A 30'x30' Part 1: Foundation

[sierradmax]

I built a 30'x36' Garage at a previous property and have learned ways to better equip and construct this one. I'm trying to keep it to under a $18k budget, no interior finishes, and at that price.....Most of the work completed by yours truly but up until this point, I needed to hire a tree guy and a large excavator.

A couple months ago, I shopped around for someone (insured!) to drop 10 trees. I'd handle the brush & removal. I've got a chipper and machinery to dig the stumps. The wood (mostly tight, straight grain red-oak) was sent to the mill where I'll end up with 1200 board feet of high quality oak for a bedroom flooring project later on.





Anything smaller than 14" diameter was cut into firewood.



There was one stump I couldn't pull and I knew I needed a bigger machine. I hired a local excavation company and in 4 hours, he pulled the stump and dug the foundation while I shot the grade in the hole.



Footings to follow.

 

[larry_g]

Off to good start. Might I suggest that if you are considering making each stage of this project a new thread that you do not do that. It makes it hard to track and many of us 'subscribe' to a build thread and if you break it up into 'chapters' then it gets fragmented all around the forum, instead of one full build thread.

Good luck on your build

lg
no neat sig line

 

[sierradmax]

Re: A 30'x30'

I was approved for the install of a 10" deep, 20" wide footing & a 8" thick foundation wall. I only need 40" in the ground for frost protection and 8" of exposure.

I called several foundation contractors to get pricing and all were within a couple hundred dollars but out of my budget. So, I'm installing the concrete myself. Here's the start of building foundation panels. I'll do two walls at a time, strip and re-use to place the other two.

 

[sierradmax]

Footing poured.



Setting up foundation Panels.



I'm pouring two of the four 8" Foundation walsl, 42" high. I've come up with a way to use 28" 3/8" threaded rod sleeved in 8" long 1/2" PVC conduit. The rod is tightened to the whalers on the outside of the forms and the 8" cut PVC conduit maintains the 8" separation. When I go to pull the forms, I'll be able to re-use the threaded rod and forms to pour the other 2 walls. Only thing left in the concrete will be the pvc sleeves, which will be buried below grade.

 

[MrMark]

Is that trough in the middle a keyway to keep the poured wall from moving? How did you form that? How do you get the form to release? How do you waterproof the wall? Some kind of membrane? Are you using a rotary laser or optical level? Where's are your rebar? Looks really nice. We don't see this in CA.

 

[MacTexas]

You are off to a good start. 30 x 30 is a good size.

 

[sierradmax]

Is that trough in the middle a keyway to keep the poured wall from moving? How did you form that? How do you get the form to release? How do you waterproof the wall? Some kind of membrane? Are you using a rotary laser or optical level? Where's are your rebar? Looks really nice. We don't see this in CA.

Yes, it is a key-way. Our company builds crates for international shipping. We have a lot of plywood cut-off's that I used to form the sides of the footing. I just threw a couple spikes in the ground and back-filled the 1/2" plywood. I ripped a 2x6 down in half for a key-way and placed in the footing after I used a laser level on the footing. No need to use oil on the footing as I'll probably throw away the wood. I did however use this on the wall forms.

http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail...Tyg01oliU4HT7CBOxFn42pHhdj5-Apu4g6RoCBWrw_wcB

No need tow waterproof the wall. It will get back filled on both sides. No rebar needed. I used a bosch rotary laser. Doing the forms myself will save me $2000, even after the cost of plywood & 2 by's for the forms.

 

[MrMark]

Thanks. When you say no rebar needed, why is that? What is going to tie that footing to the 40'' stem wall? What is going to keep the corners of the footing together? Same question for your formed walls. I guess you are relying on the backfill holding everything perfectly in place?

 

[redyute]

Rebar is a critical piece of the equation, will it even pass inspection without rebar?

 

[sierradmax]

Yes, I've doweled Three #4 pieces of rebar at each corner. Only 8" of the foundation is exposed. And a permit was pulled with no rebar. Very common here with house and detached residential structures to not have rebar.

 

[sierradmax]

Revisiting an old thread.

I poured two walls late September, stripped and poured the other two the following week.

Here's a picture of the front wall with the two garage door drops


All back-filled & compacted.

 

[rburke65]

Wow.....you are doing some nicenwork there "max"! Very nice.

 

[theyardy11]

Max I need to pick your brain, I plan on doing the same next year but I'll just be doing the foundation section and wait until the following year to finish the build unless some funds fall from the skies. keep up the good work.

 

[strnge]

Subscribed

 

[sierradmax]

Max I need to pick your brain, I plan on doing the same next year but I'll just be doing the foundation section and wait until the following year to finish the build unless some funds fall from the skies. keep up the good work.

yardy, I'm doing just the same as you. This year, foundation. Next year, framing, windows, doors, tyvec, roof...maybe exterior floor, finishes, etc.

 

[sierradmax]

First wall framed and standing it up. I couldn't find any help so I had to come up with some good ol' fashion ingenuity.

 

[strnge]

Sweet!

 

[captain14]

Are you going to be and to get it closed in before bad weather arrives? I see snow on the ground in the last picture.

 

[sierradmax]

I have another wall framed and laying on the sill ready to be lifted. I hope to finish the remaining walls this weekend. Trusses are ordered and should be delivered in 2 weeks. I think I will sub out the roofing. I'm getting prices between $90-$100/ square for asphalt shingles installed (labor only).

 

[theyardy11]

Hope you get the roof on before the winter actually settles in. good luck sierra

 

[tommyp]

How did you connect the two stemwall pours?

 

[matt_i]

I was curious about the use of threaded rods and conduits. It would seem cheaper to use Dayton Superior Snap Ties.

The thing I like about rebar is that in the future any cracks will be held tightly together. A non-rebar pour can get a fairly large crack in it that's like 1/4" wide in my experience.

Also I was curious about putting up walls before the floor is completed. It would seem easier with more access to pour the floor before erecting the framing. Not that it can't be done this way, just less access is all.

 

[tommyp]

I was curious about the use of threaded rods and conduits. It would seem cheaper to use Dayton Superior Snap Ties.

Yeah wt6 wedge ties sliced through the sides of the form would probably be a lot cheaper and easier.

 

[Xicaque]

Nice!

 

[sierradmax]

How did you connect the two stemwall pours?

Pinned the two corners

I was curious about the use of threaded rods and conduits. It would seem cheaper to use Dayton Superior Snap Ties.

The thing I like about rebar is that in the future any cracks will be held tightly together. A non-rebar pour can get a fairly large crack in it that's like 1/4" wide in my experience.

Also I was curious about putting up walls before the floor is completed. It would seem easier with more access to pour the floor before erecting the framing. Not that it can't be done this way, just less access is all.

Threaded rod was free

 

[strnge]

What does your progress look like now?