Foundations/Footers/Cinder blocks????

[sab]

We are ready to start construction on our 12x8 coop. Big discussion going on here between my son and my husband. The son wants us to dig down 18 inches and put in footers. He says the cinder blocks will sink and cause problems for the building. My husband wants to use those new foundation blocks they sell at Lowes/Home Depot that you can use as deck foundations. Anyone using cinder blocks having sinking problems from the weight of the building? We could use some experienced thoughts on this.

Thanks!!

 

[33yardbirds]

AllI did was use 6x6 pressure treated, a little digging to make sure foundation was level. It gave me full bearing on the whole foundation.

 

[AlienChick]

I have an 8x12 coop on cinder blocks.

No problems.

We had a bunch of cinder blocks on the property, so we used 'em.

We have the pressure treated wood on top of the cinder blocks.

And check out the cinder blocks on the coop on this link below.
It's not mine, but I found it amazing:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=462262&p=5


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[Rooneytune]

we used the cinder blocks with the notches cut for the wood to sit in. They seem to work well. In some areas if you dig and pour footers you it becomes a permanent structure which requires a permit....just an FYI

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Where are you? In February we were mighty glad our lil coop was anchored into the ground into concrete with anchors. The blizzard winds knocked trees and garages down, but our little coop was sturdy. Around here, once or twice a year we get a monsoon type storm. It might be an issue to consider, lately storms seem to be more ...stormy ...all over the place...

 

[Cargo]

8x16 & Solid enough to dance.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
It realllllly depends on your soil and climate conditions. And how heavy a building you are going to do. If your soil is clay or deep top soil I would say your son is right. You might talk to a contractor or someone who has built something similar in your area.

Here is another option.... Some people do a coop setting on top of the ground with pressure treated skids instead of feet. More ground surface contact, spreads the weight over larger area.

And yes you can do a big coop this way.

 

[RiddleMe]

Quote:
Totally depends on what type of soil you have, how compacted it is, etc. I have a 10x20 shed on solid concrete blocks on a 6" gravel base. I store 3+ tons of hay in there each spring, as well as other miscellaneous feed and supplies, and so far no issues with the footings (4 years since installation). However, my dirt is relatively compacted and becomes a solid rock ledge <2' down. If you're somewhere where your ground gets swampy on a regular basis, it could be a different story.

The one thing I would say, if you use rectangular concrete blocks, just make sure they're the solid ones and not the ones with holes in the middle, the ones with holes can degrade over time and may collapse on you. The decking blocks you mentioned are nice and solid, so no worries there.

Also, good point by Rooneytune, you need to check your local codes to see if sinking concrete piers will require a permit. Our codes are anything 200 sq ft or less, and 10' tall = no permit, there are no foundation restrictions (or overhang limitations, one of my sheds has a nice 4' overhang off the back), but not every place is that relaxed.