Elevated Coops vs Frost Lines, Long Thaws, and Strong Winds

[TheGreenManFarm]

How deep are the streams...anyway to know for sure?

Even if you use piers they will need to be sunk/anchored below frost line, no?

That's an excellent point! There is a record from the last time the well was enlarged back in the 1960's that only mentions one stream from due north and another from the northwest; the latter is specified to be deep enough it's below the township drainage ditch along the road, but I know the ditch it supposedly goes under is chronically swampy so it undermines my confidence to take the shot and dig deep. On the flip side, the spot has remained well drained, it's elevated enough that everything flows smoothly, and there's been zero issues with stagnant water or muddy conditions.

I've actually made an appointment to sit down with a designer at a local construction and landscaping company to go over the options for digging & sinking posts or bracing them at the surface. They'll try to talk me into money, haha, but they know the local conditions and have worked with everything I'm facing before so I think it's a good bullet to bite.

 

[BantyChooks]

Right on, thanks! Does it sit directly on the blocks or is it elevated on posts atop the blocks?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/albums/coop-build-2017.7428049/
Some steps in the floor weren't photographed, so you can't see that there's actually more joists all along the floor that the plywood is nailed to. Sorry about that, I hope this is clear enough.

 

[BantyChooks]

That's an excellent point! There is a record from the last time the well was enlarged back in the 1960's that only mentions one stream from due north and another from the northwest; the latter is specified to be deep enough it's below the township drainage ditch along the road, but I know the ditch it supposedly goes under is chronically swampy so it undermines my confidence to take the shot and dig deep. On the flip side, the spot has remained well drained, it's elevated enough that everything flows smoothly, and there's been zero issues with stagnant water or muddy conditions.

I've actually made an appointment to sit down with a designer at a local construction and landscaping company to go over the options for digging & sinking posts or bracing them at the surface. They'll try to talk me into money, haha, but they know the local conditions and have worked with everything I'm facing before so I think it's a good bullet to bite.

You're sure doing your research.