Simple Solar Homes

Step 1:

Layout an 18 foot wide x 8 foot long rectangle in your desired building location using your piers blocks and beams.  This will let you know exactly where to dig your holes for your foundation piers.

(Click On Images To Enlarge For More Detail)

Step 2:

Decide if you want a permanent or floating foundation. This will depend on your local building codes, and also your personal beliefs on foundations.

Professional builders will always tell you to build a permanent foundation using piers and footings set below your local area’s frost line.

However, many people have built small sheds, cabins, and homes using floating foundations without any issues.

Floating Foundation Option

1. Dig out ten 24”x24” square holes 12 inches deep. Five holes on each side 4′ apart and 8′ across from each other from their centers.
2. Fill the holes with construction grade gravel and tamp down.
3. Then place four 2”x8”x16” block footings stacked two high in an alternating pattern onto the gravel making a square.
4. Now place 10 pre-cast deck piers on top of block footings.
5. Place main 4”x6” deck beams on piers. Beams should be a minimum of 12 inches above the ground.
6. Make sure beams are perfectly level and square from corner to corner.

Permanent Foundation Option

1. Dig a round hole 16” wide and below your area’s frost line. The frost line requirement in many parts of the United States is around 42” deep, but check your local building codes to be sure.
2. Place a combination “footing and pier concrete tube” into your holes and fill with concrete.  Ensure all the piers are level and square from corner to corner.
   
3. Now place 10 adjustable bolts that will support the main beam brackets into each of the concrete piers before the concrete hardens.  Follow the directions included with the bracket to ensure proper installation.
4. After the concrete has hardened place main 4”x6” deck beams on piers. Beams should be a minimum of 12 inches above the ground.
5. Make sure beams are perfectly level and square from corner to corner.

Continue To Next Step: Floor Framing