I am building a 14X14 bunk house near Westport, Ontario and would like to get your opinion on the type of cement blocks that I should be using. The area is relatively flat and I am curious about the following: Should I use gravel under the blocks? Should I be using the cement deck blocks? If no to the deck blocks, what size of cement blocks should I be using? Should I put a 16X16" patio stone under the cement blocks? How much room should I leave under the bunkhouse for ventilation? I don't plan on heating this building during the winter, so I assume no insulation or vapour barrier is required.
Answer:
For something the size you're talking about, I'd lay in 24X24" patio stones making sure they're really flat and level and then use deck blocks on them. I'm not really a believer in concrete blocks for situations like this because they're quite hard to work with relative to patio stones and deck blocks. I wouldn't insulate the floor in any case but you might find a bit more comfort in there if you lay in 6mm vapour barrier before laying the sub-flooring.
