Solid concrete blocks for foundation. Is it common?

[mossyoakglock]

Me and the wife just purchased our first house and I was checking out the garage again and noticed that it looks like they used solid concrete blocks for the foundation. Is this common? The house was build in '96. I'm going to have to make a cutout in the wall in the next few weeks and wondered how tough that's going to be now that they are solid blocks and what tools would be best to tackle this.

I'm assuming they are solid because I can see about 2" of the top of the block and the whole block surface looks uniform (doesn't look like they stacked the block then poured. Could they also have just used solid block on the top row and the rest are not solid? Is there any easy way to tell? Maybe get a masonry bit and drill "test" holes?

 

[beardog]

Although I don't know how common solid blocks are, I do know that if I was planning to cut some I would go to my local tool rental place and rent a gas powered concrete saw. If you aren't familiar with them they are chainsaw based saws with a large(14"-18"?)circular blade of metal or fiber. It's the same thing used to cut joints in concrete floors. Eye and respiratory protection are a definate must. Good luck.

 

[boiler7904]

Not sure where you're located but that wouldn't be the norm in most of the US. Installing vertical bar and grouting the cells around that bar is what ties a block wall together and makes it stronger.

 

[chickenhauler]

Solid block any bigger than 4x8x16 is rare, unless it's a lentil. If they're 6, 8 or 10" thick, they're probably core blocks. Only being able to see 2" at top doesn't prove they're solid.

 

[poppop]

How much are you cutting out, and where in the wall are you cutting?

 

[srmofo]

The top course of the stem wall on my garage looks solid also. However they are not solid, just the top half of the block is. The rest of the blocks are normal concrete blocks

very similar looking to the 8"FHA block on this site although the insides of mine were shaped like a regular 8" block.http://www.reimerskaufman.com/index.../block/standard_concrete_block/8_high/8_units

 

[Milton Shaw]

Just the top row is solid probably try a 1/4 masonry drill about 1/3 of the length of the block on the next row down and see if its empty. Just the top course of block is solid on foundations around here. FHA block is what they are called here.

 

[grommit]

Not sure what you have, but keep in mind that most building codes require that the interior of blocked wall be solid (filled) at the top to prevent termite infestation.

 

[Kevin54]

Around here the top block (commonly called a termite block ) is a two core block with a solid top. This keeps the critters from coming up through the cores of the blocks and reaching the wood sill.

 

[mossyoakglock]

How much are you cutting out, and where in the wall are you cutting?

I would be cutting about 3" out of the wall to make a pocket in the wall for additional clearance. The wall is in the garage. I will get a picture of the wall and post it tonight so you can get a better idea of what I'm working with.

When we had the home inspector come out and inspect the house he said that he saw no problem doing what we are wanting to do and that it would pass inspection when the time came to sell the house.