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Thinking about building a Log Cabin? This is how your determineyour foundationThere are at least three types of foundation that may be usedwith many of the popular cottage plans available today. Theseare: a concrete slab on grade; a full foundation wall (orbasement) around the outside perimeter of the building; and apier type of foundation. Most plan drawings show pierfoundations, because they are usually the cheapest to build andthe easiest for the amateur craftsman to construct.If you have a level piece of property on which to build, you maywant to use a concrete slab. It is fairly simple to make. Afteryou have selected the cottage or camp you wish to build, referto the foundation plan that is shown with it. Get the over-alldimensions firmly in mind.On your site clear away the brush and lay out the lines of thebuilding with strings and batter boards. The next step is to diga trench about 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide around theperimeter of the building. If you hit some large rode, leave it.Taper the inside edge of the trench as shown. By cutting theoutside edge of the trench square, you can use it as part of theform for the beam edge of your slab.While youre trying to get the crimp out of your back, havesomeone call the local supply yard and have them send you enoughgravel or crushed rock to lay a 6-inch bed under the slab. Thefollowing table tells you how to figure how much grave! orcrushed rock you will need.At this point, while you are waiting for the delivery of thematerial, you will want to get all the rough plumbing in place.This means that all the pipes which will be permanently buriedin the slab should be put in place, connected, and tested.When the rock or gravel has been delivered, borrow theneighbors wheelbarrow and start spreading it. The finished bed,in cross section, will look like the picture at the side. Dontstop now, youve only begun. Get enough 15-pound roofing felt tocover the slab area. Cover the gravel area with this, lappingthe edges about 3 inches. Youre doing this, I might add, tokeep the ground dampness from coming up into your finished slab.Around the outer edges of your cottage build a form as shown inthe picture at the side. I assume that you didnt knock thewalls of your trench in; if you did, be sure to clean them outagain. You are now ready to lay the reinforcing down. The usualprocedure is to use wire mesh weighing 40 pounds per 100 squarefeet.If you cant get it, the best substitute that I have seen isheavy turkey wire (welded type). Roll out the mesh. Put somesmall rocks under it so that when the concrete is poured, themesh will be in the slab. Along the bottom of the trench use two%-inch reinforcing bars. Youre actually building a concretebeam around the perimeter of the building.You are now ready for the big pour. By this time you willprobably be willing to call for transit mix. When you ask forthis prepared mix, tell them you want the kind that reaches aminimum compressive strength of 2,000 pounds per square inch in28 days. If you are going to mix your own concrete, use I partportland cement, 2 parts sand, 4 parts coarse aggregate, andenough water to make it sloppy.The actual water content should not exceed 7|/2 gallons per bagof cement. The table will help you to figure how much you willneed. The thickness of the concrete slab should be a minimum of3 inches. After you have the framing up, you will want to addone more inch of smooth concrete for your final finish (I partcement, 3 parts sand).You can also add color to this batch if you dont like thenatural gray of the concrete. There you are. Except that youshould also put some 6-inch stove bolts along the outer edge ofthe slab, about 8 feet on center, starting roughly I foot fromthe corner, to fasten your sill. If you are going to use thecottage year-round and are building in the northern states,insulate the outside perimeter with Fiberglas boards.If you use the slab described, be sure that the soil is porous.Heavy clay or stiff soil will require the building of foundationwalls to the frost line to prevent heaving.

About the Author

About the Author: Jack Hudson is a writer forhttp://www.log-cabin-plans-n-kits.com andhttp://www.best-house-n-home-plans.com/. These two sites workcollectively as a resouce for the planning and building of logcabins as well as choosing from different house plans. Visit oneof these sites for informative articles as well as free TIPS forbuilding a log home or choosing a house plan.