Concrete Foundation Leveling MISTAKE Part 1 of 2

www.AsktheBuilder.com founder, Tim Carter, shows a horrible concrete foundation leveling mistake. Tim does phone coaching: shop.askthebuilder.com/consul...

[@ferraridan4883]

As a builder this is more common than you think. One fix that takes some time but is foolproof is to put down a double top plate or whatever thickness is needed; then route joist pockets in the plate. Make sure the first one on one end of the house and the last on the other are dead level to each other, pull a tight string line then route out the depth of the pocket you need. Been there, done that. Will add a extra few days of the job but it's only the first floor you have to do. Had a house one time where we had to put a triple top plate because of being low on it one end and wavy along the way. The system is a pain, but it works. All contractors should have a laser level and can shoot the foundation top themselves. We shoot every foundation and take measurements on 16-in intervals.

[@askthebuilder]

I think my repair method is far faster, easier, and better. Did you watch the second video in the series? Two guys just 3 or 4 hours and it's finished.

[@scottholloway5989]

Doing a good job is to hard for most contractors these days. I see constantly them sizing me up to see what they can get away with. It’s turned me into a contractor myself and I now oversee anything/ everything I have done. Question everything and one of my favorite questions to a sub is, what would you do it you wanted to do the best version of the job. What’s ideal for this job to come out perfect? I mean if you get them in that mindset upfront they understand you see the work and want the best. Hard to find good work these days.

[@jerrymartire6867]

I have seen several homes where they shimmed the main beam with wood shims, 10 years later and the shims are about 1/4 of the original thickness!

[@askthebuilder]

Exactly. Cedar is a soft wood. It's not intended to be a significant structural support member. These shims are meant for the sides of doors and windows to help square them up and keep them square. It's a complete botch job.

[@hectornava1644]

When building a house, a good option is to have your surveyor shoot all of your concrete corners to confirm the concrete contractor is pouring to the correct elevations. In housing tracts, most city's require form certification before concrete is placed.

[@askthebuilder]

Instead of paying the surveyor hundreds of dollars, why not buy your own laser level for *FAR LESS* than $100 that you can use for all sorts of other projects????? Look at these: amzn.to/3xWZucT

[@dong-ne-builder]

could you please tell and teach me how to fix like foundation leveling mistake.. we also have like this problem here in Southkorea.. let me know how to fix that leveling mistake in there..

[@askthebuilder]

Sure. Do exactly what I say in the video. Go to my www.AsktheBuilder.com website and type "concrete overlay" in the search engine.

[@tifacola]

Okay! I thought my mono slab was messed up but it looks like that’s how things are done sometimes. lol

[@askthebuilder]

Well, it may be *okay* for you to recognize bad workmanship, but it's not okay for it to happen.

[@albertvonschultz9137]

That concrete contractor remind me of the contractor I had who built my foundation and basement. Like you say, it causes problems such as trying to find a contractor to build the skeleton for my Garage

[@askthebuilder]

The concrete foundation contractor on this job reminds me of Bozo the Clown.

[@SofiNme365]

My house was build 20 years ago, the leveling is wrong! We are the second owners. A tree went down on top of my house it resisted in a miracle way, not even the walls were cracked. The house stood up strongly. It’s a pre built 2 floors house. Do you think we should consider moving out? House insurance is very expensive, when the tree went down my house the insurance was more problematic than the tree.

[@askthebuilder]

No. Stay put.

[@seephor]

You’d have to level that out with more concrete but that poses other issues down the line if and when the two separate since new concrete doesn’t really bond to cured concrete unless there’s real good mechanical adhesion.

[@askthebuilder]

You can get a new stucco overlay to bond PERMANENTLY if you do it the way I tell you in my past column. Plus, the repair is in COMPRESSION which ensures it's not going anywhere. Read this: www.askthebuilder.com/concrete-overlays/

[@seephor]

@@askthebuilder good point. I was thinking maybe you can even key the new concrete in by using a diamond saw cutting grooves every 6” or so

[@askthebuilder]

No need for that at all. You use *CEMENT PAINT* to bond the overlay. Remember, it's in compression and not going anywhere. PSE read my column in my first reply above.

[@ferraridan4883]

Use structural grout. Been there, done that.

[@ronaldramsey6006]

I am battling this right now and it didn’t get caught before the house was built. Squeaky floors is just the beginning. Do you have any suggestions on how to correct this?

