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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Cabin Floor
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embo
Member
# Posted: 9 Apr 2023 08:43pm
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Hello All, The idea at this point may be nothing more than a brain fart. Ok - I call my place Bedrock Flats, for good reason, bedrock is anywhere from the surface to about 4" give or take. When I scrap back the top soil the bedrock looks like what one may expect to see on Mars, not that I have been there yet, but I would think it looks like this. Flat, smooth and small divot's (round indentations) throughout. It is not perfectly level from end to end or side to side - but close, maybe 1" out all around. My thinking is to use this as my cabin floor. Pin an exterior leveled frame work to the bedrock, seal so no water can leach in under and build the Arched cabin on the pinned 4x4's. This cabin is for summer use only. Is this a plan waiting to go wrong or is it do-able?

spencerin
Member
# Posted: 9 Apr 2023 10:15pm
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What exactly do you mean by "pinned", and an "arched" cabin?

embo
Member
# Posted: 9 Apr 2023 10:20pm
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Pinned as in lagged or secured to the bed rock. Arched cabin - look up gothic arche building, basically an A frame but with arched sides. The arched cabin is only the build method. The main question here is the bedrock. Can it be used as the cabin floor.

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 08:28am
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Pictures please.
What is the size of the divots?

embo
Member
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 08:35am
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Small golf ball size. I am going to pressure wash it and hopefully get some good pictures

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 09:09am
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Are you certain it’s flat everywhere? Have you peeled back all the soil? There could be little dips, valleys, or holes that you’re not aware of if you haven’t.

That’d be the first thing to do before even considering the other factors…

embo
Member
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 09:16am
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As I stated I have scrapped back all the top soil and yes it is mostly flat. Think poured concrete with a bunch of small golf ball size part divots

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 09:52am - Edited by: gcrank1
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I advise against it.
My feet would be constantly feeling out walking around in it, especially at night; think 'trip effect'.
I think it would be impossible to totally seal water out.
The good news is that with bedrock right there your cabin wont sink into the ground.....but Id do a regular floor deck elevated off the rock.

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 10:43am
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I wouldnt do that either. It's going to constantly be cold. Use the bed rock to your advantage and epoxy in anchors for a proper foundation.

Grizzlyman
Member
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 11:50am
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I think you’d also have a big water problem.

The bedrock will always be damp (cold for certain) but more important is your walls will always be below the waterline…. All the water sits on top of the rock. So if your walls are on the rock, water will pool against your walls.

I have a similar situation on Canadian Shield rock, and when it rains the 2-6” limited soil gets completely saturated and If you dig a hole after rain it will fill up like a well. I imagine this would happen against your walls.

Worse yet would be if there is a leak somehow it would come into the cabin

Lastly… all the rain from the roof will pool against the walls.

embo
Member
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 01:27pm
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I agree with most of what has been stated, as I said it was just a brain fart at the time. It would look great but to many con's.

Thanks everyone

Royalwapiti
Member
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 01:55pm - Edited by: Royalwapiti
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I agree. Find some steel ties like simpson and epoxy the ties in, use these for posts/piers and build floor system from there.

Something like this with epoxy.

www.amazon.com/BISupply-Concrete-Post-Anchor-Spike/dp/B08C8RLYGV/ref=asc_df_B08C8RLYG V/?tag=smacab-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459768713648&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=103227124781 29919740&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028712&hvtargid =pla-945272536056&psc=1

spencerin
Member
# Posted: 10 Apr 2023 09:53pm
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You're lucky in that it would be a solid foundation for your foundation.

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