I am building my first house and they poured my basement wrong. Any advise?
by
Jennifer R
+3
One of the walls was measured wrong and now they want to cut it out and re pour the wall. I am concerned about where the new walls meet the old. Can they leak? will it be as strog? Any advise will be really appreciated!!!
6 answers
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Jennifer, if they properly install the footings and they drill and install rebar into the first poured walls, everything should be fine. As far as leaking, sure, but even if the walls were correct from the get go, where every tie is located which is what holds the forms from spreading during the pour, it a possible leak somewhere down the line if they do not properly water proof the exterior wall. I would insist however that they pay special attention to the cold joints where the newer meets the new, (sounds weird) But you know what I mean. And I would make them upgrade the water proofing system as a freebee for getting it wrong and slowing up the process. It cannot hurt to try. If UT is anything like my area, the builder must provide a warranty for a set period of time against water leaks. In NJ its 10 years. Other states have other requirements. The bottom line is if they install the correct footing and it is approved by the local building department, and they properly install the new walls with connection ties to the first walls set. And they properly water proof. You will be fine. Just understand that simply spreading tar on the walls is NOT water proofing. They should be also doing a dimpled membrane and install a drainage system on the outside of the footing to get it right.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Oct 23, 2012
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Woodbridge, Thanks so much! I appreciate all the info. I will talk to my buider. :)
Jennifer R
on Oct 23, 2012
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Hi Jennifer. Congrats on the new home project. The only other thing I would recommend in addition to what was mentioned above is...have them supply a tie-in detail showing how they plan on securing the new and old walls together. This would include rebar size, locations, spacing and quantity. Also follow up to make sure the building department is involved. If they go ahead and repour the wall without an inspection, you won't have a second set of eyes looking out for your best interest. Good luck on your project.
ArmchairBuilder.com
on Oct 24, 2012
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Thanks so much ArmchairBuilder. It is scary having a house built and not knowing a thing about construction. I really appreciate all of the advise! :)
Jennifer R
on Oct 24, 2012
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@Jennifer R You have a legitimate waterproofing concern in your question. Obviously, the joint where the new wall will be poured is not "seamless" as it would have been otherwise. However, if attention is paid to the waterproofing detail that @Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com suggested, you will be on the right track. In addition to going all out on the exterior waterproofing in the new corners by incorporating high quality tar and a waffleboard membrane, one item we also incorporate in the wall where the new meets the old is bentonite rope. The rope is infused with bentonite clay, which expands when it contacts with water. So, if it is installed properly (often times it is not), it can be another measure to help the wall corner from leaking. You can also add bags of bentonite clay to the outside of the foundation wall in the corner to help as a barrier. As a remodeling contractor, we do install new foundation walls against existing foundations quite often. The strength of the wall should not be an issue if building construction standards are followed.
Hamtil Construction LLC
on Oct 24, 2012
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Thanks so much Hamtil Construction. I will talk to my builder about this. I appreciate the advise! :)
Jennifer R
on Oct 25, 2012
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