We decided that our cabin would sit on a slab of concrete, so we we dug a hole and filled it with gravel for drainage.
We used 1 x 6 boards as concrete forms, and did our best to make sure everything was square and level before we called the concrete truck.
Before pouring the concrete, we placed rigid foam insulation and plastic vapour barrier within the forms. Twenty-four hours later, we removed the forms, and the job was done. Easy!

Before we laid the foundation, we decided on our tie-down system. We elected to use threaded rod, so before the concrete dried, we set bolts at evenly spaced intervals around the perimeter of the foundation to anchor the bottom end of the rods. We used pressure treated wood to build a toe-up. The toe-up raises the bales by an inch or two, helping prevent spills or floods from soaking into the walls.

We placed rigid foam insulation within the
toe-up, and secured tar paper on top, to prevent moisture wicking up from below. Then we constructed wooden door and window bucks to allow for a straight, even openings in the walls.
We installed the window and door bucks, then we built and installed temporary corner braces.
Next comes the fun part...laying the bales. Click on the "next" icon for more

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