footings for 12 x 12 shed – Concrete piers or Redi-Footings?
badarse
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I want to build a shed (and potential future guest shack). Normal 8′ 2×4 walls with t111. Its on the back 40 and getting concrete on site will be a hassle so pouring a concrete pad or perimeter footing is not ideal. How many piers would I need (and what size) What about those Redi-Footings???. Anyone with experience using them? This will not be inspected but I do want it to last. Thanks.
Replies
Depends on the soil conditions
The spacing and number of footings is totaly dependant on the soils ability to support the load.
What Jigs said. Need to know frost depth too.
Like the others have said, it depends on the soil bearing capacity but I've used the Redi Footings for small sheds like you're proposing and have been very happy with them. Figure out the soil bearing and the frost depth and depending how fast you can dig, you can be making sawdust on the same day instead of waiting for concrete to cure.
Yeah, would want to know something about the frost situation.
Note that wood piers would be an option.
The Amish around here build them twice as large and just put them on 4x6 or 6x8 PT runners. Every couple of years you might have to jack it up and level it out but it works and its portable.
my 20 ft by 20 ft cabin sits on 9 ea pole stubs (creosoted fir, piling stubs washed up on Pug. Snd shores. )
32 YO this year, still in great shape. Just dug holes, dropped in the stubs, sluiced dirt arond them with water to make it solid.
A lot of my sheds simply have old railroad ties laying on the ground for the foundation.
Many power companies will give you pole stubs that they cut off treated poles to make them the right height for the specific installation - great source of fence posts when ya split them also.
Just 12x12, you would be fine with just 4 posts.
depends what kind of soil it is on and how much tolerance you have for movement
Shed CMU Footing
Here is a shed CMU Footing and basic shed floor layout, see below. It is a little over built for most garden sheds but it may help. I found it at <a href="http://www.icreatables.com/yard-and-garden/sheds/building-a-shed.html"> Building a Shed</a>