When I built my sugar shack 10ft x 20ft. I spread out a good 6 yards of 2inch minus gravel in the area leveled it and compacted down as best as I could by driving it over with my truck 100 times. I then bought 6 "cottage blocks" 20in x 20in by 3 inches thick. This is what I built the shack on. I'm sure the thing heaves, but it all heaves up and down at about the same rate, so there never has been an issue yet. For me wind is not really an issue, I'm in the middle of the bush and the trees do a good job at blocking it. I also built mine really low to the ground, mostly so I only needed one step to get inside. I have nice big overhangs, so I don't have to worry about the base of the structure getting wet.