A local contractor is recommending to me that I could pour a concrete foundation up to a certain level, then build with treated wood above it and by covering it with 6 mil poly make it buryable up on the treated wood portion.
I’ve never seen this done or heard of it. All shared perspectives appreciated!
Would any other waterproofing method be adequate for said use?
BTW this is for a basement, not just a crawl space.
Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.
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Did he say why?
Seems fairly strange to me
Why Don't Blind People Like To Sky Dive?
Because it scares the bejabbers out of the dog
Your mileage may vary ....To save money...
And I hate to say it, but he is the building inspector for a nearby town!Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.
And I hate to say it, but he is the building inspector for a nearby town!
Well I hate to say that more often than not, the building inspectors I have come across are those who couldn't make it as contractors. And i take their advice on these types of things with little value. Our local building inspector has very strange ideas on all sorts of things, and even though he does have a good knowledge of the building code, has a hard time understanding concepts of WHY these things are in the code....eg. security blocking beside entry doors....I had an argument that it made no sense for him to insist I install security blocking beside an entry door with a sidelight, since having a sidelight between the knob and the stud/cripple there was no point.
My point is, because someone is a building inspector, doesn't mean he knows what's best, do some research, asking around like you're doing is a great start.
I live in a very wet climate and have seen a couple successful PWF foundations and have also seen some failed, though i have seen many failed concrete foundations as well. Whatever you do, if you do it properly will probably serve you well, though my house I built on a reinforced concrete foundation :)
Hasbeen,
There is such a thing as a treated wood foundation. In my opinion, the appropriate use of this technology has some important limitations, most particularly the local soil and moisture conditions and the intended use of the structure.
For what it's worth, I have looked at three homes in the past 90 days that have serious moisture problems due to framing below grade.
If there are no countervailing circumstances, ICF with a waterproofing membrane might save you a lot of time, money, and trouble.
DRC
I live in a very dry climate, but still am not going to do a treated wood foundation.
In fact, I poured footings today and am starting to form for poured walls tomorrow.Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.
Glad to hear it.
I know you have heavy clay soils that are not good for ANY foundation, much less for an experiment.
You would be introducing a hinge point - not good
You would be creating a leakage point - as a waterproofer, I would never expect a 6mil poly to cover that with integrity for more than six months or so.
With wood foundations, it is the slab that secures the base of the wall, counterbalancing inward forces of the earth. The wood wall would need to be all the way or nothing.
I'm also curious about why this guy recommended it this way.
Excellence is its own reward!
My thoughts exactly!
I'm not going to do it, but posted the question because I'm always wondering if my thinking is just off somehow... (Boy, was that an invitation or WHAT?!?!?)Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.
Seen a few done that way around here.... Very common on modulars for some reason... LOL
I wouldn't recomend it. In fact given a partial chance I would aggresivly suggest you stay away from it. Even with more than adequate drainage the basements or crawlspaces get and stay wet to the point of flowing water. Typically the foundations seem to begin the failing process after only 2 or 3 years. This goes for the foundations with stick on membrane also. Way much unreliable.
Then there is the indigeous mold and fugus growth that would make a petrie dish proud.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
For the life of me, I can't understand why some people push treated wood foundations....the cost difference in the long run over concrete, or even reinforced and filled concrete block is minimal, not to mention the long-term value of the home.
I've dealt with treated wood a lot over the years and have seen short-term failures of individual pieces.
I'm also baffled by the code acceptance of treated wood foundations....at best, they belong in the code provisions for manufactured homes, IMHO.
IMHO: Lots of things that are in the code are due to lobbying by wealthy companies to sell more poor or needless products.Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.
is not that why we use concrete to keep the wood off the ground lp22 has a life span around 40 years at best, but concrete well the coliseum in rome is still standing and no rebar to boot
0 sorry!
ive been researching wood foundations since reading this thread a few days back. i might be wrong but it looks to me as if the footing plate is leveled on gravel, and tied into the slab with i guess an anchor or dowel. the studs are shown 16" oc with insulation and vapor retarder between the studs. over the sheathing the drawing is showing 6-mil polyethylene? i would expect the horizontal forces of the soil to topple the wall.
what is the use of 6-mil polyethylene. i am guessing it acts as some sort of water proofer, to protect the building from water in the ground. hardest part of constructing a building i think would be to block air leakage and water vapor. what happens to the pressure treated lumber when water gets into the walls? Does it effect the humidity inside the home?