Foundation for a DIY Cabin Done The Right Way !

Foundation for a DIY Cabin Done The Right Way ! - EP 6

Рет қаралды 169,424

Күн бұрын

It is time to break ground, let me show you how to do a proper foundation for a DIY cabin, not the typical way most people do them which I believe is WRONG. I am sharing some very detailed, step by step instructions on how to do it yourself; going from the choice of the materials, digging the ground for the footer, using the proper concrete forms, cutting and placing rebars for the footing and shaft, as well as mixing and pouring concrete.
I am Tristan, I am building a 400 SF cabin at the back of my house. I plan on doing it all by myself. I plan on sharing this journey here on KZfaq where I will show you every step of the way, all the struggles I run into and everything I will learn from this experience. I will then rent the cabin as a short term rental in hope of covering most, if not, all my house mortgage (House Hacking). Follow me here as this will absolutely be one of a kind journey.
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DISCLAIMER
Most of the product links are Amazon affiliate links, where I earn a small commission from purchases at no cost to you. Thanks for watching!
Content of the video :
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Foundation Requirements
04:04 - Digging Time
06:48 - Footing Rebars Prep
09:16 - Concrete Forms Prep
11:26 - Shaft Rebars Prep
12:40 - Anchor Rod and Ties
13:21 - Prepping Forms Before Pouring Concrete
14:18 - Mixing and Pouring Concrete
16:23 - How it went !
#CabinSeries #TheDIYCabinGuy #Cabin #TinyHouse

Пікірлер: 328

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

You can now get the free DIY Cabin Blueprint at : thediycabinguy.com/blueprint

@DongThePsychopath Жыл бұрын

As a carpenter I was laughing at you figuring everything out. But you got it quick and did it right! That was definitely not overkill. You will thank yourself in 10 years

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Nice to hear that from a pro !

@trehnert 10 ай бұрын

he should go work with a concrete crew and pick up some skills

@publika6883 2 жыл бұрын

I like how you embrace the overkill. Everything nowadays is made for short-term profit, we are mortal beings, so I appreciate you doing something for posterity.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Leonardo, I appreciate your comment! That’s a refreshing point of view.

@AJourneyOfYourSoul 2 жыл бұрын

It’s a lot of work, but when your done, looking at your foundation, knowing that it is done right with nothing to worry about, it is 100% worth it. Nicely done!

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Agreed! I’m building this for the long haul!

@bigal25938 Ай бұрын

As a retired design/construction engineer you did a great job. No overkill at all. After I retired and became a farmer again I love to get down in the dirt and build things by hand. It’s not necessarily about whether it’s overkill or not, sometimes it’s just about the satisfaction of doing something in the best way possible and doing it well enough that future generations will get to enjoy the fruit of your labor. Congratulations.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Ай бұрын

Really appreciate the kind words! I do see it the same way you do! The satisfaction of a job well done.

@andrewallason4530 Жыл бұрын

A couple of points. Your base of your footing should be at least 1’ below your worst case frost level. Using the round version of the square pads is much easier, plus you can use an auger to drill your holes. Hire a skid steer or mini-excavator with auger and your holes will be dug easily in half a day without breaking a sweat! And you will probably use the machine for other jobs on the site while you have it. Most plant hire places have them to hire by the weekday or weekends. I always weld my rebar cages. It’s something you can easily do with a $100 chinesium arc welder, and is probably equivalent to what you’re gonna spend on the rebar ties and the tying tool you then don’t need to buy. Plus you get to keep the welder, which is a pretty useful gadget. Make yourself a concrete vibrator by attaching a hammer drill to a length of rebar (it’s even better if you have a drill where you can have the hammer action without the rotation). Otherwise weld the rod to an old sabre-saw, multi-tool or jigsaw blade, and then use that to agitate the concrete each time you add a barrow load. Wrap plastic around the saw to protect it. Just remember, it won’t have the power of the commercial concrete vibrators, so use it more frequently.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks for these tips!

@chrishelbling3879 11 ай бұрын

I love watching a builder who embraces overkill. Makes me feel less foolish, for doing the same.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 11 ай бұрын

😂

@joecallahan3379 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent foundation, now you see why everyone doesn't do them correctly, a lot of work. good to see you're doing it the correct way

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Definitely a lot of work! Maybe will use some earth moving equipment next time!

