Footers

[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.

[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

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.

[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

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.

[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!

[Acoma]

Re: Footers

2cents, have everything in writing. That means with inspectors, that if they come out, to note everything needed to get the work passed. If they come back out and note something new, go to the office and report the discrepency, that you did everything noted, that they must pass it. Gets all the BS out. Some people note new problems to keep from being bored, and have needs for power trips.

[Brauma]

Re: Footers

I know Les, sometimes it seems these guys make this stuff up on the spot.

And they did just that to me several years ago when I built a deck on our old house. They came out and failed it 3 times. Each time they gave 1 or 2 things that needed to be fixed. I would fix what was on the list and call for another final. This happened 3 times. I gave up and never called for the final and I guess they forgot about it. We lived there another 6 years before selling that house and building where we are now.

But there was a change in leadership at the county building insp office. I know the new guy pretty well so I feel he will be straight with me.

Anyway, if he says to make it a single receptacle, thats what I'll do. No biggie. But I agree with you, it sounds stupid.

[Les]

Re: Footers

Thanks Les. You're making me feel better.

Like I said, I talked to one of the building inspectors today and he didn't mention putting the fridge on a separate circuit. But he did say that I would need to have a dedicated single receptacle for the fridge. Meaning a plug where only one device can be plugged in. I don't recall ever seeing one before but I guess they exist. No problem.

Mark - this sounds a little absurd. Every house I've owned (3) had a standard recept where the fridge was connected. I would ask a few more questions. But when you think about it, it would be damn hard to plug anything else into the outlet - refrigerators seems to block access

Les...

[Acoma]

Re: Footers

Brauma, I am excited to see progress from you. I hope to have us progress with the same quality and pace that will reward us upon completion. I have decided to do foundation in the near future, with weather permitting, and if the ground is hard enough. As Les said, 18" freeze zone, wow...

[Brauma]

Re: Footers

Thanks Les. You're making me feel better.

Like I said, I talked to one of the building inspectors today and he didn't mention putting the fridge on a separate circuit. But he did say that I would need to have a dedicated single receptacle for the fridge. Meaning a plug where only one device can be plugged in. I don't recall ever seeing one before but I guess they exist. No problem.

[Les]

Re: Footers

20 AMPS is a lot of power. You may see some static on the TV when you fire up the blender or the fridge kicks in, but outside of that; your golden (that's just my opinion, but I respect it).

Les...

[Brauma]

Re: Footers

Acoma, I'm not planning on building the pizza oven right away. But I am planning on building the base at this point to accomadate a 42" oven for the future build. I'm still drawing it out at this point so I'm not sure how the big base will marry up to the rest of the countertops. It'll be one big square area of extra counter space I guess. Maybe I'll install a built-in cutting board there for now.

I started the process of getting the building permits today. Well, I talked to the county building inspector. I'll go over and fill out the forms tomorrow.

I may put this question in a separate thread because its off topic to "footers" but here goes: is one 20 amp circuit enough for a basic outdoor kitchen? Besides the mini fridge, I will have lights (low voltage), TV on occasion, and a couple of counter top outlets (GFCI of course) for things like a blender.

I've already run the one electric wire (20 Amp underground Romex), water pipe, and coax out to the site. I actually did this 2 years ago when our house was built. I had the foresight to bury those runs for the this project but I didn't have the foresight to run them thru a big PVC tube. Man, its gonna be a pain to dig another trench.

I think 20 amp will be sufficient. I hope so.

[Acoma]

Re: Footers

Thanks Les. 18" footings it is then. How's the dome? Nothing on your thread stating progress, and storms coming.

[Les]

Re: Footers

Robert,

I believe our code is 18 inches for the footings. The important thing is the soil. I am sitting on DG - I have 17 year old sidewalks that have not moved a mil. I dug my island footings 10 - 12 inches. My neighbor put his much less and he is in the business.

Les...