Pics With Nice View, Foundation

PlumbBob^2Pants

Maybe, neolitic ... we didn't deal with this block layer, but we heard that he was using a 5 gallon bucket of water with a clear tube extending from it to check level. Is that old school enough, or is that just arcane? I mean, get a rotary laser or something.

neolitic

Water never lies.
We got thing done right before
lasers and battery drills.
They did a pretty good job on the
pyramids and the Parthenon with
water levels.
He wasn't old school, he was just
a f**k up.

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PlumbBob^2Pants

haha .. or senile!

Gus Dering

I love it when you stick up for us old guys using the old school hand tools.

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shanekw1

I am going to make myself a water level.

One day.

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PA woodbutcher

I did the footer for a 40x66 house with a 16x30 step out 4 or 5 years years ago. The footer dropped like4' on one side and close to 6 on the other. They built their house on cap rock. Had D9 trying to move them to no avail

At the time all I had was a 4' and line level. They checked it with a transit before pouring it and I was only off 3/8" from highest point to lowest point checked. The tools we have make it easier and faster. They shouldn't be used as an excuse.

Straightline, what part of Tenn are you in? Agree with everyone else, sure is beautiful.

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PlumbBob^2Pants

haha.. sell it to me when you're finished making it.

shanekw1

$200

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jhark123

maybe you're just uninformed, but there is nothing wrong or substandard about a water level. They are probably +/- 1/4" in 50', are you going to complain about that?

TimelessQuality

I've made/used one ... it goes around corners, through walls, unlimited distance, ... and you can read it in broad daylight

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neolitic

All of the suspended ceiling guys
used them until the '90s.

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jhark123

Tim,

I read your post about having trouble getting a level foundation. Are you doing them in a mono pour or two-stage and are you setting your footings level or trying to float the top of the wall along a chalk line.

It takes a little extra cost because I pay for two pumps instead of one, but my method works really well for a crew that doesn't do many foundations.

First you set your footings relatively square and and dead-nuts level. To do this we set stakes along string lines for square (rough square). Then, we set the top boards with a laser level (lift each end of the board up till it beeps, then fasten to a stake). Pour the footing.

After this the wall is easy to form and guaranteed to be level. Just snap square lines and attach clips to the footer. Form walls (use clips on top), pour the wall and finish by screeding off the top of the form. It takes zero skill to screed a form, so even a labor ready guy will work to help on this foundation.

Works well for me, YMMV

shanekw1

This is the way it's been done on every footing/foundation I've ever worked on. Perfect every time.

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PlumbBob^2Pants

We've used the water levels with the audible beep when level is achieved .... never saw it done with a 5 gallon bucket and surgical tubing, though. Evidently it didn't work out too good for this older fella because he was out 1-1/2 " over 8 ft. He's out 5/8" - 1" on everywhere on those offsets you see on the low side of the slope. Like I say, I'll stick with the lasers.

PlumbBob^2Pants

That's where we've used the modern water levels at. Still prefer a laser

neolitic

I tried one of those "beep" jobs.
They don't work as well as a plain tube.

I think it doesn't matter what the guy
uses if he can't read his rule or story pole.
I've seen idiots screw up grades
with lasers and optical levels too.

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PlumbBob^2Pants

Very true, neolitic. User error is more often the cause of problems than the tools we work with.

PlumbBob^2Pants

Today was one of the worst days I've had in a long, long time. It rained this morning and cleared up in the afternoon. We went to the home site to try out our new PLS90 square/plumb laser to see how square this foundation is, and it was shocking what we discovered. One wall was out 3-7/16", another was out 2-1/8", another was out 1-5/8" .... every wall is out of square. At first we thought the PLS90 was off ... figuring there was no way we were out of square 3-7/16". We went ahead pulled a 12 - 16 - 20 off the corner that was 2-1/8" square just to see if the PLS90 was leading us wrong, and it was about an inch off on the diagonal over that distance. We trusted that the PLS90 was accurate at that point, and we kept on going around the foundation with it. We knew if the block mason got it unlevel it was probably going to be unsquare too, but that's the absolute worst we've ever seen. The block layer is nothing but pathetic.

Luckily we're not the GC on this one. The homeowner assumed the role of GC because they had all the contractors picked out they wanted to use for this and for that, and because they bought into that Direct Buy scam thinking they'd save money on materials. I would hate to have the responsibility of trying to force the block layer into giving the money back or redoing the whole job.

So, after that little unpleasant revelation, the homeowner wants to move forward with it and use the foundation if possible. We told him we'd try to split the difference here and there to bring it to as close to square as we could. We told him it wouldn't be perfect no matter what we did, and that if he wanted to continue to use us we'd have to amend our contract with him to specify we are building from a substandard foundation.

I felt sorry for the homeowner ... he seems like a good guy, and we don't want to give up on him ... He's going to sue the block mason, but he doesn't want to delay this build any longer while he's doing so. This is just a mess. Not really sure what to do.

I will say this, though, the PLS90 is awesome ... it could be used in so many different ways during a build, saving a ton of time and getting precision that would be unachievable otherwise. Best tool purchase we've made in a long time.

rselectric1

OMG-What a dilemma.
The HO is probably messing his pants with good reason. You sound like a good hearted guy, but if he gives the go ahead, make sure you have him sign off on this so you don't get blamed for anything in the future.

Best of luck with this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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PlumbBob^2Pants

Thanks rselectric1. We're definitely going to cover ourselves for liability and in compensation if we decide to take this one on.