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rmak
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# Posted: 29 Sep 2013 12:41
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We built our 12 X 16 post and beam cabin around 18 years ago. It was constructed on big pieces of barn stone at the corners and in the middle of the longer expanse.
Over the years it as settled some. Nothing to be concerned about until recently when we began replacing the windows and door, enclosing the front porch area and making it one big room instead of one small room and a porch. (See thread titled "We're Expanding" in the general forum.)
Since nothing was square it's taken a lot of creative carpentry and a cable and tractor pull to make things fit.
We have a lot of hardheads, barn stone and flat sandstone we use for borders laying around. I decided to start putting it under the rest of the cabin in hopes that the settling will settle down.
I'm figuring anything that will help prop up the sides more will keep the cabin straighter.
It looks better with a fake foundation, but will it work to stabilize?
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 30 Sep 2013 15:00 - Edited by: bldginsp
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Probably anything you do to distribute the weight over a broader area will help, but that may not help at all if your problem is ground swell.
When the earth freezes the water in it expands and heaves the earth upward. Perhaps you already know this, but if your foundation rocks are not dug in below the level of frost they can be subject to heave.
The only solution on the long term is a better, read deeper, foundation, which is a lot more work after the fact, since digging under the building is harder than digging where there is no building.
Wish I had a sure solution. I'd consider using a hydraulic jack to level the building, then shim between it and the existing footing stones to hold it at that level. It will settle or heave again probably, and you may need to do it again, but at least it's a temporary solution.
Gotta love a full perimeter footing dug below average frost depth, whether it is concrete or loose fitted stones like they did in the old days. Sorry to say it, but your situation is a classic example of 'that'll be good enough- I think', and it was, for 15 years, but then....
Do you want to plan for the long term or the short term? Short term equals less pain now and more later, long term equals more pain now and less later. Methinks I do pontificate too much.
Nice looking cabin.
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rmak
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2013 11:22
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Thanks! And you are correct. The simple stone under each corner worked for a decade and a half.  We have a century old barn on the property that's built over boulders the same way. seemed like a good idea at the time.
Here's another strange idea I've come up with. Since there's a pass through under the cabin, I'm wondering if I couldn't concrete some treated posts into the ground next to each corner, slip 4 X 6 beams under the cabin and on top of the concreted posts and bolt them on top of the the posts. In that way making it kind of a pole barn foundation. I'm going around the cabin with a small deck, so this fix would be hidden.
I'm thinking this would save having to dig underneath the existing cabin and trying to set stones or some other heavy masonry solution.
I'm Medicare age and heavy hand digging is a thing of the past for me and my arthritis.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2013 15:18
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I hear you on the arthritis. I still remember when I installed the water piping a few years ago, in a trench, wrestling a boulder, thinking- other people go to Maui for vacation, here I am busting my butt....
To answer your question, I think what you suggest may work, but really, anything you do that does not involve digging deeper is probably doomed to movement in the future. The stones you have in place are fairly settled in. Doesn't mean they won't heave, but at least they have been there a while. I still think the easiest fix for now is to level the building and shim to the existing stones. Might be good for another decade or more, and involves a minimum of work.
I'll bet you those old barns on stones have hidden stones under the surface that it all is sitting on, to give support at a stable soil level.
Oh- I got a cortison shot in my creaky knee- worked great!
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Gregjman
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2013 15:48
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It's a big task but would it be possible to build your frost proof foundation right next to it(sono tubes or something similar). Then lift the cabin with girders under it and slide over to the new foundation with a trailer?
Might not be as bad as you think with some bottle jacks and pallets or something.
Just an idea...
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Martian
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2013 18:58
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Why not just jack and level it? It worked for 18 years. Every few years, do it again. That's a whole lot easier and cheaper than trying to redo the foundation on a small structure.
If you are dead set on doing it, get some I-beams from a salvage yard and jack it up high enough to do the work. Be sure and get a lot of cribbing to support the ends of the beams.
Tom
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