# Pouring a new footing



## WirePuller (Apr 21, 2012)

Bought my first house, was built in 1930. The previous owner either didn't give a damn or didn't know but the water messed up the foundation (poured concrete). The eavesdrop is broken at one point, just letting any and all water drip right down. The house is mine at the end of the month I'm tackling that issue right off the hop.

To the point of this thread though, due to the water damage from that and also the basement entrance having no drain or way of directing water away from the house, the foundation has some nice cracks on that corner area of the house. Reason being the water sunk down and messed up the ground under that corner footing making the house shift. First on my lift is to tackle this and patch up those cracks. 

So my question is, do I have to jack up the house at that corner and add a footing. Or can I just add a new footing as is to properly support the house and prevent further shifting? Unfortunately I don't have pictures but I can get those later if requested.


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## AndyGump (Apr 22, 2012)

I think you really need professional help on this. It is not something for a DIYer.
Perhaps even a soils test may be in order.

Andy.


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## joecaption (Apr 22, 2012)

Really need an on site pro to be looking at this one.
Not going to be a cheap fix, sure you want to commit to this house?


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## WirePuller (Apr 22, 2012)

I've already committed to the house, and for the price I got it for compared to the price of others I can afford to throw some money at it. The location is pretty good and it has a basement apartment so I really like it. Foundation cracks where I'm from aren't uncommon. I'll look into getting a specialist over.


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## CallMeVilla (Apr 22, 2012)

I have seen this solved by jacking on the inside and repouring a new footer with a block wall on the inside.  You lose sq footage but you save the house.  You have my sympathies  . . . didn;t a home inspector tell you to run fast??


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## WirePuller (Apr 23, 2012)

Home inspector came in after I purchased the place (the bank requested it). He said it just needs a new footing and proper drainage away from the house. Once I tackle to drainage issue that's really the brunt of the problem dealt with. It's just years of water that was seeping into that corner and then freezing up in the winter that messed it up. Dig down see what the soil is like and pour a new footing. I'm just wondering if it's crucial I jack the house up to do so if the lean isn't even that bad. Like I said foundation cracks are pretty common here, every house I looked at had one actually.


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## CallMeVilla (Apr 23, 2012)

Sorry for being unclear.  Jack hammering along the inner foundation wall and laying a new course of block is one solution.  However, weeping tile will probably be needed to solve the drainage problem.  THAT involves excavation outside along the perimter wall.  Good luck.


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## WirePuller (Apr 24, 2012)

Thank you. Ya replacing the weeping tile is also on my list, I can rent an excavator for $170/day.


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## joecaption (Apr 25, 2012)

The type escavator you need is a mini with the type bucket that can be adjusted from side to side, I'm not talking about being able to swing, this one can be moved over so the bucket is in a straight line with the foundation, this this is tiny and has tracks that can be moved in and out so it can get through a 4' fence gate.

CALL MISS UTILITY OR WHATEVER THEY CALL IT IN YOUR AREA BEFORE DIGGING!


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## WirePuller (Apr 25, 2012)

Found out my uncles brother-in-law is a landscaper and he owns a mini excavator so I'll probably go with that if the price is right. Already planned on making sure there's going to be nothing in the way before digging but it's always good to be reminded, thanks. Since I'm digging up for the weeping tile anyway it just makes more sense imo to pour the footing outside.

I get the keys in 5 days, really excited.


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## kpuccio409 (May 13, 2012)

