Skid foundations

[tay_tower]

I'm currently is a shoddily built 60 yr old house on little over an acre on a dirt road about 45 mins north of Fredericton, NB, Canada. This past fall, I helped a neighbour level a gravel bed for his new storage barn (aka baby barn) what he had built by a local. After the barn was delivered, my partner & I couldn't help thinking that the thing was big enough to live in. After seeing the barn builder at a local home show, the gears started to spin.
I thought, "Gee, I could get myself a barn, tack on the cost to my mortgage and outfit it as a small cottage. Then move in and out of the big house". I have this whacky idea that I'll be able to move said building to a new (hopefully a better) lot in the future. So, I'm wondering about the feasibility of a skid foundation.

My area has some pretty harsh winter weather, especially in Feb. where -20 days are not uncommon and the wind varies from 15km to 60km daily. My biggest concern about a skid foundation is how one could insulate it. I think you could build the floor up and tuck a lot of insulation between the subfloor and the finished floor.
My second concern is live load. Would a skid foundation be too springy if the building is 12x24? The building would house 2 adults and a cat or two. No romping kids, those are outside.

Am I crazy or what?

[glenn-k]

Could be done - some of the commercial utility barns around here are not built out of real great or even standard material.

[Jimmy_Cason]

We thought about doing the same thing with this home depot special. Then we decided I could build one of Johns plans for the same price and have twice as much house.

[tay_tower]

Wow... my hardware stores around here only sell tiny shed kits... all over priced too.

What I'm looking at is a 12x24 Gambrel roof storage barn. 8' sidewalls, 6 windows, 1 door, storage loft over porch, house wrapped, T&G siding & asphalt shingles for around 9k CDN.
I think I could built it myself from scratch for about 6k though, although I'm a bit leery since I've never built anythign bigger then a dog house.

I've looking through the plans here and my only concern is that I want to camoflauge (sp?) this tiny house as a shed to avoid any issues with building regs.

[dail(Guest)]

It can be done.

12 x 24 with 8 foot sidewalls and a loft. One would frame the floor out of say, 2x8's at 16 O.C. or 2 x 10's at 24 O.C. using galvanized decking screws. Your skids would need to be 6 x 6 with mitered ends. Treated. 60% ground contact. (Though it won't be on the ground. 60% just for safty sake.)
You would build it in two sections that can be slid together on site. (Like double wide MH.) Only in this case, End To End. (that makes four skids total.) Offset the skids from the sides of the floor by say a foot and a half. True the floor frame, then reinforce the corners with framing brackets. (I can't think of the proper name at the moment, but a good local hardwareman will have and idea of what I'm speaking of.)

To insulate the floor; lay 6 or 8 mil poly across the skids and joist tie plates. Lay on the floor frame and secure to skids. Then install insulation supports between joists, and put in batt insulation between them and cover with your sub-floor. 1/2 if 16 centers or 3/4 if 24, use decking screws. Course thread, 10's I think, 2" lengths for 3/4 or 1 1/2 for 16.  Staple plastic sheeting up around floor header joists and band joists after that is completed. Will protect the insulation from elements under the building. (water, bugs, etc.).

The building would be supported by peirs about every 4 foot along the skids. Though you could have a foundation built for it as well. You just have to make sure you frame it together during the initial construction so that, when its moved, the parts will fit back together when slid end to end. It will require some careful diagonal bracing.

If you'd like to try the framing yourself, and know a tape measure well, Mr. Rabbe probaly can draft a set of detailed plans for you to follow. Just give him the details. Kind'a like a model building kit.

Just remember to "measure twice & cut once." Cut straight and on the scrap side of your marks so that diminsions will be true.

Have fun!....

[Texan_lost_in_cali]

Too bad they will not allow those here I would be all over it!