@samlogosz8422 Жыл бұрын

I've done carpentry work for a long time. Your spot on brother about having a good footing. I worked for a contractor for a short time many years ago and he didn't know what a frost line was. He had been a contractor for 30 years. Really.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks Sam, damn, that’s kind of scary!

@firsnamelasname6629 Жыл бұрын

This was super helpful to see you doing this all by yourself. I’m probably going to have to mostly work alone too so seeing how much work is actually involved, especially from someone who also doesn’t have much experience is priceless.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Glad you found this helpful 😀

@tadcobert1307 2 жыл бұрын

Some say "overkill", you say "done right", I say EXCELLENT! Thank you!

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tad! I appreciate it

@Jordan-tq2jc Жыл бұрын

I live at 8,000 feet in Colorado. Where I work we have a bunch of cabins and there are a few slabs that remain from cabins built there in the 40’s. The ones that remain from that time are 4” concrete slabs... directly over compacted ground… that’s it. We get 8 feet of snow every year and have a freeze thaw cycle regularly. We had 14” of snow in June this year, all that to say, those concrete slabs have hardly moved a bit, and they’re not even insulated. I think this is great info, don’t get me wrong you are very much correct according to building science and general studies that have been done. I’m just putting it out there that sometimes we overthink things in the modern world of building.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Jordan! I couldn’t agree more, I follow code requirements but just as you’re mentioning, I myself have seen houses at 5000 ft, directly exposed to high winds and being built just with nails and they’re still there, 40 years later… it puzzles me sometimes.

@Jordan-tq2jc Жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy Thanks for the reply, also awesome work it looks great. I applaud your direct adherence to doing this the “right way”. I just wanted to also point out the “overthinking” aspect of building that we normalize in modern society. Keep it up! It’s great to see the detail and pride that you put into your work.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

@@Jordan-tq2jc thanks a lot Jordan!

@chrisfrank8413 Жыл бұрын

Slab probably 'Floats' on the soil, as it freezes and thaws. like a raft. As long as the Slab is strong enough not to crack, It'll be ok.

@JJ-zs3ee 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent work! it is rewarding to know that after all that hard work your cabin is in a very sturdy foundation. Thank you for the material cost tracker, it's very useful!

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot, very glad to hear that you’re enjoying the content 🙂

@lufy0629 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, 5 min in and you can tell your videos are very educational compared to others. About to take my journey off-grid and the details and costs are much appreciated!

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Alex, very glad to hear that you’re getting value from my videos. Nice! What size cabin will you be building ?

@happytomeetyou.3027 7 ай бұрын

I love when you come to the realization of "moving the materials" which I consider 80% of the construction process. Great video and Thanks from Texas !

@TheDIYCabinGuy 7 ай бұрын

Yeah it’s silly how I never saw that coming 😅

@timbarry5080 7 ай бұрын

You may be interested in checking out how "the bearded carpenter" did the footings for his log cabin

@TheDIYCabinGuy 7 ай бұрын

👍

@sofiannetliche5980 11 ай бұрын

Very helpful sering you building all from the beginning I have 4acr of land and I will star5 working on it by next month. Thank you for the great ideas and the courage

@TheDIYCabinGuy 11 ай бұрын

Glad to help

@chaselott8703 2 жыл бұрын

Very well done! Great information and incredible work mate ! I learned a heap it was very thorough! Thank you brotha god bless

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks you for the kind words Chase, glad you enjoyed it and learned things along the way !

@thelouiebrand Жыл бұрын

I had an old cabin on my property when I bought it. The neighbors who are in their 50’s said they played in it when they were kids. It was build on the ground and the base was still good.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

That’s totally possible, still doesn’t meet code though.

@johnbeckwith8313 Жыл бұрын

Excellent build job! It is a pleasure to see someone using modern engineering standards and International Residential Code requirements. 😀

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks John! Really trying to put my engineering knowledge to good use 😀

@johnbeckwith8313 6 ай бұрын

Just re-watched the video and read the comments a year after my above comment. It is amazing how many so called "experts" are willing to give advice about engineering that they don't know anything about. Your foundation was done RIGHT! GOOD WORK❤

@scottmcintosh2988 Ай бұрын

9:41 I dug down 5 feet three foot around filled it with Lafarge fiberglass 10:15 concrete up to the top of the ground level let it dry then installed 16;inch Sonna tubes so it is like an upside down mushroom used a water level from Home Depot pressure treated 2 x 10 's on a mile of ocean frountsge at the southern east tip of Nova Scotia in Canada

@TheDIYCabinGuy Ай бұрын

Nice

@jerryf609 Жыл бұрын

For future viewers, I have been told to keep rebar 3 inches from any edge of the concrete. I think his is good in that regard with the exception of the vertical cage from the cylinder walls. A three piece triangular cage may work better.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Yes that’s correct, 3” is what people should follow for concrete permanently exposed to earth.

