For those who lay block foundations - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Mr. Constructio · 11-02-2009, 11:59 AM

I have had several masonry subs work for me. I have framed on many, many f-ed up foundations. up,down, Big puddles on subfloor.

OK my question is to see how many of you lay your corners to get the height right. On a crawl space, one mason I used just laid his corner 3 or 4 courses high- how ever many were needed- and called it good. Others I know measure off the footing, still, only as good as footing, right?

I have laid a few foundations and I setup a small base for my laser receiver and lay 1 corner and sit rotary laser on top of it, use the small base and receiver when laying other corners or leads, ALWAYS flat and level,

SO tell me........................

**framerman** · 11-02-2009, 12:15 PM

Tell you what exactly? That you are a superstar mason?

Mr. Constructio · 11-02-2009, 12:21 PM

How you lay your foundations..................

Mr. Constructio · 11-02-2009, 12:22 PM

It doesn't seem to me, to be too difficult. Yet many masons I have seen screw it up daily.

DJ9222 · 11-02-2009, 01:49 PM

How much you paying the ones that screw up......

insane · 11-02-2009, 03:57 PM

It is amazing how many guys wont take the time to lay out a job. It makes the rest of the job easier.
Too many guys want to show up and start slinging mud and then fight it the rest of the way, and let the next guy deal with it.
That half hour or what ever it takes makes your job and the next guys job easier and you wont have to listen to anyone bitching about the mess you left them.
Start off bad and everything else will follow.

Tim

dakzaag · 11-02-2009, 05:53 PM

Welcome to life Mr. Constructio.

Not sure what to tell you,
but I would be glad to do
your masonry work.

The drive time would be
costly, but you would get
level, plumb, and square
every time.

TimelessQuality · 11-02-2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Constructio

It doesn't seem to me, to be too difficult..

well then....

lukachuki · 11-02-2009, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Constructio

It doesn't seem to me, to be too difficult.

Not much is difficult if you know how to do it! Except maybe scraping mortar off the base of a wall, or aciding brick 10 ' over your head with a .50 cent brush on a .35 cent pole.

Rockmonster · 11-02-2009, 09:56 PM

If you have puddles on your subfloor, assuming that that is caused by the foundation, doesn't your framer check before he lays his plates? A bad foundation shouldn't mean a fu&^%d up subfloor. Seems a good framer would dial it in, cursing the mason all along......You should get a GOOD mason and stick with him....they are out there, they may cost a little more, and they should. This is a trade that a lot of dummies end up in....just a fact...but there are plenty that are good, smart, and proud too. Keep looking.

concretemasonry · 11-02-2009, 10:23 PM

If you are building with walls on the foundation slab, the elevation can be critical because you cannot strtch the studs too much if you are framing on top of that and probably have to maintain a uniform, level finished wall and ceiling.

If it is a strip footing for a basement with concrete wall the finished grade of the walls will have to be adjusted for height (assuming the forms are high enough). If it is a block foundation the mason will automatically makes the first course level since the bed joint is exposed and it makes everything after that easy.

For block foundations the most successful foundation contractors do the strip footings, do the layout or have someone they have a relationship to the layout and look it over late that afternoon. Excavate the area the next day and possibly start on the forming. The nest day finish the forming and pour the concrete, the lay the corners and first two course. This eliminates the problems with and overnight rain the starts filling the holes with mud. One of days of block laying (depending on the size/complexity). This puts the foundation in control of the factors affecting the foundation construction and accuracy. - They also do not quote by the job because they have a long term relationship with the builder, since every good builder knows the schedule and predictable base to work off are most important so he can do what he knows best, which is building and not shopping.

In many areas, the successful foundation contractors know the excavator or hire the excavator if they do not have the equipment and they do the lay-out so they can do the rest of the foundation slab/strip footing to make the cost lower and the construction going faster.

The layout is also important to a good foundation contractor to have the foundation square and located properly, especially if it is a repeat customer/builder, since ofter the price is not quoted to the $ initially. A good builder or framer cannot afford an un-level or out of square foundation. Corrections and back-charges get expensive for everyone, because labor costs and schedules get screwed up.

dakzaag · 11-03-2009, 01:12 AM

I lay for one builder in my area who pours his own footers. Often he will tell me that such n such corner is low a quarter or whatever. I adjust and normally hit it by the last course.

Another local builder has the worst footers in the world, always laying right on the edge of footer or half off

, high and low spots. For him, the corners go up on 8 and fill in the middle. I doubt if he would notice a half inch elevation mistake if his life depended on it.

There is no reason for block to be out of plumb, level or square, but then there is no reason for a footer to have dips or humps or be too narrow, but it happens all the time.

Spend some money and you will get a good foundation.

TERM101 · 11-03-2009, 10:43 PM

I use my laser to mark the first course on each story pole then measure up 8" with a tape for each course. After that I hang a line and lay my corners then stretch the line and go to work. Works everytime. As for the puddles in the subfloor most people around here just shim the plates.