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Any home builders out there?

Discussion in 'Home Improvement' started by bdpeelgren, Jun 18, 2020.

  1. Jun 18, 2020 at 9:18 AM
    #1
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren [OP] New Member

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    We’re having our first home built, and the foundation has gotten pushed through 3 different scheduled dates now.
    I think our sales rep is BSing me.

    He has told us that it’s ready to be placed and passed inspection.

    I went and looked and there isn’t any rebar or wwf anywhere. Not even in the footers. Is this common in housing foundations? Even the sidewalks I’ve seen have at least some wwf in them.

    B2910DB5-592F-4130-98A6-99D4E409FF26.jpg
    5709C873-032D-4BA5-9B81-2C817E349BE1.jpg
    916D2A5B-C84C-4277-9441-D00A17F514D1.jpg
     
  2. Jun 18, 2020 at 9:31 AM
    #2
    Danimal86

    Danimal86 Looks clean even when its dirty!

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    Definitely need rebar in there!
     
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  3. Jun 18, 2020 at 9:44 AM
    #3
    Vizsla

    Vizsla ☠️☠️☠️

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    I’m a retired home builder. Appears to be a post tension slab, so there will be a grid of cables for reinforcement, but would still need rebar in the footings from my experience. Don’t know about being ready to pour regarding inspections, definitely would need inspected in the markets I’ve worked in, not sure about Texas though.
     
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  4. Jun 18, 2020 at 10:41 AM
    #4
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren [OP] New Member

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    I have 0 experience with post tension.
    Wouldn’t the cables still have to be already set?

    My main concern is that he told us that everything was ready and the placement was scheduled for yesterday.
    I’m worried they’re about to dump concrete in there without any sort of reinforcement.
     
  5. Jun 18, 2020 at 10:51 AM
    #5
    Jim LE 1301

    Jim LE 1301 Camaro Lover, SSEM # 11,TTC#179

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    @1UPPER let him build your home.:thumbsup:
     
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  6. Jun 18, 2020 at 10:52 AM
    #6
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren [OP] New Member

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    Hah. Probably couldn’t afford him
     
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  7. Jun 18, 2020 at 10:53 AM
    #7
    Jim LE 1301

    Jim LE 1301 Camaro Lover, SSEM # 11,TTC#179

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    He'll give you the Tundras.com discount. :p
     
  8. Jun 18, 2020 at 11:26 AM
    #8
    Vizsla

    Vizsla ☠️☠️☠️

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    Yes needs placed prior to pouring the concrete. Most of the foundation contractors I’ve used have 3rd party independent inspectors to avoid waiting for local inspection, not sure that is helpful. You should be able to see inspections through your local government, might try that. No harm in asking the sales person also.
     
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  9. Jun 18, 2020 at 11:40 AM
    #9
    one4x4dad

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    Homebuilder here.... It looks as if they have already floated the garage/porch/ and brick ledges. This is something you do AFTER you install either the cables or the rebar. Either should be onsite already laying out front. Take lots of pictures. Document emails to your sales person asking this question. Have you seen the actual foundation plans(we leave them in a pvc pipe with caps on both ends on site). I have never poured a foundation in Houston without something to increase the tensile strength such as rebar and post tension cables or just rebar. Are you in a county or city ? County inspections are somewhat lax at times. Hire an independent inspector. YOu need them pre-pour, pre-insulation and pre-close.

    Hope this helps.
     
  10. Jun 18, 2020 at 11:42 AM
    #10
    one4x4dad

    one4x4dad New Member

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    I see a green inspection sticker on a riser, see if that is just for the plumbing or the actual foundation. There should be a number you can call and ask the inspector on the sticker.
     
  11. Jun 18, 2020 at 12:11 PM
    #11
    gosolo

    gosolo You Don’t Know Who I Am But I Know Where You Live

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    Aren’t Texas contractors still using the Oklahoma guarantee?

    “well, if it don’t hold together, I’ll be a son of a gun!”
     
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  12. Jun 18, 2020 at 12:35 PM
    #12
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren [OP] New Member

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    Helps a lot. Thank you.

    Looks like I’ll need to go back out and take a better look.
    I’ve asked for prints before and they didn’t seem to want to share them.
    There definitely isn’t any rebar or wire staged on site.
     
    one4x4dad[QUOTED] likes this.
  13. Jun 18, 2020 at 2:45 PM
    #13
    one4x4dad

    one4x4dad New Member

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    I would also ask why they do not have a vapor barrier in the bottom of the beams? They covered the plumbing in mastic I see. It could be that you just have great dirt and not gumbo we have in the Houston area and this is what the soil test and engineer determined. I would ask these questions nicely in writing to someone in the company. We also will lay wire mesh in the top 5" to help with cracking. After they pour it its also nice to water the foundation for a day or so.
     
