Hi Everyone,
I’m looking at a newly constructed house in Massachusetts. The builder used the existing foundation of the tear down and both expanded out and raised up to create an 8 foot ceiling in the basement. It seems to me that this is a recipe for cracks down the road. Is it common practice? Would you expect problems with this or would you expect it to be fine (considering the Mass climate)?
Thanks,
Revan
Add a strap for easy carrying and pouring when working with 5-gal. buckets.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
How did the builder add to the top of the existing foundation to raise the basement ceiling height?
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
>>It seems to me that this is a recipe for cracks down the road
It depends on what other ingredients have been mixed into the batter and how long it was stirred and how hot the oven was.
I wasn't there so I can't say.
SamT
Then turn the oven off
It's very common in my city. Tear-downs often leave some foundation, and sometimes just two (opposite) brick walls, of old house. That grandfathers narrow set-backs and avoids new home sales tax.
I'm not a builder and don't know what other measures are required. Makes me wonder if the new extra 1.5 stories on top are going to stay put, and if the stucco-over-hodgepodge walls are going to perform as they should with respect to insulation and water movement etc.
I'd love if people here told me more about how it is done and if it causes problems.
Sounds like the old walls have had more concrete added to them to make them higher, plus some lateral additions to increase the square footage of the house. That means a cold joint between old and new. If the work was engineered, then I would expect rebar was drilled and epoxied into the old work to tie the new to it. However, if this part of the foundation is below grade, then I can foresee problems with moisture transport and susceptibility to lateral soil pressure. Also, an engineer would determine the bearing capacity of the footing and soil, and decide whether the existing footing was adequate for the load.
If this was done to engineer's specs, then there should be no problem, but if it was done under hokey rule of thumb by some 'level in the gunrack' guy, then look out.
Wally
In Massachusetts you can find everything as a foundationstone, granite blocks, brick, block, poured, and who knows what else.most houses have a basement.my guess it is either poured or blocksee a lot of teardowns and rebuilds, but usually new foundation. but setbacks may have affected this, or the foundation was basicly good._____________________________
bobl Volo, non valeo
Thanks for your responses. It is poured, not block and I didn't ask, but I am assuming he drilled and placed rebar in the foundation - then put forms on top of the existing sill and added height. I am worried about the cold seam below grade since they expanded out.
The agent said he didn't pour a new foundation since the existing was good. I did notice water on the lot and my guess is that he couldn't dig back because of it - not sure though and I doubt I'll get a straight answer.
Revan
"I am worried about the cold seam below grade since they expanded out."people put additions on all the time.technology should be there.wether they do it right is another matter, but just having that joint where the old meets the new shouldn't be the problem, just wether it was done correctly.BTW HO here_____________________________
bobl Volo, non valeo