houses on stilts

[hepcat]

Hi all. I'm looking to make the most of the views my land offers so I'd like to build on stilts. A few questions about stilts. How many stories could stilts support? I don't have a lot of money right now, so if I wanted just 2 stories right now, could I add a third later on? Or, conversely, could I put the house on stilts now, and then add rooms around the stilts later on? Or do stilts make it impossible to have a finished ground floor?

[Loy Toy]

Not knowing the surrounding ground structure I would employ a reputable civil engineer to do some basic drawings and according to the subterranean land structure.

Then you could submit them to the local building permission department and they will tell you what you can and cannot get away with.

[DrAndy]

Hi all. I'm looking to make the most of the views my land offers so I'd like to build on stilts. A few questions about stilts. How many stories could stilts support? I don't have a lot of money right now, so if I wanted just 2 stories right now, could I add a third later on? Or, conversely, could I put the house on stilts now, and then add rooms around the stilts later on? Or do stilts make it impossible to have a finished ground floor?

question about stilts....what type, concrete? then you mean columns?

there are several buildings in Bangkok on columns/stilts, supporting 15/20 stories, so obviously you can do anything

you can add more stories later, as long as your substructure is strong enough

you can always build into the space around the columns

most houses are actually built on columns, even if the ground floor is filled in


from your post, see an architect for help

[Dan]

A three-storey house on stilts sounds a bit bizarre. I hope your neighbours don't mind a four-storey appearing next door.

[foreigner]

columns/stilts, supporting 15/20 stories,

I agree .. stilts are different form of foundation.
Beefy stilts / beams should hold as much weight as they are "designed for".

probably. a teak stump post & bamboo beams would limit safe height .. but might work for a tree house.

[mooncake]

Stilts = foundation system…aka commonly known as “a piling system”
You can build anything on them, as long as they are properly sized to support the load bearing above ..with taking-in the stilts material into consideration whether types of wood or concrete.

Obviously the more stories you have, the bigger size of each stilt and its footing. Or you can have a skinny looking stilt, but more of them, thus spreading the dead/live loads of the structure above.

Take you dream concept to the local engineers.

[DrAndy]

n 1: a column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into
the ground to provide support for a structure [syn: pile,
spile, piling]

It is not usually necessary to use driven foundations in LOS, unless you want to build a multi-storey

the usual thing is to put in footings and columns

I think Hepcat is talking about the latter as all he wants is an improved view

[hepcat]

Dr. Andy has it right. I'd like to put 2 stories on stilts to begin with with the option of finishing the space around the columns later. What I had in mind was concrete walls with wooden floors and ceilings. Concrete columns would be the way to go.

If any of you have seen the Thomas Crown affair (the shitty version with Pierce Brosnon and Rene Russo, not the badass Steve McQueen version), he has a house in Martinique. That is the design that I'm looking for.

The land I have is on the spur of a hill, and the land is not perfectly flat, but I don't think it'd require much effort to build up the land evenly. I'm assuming that would have to be done if I wanted to finish the ground floor in the future.

[WhiteLotusLane]

All Thai houses are on posts/columns. Just some don't have the ground floor walls filled in, those would be the houses 'on stilts'.

So what you're going to do is a three floor house, without bricked in walls on the ground floor.

It's still a bit strange though, almost all houses would just be one floor above the ground floor. And if more space is required then you just put another structure next to it and attach it, either directly against it or through some kind of walk way or open veranda. Repeat until you got enough space.

[Attilla the Hen]

My house is on concrete stilts. I have concrete piles and also footings.

[Nawty]

Poor bastard, house runs away and you got the nastiest dose of arse veins I have ever heard about....and elephant feet disease to boot

[Attilla the Hen]

My concrete piles are 6 metres long.........

[chitown]

A three-storey house on stilts sounds a bit bizarre. I hope your neighbours don't mind a four-storey appearing next door.

In Thailand???

[chitown]

My piles are 6 metres long.........

yuck

[Marmite the Dog]

BTW, it's 'Storeys' not 'Stories'.

OK, carry on....

[DrAndy]

that was nice of you Marmite

storey or esp US story
Noun
pl -reys or -ries a floor or level of a building [Anglo-Latin historia picture, probably from the pictures on medieval windows]

[mooncake]

sorry...but my current "US Building Code" book says....."story" and "stories"

May be yours is...a british thingy

[Marmite the Dog]

May be yours is...a british thingy

Yes. English.

[DrAndy]

May be yours is...a british thingy

Yes. English.

it is either in English, just the singular can be different in US

from the concise Oxford

storey // n. (US also story) (pl. -eys or -ies)

[Marmite the Dog]

the singular can be different in US

Yes, because they can't fekkin' spell.

it is either in English

But, it shouldn't be. It's another dilution of the language caused by those non-native speakers across the pond.

[Attilla the Hen]

I've never understood people that put their houses on small stilts creating a small void space. Yes, it's good for air-flow and keeping critters out of the house, but, the space is mainly wasted.

Build your stilts at 2.5 metres and you have a car-park and a great place to hang-out when it's raining.
Good place to put a noisy laundry room, too.

[Marmite the Dog]

Good place to put a noisy laundry room, too.

And the wife's family.

[WhiteLotusLane]

I've never understood people that put their houses on small stilts creating a small void space. Yes, it's good for air-flow and keeping critters out of the house, but, the space is mainly wasted.

Build your stilts at 2.5 metres and you have a car-park and a great place to hang-out when it's raining.
Good place to put a noisy laundry room, too.

Completely agree. ( Of course 'parking a car' was traditionally not a requirement for most basic wooden houses on stilts. ) But bricking in any 4 or 6 post area easily results in an additional room downstairs.

[Attilla the Hen]

Good place to put a noisy laundry room, too.

And the wife's family.

Too close. I like to keep at least a few hundered kilometres between us.