  14. Jun 18, 2020 at 3:36 PM
    #14
    1UPPER

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    Flux capacitor!
    Sorry for the late response. I would ask if the foundation is engineered. If the slab is engineered your builder will have a set of plans for the foundation showing the specs for the rebar or post tension cables, beams & the depth of beams. I agree with other people’s comments that the ledger boards are typically installed after the steel rebar is set in place.

    This is what a post tension slab will look like when they are prepped for concrete.
    40BF05FC-809C-49E7-9642-7B3B0B5873F7.jpg

    Here is what a convention slab with rebar will look like before concrete.
    8D14327A-9216-45A7-8A63-3D644FF48B91.jpg
     
  15. Jun 18, 2020 at 3:38 PM
    #15
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    Do you have a construction materials testing company for the job?

    Are they using fiber reinforced concrete?
     
  16. Jun 18, 2020 at 3:45 PM
    #16
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren [OP] New Member

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    I’m waiting to hear back from my point of contact. He won’t be back in town till Saturday.
    Even with fibercrete I would imagine there would still need to be some reinforcement.
     
  17. Jun 18, 2020 at 3:49 PM
    #17
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren [OP] New Member

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    Getting better and faster information from this forum than the actual builder. Appreciate it guys!

    I’m gonna shit a brick if they somehow end up pouring before Saturday when I get an answer back on my email addressing all this.
     
  18. Jun 18, 2020 at 3:52 PM
    #18
    zlaneb

    zlaneb New Member

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    OP - I live in Austin, inspections saved my butt when we did a custom home 15 years ago. Ask for the inspection report. My builder actually complained to me one day about how 'picky' the inspector was about stuff. My reply "Well, that saves me headaches and you a lawsuit in the future if things are not done right".
    Also, I didn't let him draw out of my account UNTIL I inspected the work and saw the inspection report (if one was required). Do yourself a favor, ask for the report, or even consider hiring an inspector on your own dime to do independent inspections. It could pay off for you, and if nothing else, you will sleep better through this building process.
     
  19. Jun 18, 2020 at 4:17 PM
    #19
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren [OP] New Member

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    Ha. I’m gonna have to put this one in the toolbox to use.
     
  20. Jun 18, 2020 at 4:23 PM
    #20
    Azblue

    Azblue Beer is Good Ban Moderator

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    The Dirty T
    OK, dumb question. What are all the squares covered in plastic? Usually here in AZ everything is built on a slab (yes with cables or rebar), but other than pipes and vents,and footers it is totally flat.
     
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  21. Jun 18, 2020 at 4:32 PM
    #21
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    Gotta have an inspection report. Get that concrete tested. If you end up with cracks that will be the first thing looked at. I used to test concrete and did some soils testing for a couple places back in the day.
     
  22. Jun 18, 2020 at 4:33 PM
    #22
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    Compacted soil
     
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  23. Jun 18, 2020 at 5:00 PM
    #23
    Azblue

    Azblue Beer is Good Ban Moderator

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    The Dirty T

    Weird, I have never seen a slab poured like that before.
     
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  24. Jun 18, 2020 at 5:01 PM
    #24
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren [OP] New Member

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    The experts will chime in. But I think In general it offers more stability on softer soil.
     
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  25. Jun 18, 2020 at 5:13 PM
    #25
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    Pretty sure it has a lot to do with cost. Those blocks of compacted soil decrease the amount of concrete you need to pour and it gives you beams
     
  26. Jun 18, 2020 at 5:19 PM
    #26
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren [OP] New Member

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    I think it would do the opposite.
    Having a pad with only footers would use less concrete than a pad with footers and beams.
     
  27. Jun 18, 2020 at 5:23 PM
    #27
    Azblue

    Azblue Beer is Good Ban Moderator

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    The Dirty T

    That would make sense, our dirt is like a rock. We have a lot of Caliche here, it's not uncommon to use a breaker bar or even a jackhammer to dig a hole.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliche
     
  28. Jun 18, 2020 at 5:38 PM
    #28
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    I've dug in some caliche. No fun at all!
     
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  29. Jun 18, 2020 at 6:10 PM
    #29
    1UPPER

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    The black plastic is a vapor barrier to prevent moisture. It’s supposed to be at least a 6 mil plastic and it keep moisture from traveling into your foundation.
     
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  30. Jun 18, 2020 at 6:23 PM
    #30
    ColoradoTJ

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    I have a good friend that just had a pole barn built with a slab poured. He found out via Facebook (his good friend was off due to cv-19) pictures that they didn’t even use rebar in his 30x40 shop, and the floor was far from even close to being level.

    He called them out on it. They had to jack hammer out all the concrete and re-pour again. He also paid for 8” concrete for heavy lifts. That contractor didn’t make a whole lot on that job.
     

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