How to prepare the ground for a summer house?

Have you bought a plot of land and want to build a summer house on it as soon as possible? Are you wondering where to start? You may be a little confused - that's completely natural. Check what you need to do and what work needs to be done to prepare the ground for your dream summer house.

You probably already know that building a summer house does not require a building permit, but you still need to ensure that the ground is well prepared for your investment. Preparing the ground for a summer house is not complicated, but it must be approached with particular care. Why ? Answer below.

The foundation is the foundation

The foundation is one of the most important structural elements of a building. Almost every building has a foundation because it must have a structural element that transfers the load to the ground. Foundations can be made of many different materials (e.g. wood, concrete, stone). They can also be made in various ways (e.g. brick, slab), and they can be placed at different levels or they can be of a deep type (piles). It might seem that summer houses, due to their small size and relatively light weight compared to year-round residential houses, do not need foundations. Nothing could be further from the truth.

How to make a base for a mobile home?

Preparing the ground for a mobile summer house is necessary regardless of the type of foundation chosen. First of all, you should focus on choosing the right part of the plot. The most important thing is that the selected area is dry. Then, the ground on which our house will be placed must be thoroughly cleaned of stone, roots and other plant residues that block the possibility of obtaining a flat surface. If the ground is soft and boggy, you must ensure that it is properly hardened before proceeding with further work. The dimensions of the prepared substrate should be the same as the dimensions of the summer house we are ordering. The next step will be to excavate. The excavation can be done manually or mechanically using an excavator (a 25 cm deep trench is enough). The next step in preparing the ground for the summer house will be to lay a layer of approximately 7 cm. sand. Place geotextile on the sand layer and cover it with another layer of sand, approximately 5-7 cm thick. The next layer will be crushed stone. First, pour about 10 centimeters of the large fraction variant, and then choose the finer variant. Be sure to remember to use a compactor after each layer to level and harden the soil. This will create a stable foundation for our summer house. The surface prepared in this way will constitute the basis for the foundation we choose, e.g. concrete blocks.

How to level the area for a summer house?

When preparing the ground for a summer house, you cannot forget about proper leveling of the area. For smaller plots, you can use a classic mason's level, but you can also use a level for this purpose. It is not worth skipping this step, because the uneven surface of the ground or foundation may delay the construction of your dream house. Knowing how to prepare the ground for a year-round summer house, it is worth considering installing appropriate foundations. Below we list the most frequently chosen options by investors.

Can a summer house be built on concrete blocks?

Absolutely. The simplest and cheapest solution is to use blocks for a summer house. We can talk here about a point foundation. Concrete blocks (this is another name for concrete blocks) are placed along the outline of the house and along the joists at short distances from each other, ensuring optimal distribution of the weight of the structure. The most popular and most frequently used concrete blocks are B15 and B20. Concrete blocks are resistant to weather conditions and moisture. They can be purchased at DIY stores at a favorable price. Before laying concrete blocks, the surface should be prepared according to the above instructions.

When not to use concrete blocks?

A point foundation made of concrete blocks has its limitations - it should not be used on wet and unstable soil. You can make a concrete block foundation yourself quickly and easily, but there are other alternatives to concrete blocks. Let's check which ones.

Can a summer house be built on foundation footings?

The foundation for a summer house can also be made of the so-called foundation feet. Foundation footings are used for single columns or for several columns that are spaced close to each other. Most often, they have the shape of a cuboid with a square or rectangular base. Foundation footings can be concrete or reinforced concrete (if the ground is weak). Foundation footings, made correctly, will be able to ensure safety and durability even with larger surfaces of summer houses. The advantage of this method of foundation is also ensuring effective thermal insulation from the ground. The summer house can be placed directly on foundation footings or additionally placed concrete blocks on them. The investor decides how high the house should be built.

Summer house on a foundation slab

A solid foundation for the summer house will be provided by a foundation slab. The foundation slab will ensure even transfer of the load from the building regardless of the type of soil in the place of foundation, thus facilitating subsequent leveling.

How to make a foundation slab for a summer house?

In order for the slab to be properly made in the prepared excavation, formwork must be made in addition to the layer of sand and non-woven fabric. When choosing a foundation slab, we should also remember to install the waterproofing layer. You can use e.g. construction foil for this purpose. The final stage will be the reinforcement of the foundation slab, e.g. in the form of steel mesh. The culmination of work on the ground will be pouring concrete and waiting for it to cool down safely. Most summer houses have sewerage and electricity installed. When choosing a foundation slab, it is necessary to predict at the design stage where the connections will be located. An example of an investment implementation on a foundation slab can be found here: [link].

What foundation should you choose for a summer house?

Individual foundations differ in the method and price of construction. While you can lay concrete blocks yourself and not pay for labor, in the case of a foundation slab you will usually need the help of professionals. Although the foundation slab is more expensive than the two other options mentioned above, its quality undoubtedly goes hand in hand with the costs incurred and guarantees the satisfaction of future customers. The final choice is yours.

The construction of a summer house must be preceded by appropriate preparation of the ground for the building. Of course, it is not necessary to pour foundations in every case, but regardless of the type of project we choose, it must ultimately meet the requirements in terms of stability and safety of use. Some of the work related to preparing the ground for a summer house can be done by yourself. However, if you are unable to properly prepare the ground for a summer house on your own, you should entrust this task to professionals.