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soma
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# Posted: 27 Dec 2014 08:58pm
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I'm looking to buy a cabin that was built on a hillside. To me, everything is perfect, but I have an irrational fear that this structure could slide right off the hill. From these pictures, is there any indication of a poor build? What type of person would I hire to assess the structural integrity of the build? Any red flags visible from these pictures? The builder indicated the cabin itself is built on supports that are up to code, but the deck supports aren't 100% up to code.
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 27 Dec 2014 09:37pm
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I think if it were me, I would put an additional post on the sides. A 6x6 treated post sunk about 4 feet down in cement. That would make me sleep better at night.
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soma
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# Posted: 27 Dec 2014 09:53pm
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Smawgunner, thanks for the response. To add these 2 additional posts, what would you estimate the total material and labor cost to be?
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 27 Dec 2014 10:02pm
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Materials would be 50 usd at most. Not sure about labor....6-8 hour job? Maybe a neighbor could help out. And maybe it's nothing that needs done right away but to put on the to do list. Is the cabin level? I'd put a level on it to see if it's slipping. Put the level on the supports too to see if they're plumb.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 27 Dec 2014 11:00pm
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Quoting: soma The builder indicated the cabin itself is built on supports that are up to code, but the deck supports aren't 100% up to code.
There is no current code that would pass any of that foundation, not the cabin portion or the deck. Your mentioned fear of sliding off the hillside is not totally irrational. Perhaps slightly misplaced. In reality the cabin would most likely suffer from a slow shift to the low side beginning with any one of the piers moving / rotating out of plumb. Things would, as they say, go downhill from there. Something like this may be where that old saying came from. How good is your luck? The cabin could stay in place for a long time, and then again it might not, or it may just move a little. Thing is a pier foundation is poor at resisting lateral loads. That is why you will not find a pier foundation listed in the residential building codes.
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beachman
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2014 05:58pm
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From my experience, anything on a hill will tend to migrate downhill over time. My advice is to direct as much water away above the cabin as possible. This should give better protection and give a longer life to the post foundation. Eventually, it will have to be replaced.
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soma
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# Posted: 29 Dec 2014 10:06pm
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Thanks for the replies everyone. I've decided that this is too much to worry about and will pass on this particular cabin. I'll continue looking though!
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 30 Dec 2014 09:31am
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Are the posts treated? What we can't quite see is, how the big braces are fastened. That would be my concern as that is where the stress might be.
Owen
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grover
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2015 02:03pm
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Looks like the outside part of the deck is held up with one bolt through a 4 x 4. I see they added part of a 2 x 4 on the inside of one but that deck hanging from one bolt at each support would be a red flag.
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