@ndehgan 2 жыл бұрын

You explained this very good 👍🏻 looking forward to see the progress

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Nima! Glad to hear that my explanations were clear.

@latonyalee7821 Жыл бұрын

Nice Job, but there are a few things I will do differently and that is to lay down 24x24 inch concrete square stone payers (to ensure everything is leveled) in each hole and then place the concrete mold, create all the rebar forms ahead of time (hopefully you this this afterwards, saves a lot of time) and once I figure out the length of the rebar and forms, have them cut at Lowes/Home Depot or somewhere, it doesn't cost that much and I live by the motto "what is your time worth", but that's just me. You did an amazing job explaining everything!

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks ! Appreciate you sharing different ideas, it’s always good to see what people would do differently.

@DmitriDonRU 2 жыл бұрын

cool... we will have to do something similar next year, so learning from you! And very cool idea about openness and showing us dollars spent and days! :)

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you’re liking those features! I’ll make sure to update it in each video.

@scotthermance2335 2 жыл бұрын

Nicely done! There's an old saying, a house is only as good as it's foundation. You're concern for deal will give you a life time of enjoyment. Cheers

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Scott! I do agree with that saying and I hope and believe that this foundation will last for a lifetime!

@bigcws4522 Жыл бұрын

This guy started off pretty serious and now it seems like he is struggling I'm kind of enjoying his I'm second thinking everything attitude.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

😂

@jjo1718 2 жыл бұрын

I had to watch like 5 videos just to understand foundation lol and this guy explained it all in one video lmao

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Nice! Glad to hear that !

@beachtimehawaiibth7222 5 ай бұрын

I like all your detailed descriptions, costs, tools used and details…nice!

@TheDIYCabinGuy 5 ай бұрын

Thanks! Glad to hear that

@AlexKidmann 2 жыл бұрын

Stylé ! :o Top les explications ca donne envie de faire du bricolage !

@Jesse-fz8pu Жыл бұрын

Excelente my friend.. Great job.. Loved it.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks Jesse !

@bunnybuttacres Жыл бұрын

Fully agree. We're building our cabin based on engineer drafted plans and they call for 8ft deep piers with 30 inch footings. Never would have guessed! I'm so glad we paid a pro to do the mathing.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Nice! Man those are big piers, which state is the building located ? You gotta do what you gotta do.

@bunnybuttacres Жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy New Mexico. Yeah. It's way deeper than I would have assumed if we were just doing it ourselves so I'm really happy we sought an engineer. Better to do it right than do it twice :)

@jonathangrubb572 29 күн бұрын

I think the word you were looking for is mansion, not cabin. How did you dig those? Rent the Chunnel digger? LOL

@bunnybuttacres 7 күн бұрын

@@jonathangrubb572 It's under 1200sqft. Hardly anything like a mansion. We dug them with a backhoe and a mini-ex and did the last 2ft give or take by hand so we wouldn't screw up with the machinery. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/odJ4q9eTkszbpYk.html here's a video of us digging out the foundation if you're curious.

@dralixandretureta2310 Жыл бұрын

Muito bom seus vídeos, obrigado!

@firescaping1018 2 жыл бұрын

Love the information you provided

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Glad you found it useful

@scottmcintosh2988 Ай бұрын

Take a sander without sandpapper and vibrate the sona tube no voids of concrete !

@TheDIYCabinGuy Ай бұрын

Interesting

@slaboutlawdee2428 2 жыл бұрын

All that rebar makes sense ,sure was a pain getting it all set up but well worth it for years and years to come if you plan to make a permanent structure

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Yep! That’s for sure !

@jond661 Жыл бұрын

In Toronto our frost line is at 4 feet 😅 replacing rotten fence posts and digging out piers is the name of my existance

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Man that sounds miserable! 2 ft was already such a pain

@anrichards149 10 ай бұрын

I agree this looks much more stable and durable

@TheDIYCabinGuy 10 ай бұрын

Thanks !