ok, I have seen a lot of articles on foundations and i would like to help you out by explaine the cause of failed foundations, Ok water does and does not damage a foundation, So here is how it does, 1. freeze and thaw, this is were water finds best root and freezes above the freeze line and creates small cracks then grows from there, 2. Hydrostatic pressure, were on the outside of the foundation the water adds weight to the fill material around the foundation and causing the pressure per square foot to rise above designed level creating a unbalanced load on the wall, causing bowing or cack and cave in. The there is vilocity of water flow, higher the flow beyond design and material creates material to be removed by water flow creating a void in underlaying material, washout (look at u tube for a house that falls into the water by a high flowing river and watch it remove the underlaying dirt and see it crack and fall in) So when you do the foundation and raise the house sometimes you do not have to raise it much, pending material used, like 12inch block, but poured concrete raise it more, then the footing is very important (local building codes) this is why the engineer is important, this is were the engineer look at the soil report and designs the requirements for the foundation ( hence clay when wet is extremely dangerouse to foundations because it can push the foundation, if there is sand then you have to worry about liquification of the material in an earth qauke or the material you place your foundation may not hold up to a new footing causing it to sink and the you will have to use a deep foundation footing requiring diggin, or drilling to harder material.) the engineer is also the backing for insurance because if you ask your insurance company and ask hay I am redoing my foundation and I have hired a certified engineer to design and draw the foundation, and a company to build it does my insurance cover it if it fails if i cannot recope my money, and when you are in court and can show the design, soil report, and the concrete test (yes get the concrete sample and have it tested for its strength to make sure each truck was made right, then if you touch the soil it becomes unsettled and it creates loose ground (creates more settling) and the soil test might also tell you do you need to add a drain system or a sump pump to deal with water issues, So sorry for spelling I hope this will open your eyes to what you can do yourself to make sure you do a better job and help you to start thinking of other questions to ask. so hope it helped figure out what really is making this happen


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## nealtw (May 14, 2012)

409; Welcome and not bad for your first turn on the soap box


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## mudmixer (May 14, 2012)

kpucchio

Take a hard look at your post since it could mislead the original poster.

Dick


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## WirePuller (May 15, 2012)

The reason that crack is so big and straight is because they added an extension to the poured concrete with block wall at some point. The water in that corner caused it to sink and cracked it good (saw this after chipping away some parging). There's also some other hairline cracks I have to patch up with hydraulic cement. I ended up digging it up myself, got a good chunk done and this is after working my job all day so I'm pleased with progress so far. Reason it's only getting done now is because I gutted the basement when it was free dump week. Going to patch all cracks with concrete cement (chip away at crack so cement actually gets in there), install weeping tile to a sump pump, new eavestrough. 

Sorry about the lack of pictures, I need to get a cheap digital camera or something.


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## nealtw (May 15, 2012)

I would not be so fast to blame a sinking footing on water running around it. My bet would be that the footing was to small for the soil conditions or they were put down on disturbed soil. If you're doing all this work anyway and you don't want to do it again get a Geo-tech engineer to check the soil conditions and make suggestion on best way to fix the problem.


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## WirePuller (May 16, 2012)

Ya I got an engineer coming, a guy my dad knows who does this kind of stuff came today and said I'll probably have to take out that whole extension and do it properly, but first he'd get his engineer friend over asap (he's booked for the next month, but they do favours for each other). Oh well, another hurdle. I knew I'd have to put work into this.

Build a temporary wall for support, anchor into the exiting wall and pour a new addition/footing. Make sure my footing isn't in organic material which it is now meaning it's only going to compress again, in turn messing up my footing again.


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## nealtw (May 16, 2012)

Usually when we have engineers make suggestion, that includes coming back and looking at your forms and steel work and writes a report, which is really handy when you sell the house.


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## WirePuller (May 17, 2012)

I'm just glad it wasn't a poured slab, there is a footing there and then they poured the floor. Ya that's true, I realize getting this all done properly adds value to the house. Getting that retrofit certificate boosts it up too.

Do you guys think an engineer would be ok with me digging down below the frostline and installing a steel beam as my footing and then adding my wall to that?

And what kind of wall would you guys put up? A block wall (what is currently there and being teared down) or a poured wall? I'm leaning towards a poured wall but that will be quite a bit more work then a block one but would be sturdier, correct?


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## nealtw (May 17, 2012)

I doubt that you would get anywhere with a steel beam for a footing. We never see block foundations here, but that would be a question for the engineer. The one problem with poured foundation is getting concrete in the forms with a house in the way. I have seen it done a little low and after, one row of blocks to finnish.


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## BridgeMan (May 17, 2012)

Steel beams have a nasty habit of rusting when used for shallow foundations (footings)--to the point of 100% section loss, and then, poof! (all gone!).  Could be a valid reason for not doing it, ever.


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## WirePuller (May 17, 2012)

Awsome thanks for the info guys


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