Has anyone ever used Quik-Tubes, the cardboard cylinder forms for concrete piers. Am thinking of using them for the foundation of a cabin, instead of the treated posts that are not friendly to the environment...they are saturated with arsenic. Also, by my calculations the Quik-Tubes are actually cheaper. The only problem is that I can only find them in four foot lengths, which is not adequate for my situation as I would be building on a hillside. My question then is: has anyone experience with stacking these tubes, or know of anyone who has? If so how were they secured to resist the weight of the concrete. Also, does anyone know of a source of these type of tubes in a longer length, up to eight feet long?

-- John Fritz (JohnFritz24@hotmail.com), October 17, 2001

Answers

lowes has the tubes,call them, they carry different sizes. you could also raize the tube up and use the ground to hold the concrete. we used rebar in the tube, 4 pieces per tube. you could tape them togeather, that with the rebar should hold them. make sure you get below the frost line. oh, don,t forget the lag bolts in top to fasten your sill plates to. lexi

-- Lexi Green (whitestone11@hotmail.com), October 17, 2001.

I've heard them referred to as "sona tubes". This may help in your search.

-- Jake (Jake@home.com), October 17, 2001.

you can also use pvc / plastic pipes, commercail size can go 12,, 14 16 inch diameters. Ive used them before for fence posts

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), October 18, 2001.

Ask at a concrete company, that's where I got my 8' lengths.

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), October 18, 2001.

The "footer" must be below frost level and at least twice as wide as the diameter of the tube. Pour footing and fill tube in the same pour. Rebar is an excellent suggestion to tie it all together.

Good luck Rickstir (I love concrete!)

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), October 18, 2001.

FRITZ...SONA-TUBES CAN COME IN LENGTHS OVER 8'.THEY ARE IN COMMON USAGE IN COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION.BECAUSE THEY ARE QUICK TO USE. THEY ARE CHEAP TO USE AS YOU DON`T HAVE TO FORM THEM CUT AND BUILD THEM.YOU CUT THEM TO LENGTH AND POUR. YOU COULD POUR SOME CONCRETE IN THE HOLE FIRST AND THEN THROW IN SOME REBAR.THEN PUT THE TUBES OVER THEM.YOU TRY TO CAREFULLY BACKFILL AROUND THE TUBES WITHOUT CRUSHING THEM.MAKING SURE THEY ARE PLUMB AS YOU GO.THEN YOU POUR IN THE CONCRETE. FOR THE LOWEND POST HOLES.I`D FORM A PROPER FOOTING WITH REBAR.THEN FRAME THEM UP.KEEP THE FOOTING BELOW FROST LEVEL AND BED IT IN COMPACTED GRAVEL. WHEN YOU FINISH THE TOPS OF THE CONCRETE .SLOPE THE OUTER EDGE SO WATER WILL DRAIN.PUT SOME ROOFING PAPER OR VAPOUR BARRIOR UNDER YOUR LOGS. ANY MAJOR SUPPLIER SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THEM FOR YOU.

CORDWOODGUY

-- CORDWOODGUY (cordwoodguy@n2teaching.com), October 18, 2001.

for the longer leanths jig up some 2x4 to help suport the sides iv seen them blow out or flopp over during pouring .i prefer the use of plastic pipe or metal culverts it protects the pier if its where it can be hit by vehicles ect dont forget the rebar and use a good concreate mix, also place the footing on material capable of suporting your building load if its soft spread the footing below the sonaatubes or dig deeperclean any loose materials from the excavation prior to pouring...

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), October 18, 2001.

John, I used them in the construction of my a-frame house. We poured footers first and put the rebar in the footer comin out into the center. We put the sonatubes over the rebar and then poured concrete in them. Real simple. Check them with a level as you are pouring them and over fill them a bit as the concrete tends to settle inside and will cause a concaved top if you are not careful. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), October 19, 2001.