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Choosing the foundation for your log cabin is an important decision. Foundations are necessary to ensure that the weight of your log cabin does not cause it to sink into the ground beneath. A log cabin needs to have a solid, durable and strong ground surface for the foundation to bear the weight effectively. Good foundations should work to protect your cabin from subsidence and settlement issues, which are both caused by soil movement in the ground beneath.
The foundation you decide to build for your cabin should be influenced by a number of factors such as: the site ground, the sites rock and soil type, the size of the log cabin you are building, the drainage system, access availability to the site and of course your construction budget.
This type of base should cover the whole area (most times slab is 200mm narrow and shorter than actual size of the building, concrete base size always to be confirmed with us first) of your log home exterior size. Concrete bases need to be laid over a layer of hardcore – broken blocks or large stones. The hardcore allows water to drain and prevents damage being caused from the ground underneath. Recommended concrete slab thickness is 4-6 inch or thicker if required.
Proper concrete slab should include:
If you are looking for a budget quality base, timber frame & concrete block foundation is the best option for you. It is half the price of the concrete slab. This type of base is most popular for log cabins because it can be done in any site if you have bad or no access to the site. Base is made of 4 inch concrete blocks placed approx. every 500mm & cemented into the ground (recommended to apply hardcore before) then subframe is made from pressure treated 4×2 timbers and leveled with timber legs screwed into the frame that sit on blocks.
Once the frame and supporting legs are done a damp course is applied under each leg to prevent damp and contact between concrete block & timber. All timber frame bases are covered with pressure treated shiplap .Foundation cover up is a perfect finishing touch to complete your log cabin project. Foundation cover up is included in the price of your timber frame base price.
If you are building a log cabin to use as an office or a summer house, then you can get away with having paving slabs as the foundation base material. You will need to remove the top level of soil or grass, and ensure that the top of the slab is leveled with the rest of the garden. It is not always necessary to fill the area with cement before fixing the paving slabs in place as the weight of the cabin will hold them in place. If the site area is not leveled, you can fill it with sand or dry cement and then lay the slabs.
Please get in touch with us today if you would like to find out more about any aspect of owning and building a log cabin. We have vast experience and would be delighted to talk you through the process.
ECOHOME LOG CABINS IRELAND
Church road,
Tullamore,
Co. Offaly
Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm
Saturday 10am – 4pm
Sunday – Monday Closed
Bank Holiday and Public Holiday – Closed
