Is there a way to make wooden foundations ?

The solution might require the use of very durable or treated wood.

Is there a simple way to isolate timber from ground damp, fungii and climbing vegetation ?

Does anyone have any pics of potential solutions ?

I have attached a pic of a Roman flint foundation recently excavated in a woodland in South Oxfordshire. This foundation is made from flint stones that have not been mortared together with anything other than earth and yet they have held together and lasted in the ground for over 1700 years. Has technology enabled us to achive similar results using wood ?

Hi Ken

It's been a while since I chatted with you, I seen your post about wood foundations---they were tossed around here about fifty years ago companies were building nice expensive homes on top of wood foundations--I cringed when I saw that happening---well they would say we are using treated wood--right, but unfortunately it justs takes one bad piece of lumber to create big problem.

I realize that wood buried underground without access to air will survive a very long time but foundations unfortunate ly are subjected to air on one side, and another factor is the environmental. Issues and poor environmental friendly products they are using to treat the lumber

I am sure you are aware of many of these issues, but maybe many others are not and take the cheaper way out

Nice chatting with you and I hope you are well

Richard
The northern hewer

Dear Ken,

Wow..."it's been a minute"...LOL...Since we last exchanged thoughts (?2015?)...Good to read you name and see a question here from you!!!

Now, to you great question!

Ken wrote:
That is a very exciting question to me, and one that has occupied long hours of thought, research, and now my own "unscientific" examination of this very topic...

Short answer...absolutely yes, and there is a plethora of historic evidence to support such mean in modality. Done properly and in context to known vernacular practices one could expect quite a reasonable lifespan from such an effort.

Ken wrote:
To a degree yes; if the structure is meant or wished to last as long as possible, but with even a species like Aspen/Poplar with minimal traditional treatment it seems roughly one could expect a lifespan from between of 100 and 300 years before an installation like a root cellar that was all wood (there is clay/lime and some stone involved) would require servicing or possible replacement...

Ken wrote:
Fungal attack has always been a primary concern and often what is the final victor, rather than some nesting or eating "wee beasty."

Ground damp (or what some strangely call "rising damp" on your side of the pond...another topic to be sure!) is not a serious issue if just certain traditional protocols are followed.

Climbing vines, per se, are not an issue at all on architecture, and again is the "how" they are allowed to do it, not that they can't be allowed. In general, climbing cultivars can be both aesthetically pleasing and shade to a warmer side of a home and extra insulation as a windscreen on the color if one can get the growing properly there...

Ken wrote:
Please shoot me off an email Ken, as I have a horrid time navigating this forums posting procedures.
Additionally, I am trying to get several books out of my old carcass before I'm "worm dirt" myself...LMAO!!! Additionally all my notes are in context to work pending and links I can more easily share. Plus I can ramble on and fall down "rabbit holes" with you in a private conversation that readers/poster here seem to not care for typically, and the conversations become strained...

Ken wrote:
Just wood...kind of yes, but this is still considered "transient architecture" and is often found in the "fossorial architectural forms." Athabascan cultures, Mandan people and several other First Nations People like in California and Pacific West had such structures though stone plinth still seem rather ubiquitous to all cultures where such work is practice. Taq, Bhatar, Kath Khuni, are just some examples of architecture that have (or can have) a portion of the architecture below grade. "ALL WOOD" is less common but the Nordic traditions and nomadic tribes of Siberia had what would translate as "larders" (often confused I think with "root cellars" which technically are found within the primary food lader,) or "holds" scattered around ancient trails...

I have more, but you still can't post Kanji/Hangul script on this forum so why bother getting more erudite or academic here...it's just not supported.

Blessings,
J