Hello,
I am planning to build a wooden house (for permanent residence). Since I currently live in Romania, the budget is limited, and the risk of earthquakes is relatively real here (we experience several noticeable ones per year), I have decided on a wooden structure supported by isolated pier foundations. Ultimately, the building should be slightly elevated (approximately 30 cm (12 inches)) on these pier columns to create a crawl space for maintenance and similar needs. The ground is natural soil.
Dimensions of the finished building: 5.5 x 7 meters (18 x 23 feet), a single-story with a finished attic/loft.
Now to my actual question:
Is it sufficient to cast the concrete piers only along the outer walls and support the floor joists with cross beams resting on simple concrete pads that are not buried, or should I use buried concrete piers for the entire area?
Furthermore, I would like to know if it is still necessary to excavate the entire floor area to about 15 cm (6 inches) and fill it with gravel, or if it would be enough to just remove all vegetation and lay a membrane directly to protect against radon and moisture.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions 🙂
I am planning to build a wooden house (for permanent residence). Since I currently live in Romania, the budget is limited, and the risk of earthquakes is relatively real here (we experience several noticeable ones per year), I have decided on a wooden structure supported by isolated pier foundations. Ultimately, the building should be slightly elevated (approximately 30 cm (12 inches)) on these pier columns to create a crawl space for maintenance and similar needs. The ground is natural soil.
Dimensions of the finished building: 5.5 x 7 meters (18 x 23 feet), a single-story with a finished attic/loft.
Now to my actual question:
Is it sufficient to cast the concrete piers only along the outer walls and support the floor joists with cross beams resting on simple concrete pads that are not buried, or should I use buried concrete piers for the entire area?
Furthermore, I would like to know if it is still necessary to excavate the entire floor area to about 15 cm (6 inches) and fill it with gravel, or if it would be enough to just remove all vegetation and lay a membrane directly to protect against radon and moisture.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions 🙂