[@askthebuilder]

Yes. 1. Rewatch the video. 2. Schedule a consult call with me - best $$$$ you'll spend on the project: shop.askthebuilder.com/15-minute-phone-or-video-conversation-with-tim/

[@rickbabcock6397]

I've seen worse ,I shimed up over inch and half. Use metal shims under every joist.

[@askthebuilder]

I disagree. The carpenter should have called the builder and told him to put a thin concrete overlay on to level it up. Shims are for windows and doors. Period.

[@scottrhodes7091]

It probably would be best to grind the concrete down to level it ? The shims don’t seem ok to me ?

[@askthebuilder]

No. Just add a concrete overlay to it. Like this: www.askthebuilder.com/concrete-overlays/

[@LiveFreeOrRIP]

@@askthebuilder I was thinking that but you would need to drill and put rebar in the new to hold it on top of the mess below. I dont like that to much but its better then the shim idea lol... The guy that owns this house im sure is in Mass or Florida I would bet... He wont even come to the sight until its finished and has NO idea of craftsmanship..

[@Felipe-fw3tx]

The sill plate anchors will be embedded in the concrete below the overlay, and when you tighten them, they will sandwich the overlay tightly between the foundation wall and the house. A bonding agent should be enough. Don’t think you need the rebar.

[@ta6531]

Help! Single Senior Citizen here, needs advice!! I have a former garden pond area 7x8 by 24 deep. I need to know what to fill it with for a spa replacement on level ground. It is 4 cubic feet of fill needed? I keep getting different answers....any input on fill? Reply

[@askthebuilder]

7x8x2= 112 112 cubic feet of fill.

[@ta6531]

@@askthebuilder -I left out gravel or fill dirt?? That was my main question! thank you!

[@robertlafleur5179]

How did this mess pass inspection?

[@askthebuilder]

That's an EXCELLENT question!!! Maybe the building inspector and builder are buddies. Once again, this was NOT my job.

[@robertlafleur5179]

@@askthebuilder Tim, I know it’s not your job. Maybe the inspector was conveniently looking in the other direction. Still I can’t understand a professional builder botching a job like that. Doesn’t he have some work ethics?

[@carpenterbil006]

Here in Southern Ontario this is a very common problem. Residential homes are literally all sitting on shimes like this. Completely jeopardizing the integrity of the home. Concrete guys need to be trained better.

[@askthebuilder]

And carpenters *NEED* to tell the builders they'll NOT shim. Make the foundation guy come back and put on the thin overlay to fix the issue. It takes the SAME AMOUNT OF TIME to shim as do the overlay and the overlay is far superior: www.askthebuilder.com/concrete-overlays/

[@coryshook7648]

Q: Couldn't they just make sure the top of the forms are straight and level before they poor the cement and then trowel flat using the forms? Ive never worked cement but that is how I would have done it.

[@askthebuilder]

You can do whatever you want. Typically the forms come in uniform heights. Pour the footing level and then it's easy to set the forms. Contractors using 8-foot-high forms typically chalk a LEVEL line 2 inches down from the top of the form and pour to the line. My foundation contractor tacked finish nails into the chalk line every foot so his 14-inch-long magnesium float could ride the nails to make a perfectly level foundation.

[@gregundahood202]

Just poured the footers for my house last week and if this was my house I’d be livid

[@askthebuilder]

Well, GL as we say in Morse. Are you having daily meetings with the subs/builder so it's crystal clear what your expectations are and exactly how everything is supposed to be installed? Or, are you *hoping* everything goes okay?

[@gregundahood202]

@@askthebuilder I’m a hvac man by trade and all of my family are builders so my projects are not ran as official as yours… quality is rewarded with beers and shotty work punishments are good ol fashion beatings.. if you are over in nh you are not to far from me I’m just on the other side of the Connecticut river

[@joeblow5154]

I just feel sorry for the homeowner who's paying for this shoddy work.

[@askthebuilder]

It's possible the homeowner was duped by the contractor's mystic powers. Read all about how easy it is to manipulate someone in my latest column: www.askthebuilder.com/avoid-high-pressure-sales-tactics/

[@joeblow5154]

@@askthebuilder Okay! Thanks for writing back. I will check it out.

[@joeruiz9356]

Plainly unacceptable!

