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Any Advice re Hutch Stand?

tonibun

Wise Old Thumper
I had a huge hutch dismantled in order to get it out of the shed,ad assembled again. The problem is the stand it is connected to is not sturdy enough but how can I make it safer? I have given it a lot of thought but just can't come up with a solution. The legs of the stand are about 12" high with a connecting piece of wood (thin) running all round along the bottom.
 
Shimmer's idea of breeze blocks is a good one, I'd use bricks but that's because I have loads lying around: we restrained the dog crate using them. Paving slabs/offcuts would work too.
 
I've got a similar problem - just haven't got round to sorting it out. I chose breeze blocks as they are cheap, big and light, compared to bricks. It also only needs to be 2 high, so will be more stable than smaller blocks. My idea was to build low walls (just by stacking the blocks with a half block overlap) underneath the hutch at about 1m intervals from the front to the back of it. You could also make just a pillar at each corner and some key points along the length. Otherwise, something like railway sleepers woud be about the right height. You can usually get short lengths from wood yards. Use them like floor joists.

Usually, I just use whatever I have lying around - often bricks, but I wasn't happy just stacking them with a very heavy hutch on top (mine is a bit higher than yours). Stacks of smaller paving slabs at each end and the middle may also work. They don't absolutely have to be the exact height, as long as there isn't more than a finger or two gap - if they are there in case the legs give way. Just think about how it would fall in that case, and so they won't trap any bunny feet etc, if they normally go under the hutch.
 
Thanks ever so much - I never thought about breeze blocks and I love this idea! The hutch is 31" deep so I would have to position them near each corner. I am not using the hutch until I am satisfied it is safe. I will order 6 breeze blocks - do you think this will be enough? I ned the hutch to be at least a foot high.
 
Breeze blocks are cheap and not heavy. How many you need depends on the size of the hutch. Mine is 8'x4' and I was looking at around 15 breeze blocks to do 3 'walls' - one at each end and one in the middle. Check the size of the blocks - there are ?2 different sizes. You can use them whichever way up suits the space best.

Stability is essential - I wouldn't risk any wobble in the structure. If the wooden legs give way, it has to still be OK. Big wooden hutches are very heavy. Do you have to use the wooden legs? Or maybe don't rely on them, so they could be slightly off the ground if it works out that way.
 
The legs are definitely not reliable although I have had the hutch for several years now and the legs have been ok but since I had it brought outside 2 of the legs have moved, The problem is the legs are attached to the floor, it's a 2-tier hutch so extremely heavy, so the 2 men told me who moved it into position! I think I'll go for 9.
 
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