Are Footings Required Under Sono Tubes

7/15/2018 at 4:08:17 PM

Good Afternoon,

Footings under the tubes are not required if you're installing them to a depth below the frost line. Typically sono tubes are similar to piles where they react with friction and thus should not shift. I would recommend installing a small concrete footing overtop of the sono tubes to create a level surface to place the sauna. realistically, the bearing weight of the sauna is quite spread out (24sq.ft) so it shouldn't shift much in general so adding the tubes will definitely be a safe bet.

Be mindful that if the tubes aren't placed below the frost line, they may cause more issues than if you never placed them in the first place.

Hope this helps a little.

MG

7/15/2018 at 9:52:15 PM

Thanks Matt. I kinda thought that was the case but do appreciate the reply.

Doug

7/16/2018 at 10:05:37 AM

Hey Doug, footings are not required under your sonotubes. Make sure your minimum 4 feet below grade or you will run into problems. You can use screw piles to save you the digging and concrete cost. It's faster cheaper and a lot less labor to use screw piles. Good luck. Jeff

7/17/2018 at 9:34:14 AM

Hi Doug

A slab on Grade would be your best bet for something this small. Thicker around the perimeter and put "re-bar" steel in the slab.

The slab should be 3 to 4 ". Put all your utilities ( Eletrical / Plumbing ) in the form work area before you pour. You will never have a problem if you do it this way.