@TheGuyOutdoors1 11 күн бұрын

I just got plans engineered and my design is the same with the plastic feet for the bottom of the sonotubes and rebar. Except I have a tractor, done that a few times with a shovel, it sucks where im at. Lots and lots of rocks, maple trees

@TheDIYCabinGuy 11 күн бұрын

I was lucky I didn’t have to deal with the rocks and a very limited amount of roots.

@sam.man.TX22 2 жыл бұрын

Measure some marks from 12” to 24/36” on shovel and post hole diggers. Save s a bit of time and guess work

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, good tip

@timothycasey5749 Жыл бұрын

Just downloaded the plans.. Don't know if I will ever do this..but at least I can see how it is done..thank you.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Awesome!

@tubbyrainbow111 Жыл бұрын

Wow, lad that money counter was a fantastic idea!

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks ! I try to update as often as I can, it’s actually pretty sporadic here and there.

@mikeso5963 7 ай бұрын

Should tie rebar in column with rebar in base. And better to use a vibrator because the size and shape of the

@TheDIYCabinGuy 7 ай бұрын

Makes sense!

@runfayalife Жыл бұрын

Great idea with the money counter.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks 😀

@mikem720 11 ай бұрын

Yes and no. With some ground prep for each placement, you can float a decent sized cabin right on the ground in most normal kinds of ground, especially if the cabin has enough unit strength to move as a unit and you have a reasonable way to adjust level. And yes it can last 100 years.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 11 ай бұрын

Would need to have soil check to be sure beforehand

@Chris_at_Home Жыл бұрын

Glad to see you are using concrete below grade. I have seen many people build cabins on wood posts and within 20 years they usually have to replace them.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Yep, not worth it burying wood, even treated, it will decay at some point.

@griff_9580 6 ай бұрын

Footings need rebar

@tuan-anhnghiem4344 8 ай бұрын

very nice work!!!

@TheDIYCabinGuy 8 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot!

@bengtriise6504 2 жыл бұрын

Damn,you guys have it easy. Just dig a little🌞 Here in Norway there is 10cm of dirt and then solid rock!😳 Cool build👏

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Damn that’s rough! So how do you do foundations in Norway ?!

@bengtriise6504 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy Haha,with a lot of swearing and bolts. I live in Lofoten islands and it's mostly rock🤘

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

@@bengtriise6504 I just looked it up! That is so far up north, how much daylight are you getting during winter ? And what kind of temperatures?

@bengtriise6504 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy The sun is below the horison now, Jan.5th will be first sunlight again. Since we practically is in the ocean the temp is around freezing with rain every other day so it's the shittiest winters around. Thats why I find anything diy on youtube from warmer places.

@j.c.m5168 Жыл бұрын

You clear soil and anchor to stone for foundations, no?

@richpalladiumberg2461 Жыл бұрын

very helpful. THanks

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks Rich !

@stevanaeastwood8059 9 ай бұрын

Awesome! Cutting with the grinder!! Get yo self a band saw. Less stress. Way faster ❤

@TheDIYCabinGuy 9 ай бұрын

Thanks !

@SupremeOverlord10 Жыл бұрын

I watched episode7 first. I thought, dude, your structure is awesome, but your piers are really weak. Then I went back and looked at your earlier episode and you are the master. You did an excellent job. I could relate that to a job I did recently, on a much smaller level where I built a foundation for a solar shade.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Ahah yeah only sonotubes would have been a little light, definitely need footers.

@banditshorthouse2846 Жыл бұрын

Cabins built without footings have lasted over a hundred years . Rubble trench or gravel displaces the load si.ilar to a footing, likewise friction pilings do the same laterally. Just have to understand the method.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately (fortunately?) building codes won’t allow this anymore

@jafaralbaaj6977 Жыл бұрын

I love your cabin I watched the series several times and I love your hard work, I meant to ask you if it’s possible to get the plans of your cabin as I’m planning on building my own one day and I’ve spent the last two years trying to learn as much as I can

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Hi Jafar, thank you for the comment. Yes I have some of the plans available on my website, did you get that already?

