Deepen footer

[rageracing]

I have been trying to rehad an old block garage and found that the footer is not below frostline in the front. Its built in the side of a hill and they never stepped the foundation down. Whats the easiest way to extend them down? Thanks.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Someone will be along with more help than I but........ unless you are having known settling issues with the foundation IE : diagonal cracks in the blocks from the corners, huge cracks in floor....

if it was me, I would think twice before taking on a project this big. Even while digging under the existing footing to put the new concrete in under the old footer to get it below frostline, you would have to support the wall somehow. Almost sounds like a mud pump job maybe. Good luck. .

 

[rageracing]

Thanks for the reply. It's been standing since the mid seventies I believe but it does have some cracking at the corner. I will post some pics tomorrow too when I get home from work. I figured this out when we dug a trench in to add a drainage pipe. This makes me question the whole project because I was up in the air about knocking it down to begin but after a whole new roof not sure if I can turn back now.

 

[why worry]

If you are really worried about the potential for frost heave you could do what I did on my garage that didn't have foundation under it all. Anyway, I dug down in 4 foot increments and temporarily supported the garage on steel pipes. then we formed up and back poured the foundation. Be sure to use a ******** to get the mud to flow under the existing concrete.

Dave

 

[kbs2244]

I would have to say
"If it isn't broke, don't fix it."
A 40 past is a pretty good history.

All block wall will have some zig zag cracks due to settling.
But if it just narrow ones in the mortar they are nothing to worry about.

 

[larry4406]

The method "Why Worry" described is called underpinning. Small intermittent sections are excavated under the existing footing and then poured. After these are cured the other sections are done.

The underpinning I have done has been in 2' increments while skipping 6-8'.

 

[rageracing]

Thanks a lot for the advice. I think I will try that.