Hellanker ground anchors for sheds
All small buildings need to be secured to the ground to avoid them being blown over. This is often achieved by digging out the top layer of ground, laying and compacting hardcore and casting a concrete base, then the shed or shelter can be bolted to the concrete.
There is considerable work involved in laying a concrete base, if you intend using a contractor, the base can cost a good deal more than the shed, and if you change your mind about the position, you're stuck with it. Hellanker ground anchors offer a quick and easy method of securing a shed, whether timber, metal or plastic, at a fraction of the cost of concrete and taking a fraction of the time and effort, plus if you change your mind, or your neighbor objects, the anchors can easily be removed.
The appropriate anchors are the 2" diameter types. In hard ground; 2" x 21½"ED or 2" x 27"ED are often used. For average soil conditions, most contractors use the 2" x 31½"ED type and for softer ground or large structures, the 2" x 35½" is suitable. For greenhouses, the 1½" x 27" and 1½" x 19½" are popular.
We have a full range of brackets to suit almost every eventuality, however the simplest method is to avoid brackets altogether and just use a timber spacer between the anchor top and the shed, and use a bolt through the whole lot, as illustrated below.
Using the B503 bracket for securing a shed
Some garden sheds can be secured using the B503 fitting together with one of the 2" anchors. The anchors are first hammered in to a suitable height, the bracket loosely bolted to the anchor, then using wood screws, the bracket is fixed to the timber, lastly the anchor bolt is tightened. The method illustrated below shows the anchor on the inside, obviously it's only possible to have it on the inside if there is access, ie. the floor isn't in place. If there's no access, then they can go on the outside. One rather useful aspect of putting them on the inside is that they are hidden from view, thus from the outside the structure appears temporary, which can be an advantage if you don't have a building permit for it.
B503 fitting on the outside of a timber shed
D505 bracket on plastic shed
For situations such as trade fairs and anywhere that a temporary fixing is best, the Dirtbolt flanged anchors can be used. They have a different fixing method, firstly the bracket is screwed or bolted to the structure to be fixed, then the anchor is hammered through the slot in the bracket, it will rotate as it goes down, once in, the slot prevents the anchor rotating out, should the structure start to lift. To remove the anchors they are simply unscrewed. The image below is of a P506 bracket and 1½" flanged top anchor.
If you're not sure which anchor might be best, then we suggest the 2" x 31½"ED anchor and the D505 bracket, which is the type most contractors use for securing sheds in average soil.