Advice Sought for New Home Construction

[babadono]

5 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

I believe in most areas, it's not required for housing, but any reputable basement company will have some sort of anchor. I will cut a notch into the footer while it's wet (if I'm pouring concrete walls (which I will occasionally if it's small) and I'll stick out rebar, if it's a large block wall, it's best to drill holes into the footer than stick them in wet. 

The reason it's not required by code is there's nowhere the lower basement wall can kick in at the bottom, there's a concrete floor there. The weak point in a basement wall is the top. Sometimes builders will wait to backfill until the floor system is installed. Those basement walls should support backfilling on their own IMO.

Funny this should come up. When I built the engineer was adamant that the second floor system be installed before backfill and the county building official was adamant just the opposite. It was f'ing stressful for me being put between those two unmoveable objects. Then I go to the jobsite one day long before the backfilling opertation and the floor is installed. Field inspector had no problem with it at all.

[Ceptorman]

8 hours ago, babadono said:

Funny this should come up. When I built the engineer was adamant that the second floor system be installed before backfill and the county building official was adamant just the opposite. It was f'ing stressful for me being put between those two unmoveable objects. Then I go to the jobsite one day long before the backfilling opertation and the floor is installed. Field inspector had no problem with it at all.

 

I think the size, height, and layout might determine if having that floor system installed first might help. Pouring the floor is always a must before backfill. A quality builder will go farther than some by backfilling with gravel higher up the wall. That gravel helps in many ways.... filters the water before it gets to the drain, is much more stable than dirt, and doesn't settle as much. My brother will fill that void about 80% up with P-gravel (doesn't settle) a landscape fabric, then soil. He spends a lot of money doing this, but will probably never have to worry about that basement. And unlike filling it will mostly soil, this method will settle very little, even over time. 

 

Another item I would advise is to use some rebar or metal reinforcing with any concrete connecting to the house. You might be amazed what $100 worth of metal rod reinforcement can do to a whole house. There's always a lot of disturbed soil around a new home, especially with a basement. A basement has an overdig, usually 3-4', and when you pour concrete, that overdig or disturbed soil will sink under the weight of the concrete. It's a real shame to see all the concrete in a 2 year old home sinking where it attaches to the house. A 20' piece of 1/2" rebar is less than $10, even if the concrete guy only sticks the rebar out 8' from the house, that will help. 

 

You can double the life of all your concrete and masonry by sealing or waterproofing it every 3-5 years. Even the method in which mortar and concrete is finished can affect it's life span.