ᐅ Screw foundations as an affordable alternative to concrete slabs?
Created on: 25 Jun 2021 20:19
S
Schwabe23
Hello everyone,
Our architect has proposed a screw foundation for our wooden house. The house will be supported on a wooden floor resting on screwed-in sleeves, similar to a pile foundation. The supply lines will be placed inside a small, frost-protected enclosure. This solution was mainly suggested to save costs, but for us, it is also an advantage that the area remains completely removable. We have no special conditions on the plot—gravelly soil with a slight slope and no groundwater. Does anyone have experience with this type of foundation? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
I’m surprised that there is hardly any information available about this. Why isn’t it used more often in timber construction since it is apparently much more cost-effective?
Greetings from the south
Our architect has proposed a screw foundation for our wooden house. The house will be supported on a wooden floor resting on screwed-in sleeves, similar to a pile foundation. The supply lines will be placed inside a small, frost-protected enclosure. This solution was mainly suggested to save costs, but for us, it is also an advantage that the area remains completely removable. We have no special conditions on the plot—gravelly soil with a slight slope and no groundwater. Does anyone have experience with this type of foundation? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
I’m surprised that there is hardly any information available about this. Why isn’t it used more often in timber construction since it is apparently much more cost-effective?
Greetings from the south
S
Schwabe2327 Jun 2021 10:20manohara schrieb:
I think the screw foundation method is really great, but I have no personal experience with it.
What I don’t understand:
"Screw foundation as an affordable alternative to a concrete slab"
What gets replaced there are the deep concrete posts, aren’t they?
A concrete slab is still needed in any case, isn’t it? No, the concrete slab is completely eliminated. On the stilts, a beam structure with wooden panels is installed. It’s basically like a suspended floor with insulation. To provide additional protection against moisture from below, we plan to use cement-bonded particle boards. Then insulation, underfloor heating, etc. will be applied on top. This approach is therefore only relevant for timber construction. After the past few days, I see another advantage. In heavy rain, water can simply flow beneath the house to some extent. Of course, the slab shouldn’t be flooded. Even then, it can dry out again. But for us, that is not an issue anyway. We live on a ridge with a slight slope and have a gravelly, thus very permeable, subsoil.
Schwabe23 schrieb:
that there is hardly any information available on this. Why don’t more wooden houses use this method since it is apparently much more cost-effective?The shoemaker should stick to his last, and the architect should stick to designing frost-proof foundations?
Many years ago, I helped friends relocate a Bavarian log house from the 18th century. If I hadn’t already been convinced about timber construction, I certainly was afterward. Flexible AND very stable. You just have to accommodate potential movements, but half-timbered houses often stand for hundreds of years and are mostly admired for their special charm.
Presumably, the subsoil plays a big role in how quickly and to what extent such movements occur, but it seems reasonable to me to also take advantage of timber’s benefits in this regard.
H
hanghaus200027 Jun 2021 17:15try searching for Krinner screw foundations
Recently, I started a topic that I haven't received any answers to yet (which is no longer necessary).
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/fundament-fuer-gewaechshaus-bohren.39485/
These screw anchors are probably even smarter than the slim concrete posts I had planned...
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/fundament-fuer-gewaechshaus-bohren.39485/
These screw anchors are probably even smarter than the slim concrete posts I had planned...
Schwabe23 schrieb:
Hello everyone,
Our architect suggested a screw foundation for our timber house. The house will be elevated on a wooden floor structure supported by screwed-in sleeves, similar to a pile foundation. The utility connections receive a small frost-protected enclosure. The primary reason for this proposal was to save costs, but for us, an additional advantage is that the footprint remains fully removable. We don’t have any special site conditions. The soil is gravelly with a slight slope. No groundwater present. Does anyone have experience with this type of foundation? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
I’m surprised that there is so little information available. Why isn’t this method used more often in timber construction, since it apparently is much more cost-effective?
Greetings from the South Hi Schwabe23!
What solution did you go with in the end? We’re also leaning towards screw foundations. I’ve already spoken with Staudenschreiner by phone, and Mr. Prinz was very helpful. I wish I had more support, but I’ve now found a carpentry company in Mainz that has already built slab foundations using cross-laminated timber or as a timber frame structure. We’re curious to see how it turns out. I’m currently looking for more information about the “frost-protected enclosure,” as we plan to have 30–50cm (12–20 inches) of air space beneath the wooden floor. The water should not freeze during winter 🙂
Thanks,
Best regards
Pascal
I’ll give it a try right here in my first post:
We are currently in the early planning stages for a house. One thing is certain: it will be made of wood (exact type still undecided) and built on screw foundations. We actually had a company picked out and even visited their workshop, but unfortunately they recently went bankrupt...
So my question goes beyond just experiences—I would also like to know if anyone knows of companies (other than Staudenschreiner, who are too far away for us) that install such foundations, or even better, act as general contractors to build houses as turnkey as possible. Google hasn’t been very helpful on this.
I’m located near Trier, so the carpentry company of @Paswina might even be an option.
Thanks in advance
We are currently in the early planning stages for a house. One thing is certain: it will be made of wood (exact type still undecided) and built on screw foundations. We actually had a company picked out and even visited their workshop, but unfortunately they recently went bankrupt...
So my question goes beyond just experiences—I would also like to know if anyone knows of companies (other than Staudenschreiner, who are too far away for us) that install such foundations, or even better, act as general contractors to build houses as turnkey as possible. Google hasn’t been very helpful on this.
I’m located near Trier, so the carpentry company of @Paswina might even be an option.
Thanks in advance
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