Foundation

[Omaharosario]

Originally Posted by Les

Thanks David. It's pretty much like building on sand - extremely little (or none) frost heave.

So what does this mean to me? It gets -35 degrees in NE so frost line is a real concern. Even mailboxes in NE are suggested to have a foundation of 36" so I don't think I am to far off. Where do you think a foundation in NE should be? BC I still don't understand what DG has to do with Frost heave? If there is no Frost heave this this is a good thing rite? Let me know, just trying to get all opinions involved in a project similar to mine. Thanks

[dmun]

Where do you think a foundation in NE should be? BC I still don't understand what DG has to do with Frost heave?

Here's how it works. Frost heave is caused by freezing water, specifically ice lenses that grab on to foundations and push them upward. There are two ways of dealing with this. One is to dig down to below the frost line, pour footings six inches wider than the structure, on undisturbed soil, then build upward from there, as the original poster on this thread did.

The other method is to prevent water from getting to the foundation in the first place. A bed of six inches of crushed stone (Decomposed Granite is a term used in other countries) that is well drained will prevent your slab from sitting in the damp in the first place. Most freestanding ovens can be built by this method.

As a side note, there is a hybrid method called "frost protected shallow foundations" that was developed in Canada. Wings of insulation board protrude beyond your foundation to bring the frost line up to your foundation. It's been discussed here, but no one has implemented it to my knowledge.

[Omaharosario]

Originally Posted by dmun

Here's how it works. Frost heave is caused by freezing water, specifically ice lenses that grab on to foundations and push them upward. There are two ways of dealing with this. One is to dig down to below the frost line, pour footings six inches wider than the structure, on undisturbed soil, then build upward from there, as the original poster on this thread did.

The other method is to prevent water from getting to the foundation in the first place. A bed of six inches of crushed stone (Decomposed Granite is a term used in other countries) that is well drained will prevent your slab from sitting in the damp in the first place. Most freestanding ovens can be built by this method.

As a side note, there is a hybrid method called "frost protected shallow foundations" that was developed in Canada. Wings of insulation board protrude beyond your foundation to bring the frost line up to your foundation. It's been discussed here, but no one has implemented it to my knowledge.

Great! So I did the rite thing so far? 48" down on a 8"thick and 14"wide cement footing then blocked up to grade, pea gravel mix for drainage around the base of the foundation and a layer of basement sealant on the outside for extra protection from the elements. Let me know.

[dmun]

That will work fine. I built my oven on sub-frost line footings, but I was building a two story masonry chimney. For a freestanding oven that's more than enough support.

[Neil2]

A third option is to build a well reinforced slab on grade and let the whole thing "float".

[Omaharosario]

Originally Posted by Neil2

A third option is to build a well reinforced slab on grade and let the whole thing "float".

The plan is to skip the slab at grade so I can use the foundation as a usable space. The reinfoced slab will only be under the cooking suface to maximize space. The space below will be accsesed by a 36"X36" Door.