The Foundation

Overview

The foundation is the structure upon which the entire weight of the loft rests. The foundation should keep the loft secure, upright, and stable. One of the first things I learned about a racing loft is that it needs air circulation underneath to ensure dry conditions within. Just about every book and experienced flyer I consulted recommended that the loft be elevated about 18 inches from the ground.

I looked at plans for other outdoor items such as decks, storage sheds, gazebos, and jungle gyms. I decided to go with a set of eight concrete footings poured into post holes four feet deep and about 8 inches wide. Into the top of each footing was placed an anchor bolt that would accept an adjustable post anchor. The idea was to use the adjustable post anchors so the placement of each footing and anchor bolt wouldn't have to be surgicaly precise. The adjustable post anchors allow for a couple of inches of play before finally bolting them down.

Materials used

Below is a list of the materials used in the construction of the foundation.

Item Quantity Cost each(*) 60 pound sack of cement 22 $1.50 10 inch x 0.5 inch anchor bolt 8 $0.97 (2 pack) 4 foot x 8 inch concrete forming tube 4 $4.00 12 inch 2x4 stakes 12 $4.00 (10 pack) 4x4 post anchors 8 $4.00

Materials detail

Post anchor, three views

Tools Used

Below is a list of the tools used in the construction of the foundation.

Item 6 inch post hole diggers sledge hammer narrow blade shovel bullseye level carpenter's level nylon string nail hammer small nails wheelbarrow garden hoe

Design blueprint

Despite the fact that I am a computer geek, I used a pencil, straightedge, and compas to draft out my floorplan. Even though the plan below details the floor, you can see the placement of the 4x4 posts in the corners, and set in eight feet from each corner. The cement footing is underneath each 4x4 post. There is one post missing from the drawing... oops.

Note! You can click on the plan to get a bigger picture, but be warned: it is very large for a JPEG image and may lock up your browser. It was scanned at 300 DPI so that when printed, it would be a virtual photocopy of my original paper.

Procedure

Choosing a site

Detail yet to come...

Marking my foundation

Detail yet to come...

Digging the post holes

Detail yet to come...

Mixing and pouring the cement

Detail yet to come...

Placing the anchor bolts

Detail yet to come...

Figuring each posts height

Detail yet to come...

Installing the posts

Detail yet to come...

Completion Photos

Note that these pictures show the rim joists, and the floor joists, which will be discussed in the section on the floor.

These pictures were taken with my Polaroid, and my hand must have been shaking, because they are both badly motion blurred. You can see that I still need to saw off the tops of the posts to make them flush with the rim joists. Also notice the severe grade of my property. There is a two foot difference between the posts closest and farthest in the picture! Believe it or not, the foundation is level.

This will be the front of the loft.

Questions, comments, and suggestions are most welcome. You may email me at redd@interbug.com or place your words online on the discussion board.

On to the construction