Fill recomendations - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

copusbuilder · 08-10-2006, 05:02 PM

I am building a vacation rental property. Concrete has gone through the roof in this small town and I am seriously contemplating pier and beam.
The land is level and has a sandy soild. I really need a load or two of ??? to level and create a slight grade for my piers and to eliminate standing water around the home. I am thinking of staying with a sandy soil (loam) and watering it down before setting the piers.
A lot of people have been using clay but it doesn't sit well with me??? Not sure why, just always think of movement.

I am open for suggestions if anyone has any

rino1494 · 08-10-2006, 06:56 PM

How bout some crushed rock, like 3" size.

PipeGuy · 08-11-2006, 02:15 AM

clay sucks for everything besides building dams. is the fill you want to place structural?

Grumpy · 08-11-2006, 06:47 AM

You shoulda seen what they were using for fill one one job I was at. They used all the crap and trade debris left on the job site... old bricks, chunks of concrete, trash, more trash, and then put a foot or so of soil the excevated from one corner of the job site. The whole job was like that however.

copusbuilder · 08-11-2006, 07:00 AM

I probably should be a little clearer on the situation.

The land is pretty flat but the areas where we removed stumps etc needs to be levelled. Also want to eliminate ponding water.
It is possible that some of the piers will be sitting on the new soil?

They seem to love the clay here? Spread it, ride a dozer over it for halp a day and poor a slab! Of course I am in East Texas which could place a close second to the movie Deliverance so not much surprises me.

rino, we have to import our rock. They can't seem to grow them around these parts

Grumpy, I guess your saying I should keep my trash service and I shouldn't tell my neighbor I can get rid of his old broken down pickup

Thanks for the replies

Grumpy · 08-11-2006, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copusbuilder

Grumpy, I guess your saying I should keep my trash service and I shouldn't tell my neighbor I can get rid of his old broken down pickup

A new way for us to maximize profits!

rino1494 · 08-11-2006, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copusbuilder

rino, we have to import our rock. They can't seem to grow them around these parts

haha......sorry, we have more rock than dirt here

tgeb · 08-11-2006, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copusbuilder

I probably should be a little clearer on the situation.

The land is pretty flat but the areas where we removed stumps etc needs to be levelled. Also want to eliminate ponding water.
It is possible that some of the piers will be sitting on the new soil?

I would not put any piers ON the fill. Put the piers on virgin soil, then fill around them. Or risk that they will settle over time.

copusbuilder · 08-13-2006, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgeb

I would not put any piers ON the fill. Put the piers on virgin soil, then fill around them. Or risk that they will settle over time.

Well it seems I will likely....bite the bullet and place a slab. For a few grand it will add that + in value to the home as well as less maintenance. Juts hate to pay the "only concrete" company in town. $30 dollar delivery 11 miles from their operation

Thanks for the replies and tgeb you are right i'm sure