Maybe A Dumb Question

guyute65045

I have what might be a dumb question, I am doing my first basement addition this week coming up. The addition is 16 x 30 on the gable end of a house with heavy clay soil. The footing is being poured on Tuesday, I am afraid that there will be settling overnight if I expose that much by Monday afternoon, the lot is pretty sloped with grade falling off at about 15% 10 ft from the back of the walk out basement. No permits needed up here in the boondowks so no engineer was called. In theory there will still be dirt under the existing footing to support the weight of the house, its the gable end so it should be fine. Being my first foundation addition(done new basements though), and a newer business I am worried, should I be? This is a nice challenge though it is a very tight spot and it has a great view. Thanks for any input and sorry if this is a DUH!!!!!!

jmic

Hey Guy,
Don't worry, be happy and dig it. Enjoy the view. Try to open a trench to daylight if you can.

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rino1494

The only dumb questions are the ones that you don't ask. Don't worry about it, just dig it and get paid.

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tgeb

Are you exposing and undermining the existing footing?

If your new work will be below the existing, I would leave a wedge of soil along the existing footing area. We will usually leave soil in a 45% slope from the existing footing to our new elevation, then deal with it later by underpinning sections at a time.

Obviously, you will have to remove all of the soil where the new foundation meets the existing but that has never been an issue for us.

If you will not be going below any of the existing elevations, just have at it.

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www.gebcon.com

guyute65045

Thanks everybody for the input, I am not going below the grade of the footing, just a bit worried about the quality of the soil and being that close to the bottom. That soil is great for digging ponds but not much else, a lot of aerobic septic systems in that neigborhood.