The Fool On The Hill?

[pfrank]

I'm brand spanking new here and looking for some advice.

I have a yard that slopes with absolutely no options to place my oven on flat ground -- none. The position I've identified (just off the path in the photo replacing the rose bushes) slopes both front-to-back and left-to-right. Over the footprint of the foundation the drop off from the front left to back left is about 6", the drop off from front left to front right is about 8" and the drop off from front left to back right is about 12". The soil is largely clay -- a little soft / wet because of excess shade.

I feel like this is just about the absolutely worst scenario, but my options are few (and worse), so I'd welcome any advice regarding how to construct the foundation so it's stable and my oven won't slide down the hill.

Thanks in advance.

[Laurentius]

Re: The Fool On The Hill?

With enough earth, you can make the whole slope flat.

[Les]

Re: The Fool On The Hill?

Just steak out the shape you want and run level lines. Then it's just a matter of using a shovel. Being on clay you need to dig out footings. I believe some have gotten away by building the slab on crushed gravel. Hopefully someone that went down that road will chime in.

Good luck...

[deejayoh]

Re: The Fool On The Hill?

dig your foundation back into the hill. pour a flat slab on grade, and build up your hearth support from that. Just make sure that your hearth is above grade on the back side of the oven. I had a sloped site. Built my oven on top of a retaining wall. But you don't need to wall off the whole yard unless you want to.

[BOOMERS WFO]

Re: The Fool On The Hill?

You could dig a reinforced strip footing where you plan on placing your oven, build up on side to make level, fill and then lay your reinforced base over that, with steel tied into your strip footing, slab and base. Or just do the reinforced strip footing without a slab base. with enough footing, steel and bricks and concrete it should be strong enough.

regards

Craig

[the_dr_masuess]

Re: The Fool On The Hill?

Yeah it doesn't look like your slope is bad at all. Once you find the area just level it out gravel fill and you should be good to pour.

[NCMan]

Re: The Fool On The Hill?

One thing you may want to do is first find out what your frost line is in your area. Once you determine that, keep in mind that the bottom of your footing needs to be at least that deep. Also, remember that this depth is from final grade, not necessarily existing grade, since that may change. In addition, besides being at the correct depth, the concrete needs to be on solid ground and you should allow for about 4" of gravel under the concrete. This part of the build is the most important and I recommend doing lots of research.

[pfrank]

Re: The Fool On The Hill?

Thanks to al for the guidance.