I am interested in building a 144sq foot (9x16, 10x14, or 12x12) storage shed on a piece of remote property in northern Michigan, that will double as a hunting cabin a couple of times a year. It will have some weight because I will be using James Hardie concrete fiber board for the exterior, (porcupines and woodpeckers will leave it alone) and likely a loft so it may have a 12' roof ridge line. My property is very sandy, and is very close to lake Superior (but fairly sheltered) so I will have some better than average wind loads.
I have seen many different foundation plans on-line for sheds and small cabins. I have seen people just use 6x6 beam/skids to build the shed deck onto, I have seen others use deck blocks either on a poured footer or crushed gravel, I have also seen people use sonotubes and deck anchors to attach girders for the deck support, as well as other ideas.
What is my best bet to secure a shed/cabin this size on sandy soil, in northern Michigan? I would like it to be dry, stable, and last a long time. Do I really need to have a footer all the way down to the frostline? Would deck blocks become too unstable and uneven in time? Would very sandy soil vary my depth for a footer, either deeper or shallower? Would footers, poured sonotubes, with anchored girders be overkill, even though it seems to be the best?
Since I am at the size limit for not needing a building permit I do not plan on ask my building inspector these questions.