@deepdivedelight 5 ай бұрын

Your concrete post is good for a toy cabin. The real Foundation of a house is to dig a whatever shape of the house hole, like a footprint approx a yard deep, secure all dirt walls with concrete blocks, and the house rest on this concrete belt. Do not pour a concrete slate over the dirt. It's made to let the house breeze, it can b used to store food, suitcases, ... excellent for accessing water lines, gas, ... but it is not a basement. crawlspace

@TheDIYCabinGuy 5 ай бұрын

Indeed I wouldn’t recommend this for a full size house just good for a little cabin

@stephendemille5424 Жыл бұрын

Great job bro… next time get some beers and food n invite your buddies to come over to help

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

If only I had friends 😂😂😂

@stephendemille5424 Жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy don’t worry buddy, over time u will have friends… if not u still have an awesome cabin lol

@DavidLaFerney Жыл бұрын

In Cades Cove there are churches that are over 100 years old that are sitting on loose stacked stones. I’m not saying this is a good option for new construction today, but I am saying this - I wouldn’t be too quick to declare that I am “doing it right” as if anything less or different is deficient.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Great point !

@usfederalgovernment 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks !

@LIBERTY0RDEATH Жыл бұрын

Future pro tip. Don’t cut anything until the very end. Set up a line laser at the height you want and cut them all at the same time. Otherwise how do you know your at the correct height you can’t go off the ground since it’s different everywhere. Your string lines don’t look level at all so not sure what your using to measure off

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Andrew, good tip but check out the following videos, I ended up decided not to level the concrete piers but to level the wood posts above it using a 360 degrees laser level.

@bigal25938 Ай бұрын

Get a heavy slate bar to help in digging. Really helps a lot.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Ай бұрын

👍

@kevinmackfurniture Жыл бұрын

Your fortunate... In my area of Massachusetts, the frost line is 48" below grade. Big footers are required by code on porches and decks in most towns now...

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Yeah I’m not that far north, we do not get super cold temperatures. I can’t imagine having to dig 48” deep by hand, no way. You definitely would have to get a backhoe for that.

@kevinmackfurniture Жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy Regardless of temperature... large, solid,heavy footings should be the bare minimum in any build. Replacement of them later with the weight of the structure above you, will be far costlier and more difficult.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

@@kevinmackfurniture you’re preaching to the choir 😄 I do agree, not anyone on KZfaq will though.

@theartofplumbing 2 жыл бұрын

great job. I lot of hard work, but werth it

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks ! yes, a strong foundation for years to come!

@thelouiebrand Жыл бұрын

You’re a beast!

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

😂 I guess I’ll take this as a compliment

@saneisall1067 Жыл бұрын

I wonder if it would have been beneficial to use an extra black plastic form, turned it upside down to use as a funnel ontop of the sonotube. Then just dump the wheelbarrow over into it. To save your back from some shoveling.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Could have worked!

@lightningfisher8177 2 жыл бұрын

One gallon of water to each 80# bag is perfect.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

That’s good to know! Thanks

@bartdurang9296 Жыл бұрын

Excellent videos. Real down to earth DIY info. Love it. Just one question. Why use foundation forms? What’s the advantage? Why not just fill the foundation, let the concrete settle for a while, put in the pilar forms and then concrete them? Thanks.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

That would totally be a viable option, I just liked the idea of doing everything in one pour.

@crosisofborg5524 6 ай бұрын

This is why I am using helical screw piles. They hold the weight just as well as sonotubes but all 12 are installed in just a few hours without any of this work.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 6 ай бұрын

Yep! They surely are a lot easier and faster. Do you install them yourself or a company has to do it?

@carmel833 4 ай бұрын

how much is each helical screw pile cost for materials & labor install? 1000 per pier or so?

@anothersomebody8195 Жыл бұрын

41 episodes, wow 😳. Many things are possible during covid lockdowns

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

😂

@Fortburb Жыл бұрын

Hats off to you man. It’s a lot of work I know. Are you using 10” or 12” sonotube?

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

I used 10” , yeah it was pretty physical!

@motor-head 2 жыл бұрын

I'm a general contractor and I agree with pretty much everything you said.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Glad to hear that !

@cochransgonewildalaska2265 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve done two cabins like this, but my piers go all the way to the treated beams. It’s one less pivot point.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Yes you’re definitely right! But I didn’t know if I could handle dealing with the sonotube sticking 4’ off the ground. I’ll have lots of Y bracing between my posts, I don’t think it’ll move much. How did you manage to pour all of your sonotube exactly at the same height?

