Footers/Winter?

[bannerd]

Hey all, doing an ICF foundation and I'm hoping to get the footers in before the freezing cold. Thinking about this.. if I pour the footers do I risk frost heaving?

Should I put the footer forms in place and shoot for pouring in the spring?

 

[zmotorsports]

Hey all, doing an ICF foundation and I'm hoping to get the footers in before the freezing cold. Thinking about this.. if I pour the footers do I risk frost heaving?

Should I put the footer forms in place and shoot for pouring in the spring?

There are ways to combat the freezing by using insulation such as straw, blankets, etc. Although not ideal, it can be dealt with. They poured my footings and foundation in late January/early Feb this past year and no issues. Again, not ideal but we wanted to get rolling. Unfortunately the flat floor was a bit more of a concern and we couldn't get a string of four or five days with good enough temperatures in February to risk pouring the floor and had to wait a whole month between foundation and floor. Didn't pour my floor until first week of March.

 

[bannerd]

There are ways to combat the freezing by using insulation such as straw, blankets, etc. Although not ideal, it can be dealt with. They poured my footings and foundation in late January/early Feb this past year and no issues. Again, not ideal but we wanted to get rolling. Unfortunately the flat floor was a bit more of a concern and we couldn't get a string of four or five days with good enough temperatures in February to risk pouring the floor and had to wait a whole month between foundation and floor. Didn't pour my floor until first week of March.

Yikes that is a long time! Local farmer down the road sells hay bails for $20. Good idea!

 

[73RR]

Some variables on this.
If you are not ready to cast the walls then wait till spring. You will then need to re-compact the bottom of the trench.
And yes, you certainly can cast the walls in freezing weather since you have insulated 'forms' so if you are prepped for the walls then cast the footings. Get the walls cast and backfilled as soon as possible....assuming that the footings get a generous dirt cover.

 

[bannerd]

Some variables on this.
If you are not ready to cast the walls then wait till spring. You will then need to re-compact the bottom of the trench.
And yes, you certainly can cast the walls in freezing weather since you have insulated 'forms' so if you are prepped for the walls then cast the footings. Get the walls cast and backfilled as soon as possible....assuming that the footings get a generous dirt cover.

I think we will wait till spring to do this. The ICF won't be here till March of 2018 so my thought was to get the footings ready to go. I ran a plate compactor around the footings and we started to put the footings up this weekend which was going rather quick. This morning our icf blocks are on back order so we will have to wait a few months. I could get them online but I would rather use our local supply guy.

Soil conditions are pretty interesting, the house will sit on sand but I had a hard time getting through the sand with the 580k. It's very compact/clumpy sand.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Yikes that is a long time! Local farmer down the road sells hay bails for $20. Good idea!

Straw, you want straw my friend.


Hay is food and straw is bedding, two different products and the latter is cheaper.

 

[matt_i]

I would wait. The trenches you dig could potentially go from sharp vertical walls to gently sloping walls with all of the material deposited into the bottom of the trench. Could even bury your footer. The sucky part is that then power tools aren't available to assist, you basically have to clean it out by hand, and have a bigger void to carefully compact and fill with soil before the floor can go in.

Its a mistake I made in my build, albeit different soil conditions. I should have excavated and taken the next week off from work to form and pour the footer. Instead I waited and monsoon rains hit, which put me right into the paragraph above. Lost about 6 weeks scraping mud out of the hole by hand.

 

[bannerd]

Straw, you want straw my friend.


Hay is food and straw is bedding, two different products and the latter is cheaper.

Yes sir, the hollow stuff. Thanks for the correction!

 

[wssix99]

I would wait. The trenches you dig could potentially go from sharp vertical walls to gently sloping walls with all of the material deposited into the bottom of the trench. Could even bury your footer.

This will happen - but this may make the case for pouring now and then keeping the foundations warm over the winter. All the work that has been done so far will be wasted after a few good rain falls.

 

[gnpenning]

Block is back ordered till March? ? That seems like a long time. .. which manufacture??

Have you checked other suppliers?

Do they have enough block that you could pour a row or two? ? Don't fill the block to the top if they do

You will love the ICF.

Make all your window and door bucks ahead of time . It will really slow down stacking block if you wait and build them as you go. If your supplier has them be sure and rent/borrow the turn buckle type bracing. Keep the top of the walls slightly in and after the pour run a string line and push them out till you have a straight and plumb walls.

 

[bannerd]

Block is back ordered till March? ? That seems like a long time. .. which manufacture??

Have you checked other suppliers?

Do they have enough block that you could pour a row or two? ? Don't fill the block to the top if they do

You will love the ICF.

Make all your window and door bucks ahead of time . It will really slow down stacking block if you wait and build them as you go. If your supplier has them be sure and rent/borrow the turn buckle type bracing. Keep the top of the walls slightly in and after the pour run a string line and push them out till you have a straight and plumb walls.

Going with buildblocks, the local guy has 6" core in stock but the 8" was going out the door this year. He's waiting on buildblock to get the shipment out. There was a hospital built down the road from them and the entire building was done in buildblock icf.

He has enough where I could do about 4ft walls with an 8" core. He also has 12" cores which I guess for a 30x50 home would push out 60 yards of concrete. $120 per yard here which is a bit high I think.

 

[wssix99]

Block is back ordered till March? ? That seems like a long time. .. which manufacture??

Great point. I totally missed that. If we are just talking about a foundation without any odd jogs or bends, the differences between manufacturers should be immaterial. (No windows, odd structural rebar, etc.)

Logix is a good system and nearby to the OP in Montreal. They would deliver a truck straight to the site from the factory with all the block on it and it should just take a few weeks.

 

[gnpenning]

How high will your walls be?

If you were really good you could pour the footers and wall at the same time. Remember don't fill the walls full. Better if the mud varied in height around the wall. Straight line will create a weak seam. Depending on how deep your trench is? ? You wouldn't have to worry about losing your hole.