Home : SHELTER : Preparing the Site
Preparing the SiteRestrictions
We have no building codes here, but this is one of the few places left in North America where that is so. Find out what kind of restrictions you will be subject to before you begin work.
Clearing the site
Once you have chosen where to build, you will have to clear the area of brush, trees, rocks, and other obstacles.
Leveling the ground
You can do this by cutting out or filling in, though a combination of the two is often the least labor intensive.
Forethought
Before you pour the foundation, visualize the house as a whole – a model is not a bad idea. It helps to know where windows and doors will be, as you might need to allow for them in your foundation. Where do your water, electric and gas lines come in and out? At what level do they need to come in: ground level, top of the foundation, up the wall a couple of feet?
Foundation
This is perhaps the most important stage of building. If you get it right, everything will go a lot smoother from there on out. If you get it wrong… well, don’t. If the foundation shifts and sinks, the floor, walls, roof, everything, can crack and become unstable, and then you'll really have your work cut out for you.
- Your foundation wants to be wider than the walls. A wide base helps support the weight, just like with a tree trunk.
- The depth of the foundation, and the material used (like rock, or metal-reinforced concrete) will depend on the stability of your soil, the weight of the building that will sit on it, the frost level, and drainage. Consult local experts as much as you can.
- The shape of your foundation is governed by your building’s design. Whether square or round, be precise when marking and digging the ground.
- Make sure that water cannot get under the foundation. This can lead to the ground becoming saturated and the foundation sinking.
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