4 ms·

I've been contemplating building a large-ish shed but I'm stuck on the foundation. It's New England so inevitably the structure will sink into the ground witho

I've been contemplating building a large-ish shed but I'm stuck on the foundation. It's New England so inevitably the structure will sink into the ground without a foundation, but I don't want a permanent foundation. Clearly it would be ideal to have a grid of supports underneath the shed with adjustable height (maybe using some sort of threaded mechanism), and make it possible to adjust those risers automatically through some sort of self-leveling like what a 3D printer does. But of course now I will never actually build this :-)

Tempest1981 5y ago
Would something like this work? (Grid of steel beams) https://www.wayfair.com/Lifetime--Galvanized-Steel-Foundation-Kit-60210-L549-K~LXT10088.html https://www.wayfair.com/Lifetime--Galvanized-Steel-Foundatio...? They use them on TuffSheds, iirc. It's not adjustable. Not sure if it would sink into the soil or not.
robocat 5y ago
You are over-complicating things. It is a terribly bad habit that will prevent you from achieving simple goals like a shed. Or prevent you from using the right level of simplicity for your software solutions at work. How do I know? I have struggled against the habit for decades. I try to cultivate an admiration for any cowboy solution that is fast and achieves the goal. Google: over-engineering; yak shaving.
da768 5y ago
Helical piles going below frost line would work
d_runs_far 5y ago
I'm in the middle of Canada, these hand twist in screw piles are awesome. Used them for phase one of a 900 sq. foot deck this past year. Pylex Adjustable 50 Inch Foundation Screw - my seven year old kid helped me twist them in with a 2x4.
- foobarian 5y ago
  These are pretty much exactly what I was looking for and I can give up on the automatic leveling in the name of pragmatism :-)
  - d_runs_far 5y ago
    Once they are below the frost line, and levelled, there should not be any need to re-level them. For a small structure, lay in 4x4 beams, then build a simple frame over top of that and you'll be golden.

Tempest1981 5y ago

Would something like this work? (Grid of steel beams) https://www.wayfair.com/Lifetime--Galvanized-Steel-Foundation-Kit-60210-L549-K~LXT10088.html https://www.wayfair.com/Lifetime--Galvanized-Steel-Foundatio...? They use them on TuffSheds, iirc. It's not adjustable. Not sure if it would sink into the soil or not.

robocat 5y ago

You are over-complicating things. It is a terribly bad habit that will prevent you from achieving simple goals like a shed. Or prevent you from using the right level of simplicity for your software solutions at work. How do I know? I have struggled against the habit for decades. I try to cultivate an admiration for any cowboy solution that is fast and achieves the goal. Google: over-engineering; yak shaving.

da768 5y ago

Helical piles going below frost line would work

d_runs_far 5y ago

I'm in the middle of Canada, these hand twist in screw piles are awesome. Used them for phase one of a 900 sq. foot deck this past year. Pylex Adjustable 50 Inch Foundation Screw - my seven year old kid helped me twist them in with a 2x4.

foobarian 5y ago
These are pretty much exactly what I was looking for and I can give up on the automatic leveling in the name of pragmatism :-)
- d_runs_far 5y ago
  Once they are below the frost line, and levelled, there should not be any need to re-level them. For a small structure, lay in 4x4 beams, then build a simple frame over top of that and you'll be golden.