@cochransgonewildalaska2265 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy I used a rotary laser with a measurement stick. I was able to get my piers within 1/4” and made up the short ones with some non shrink grout. You would notice on taller piers that the concrete will settle quite a lot in the tubes and if you aren’t on top of adding more you can get a little short. I was always only able to do one or two a day digging my own holes by hand 3 feet deep. Lots of work but a solid foundation.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

@@cochransgonewildalaska2265 sounds like it would be tough work for sure. Did you have to brace the sonotube sticking out ?

@brentkirkness3405 11 ай бұрын

I live in Canada where permafrost is about a foot underground.

@CringePanda 2 жыл бұрын

How is the 10" tube working for the 6x6 post? It's what I want to do as well but every place seems to say I need 18" tubes for 6x6 posts!

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Well what’s their reasoning ? I do have an appropriately sized footing under the sonotube.

@denniscarreno5882 2 жыл бұрын

A very solid well made foundation……

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

😀 thanks !

@kalliste23 5 ай бұрын

If you insist in digging with manual labour (don't they have tool hire place near you?) you need a pickaxe. Digging holes means a shovel and pickaxe unless you have explosives to take the place of the pickaxe.

@richardthomas1566 Жыл бұрын

All that means nothing with out an engineered coring test. Need to measure the bearing capacity of the soil before you do anything if you want it done right . They come out drill and take core samples .

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Richard, this depends on your code requirements, you’re right that some area do require you to get a geotechnical engineer involved to provide a bearing capacity. In my area, we are allowed to use a code minimum 2000 PSF without having a geotechnical engineer report.

@BLAM777 2 жыл бұрын

Well I know of 2 houses built in northern maine right near where my land is and they are on 3' of gravel with concrete pads and pressure treated posts. The people live there full time and the houses we're built well over 10yrs ago. They have had no problems at all and one of the houses had an addition put on within the last 7 yrs. I know the builder of those places and he has built may camps and houses over the years. He's also fixed quite a few houses others had built. I guess it just depends on where you build and knowing the land your going to build on.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

That’s good to know. I think that lumber under ground could potentially take 30/40 years+ to have issues. Maybe it never will in their case, depends really on how much moisture it will be exposed to. Gravel helps a lot below the concrete at it will help moisture drain down.

@mjkx_8476 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this reply. Starting a cabin in Sumner with my father this summer and I’m looking into what has worked for our area.

@BLAM777 2 жыл бұрын

@@mjkx_8476 up where we bought our land there are alot of huge rocks, roots, and the ground water isn't far down so building on the gravel makes the most sense for us. The plan is for a 24×32 A-frame with a loft. Hope the build goes well for you and your dad this summer.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

@@BLAM777 nice! Are you going to hire a builder for that A frame or do the work yourself ?

@BLAM777 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy me and my family are going to do it ourselves. I may hire the amish to help me with the roof. They have fair prices and the cost will be a fraction of the cost of what a contractor would charge us.

@patrickjones8255 Жыл бұрын

Looking real good. Rebar is most important for loads under suspension. A footing probably didn't need it.

@DoyleShadduck 5 ай бұрын

With that soil you can just install 6x6 pressure treated posts, and it’ll outlive you. Totally unnecessary to dig massive holes just to get two feet down. I have 6x6 pt posts @ 4 feet down on a gravel base. Most cabins in the northeast are using this same method. We are required to have the piers at 4 feet minimum due to frost heaving.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 5 ай бұрын

Maybe but would not meet code requirements though …

@evolution2k6 Жыл бұрын

Great work and Thanks for this video! Would you happen to know the soil profile with respect to the area of the country you're in (i.e. Limestone, Sand, etc...). Also, as an Engineer "Overkill" is natural.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

No unfortunately I’m not sure about the soil profile. It might be somewhere in my septic permit as they did have to look at the soils to figure out what septic system to use

@evolution2k6 Жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy No worries, thanks and look forward to more videos and final outcome!

@williammartin2810 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting, good job. Maybe could have put some plastic under the rebar.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Thanks William! You mean plastic rebar chairs instead of the metal ones I used ?

@williammartin2810 Жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy On the bare ground to keep the concrete from drying out too fast

@the_atomic_punk487 2 жыл бұрын

You need to invest in a mini excavator or better yet a small front end loader/backhoe combo

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Trust me I would love that! Do you know how much they usually cost used?

@the_atomic_punk487 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy my pop picked up a lightly used kubota bx24 for $12,000, that was 10 years ago, I’m sure costs have risen. Great videos!

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

@@the_atomic_punk487 thanks! I’ll look into it if I end up building more or maybe I would just rent one first.

