Footers

[galaxy51]

Re: Footers

Mark, Here in southern Idaho our local code calls for footers to be 12 inches wide and 24 inches deep for a typical single family dwelling. I have a friend whose full time business is inspecting new building construction. He says the vast majority of builders in the area build with footers that are 24 inches deep but 16 inches wide. The cost is minimal to go the extra width, even to the cost conscious home construction trade.
I have read that our ovens will typically put as much or more weight per square inch on the footers as the average new home. With that in mind I dug to 24+ inches and poured a 16 inch wide footer. I don't mean to offend anyone but, in my opinion, if there is but one place that overkill should be allowed, that place would be the footers. Everything built on and above the footers depend on them being solid and unmoving. Cory

My motto,
If something is worth doing, it is worth overdoing!

[Brauma]

Re: Footers

Great motto, Cory.

I intend to build the islands with 4" cinder block and for the pizza oven I'll use the regular 6" block. I'm not sure how wide the footers will be for the islands and the 4" block. I'm letting the mason make that call. I'm just the money guy/laborer. I'll be doing most of the work, he will act as a supervisor.

You're in a colder climate than me. It's 18" deep for a footer here.

Thanks.

[Acoma]

Re: Footers

Cory, I am curious why you don't just go with steel studs for the island? Less weight and it is common for islands. Cinder Blocks for the oven though. I will likely go 12" width on footings with 18" depth for Reno.
Mark, are you getting closer to the outside kitchen layout? Oven and all?

[Brauma]

Re: Footers

Mark, are you getting closer to the outside kitchen layout? Oven and all?

Ive got it all drawn out of graph paper and I'll drop it off to the mason this wknd. He'll tweak it and make it right before we proceed.

Wife is on my arse to finish 2 other (fairly big) projects that I have ongoing. She wants me to wrap them up before I start another really big one. Cant blame her. Thats the right thing to do. Im probably looking at a November ground breaking. Thats still well before frost. I should be ok. We can have fairly mild winters up till Christmas sometimes. But Jan & Feb can be brutal.

[Hendo]

Re: Footers

My motto,
If something is worth doing, it is worth overdoing!

Mine too!

Archena has expressed a similar sentiment: Anything worth doing is worth overdoing!
Paulages also has something along the same lines: overdo it or don't do it at all!

Anyhow, I totally agree that oven footings should reflect the same design principles as a house, for the same reasons regarding weight over a given footprint. My footings do exactly that - they're 14? wide by 36? deep, and reinforcement is by 6 ⅝? bars (3 top 3 bottom).

I received some unbelievable (and largely unprintable) comments about these when under construction, but in our highly reactive clay soil, I could see no point in compromise, especially for the (relatively) minimal additional cost to dig and concrete the extra depth.





So far, it hasn't moved.

Cheers, Paul.

[Brauma]

Re: Footers

It had better not move Paul!

You have some really rich looking topsoil there. And a good 12" of topsoil too. Here I have maybe 6" of topsoil. And I have to compost my garden to get the top layer looking that rich.

I dont blame you for going the depth on the footers that you did. Do it once, do it right and then you dont have to worry about it.