Hello,
First post ever.
I am planning to build a timber framed house on top of a 10' dry stacked wall. Which will sit ontop of a approximate 3' deep by 5' wide river rock gravel footer trench. The footer trench will travel around the edge of the house at varying slopes to drain water out through a gravel floor of a tunnel. We are digging down 4' before we dig the footer as to leave 6' of basements exposed to later mound dirt on the side about 3' up. The house foot print is 66'x 44' it will have a barn like architecture. I plan to set sill right on top of rock wall and let gravity hold. The house. Since I figure a house comprised of massive 8"x 8" beams of wood will be pretty hard to shift.
My main reason for posting is to get ideas for building the footer. I would prefer to be as natural and cheap as possible but dont know if there is a better solution for keeping particulates out of my gravel footer.
My first plan was to carve out footer then lay landscaping paper followed by pvc pipe with holes then pour river rock gravel ontop of that approximately 3' deep x 5' wide then enclose that with the landscaping paper like an envelope.
I understand this would be the typical way to build a french drain, but I would like to explore not having to use the landscaping paper and pvc pipe but need to keep particulates out of my gravel for free flow drainage.
Past the soil line my location sits on red clay. I was wondering if it would be practical and work to dig the trench and then build a fire all throughout the trench and fire the clay like pottery. Although im not sure how long that could hold out moisture from the surrounding hydrological pressure.
I would like to figure out how to not use these two items since primarily i want to build a structure that stands a long test of time and want to cut out as many artificial and quick perishing items as i can. I would like to build a house that the bones and foundation have a chance to survive for hundreds of years. If anybody has any ideas without concrete or artificial materials im all ears.
Thank you permies,
Joe Koller
