wood foundations

[burlman]

Happy Easter gang! I'm in the planning stages of building myself a log shell this summer. I'm thinking of using a wood foundation under it. Does anyone have any expierience with PWF foundations? I'm wondering about the weight of the logs, what size of lumber and at what centers I should use? thanks burlman....

[ohsoloco]

What's a PWF foundation?  :-/

[burlman]

sorry for the abreviation, pwf simply means preserved wood foundation. This pressure treated wood has more treatment than your store bought preserved wood. it is passed through some incisor knives so the preserveative completly soaks the wood through....burlman

[Jeff]

Burlman, Our foundation is wood. We live in an earthberm. The foundation is set on concrete footings. I can't help with the weight of the logs and such, but after 19 years we have no sighs of problems being buried half in the ground.

[breederman]

Burlman,
     We have lived in log home with ten inch log walls for fifteen years. It has a wood foundation,no problems yet .
     I found a supplier who designed the foundation for me.Some use 2x8 16 inches on center, as our basement walks out on one end, we used 2x6 12 inches on center.
     The key is drainage! lots of stone and sand around perimiter.Construction was straight forward, and the only concrete to pour is the floor.
    
              Craig

[breederman]

Burlman,
     I see that Jeff set his on concrete footers, ours is on crushed stone,has worked fine no water and no movement.
   Craig

[Jeff]

Our design called for pea gravel, but we have such sandy soil I was afraid of movement so went with the concrete.

[DanG]

I would think you need to let the site conditions dictate the specs for the foundation. I imagine you will have to, in light of today's building codes, anyway.
For instance, we are atop the highest hill anywhere around here, but we really float when the weather is really wet. Anything built here has to be on a substantial concrete foundation, or it will just sink into the ground. The problem here is a big vein of pipe clay, or Fuller's Earth, just below the surface. That stuff just refuses to let the water perk through, so it just flows along below the surface until it breaks out on top and forms a creek. It is pretty interesting geology, but a PITA for builders.
Have some borings done before you go too far with your plans.

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Here in these hills we are unable to dig in so we raise out wood foundations off the ground.  Once the stones are stacked and the timbers laid it gets real stable and last for years.  Termites hate the high climb and the dogs have a cool place to sleep in the summer if the porch is full.  Makes plumbing easy if you have such stuff inside.
ARKANSAWYER

[smwwoody]

Has anyone tried useing Black locoust for a foundation wood?

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Black locust, black walnut, hedge, heart pine, white oak and yellow poplar, rock elm and power poles have gone into some of my projects.  I hear that the Court House in New Orleans is built on top of cottom bales.  Drainage and bug dope help save most sills and foundations.
ARKANSAWYER