Uneven foundation concrete wall and sill plates/framing issue
93dave
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Hello,
I am building a home with a typical level 1-2 builder in Texas.
Concrete was poured couple weeks ago, and framing has almost finished.
Very quickly, it has concerned me that, what it appears to be a load bearing wall, the framing is not sitting flush with the concrete because of the uneven surface. In my opinion the pour was not done very nicely and it's causing the sill plates at garage corners towards the front of the houses to be not levelling with the concrete, and appears to almost "float" towards the edge.
Is this surely a problem and needs to be addressed? Builder does not know the answer to this yet as well and it is very concerning. I'm not sure if shimming can be used, or simply a mortar or non-shrink grout can be used to fill the void.
Looked very typical as I saw other homes in this neighborhood with similar conditions.
Thank you guys in advance.
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Precast concrete foundation walls - which company?
Comments (11)@Bio-Modified Untrue. Poured walls will also leak. If there is water next to the foundation - you're going to have a wet basement, period. The difference is the Superior Wall system controls all the joints...A poured wall just cracks randomly and therefore has to be separately waterproofed. You can also use any exterior waterproofing system you'd use on a poured wall on Superior Walls if you want a belt and suspenders protection - but because the panels are 5000psi concrete they are impervious to moisture and that is normally unnecessary. The joints are double-sealed with a very high grade urethane sealant. The only "horror stories" I've ever seen or heard re: any of the pre-cast systems is when they are improperly backfilled and/or do not have drainage installed correctly. As long as the space around the foundation can freely drain- the basement WILL be dry....See Moreframe, concrete, hvac questions - help!
Comments (15)ahh..so you are in my part of the world!! techshield roof decking is a radiant barrier decking to reflect heat out of the attic. your insulation levels are nothing special..the only over code is high density batts R-15 over R-13. I'd put 1" foam sheathing over plywood/osb walls.. another added cost but one that is very worthwhile for thermal break of studs and added R-value to walls. air sealing of the house is where you'll invest to save with simple products like sill seal under sole plates of walls and caulking prior to drwyall install. 14 seer isn't much better than code. what type fuel will you have for heating? gas...electric? if electric, you should get heat pump bids. it will be a huge winter savings over electric strip heating. I like 15-17 SEER for heat pumps. variable speed air handler units to remove humidity...and correctly sized...aka load calcs not rule of thumb sizing for hvac system. ductwork in vented attic with tech shield should be R-8...not R-6 small upgrade cost...but they may have to special order as La. still allows R-6 (stupid home builder association driven delay of better codes) putting ducts & equipment in vented attic...will add another 15-30% per month of operating cost to the utility bill. foam insulating the attic to create a unvented semi conditioned attic is a much better option. but again...an added cost.upside is smaller hvac system, lower utility costs and comfort. windows should have solar heat gain coefficients & ufactors of less than .35 all recessed lights should be ICAT, not IC. Insulation Contact Air Tight. these openings into the hot attic have a direct effect on comfort of the house. IC allows attic air to be drawn into living space, ICAT minimizes openings into attic. things that will allow you to cut costs & upgrade later are not insulation, windows, air sealing of house, hvac equipment & ducts and mastic seal of ducts. these things you get right now..or pay the added cost for life of the item. things that can be upgraded or added later... ceiling moldings. have sheetrock installers tape & float wall to ceiling & add moldings later. cabinets & counter tops can be upgraded later. do a stained concrete...and add wood floors later. would a gravel or limestone driveway be an option for you? I see few problems with osb...usually when house isn't blacked in but left open to elements for extended times. and I too, favor 30 lb felt for roofing. you have a huge amount to cut off the total cost. maybe less sq ft would bring you closer without compromising the efficiency & comfort of the house. with our utility costs at .13 cents per kwh for large utility providers..saving energy is a smart move as costs increase and don't decrease. I've seen people build homes where they couldn't afford the utility bills..had zero comfort...but had a pretty place to show. where in the south La. are you building? here is a design one pdf from my utility co-op slemco (.08 cents per kwh!) good info for new construction. http://www.slemco.com/uploads/SLEMCO_Design_One_checklist2010.pdf even if not on slemco service the info can be applied where ever you build. best of luck....See MoreInset sill plate when using exterior foam?
Comments (4)Looks fine to me. Only, under brick and stone, I forego the housewrap altogether and use 30 lb. felt. Also, I frame with 2x6 @ 16" o.c. and use fibrous insulation as well. Without further insulation, 2" of XPS won't meet Codes. You can forego structural sheathing, but will have to provide alternative means of bracing. With that much external insulation, you may have to go to deeper window jambs. Keep that in mind when ordering windows. BTW, all the cultured stone I'm acquainted with has to be kept a certain distance above grade. Here are some alternative sections from Building Science Corp. This post was edited by worthy on Wed, Sep 10, 14 at 16:11...See Morewindow cuts in concrete foundation pour question
Comments (5)The only thing quick about your question is the math. If the widow sill is less than 44" off the floor, then the top of a 4' window would be about 14" below the top of the foundation. You can pour a concrete lintel over the top of the window. The window opening should be framed out in the forms before the concrete is poured. The hopper windows are often set inside removable steel window bucks and poured directly into the concrete with the top of the window about a foot down from the top of the foundation. When you consider that the dirt will be about 9" below the top of the foundation, and the top of the windows will be lower, you should realize how much light will be blocked by a window well. The egress window well can't be more than 44" deep either without steps to climb out. When the gravel in the bottom of the window well should be 8" below the window frame to protect from rot and termites etc, the top of a standard window well would still be about 28" below the top of the foundation or 19" below the dirt level. If you go with a stepped window well, you will get more light into the basement, as will a wider well. At that point, you may want to consider making the hole for the window wider than the window and all the way to the top of the foundation even if the window doesn't go that high. Then you can side around the window and above it to make it look better and tie it into the rest of the house. If you want to go with the smallest window wells possible, I would increase the height of the window to 5'. That will tie them into the rest of the house nicer without any extra siding hanging down and give you more of what is usually much needed light in the basement, as the well will block the light coming in from the lower half. These are all details that should be drawn up on complete plan. It is often done on a separate sectional view. This will include the actual height of the foundation which may not be exactly 9' if using plywood forms, the thickness of the basement floor, how many sill plates to avoid anchor bolts interfering with the floor joists etc, etc. From there, it is easier to figure out where the top of the window will be in relation to the maximum sill height....See More
93dave
6 years agodbrad
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
PROSpringtime Builders
6 years ago
worthy
6 years ago
just_janni
6 years ago
Suru
6 years agogalore2112
6 years agoFor comparison: I took these pictures today at a custom (not tract) $1.5M construction site in Dallas.
Floating studs:
Cantilevered board:
Airgap:
Texas quality.
93dave thanked galore2112
PROVirgil Carter Fine Art
6 years agoUser
6 years ago
Jeremy Stewart
4 years ago
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