Frost line question????

[Fenton]

After a year of planning I am finally ready to start my build. I live in michigan and I am wondering if I should put the oven on footings below the frost line of42". Its alot more digging and material but I don't want any problems. Any advice would be great....
Thanks

[dbhansen]

Re: Frost line question????

Welcome! Yours is a common question, and you can find many posts on the subject in this forum. A search for "footing" or "floating slab," for example, brings up some good discussions. I believe the prevailing wisdom is that a floating slab on a well-drained base should be adequate for a standard oven. Trust me, a below-the-frost-line foundation is a LOT of extra work and expense, unless you have some free labor lying around. There are other options worth considering too, such as sonotube piers or a poured foundation wall. I don't regret going below the frost line, but if I had it to do over again, I'd go with the floating slab.
Keep us posted on your progress!
Daren

[Neil2]

Re: Frost line question????

By "floating slab" what is customarily meant is a well reinforced concrete slab 5 inches thick or so. This will be strong enough to withstand settlement or heaving without a slab failure. At worst the slab and oven will tilt a bit.