How would you build the foundation for a 22’x34′ two story summer cottage?
The property is on a lake in southern Ontario, on a steeply sloping site with bedrock 12″-30″ below grade, limited access (concrete truck could only get to about 100′ from building site), well drained sandy soil above the rock, limited budget.
Should I use:
1. A modified pole barn style of construction with load bearing PT wood posts? Construction would be simple. I am a bit concerned with uplift since the posts would not be buried too far ( a tornado hit the property two years ago- see photo).
2. A wood foundation? I like the idea of a crawl space to keep critters from chewing on things.
3. Bigfoot/ sonotube style pier footings with wood posts above?
4. Other?
Replies
I wouldn't build nothin' there, man. Look what's comin'!
The Blue eyed devil is opur resident expert on tornadoes not hitting houses.
I would not be worrying about concrete. You can mix and pour footings by hand. Then build piers on them.
Lock footers to the bedrock with SS pins epoxyed in. When you pour, run rebar "L"s with short leg in the footer and long leg standing up in the center 4" of the form.
Then build around that with brick or block and fuill the core with the rebar inside. When pouring that, have your attachment hardware handy for the beam to lock down.
I work on old homes and mini mansions here on the Atlantic Ocean that were built less well than that a hundred years ago and the only onesgone have burned not blown
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Kashe Lake ? Maybe Sparrow ?
You need to clean some spots down to bedrock and put in some flat pads, then put piers on them - the cottage is really just a large, heavy, free-standing deck. There should be lots of literature on the subject around. What have the neighbouring cottages done ?
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
My land is on Wolfe Lake, near Westport (Township of Rideau Lakes). Many of the neighboring cottages have full basements, and are more like little houses than my idea of a cottage. That storm in the photos picked up one small cottage, split it in two, and moved it about 8ft.
Many area cottages do as you say, or some variation thereof. One technique is to dig a hole to rock or below frost, fill it with compacted gravel, place a precast concrete pad on top, then dry stack cmu to a few feet above grade. I think that is fine for one story, but am nervous about it for two.
I am looking to start something this summer, so will be back in front of the planning board soon. They rejected my plea for placing the cottage 80ft from the lake (and 60ft above it) instead of the required 100ft. So now, my view will be limited by the cliff edge.
I think I'll build piers similar to what you and Piffin say.