@GentleImpact Жыл бұрын

Did you go through your countys planning board for inspection?

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Not for the foundation, being a licensed engineer, I signed off on it myself. I will need to get all the rest of the cabin inspected though (about 5 inspections total), framing, electrical, plumbing, insulation…etc

@butopiatoo 3 ай бұрын

No compaction of the pier backfill? Nice example. Hand dug holes are FUN!!! To bad a friend doesn't have a backhoe or an auger. What is the diameter of the piers?

@TheDIYCabinGuy 3 ай бұрын

I did compact it, well jumping up and down on it 😂 22” square footing and 10” diameter pier if I recall correctly

@butopiatoo 3 ай бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy Love your documentation for other to see your process. Well done, Sir.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 3 ай бұрын

@@butopiatoo thanks a lot !

@Just-gt9oo Жыл бұрын

👍

@mattgeiger8247 Жыл бұрын

Im pretty sure people know to bell out sonotubes, which means making the bottom of the hole wider so the concrete can spread and make a bell 🔔 shape.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Some do some don’t, I have seen plenty of project where only sonotubes have been used

@jond661 Жыл бұрын

I've seen many where it's just Co crête in a dirt hole😂

@ikrabiche 2 жыл бұрын

What do you thing about screw piles? ( pieux vissé). I know your method is indestructible, but screw piles seems faster to install. I live in Québec by the way, so I would need to make my footing at least 4 foot deep.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, a screw pile also called helical pile could definitely work! I myself did look into it but here was the limit, the hand screw piles that you can buy and install yourself do not have enough capacity to support the loads for this cabin (and I’m not sure how they would do for uplift or lateral loads). The other option is to get a proper helical pile installed (probably has to be done by a pro), these can be torqued to have definitely enough capacity for a cabin like this BUT (in my area) they cost about 2k per helical pile installed! So that would be about 24k for my whole foundation ! Maybe they’re is a way to DIY the installation of helical piles to lower the cost, maybe worth looking into! It surely would be so much easier and faster than what I had to do! Merci et j’espère que ces vidéos vous aideront à construire votre propre cabin au Canada!

@ikrabiche 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy thank you very much! I didn’t know they were that expensive. My cabin will be way smaller and lighter, 14x16, one floor and no water. I will try to calculate the weight. Maybe I will be fine with the regular.

@Presentunity Ай бұрын

We are about to rebuild our cabin that was built directly on the ground about 80 years ago. The ground there is very very rocky, and less than a foot of shoveling its impossible to dig more. (Its almost impossible to pin a tent there without curving the hooks while trying to plan them). No way we can do what your do for your footing. What would you suggest ?

@TheDIYCabinGuy Ай бұрын

Maybe talk to a local builder to get their input

@dperk1153 2 жыл бұрын

as long as you're showing costs how much for the home design and septic components - design, permit, hardware, installation?

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

I did the design myself, pretty much used free ressources online to get an idea and then drew stuff by hand and got a drafter from fiverr to do it. Septic , $700 Permit fee, 4.5k for the installation including labor and materials.

@emmanuel4333 2 жыл бұрын

Hello, Could I pour the concrete inside the form, and backfill the hole around the form only after the concrete is dried and set? I can't find the bottom forms anywhere, so I'll have to build a form using wood, but that means I have the top side exposed, so I can't backfill until the concrete is done drying. What are your thoughts?

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah finding those footings forms were so difficult! I had to call the supplier directly and when they added some to the Home Depot site, i was able to buy them right away before they were out of stock again two days later. In your case, I would do, footing first, with rebars sticking out straight, let it dry. Install the sonotube above then backfill then pour. If you try to pour without the sonotube being backfilled, I can see the concrete pushing out at the bottom of the sonotube and end up with a big mess!

@emmanuel4333 2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy Wow, now that I've read your comment, I can't see how I didn't figure out that can happen. Thanks a lot mate. I'll do per your advice.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

@@emmanuel4333 no problem 😉

@mrwonderfulhere2 10 ай бұрын

Nice vid...Am I wrong? but isn't the frost line quite a bit lower in your area? shouldn't the footing be much deeper?

@TheDIYCabinGuy 10 ай бұрын

Footings need to be at 24” below grade per code in my area.

