Illustrate you concrete foundations with your log-home-designs

In your log-home-designs, the main function of the foundation is to provide support for the building and protect the logs from rot. A log home is only as good as the foundation.

The strongest, longest-lasting foundation, offering the best weight distribution, is a continuous wall of block of poured cement over a standard footing.

The bottom part of concrete foundation are called a footing (or footer). The footing is generally wider than the foundation wall and is located about 12 inches below the frost line (the average depth at which soil freezes year after year)But check with your local planning and zoning office for their requirements for your log cabin house.


The spread footing for your log-home-designs is the lowest foundation support and is wider at the base than at the rest of the foundation.

The spread footing consists of strips or pads of concrete (or other materials) which extend below the frost line and transfer the weight from walls and columns to the soil or bedrock.

The size and shape of a concrete footing depends greatly on soil conditions. Soft or damp soil requires a wide footing to prevent future settling or movement of the house. Keep this in mind when you are creating your log-home-designs.





A conventional perimeter foundation, shown in both diagram photos, has a poured concrete wall supported by a poured concrete footing.

Both are strengthened by steel reinforcing rods (sometimes called rebar).


It is very important to have a perfectly square foundation. Remember, in log-home-designs, if the concrete foundations are not laid out correctly the project will suffer.

If you don't have a transit, the accuracy of the corner right angles can be checked with a 6-8-10 method.

Measure and mark off the distance of 6 and 8 feet on the string line. Then measure the diagonal line of the triangle and it should be 10 feet. Use the diagram on the left as your guide when you build the log cabin foundation.

When preparing the ground for the construction of the footer, there are two ways to accomplish this task. A small backhoe can be use for both options.

Once you have decided where you will put your log cabin, a four sided trench can be dug out of the soil at just the right width and depth required by your city or county office.

Or you can use the backhoe to excavate the whole area that is intended for you home. Make sure you dig the ground down to the required frost level.

When the ground has been prepared properly the framing for the footer (unless you dig a trench) can get started and later the foundation

The photo on the left gives you a good idea of how the framing of both should look but remember the footing is the support for the foundation and it will be wider.

When the construction of the foundation has been done you can back fill the dirt against the bottom of the framing, on all sides. This will keep the wet cement from flowing out from beneath the base of the broads.

When you're pouring the cement into the footer or foundation, it is important to use a cement vibrator tool.

This will help fill in any open space in the framing. If any holes occur the cement can become weak and fail.

It is also important to fill the footing or foundation frame to the top with cement. Then smooth and level out any uneven areas.

You will need to seal the top to the cement by working the wet cement until the top become smooth, shine, and liquidity on the top.

Remember that the footer and foundation must be pour separately and allowed to cure (dry) according to the planning and zone regulations.

After the cement has cured remove all framing broads.

This is what your footer and foundation will look like when they are finished.

After the cement work is done back fill the dirt against the foundation as required by your log-home-designs plan.

Then spread black plastic down on the inside of the entire foundation and cover it with gravel. This procedure will protect your home from ground gases. It is also a building code in most states.

If you decided to build your own foundation there are books, do it yourself hardware stores, and on-line help with all the necessary steps. It will be more work but it will decease the building cost.

If you decided to hire the foundation out then your building cost will increase by about $1,500 to $3,000 depending on the square footage of the bottom floor.

I hope this information has provided you with some knowledge about the construction of a log home foundation.

Illustrate you concrete foundations with your log-home-designs top of page



Handcrafted log cabin houses can be built by cutting and preparing your own logs

Learn how to build a cabin or house out of logs with these important technique

By using important guidelines your log cabin building lpans will be signicantly inproved