[jchoo]

Hi,

I live in a area where it gets very cold in the winter time. Looking at building a 4 season sunroom, but I'm not sure what kind of footings I need. Don't really want a backhoe in my yard for concrete footings/foundation digging. Anything out there for adjustable heights that can be applied to existing patio blocks or any other ideas ?

Thanks

[rtw_travel]

You'll have to dig foundations regardless. It's a decision of whether you want to dig for sonotubes (typically with a poured concrete pad underneath the sonotube) or strip foundations. It should be designed properly by an architect or engineer... or someone familiar with your local building code, and you should get a building permit for anything this major.

You don't need a backhoe. We found a young kid/ bodybuilder who looked at digging as just more exercise - one day's digging should be more than enough for a sunroom

[the1unv]

If you live where it gets very cold... you need to get below the frost level... in the mid west that means 4' below ground level... you would have to hire one heck of a kid to dig that much in a day. I would get a back hoe... grass seed is cheap.
Mike

[ballengerb1]

If you live in a town or area covered by building codes you probably have less to consider than you think. The previous opinions are correct and it's higly likely you will be required to have a full foundation, my town told me right up fron that 90% of all 3 and 4 season rooms turn into living spaces so they must conform to the same requirements set forth for the house.

[rtw_travel]

you would have to hire one heck of a kid to dig that much in a day.

Yes he was :-) He is a budding Arnold Schwarzeneggar. He had 5 sonotube holes ranging from 3 to 6 feet deep with space for 36x36 pads at the bottom plus a strip footing for a 18' long wall done in three days. I have never seen anyone work that diligently with a shovel.

We would have had a backhoe, but there was no access to the backyard.

[the1unv]

:-)) Well rtw_travel... I hope to heck you paid him in cash and not in food... you may have needed a loan.
Mike

[Flying Blue Eagle]

jchoo - B1 gave you some good advise, What you need to do is go down to city hall9 That is where the building dept is , If not ask them wher you have to go to find out about the building codes and to get the permit at . I don't know why you don't want a backhoe in the back yard for? What about the COncrete truck? The yard can be repaired . But if you intend to have someone bring the concrete to the location in the back yard ( THEN YOU BETTER GET READY TO PAY OVERTIME CHARGERS FOR THE CONCRETE TRUCK TO BE THERE LONGEER THEN THEY A lot< ALSO YOU MAY END UP WITH HOT CONCRETE ) JUST some things for you to think about::: Maybe you can hire muscles to do your digging and pouring of concrete, ( YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE BUILDING CODES ARE ) Good Luck And GOD BLESS ::: F.B.E.

[cecilgrass]

Some great answers here, was going to ask the same since I'm getting a <a href="http://www.elitelifestylesunrooms.com/">sunroom</a> built by Elite Lifestyle Sunrooms | NatureScape Sunrooms | Outdoor Patio Covers and I just didn't know much about the process. Thankfully they take care of most of this.