@masucci61 Жыл бұрын

Concerning the depth of the hole for the post foundation, how much below the frost line do you need to dig? I live in canada and the frost line here is at 49 inches . I'm finding it quite challenging to dig a hole deeper than 48 inches, by hand

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Here I need to be at 24” below grade, man 49 is a lot! Especially if the ground is hard and rocky.

@masucci61 Жыл бұрын

do you have a ''frost line'' in NC?

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

@@masucci61 yep it’s about 2 ft. That’s for western NC in the mountains. Down the valley, not sure what depth it is, it any.

@Jarjarjar21 Жыл бұрын

Ontario, Canada frost line: Northern counties: 5 feet (1.5 m) Southern counties: 3.5 feet (1.1 m)

@RoryVanucchi Жыл бұрын

all good. cold climates the problem is the frost line and heaving so piers need a reset in 5-10 years

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

What about if you’re below the frost line? My understanding is that would limit the heaving to a minimum.

@RoryVanucchi Жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy I've got a camp in Western Maine and frost line 3 ft. Resets part of having piers. Also had camps in Adirondacks and Boundary Waters. Same deal. Small camps not that hard to deal with. You can also insulate the piping and enclose the lattice skirting for winter use, I've spent nights at -30 Fahrenheit. Some slab the camp and use piers on decks

@ShmaChristianity Жыл бұрын

Could you remesh instead of rebar for the column? Seems like it could save some time.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

I would still prefer rebars on a cylindrical pilaster like that.

@derrickcalvert5264 2 жыл бұрын

Battery band saw next time for cutting rebar

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

I’m sure that works great! I’m just limited in the number of tools I get. I try to do as much as I can with what I currently have.

@timothycasey5749 Жыл бұрын

Observation... The company that produces the plastic footings should also include the prepared steel tubing for inside...no need to custom cut pieces for it..time saver...

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Would be nice!

@ernieforrest7218 Жыл бұрын

Think about how much easier it would be to use 16”x16” pier block dry stacked and filled with concrete. You can just shove the rebar into the concrete after you fill the pier. You could pour a concrete footer to start as well, but depending upon the soil that might not be necessary. Just tamp the bottom well before setting the first block in place.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Nice!

@donrainesoh Жыл бұрын

Maybe next time pour a slab in the hole then place your concrete mold so it’s nice and level.

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Yeah that’s also a way of doing it, thought about it after the fact though.

@georgecizekjr.8602 2 жыл бұрын

I think people know they should use footings, renting or buying an auger is easier than renting backhoe.

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

A lot of people on KZfaq do not use footings whatsoever.

@Chiliyip 2 жыл бұрын

Would it be beneficial to add a layer of compacted gravel below the footing?

@TheDIYCabinGuy 2 жыл бұрын

Brandon, that’d depend on your area. In my case, we always call out footings to be cast on residual soils directly.

@elim7228 2 жыл бұрын

yes, and put waterproof insulation on top of gravel, under the mold. Rebar would rust otherwise, and crack the cement.

@stormbytes Жыл бұрын

I agree this will probably last for 100 years. About as long as it takes to built it lol

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

Lol come on Daniel, I’m getting there! I only get to work 4 to 8 hours max on it per week.

@stormbytes Жыл бұрын

@@TheDIYCabinGuy Oh I'm just giving you a hard time, but seriously I really think you're reinventing the wheel. There's a reason cabins aren't built with a construction philosophy that applies to multi storey condominiums. The ends simply don't justify the means. I'd rather have a well-built cabin thrown up in a few weeks and IF it ever gets hit by a tornado, I'll just spend another few weeks and rebuild it. If you love what you're doing then I salute you! There's no price tag on personal satisfaction. That said, the utility value in overbuilding is simply not there. You're doing a really nice job though. Best of luck!

@TheDIYCabinGuy Жыл бұрын

@@stormbytesnot sure if you’re referring to only the foundation or the framing as well. The framing sizes are governed by the insulation requirements for my climate zone (2x6 walls, 2x10 floors and 2x12 rafters) I had no say in this. That’s the depth I need to meet the insulation requirements. Foundation footings is sized based on code required soil bearing capacity of 2000 PSF. I go overboard here and there but lots of it is simply what the code is requiring me to. Obviously code requirements are vastly different from one place to another. For instance in Tx, probably could have gotten a much higher soil bearing capacity by getting a geotech involved which is required, allowing the footers to be much smaller, also would have been able to use 2x4 walls, 2x8 floor joists and probably 2x6 or 2x8 rafters.