Summerhouse Foundations and Fox Burrows (impatient OP)

[Si P]

As you will see from the title I have a problem with a foxes den at the end of my garden which is coincidentally where I want to put my Summerhouse. I'm pretty sure of how to get rid of them but worried when it comes to doing the foundations for the summerhouse.

The summerhouse is going to be approx 12ft x 22ft and I was going to sink either concrete cylinder pillars or ply shuttered pillars every square metre with a framed base of 6x2.

What I need to know is:-

- Do I need pillars or can I put the base on concrete slabs with vapor barrier?
- If I do need pillars, how deep should I go considering there could be a maze of tunnels underneath because of the foxes?
- Can I get away 6x2 for the frame or do I need 8x2 considering the size of the structure?

I think I'm ok with the rest of the build as have already layed 70sqm of decking a couple of years ago, but the fox holes worry me with the size and weight of the summerhouse sitting on top and I don't want to get that sinking feeling!!

Any advise would get me out of a 'hole'...sorry for the pun!

Simon

 

[Symptoms]

Simon - easiest method is to pour a rectanglular concrete slab for the summerhouse to sit on. Fix the timber formwork, some reinforcing weld mesh, then get a firm like Mixamate in to knock-up the stuff in the back of their lorry and barrow it through for pouring. Advantages of this method: ease of installation (no digging), will spread load widely over your "fox holes", ensure a level base for construction, cost effective.

 

[Si P]

Symptons, thanks for your solution, but that would be alot of concrete considering the surface area being approximately 22sqm. How deep would the slab have to be?