My empire of dirt...

I am up and back on the shovel..
Took Tuesday off work and started on the concrete, got 5 holes done. Yesterday I bunked off early , patched in a dodgy bearer and concreted 2 more holes.
Now im trying to dig out the last 2 stumps.
Guinness of a job!!
Once they are out that leaves me 4 holes to concrete and that is all the piles done, except the lean to!!!
I think i said some time back just after I started the piles, at the rate im going it will take me 2 years to get em done.
Guess I was about right! I'll have to look back and see the start date on em.
Anyhu, when they are done i will start the joists and laying the floor up to where the lean to is .
exciting stuff! This will use up the bulk of the materials from the lean to at the back of the garage and give me a large working space to get the windows in offa the deck.. also I'll be able to get rid of the pile of dunnage that was use to prop up the house.
I can then Crack on refurbing the last of the windows and doors in prep for when we have the money to rebuild the back en of the house.
Lack of money and pending shoulder surgery is gunna fuck us right up, could very well
Grind to a halt for the best part of a year..
Dam shame as with the money and a month off work I think I could get the exterior works completed and just have the fun stuff left to do.
Few pics, one of the bastard stump im working on. Most were rotted through but this one, the most difficult to access, has some meat on it and probably runs to 500 deep..
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Chiz what do you treat the new timber piles with to stop them rotting and what is the wood?
I’m asking as I’m thinking of building a new timber workshop and would rather build out of the ground myself than have a concrete base poured.
How much concrete do you use around each pile?
 
NoGutsNoGlory said:
Chiz what do you treat the new timber piles with to stop them rotting and what is the wood?
I’m asking as I’m thinking of building a new timber workshop and would rather build out of the ground myself than have a concrete base poured.
How much concrete do you use around each pile?
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These piles are pine and come treated, h5 tantalizing which is specified for piles. I believe they must have to last at least 50 years in the ground
you will be able to find an equivalent in the uk as ive used em in the past but unfortunately i can't remember the supplier.
Perhaps kings timber in wandsworth..
Bit of hunting will turn some up
As for the amount of concrete, that depends on a few factors, soil type, hight of build ect.
We have little top soil and a good clay layer and the house is only 300mm to the underside of the joists so the bulk of the holes are 500 deep 500 across , in the corners and mid way down the sides ive done anchor piles with holes 900 deep 600 across.
I leave a gap of 150 from the bottom of the pile to the bottom of the hole so there is a healthy base.
If ya build ain't to big or 2 high off the ground or in a high wind zone you shouldn't have to get to carried away. I've probably gone a Lil ott!
 
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NoGutsNoGlory said:
I’ve thought about screw piles but not sure on cost.
I’ve had a quote from a mate of £2500 for a 5m x 3m concrete base which I didn’t think was bad but I’d prefer to do everything myself.
I thought 6 x 2 joists across wooden piles.
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How high of the ground are you going?
You could get away with something like double 6x2 bearers and 6x2 joist at 400 centers ( think they span just over 3 mtrs for a floor) and at 5mtrs long put 5 posts under each of the 2 bearers, that would make em roughly 1250 centers. More than enough. Unless you are parking a car in there!
Something like this very rough sketch!
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Chizel - Founding Father said:
How high of the ground are you going?
You could get away with something like double 6x2 bearers and 6x2 joist at 400 centers ( think they span just over 3 mtrs for a floor) and at 5mtrs long put 5 posts under each of the 2 bearers, that would make em roughly 1250 centers. More than enough. Unless you are parking a car in there!
Something like this very rough sketch!
View attachment 158759
Click to expand...
Excellent thanks mate that’s along the lines I was thinking but probably wouldn’t have doubled up the 6x2 bearers so good info.
Would you just tosh nail or screw everything?
I prefer screws but I know you joiners like nails.
 
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