New answers tagged foundation
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I have used 1-inch-thick flagstones under plastic sheds before; I find the flagstones secondhand at a good price on some neighborhood trading website, I can transport and place them myself with moderate labor, and they fit tightly together and give a pretty good feel under the shed's built-in plastic floor. I rake the ground bare and adjust the dirt for ...
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I would not be concerned at all a house built in 56 if there were problems they would have shown up long before now.
The reason the crack is horizontal , my guess the foundation walls were pumped and this is the change of trucks. If you look close you may see a slight difference in the aggregate above and below the crack line. Normally we use a vibrator but ...
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I did something similar awhile a back but I used concrete piers instead. Since I live in an area where the ground never freezes I didn't have to think about frost lines so I didn't have to very deep. This was kind of a go between the costs. The slab is nice as you'll have your floor already. With a pier system you have to build the floor as well.
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You could add a few layers of thin glassfiber net when applying the concrete. This should improve the flexural and compressive strength of the concrete substantially. I personally use insect netting that can be found rather cheap.
There should be no real need to seal the wood when applying the concrete. But applying some oil to the ends of the wood before ...
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One alternative to concrete would be soil cement. The basic principle is that you mix 5-10% of portland cement with the soil, add water then compact it. This reduces both cost and environmental impact.
Depending on the use case and type of soil, you could probably get away with just compacting the soil.
To get around the moisture problem you could use ...
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Is this slab really the foundation? I'm aware of 'slab on grade' shallow foundations but I've never lived in a climate where that is practiced. In my region a foundation with footings would be poured first (even when there's no basement), then the slab would be poured inside the foundation walls. In this latter technique the slab is non-structural.
You also ...
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Concrete is not designed to crack. When it does, it’s a mistake. The designer and/or contractor does not know the difference between reinforcing steel and temperature steel.
Get it fixed or withhold payment to the contractor until it’s fixed or a structural engineer (not a civil engineer) signs off as “The crack will not get wider.”
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I would be concerned with the through thickness cracks ; at least have an independent inspector look at it. My son had a KB home ( cable tension slab) in Round Rock , the cracks did not show up for a couple years but then no one would write a mortgage on the home. He was able to find a buyer that did not need a mortgage.
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Think outside the box.
If you are trying to minimize the distance to the deck to have max headroom, then attach the shed roof to the deck, so that water coming through the deck runs off.
Now build your shed but stop the walls a foot from the suspended roof.
From the roof hang 18" walls that have 1" clearance from the sides of the shed. Stuff with ...
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The end of that wooden beam will move slightly with humidity and temperature changes, attempts to fill that shallow void with concrete may end in dissappointment.
I'd cut a small rebate using a oscillating tool or grinder and place a piece of fibre-cement sheet over the opening, glue it in-place with builder's filler. then render over it to match the ...
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Concrete is impervious to insects and other critters, it is very clean once fully cured, and will not warp or buckle if installed correctly. Of course, concrete is also very expensive and can be upwards of $10 a sqft and should normally be professionally installed unless you're a pretty advanced DIY'er.
Gravel bases and gravel filled plastic can be a good ...
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You are correct to worry that the sistered joists connection to the post is weak. What's supporting that corner is the shear strength of the 4 framing nails above the post, the friction of the 2x4s being compressed by the bolts, and the levered shear strength of the bolts. You could improve it by:
put a bolt through the 2x4s above the beam.
add 2x4 blocking ...
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No, no, no, a horizontal crack COMPLETELY THROUGH your foundation wall on 3 sides of your house is not normal and is not acceptable...especially if you’re able to stick a dime in the crack...this is not just a “hairline” crack.
I’ve designed hundreds and hundreds of concrete walls, slabs, etc. and NONE have cracked. People who have cracked foundations, ...
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The easiest way to get a square floor is to replace the joists that are currently running left to right in the picture. Cut them longer so they cantilever a few inches at both "short" corners of the rhombus. If the size of the shed is constrained by lumber dimensions like plywood sheet size, you can cover the little ends of the joists with extra siding or ...
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It rather depends on your shed construction, but can't you just have the wall overhang the beam by 2" (or even 3")? That way the overhang will cover the error up completely.
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If the weep holes are admitting water, there must have been water in the block wall as well, and it was probably hidden by previous water sealing of the walls. Still, if the block wall had a course below the slab, the weep holes should have been drilled there when the perimeter had been removed to install the french drain, so this water wouldn't be visible ...
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It is covered if the event occurred suddenly and it is not covered if it occurred over time.
Be careful when describing what occurred to your insurance agent. If they can prove (or at least contend) that it occurred over time, they will claim its maintenance.
If you convey to them that it occurred suddenly, then it’s not maintenance and is covered.
I ...
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The flooding is most liklely covered. Disappointing, though, that your sump pump didn't handle this.
The mechanical repairs, I would expect not, since it's maintenance like replacing a roof. However you can always check, and also look into any home warranty that might have been part of the purchase.
Well work can indeed be insanely expensive, but that ...
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The only person who will know for sure what your home owners policy covers will be your insurance agent. Best we could do is guess. I honestly have no idea.
As far as the expense of repair, it depends on how much of the labor you can do yourself. Excavators aren't exactly cheap to rent, but they aren't thousands of dollars either. Pipe itself is usually ...
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mortar is not really structural, I would go with steel, perhaps half-inch plate and some washers
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