Build it
and they will come
But it’s not quite that easy. The place we constructed our first domes is a beautiful mountainous area near a creek. Through trial and error and working with multiple contractors, we finally discovered an effective plan to build platforms that would last for decades even in the harshest of environments. We wished that we had access to plans and materials like these from the start and are happy to make your life easier.
Save time, money, and headaches
We worked with contractors who have decades of experience and incredible skill, but had never built a platform for a Geodome. They all had seemingly great ideas, but it wasn’t until the third and fourth contractors’ collective efforts, reworking two and redoing one platform completely that we finally have plans that we are confident to share with the world.
Downloadable construction plans and material list for wooden platform sized for a 7M Dome (23 ft in diameter). Can be used for elevated application with posts or groundlevel construction on level surface.
Download will be emailed 48 hours after purchase.
Downloadable construction plans and material list for wooden platform sized for a 9M Dome (30 ft in diameter). Can be used for elevated application with posts or groundlevel construction on level surface.
Download will be emailed 48 hours after purchase.
Downloadable construction plans and material list for wooden platform sized for a 5M Dome (16.5 ft in diameter). Can be used for elevated application with posts or groundlevel construction on level surface.
Download will be emailed 48 hours after purchase.
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If building on a site with a level, strong, and stable foundation, you have the options of pouring a concrete slab or building a wooden platform on the.ground. We do not recommend setting the dome directly on the ground without a foundation, primarily to prevent water intrusion.
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If building on an inclined surface or desire for the dome to be elevated, a strong, and stable wooden platform can be built, but care must be taken to establish a solid foundation for the posts.
Our experience taught us to dig until we found bedrock, then drill into the rock to set rebar. Next we poured concrete into the hole as a base for the concrete footer where the posts would set. There are other ways of doing it, but we opted for this method so that if the ground shifts, the post can be jacked up to place a block under to maintain a level foundation.
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To prevent water intrusion, we recommend building a round platform the size of the dome, securing the dome cover to the perimeter band, and the installing PVC trim around the the cover (using white roofing nails). This way, water flows down the sides of the dome and onto the ground, never having the opportunity to enter the dome. Details and materials are provided in our plans.