- You can build your log cabin on a base of concrete, railway sleepers, paving slabs positioned on hardcore, compressed gravel or on pillar-supports sunk into the ground. Achieving a level base will simplify the build-up, and a solid base will help keep your cabin looking good for years to come.
- Cabins should always have a base as large as the floor (base sizes are given in the technical details for each building). This allows rain water from the roof to drain into the surrounding ground rather than onto the base. Rain water that runs under your cabin and can't drain away can cause problems.
- If you plan to build a concrete base you can either build one large slab of concrete or strip foundations running perpendicular to the bearers. Strip foundations will give better drainage, though you will need to use some kind of membrane to prevent the plants that are growing in between the concrete strips from coming through the floor boards.
- The cabin floor bearers are supposed to sit on a solid base so the strip foundations must be close enough to support the full floor. If the floor is not fully supported there will be an element of bounce to the floor boards.
- Your base level should be 20-50mm above ground level. The thickness of the base material depends on the weight of your cabin.
| Cabin Type | Weight Range | Gravel depth | Concrete thickness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small cabin / playhouse | 600-1,000kg | 100mm | 70mm |
| Grill house / mid-size cabin | 1,000- 1,600kg | 150mm | 100mm |
| Big multi-room cabin | 2,000-5,000kg | 200mm | 200mm |
