check that it is correctly aligned.
3. Pour a 5 to 10 cm layer of masonry concrete (C8/10) into the hole. As an alternative, you can also fill the hole with a layer of gravel or sand about 15 cm thick.
4. Now lay out a suitable separating layer on the entire surface, for example a PE film.
5. Place the reinforcement meshes now to prevent cracks in the concrete later.
6. Pour the concrete about 15 cm thick and pull it off horizontally with a smoothing disc.
7. Reference : Compact the concrete mass conscientiously to ensure the highest possible stability and durability.

One Carport made of wood requires an appropriate foundation, because a load-bearing base is indispensable for the maximum possible stability and durability of the car shelter. For your new Karibu carport, only one type of foundation comes into question: A point find office with H-anchors!

Build the foundation for the Karibu carport yourself?

You can create a foundation for your carport yourself with a little manual dexterity, as long as you know the right procedure. In the following, we will give you general information and tips on the point requirement for a carport. On the other hand, you can get concrete assistance with specific questions and detailed advice from a specialist.

What foundations are possible for carports?

Point foundation

The point foundation is the only right choice for your Karibu carport. We recommend that you build the foundation immediately before building your new carport. How exactly this succeeds and what needs to be considered, we will tell you in our detailed Assembly instructions for an H-anchor point foundation .

A Karibu Breeze or Wooden stilt house requires a load-bearing subsoil, because this is the only way to ensure that the building is safe and stable in the long term. For our children's play equipment, we therefore offer the swing anchors, which you can also use for a Climbing frame from our range. Alternatively, a point foundation with H-anchors is also suitable for the climbing frames.

What ground anchors are there? The Different Types Explained

Swing anchors should be made of sturdy and stainless material, such as galvanized steel. This ensures maximum stability even in the long term. Depending on the location for the climbing frame or Playhouse different types of ground anchors are recommended.

H-post anchors are specifically designed for anchoring in concrete. This means that the playground equipment for the little ones is very safe in the garden. On the other hand, the installation is somewhat more challenging, as the ground anchors have to be set in concrete. Accordingly, the subsequent dismantling is also associated with more effort, as the anchors have to be removed from the concrete again.

What foundations are possible for children's play equipment

Attachment with the help of swing anchors

You can simply place swing anchors in the ground to achieve sufficient stability for climbing frames, playhouses and the like. In addition to the simple assembly, the uncomplicated dismantling is a decisive advantage of this type of foundation. If you are renting, easy dismantling is an important aspect.

Substrates for swing anchors and what measures they require

In order to be able to safely set up a climbing frame or playhouse in the garden, the ground at the location must be level and compact. If the required ground conditions are given, you can use the uncomplicated but safe playhouse swing anchors for screwing in. Installing them on your own is simple: all you have to do is screw the swing anchors into the ground with a little effort and a firm hold is ensured.

If, on the other hand, the subsoil at the planned location of the garden children's play is not firm enough, anchoring with concrete is recommended. This increases the stability of the building on soft ground. And this is how you proceed to anchor the swing anchors for climbing frames and playhouses with concrete in the ground:

1. Dig holes under two corners of the jungle gym. A depth of about 55 cm and a circumference of about 40 cm is recommended.
2. Install two swing anchors at the corresponding corners of the playground equipment. To do this, first drill the holes and then attach the swing anchors to the post.
3. Fill the holes with concrete until the swing anchors are covered to the marked line.
4. Make sure that the swing anchors are completely sunk into the ground and do not protrude. This will prevent the little ones from tripping over the anchor while playing.
5. Let the concrete dry well before the children use the playground equipment for the first time. As a rule, a drying time of 24 hours is sufficient, but the exact drying time depends on the weather conditions and the concrete chosen.
6. Once the concrete for anchoring is completely dry: fill the holes with soil to cover everything.

Point foundation with the help of H-anchors

The point foundation is a reasonable alternative to fastening children's playground equipment for the garden with swing anchors. We recommend that this foundation be built directly before the construction of the stilt house, playhouse, etc. and not before. We have a comprehensive description of the exact procedure as well as interesting tips in our Assembly instructions for an H-anchor point foundation .

 

As of 11.09.2025