[@askthebuilder]

I couldn't agree more. What a shame the builder didn't do quality control and fix the error in less than two hours doing this with a cement stucco mix rated about 10,000 PSI: www.askthebuilder.com/concrete-overlays/

[@eagleman5011]

No one has addressed the real issue. Why would anyone screed down inside of a form or put nails in the forms for the “correct elevation” . Why not just pour the concrete to the top of the form? If the footings are level the walls will be also. If you have 4’ forms or 8’ forms and the plans call for a 3’-6” wall, lower the footings so the 4’ forms work

[@askthebuilder]

Eagle Man. It's obvious you've never formed and poured foundations. It's not done your way because it's exceedingly HARD to spend all that time you describe. It's far easier to get the footings really close - maybe not perfect, set the panels and chalk the lines as I've stated. It then takes an hour to drive the nails. My method, and there are others, creates a *PERFECTLY* level foundation in the LEAST amount of time.

[@eagleman5011]

The type of reply I was looking for. I have been in the concrete foundation industry for 30+ years so I am pretty sure I know what I am talking about. I have done agricultural, residential and commercial foundations of all sorts up to 3 story buildings.It doesn’t matter what type of footings you pour rather it be spread footings or trench footing there always has to be a starting elevation to base the project on. Residential footings only take 4-5 hours from start to finish pour so that is no time. It’s not far easier to do something half ass then complain about how poor a job someone else did when you do it right the first time there are no issues. It appears from the video that the forms used could be symons forms. When you take the time to nail the elevation, issues arise as seen in the video.

[@brent6164]

Can’t you just fix the leveling by cutting the studs to fit from bottom plate to a level top plate and close all the gaps? Nail your bottom plates flat, go up level on corners and put a string up, then measure from bottom plate to the level line. Cut the studs to fit?

[@askthebuilder]

Yes, you can do that. It's a very slow process. It would have been better to just repair the foundation as I outlined in the video. Better yet, pour it right in the first place...

[@yodaiam1000]

It was definitely a mistake and the "fix" was shody. I am interested to hear how you would have fixed the mistake. Mistakes happen frequently on job sites so it is good to think about appropriate ways of fixing the mistakes. Would you use a bonding agent and leveling grout? I would also say that the contractor should have been involved in the fix rather than the trades trying to muddle through with a fix on their own. You can't expect a carpenter to do concrete work for the fix.

[@askthebuilder]

I describe in the video how to fix it. Keep in mind the repair is in COMPRESSION. Go read all of my past columns on my www.AsktheBuilder.com website about Concrete Overlays.

[@jackt6595]

I can't believe how bad that is. I've never seen anything this bad. It is no wonder the contractor doesn't want you there filming while their working. Within a few years the walls in the house are going to be sagging. Shimming a window? Sure. Shimming the entire length of the foundation plate where the tens of thousands of pounds of your house is going to be resting? No. Whoever is going to own this house in 10-20 years is going to have a nightmare of problems from all the mistakes you've shown thus far.

[@askthebuilder]

The BIGGEST issue, in my opinion, is the builder has yet to be seen on the job doing any QC. The builder, after the foundation was poured, should have been there checking the elevations to see how out-of-level it was. A 1/4 inch is tolerable over 30 feet but not 1 and 1/4 inch.

[@thankswillie]

would it have been ok instead of shims,to cut each stud to correct length via a string line up top???????????????????

[@askthebuilder]

That's possible. It's FASTER and BETTER to just spend the several hours to do the concrete overlay. Go here: www.askthebuilder.com/concrete-overlays/

[@johnross3752]

looks like walking with a limp. up and down

[@pwsoultrainn4090]

was this problem fixed ... who are the contractors.. Sack them.

[@askthebuilder]

It was not repaired. The shims are now covered with vinyl siding and drywall. The builder is a popular one in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. I'll not name him to protect the guilty.

[@LiveFreeOrRIP]

Thats a complete JOKE. I would Love to know who poured that foundation. So I can AVOID them at all costs. I hope its not East coast. I never thought that would be and issue thats actually pretty sad.... Being picky is one thing but that is off up to 1 inch or better on a very important spot..... IF that was MY foundation they would have to fix it with either a big saw on a track or something to cut the top of the foundation flat like a Huge skill saw on a track to make one perfect flat cut all the way down. I dont even know if thats possible..This is Completely unacceptable for a new home.

[@askthebuilder]

It is a company in the Lakes Region of NH. If you want to know who it is, you can do a consult call with me.

[@elbuggo]

The fix is as bad as the original job. Must be some really low lQ workers here.

[@askthebuilder]

I agree. And an AWOL builder not on the job CHECKING for quality.