Concrete Deck Footings | Hand Mixed Strengths Most Don’t Know

[@Jimmy_Cavallo]

🚨 2:44 Thank you for this part. I watched it over and over several times just to make sure I had it right. 😍🤣

[@b5maddog]

Great job! Just wanted you to know I recently finished building a 10x20 ground deck, that I would have never would have tried to build if it wasn’t from watching your channel. I’ve never took on a project like this before. We are very happy with the result and I thank you a lot for making it possible ❤ You’re awesome!

[@DaruDhillon]

I’m so happy for you! Congrats on building your deck. It’s a great feeling to know what you can accomplish on your own. Thanks for sharing your experience, that’s what it’s all about for me. ❤️

[@b5maddog]

@@DaruDhillon thank you again ❤️

[@TucAdventures]

haha I did the same with the line down to where the post goes into the ground and I felt like the smartest person alive😂 The beam was 13 feet long and I tied it before I put it up. Awesome content, can't wait to see more!

[@DaruDhillon]

It's a good feeling to have. I can appreciate that. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@Denny_E_Lee7575]

Daru you have great tutorials thanks for sharing your skills🙂

[@DaruDhillon]

@@Denny_E_Lee7575 thanks Denny, glad you like it

[@LuminairPrime]

Great video as always! Using metal brackets instead of just sticking the wood inside the concrete is so much smarter these days.

[@DaruDhillon]

Good to know, thanks for sharing!

[@vincentnieto7792]

Wow you make the work look so easy. Great job, love your concrete cake 🎂. Can’t wait for the next video!

[@DaruDhillon]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@ludwig6332]

Your'e the first person I've seen install pillars and post AFTER the roof is already built.

[@DaruDhillon]

It’s a 120 year old house under renovation. I removed the old concrete post and replaced it with wood. You can see the before in my joist hanger video that explains tensile strength. Thanks!

[@UncleCharlie111x2]

A surprisingly rugged lady looks are deceiving! 💪🏻 Great job!

[@DaruDhillon]

@@UncleCharlie111x2 Good to hear, thanks!

[@DaruDhillon]

Have you used a Plumb Bob before? It's a simple way to get a plumb line and it's how pyramids and cathedrals got built...Concrete footings too.

[@robertcochran7103]

Thank you for posting this excellent video. I like how you are using a mask when you break open the bags of concrete and during the early stages of mixing it. The dust is terrible if breathed in. It must have been a very hard project for you because even though you show how to make one footing in this video, of course your deck required several of them. I get the impression that you dug the holes for the concrete tubes by hand. That is a brutal job, and so is mixing bag after bag of concrete by hand. Or maybe you had a power auger handy? After you placed the concrete form tubes in the holes, did you have to wait for your local building inspector to approve them before pouring the concrete? I think I have seen a few of the videos you posted for your deck, and I want to say I am very impressed with your work.

[@DaruDhillon]

Thank-you. I wear a mask now after listening to people who have had a career in concrete and masonry. It’s highly toxic. I appreciate people who share their knowledge. You figured me out I did have a power auger. Thanks for watching and sharing your take!

[@tillmansr2002]

Daru, Do you eventually remove the circular forms in the soil?

[@DaruDhillon]

@@tillmansr2002 I removed the cardboard that was visible. The rest stays put and will slowly decompose. Thanks for the question!

[@leesmith5419]

Awesome

[@DaruDhillon]

Fantastic Lee!

[@lylewaters6161]

Looks nice, but where is the rebar? Where I live, we have to install a rebar cage inside our concrete piers. I used #4 (1/2”) rebar bent into L’s (4 pieces) and then tied together every 8” or so with rebar collars that tied the whole assembly together. Then because it can sit in the bottom of the hole, we have rebar chairs at the bottom and built a frame on top to keep the assembly centered so the rebar stayed the required distance from the edge of the concrete (to prevent spalling). For those that don’t have a concrete vibrator you can use a variety of other power tools to consolidate the concrete a bit and make sure to fill in all the voids. You can add the rounded top afterwards with non-shrink grout after you’ve mounted your bracket.

[@gregorymacneil2836]

You can also get a circular edging tool to match the column diameter for a very nice finished look.

[@DaruDhillon]

Yes, that will be required in some regions. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@LuminairPrime]

That's a very sturdy footing with a lot of rebar! You must be in an earthquake zone, or have a very big project. This video appears to be a deep footing below the frost line for a deck in Canada. Most of Canada doesn't get earthquakes.

[@lylewaters6161]

@@LuminairPrime yeah, I’m not a concrete expert. I had a friend who does construction help me. He told me what to order and I had the rebar pieces bent at a place that sells rebar and custom rebar cages. We put them together. I built a 12’ x 16’ shed in my backyard on a slope. The development I live in was carved out of a hillside and they did cut and fill to make the lots. My footers extended down about 3’ and I also used those plastic elephants foot type of forms at the bottom of each. It’s certainly over engineered. I live in Hawaii and we don’t get too many earthquakes, but since I live within 500 miles of the most active volcano in the world, wanted it to be stout. Also, we do get lots of tropical storms and the occasional hurricane. In all the videos I’ve watched, I’ve never seen anyone pour such a deep (I think she said around 4’ deep) sonotube pier without any rebar. In general, most foundations and footings should have some kind of rebar since concrete is only really solid under compression. Any side loads on that pier or uplift would likely have it crack and fail.

[@DaruDhillon]

@@LuminairPrime Yes, we're in Canada. You nailed it...very deep footings.

[@davej8045]

You really make it look easy but if I baked a cake it probably would be like concrete anyway. I bought a 3 axis laser level to help get my location because I wet set the bracket in mine.

[@DaruDhillon]

Good thinking, that will do it.

[@jakejohnson7714]

can you show more axes

[@rorybellamy2533]

get a helpful strong volunteer, depth in a Freezing ground zone? nice work

[@DaruDhillon]

Thanks!

[@JoeHernandez-hw3mu]

😍

[@overcome8628]

How are u not a model?

[@brettbarager9101]

In my experience, it is easier to get all of the cement out of the wheelbarrow with a square mouth spade rather than a round mouth . . .

[@DaruDhillon]

@@brettbarager9101 Good tip. Need to pick up one. Thanks

[@byever1]

Aliens built the pyramids. And they didn't use that thingamajig.

[@hagengocht3891]

Tapering the concrete is not really a personal choice. Dead flat concrete in the sonotube is bad building. Tapering is done to always let any any water run off and void issues down the road..

[@DaruDhillon]

@@hagengocht3891 agree tapering is best to do. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.

[@everythingfor928]

Hi Daru! Faiqa here, plz check your mail.

[@gregorymacneil2836]

Plumb Bobs don’t point to the center of the tube - they point to the center of the planet earth (at least that’s the theory) Plumb Bobs are my go to even though I have Lasers.

[@DaruDhillon]

Yes, that’s true Gregory. It’s a good point you make that even with the use of laser levels Plumb Bob’s are the go-to for a lot of people. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@lylewaters6161]

@@gregorymacneil2836 you can buy a point laser that kinda duplicates the functionality of a plumb bob, but they take a bit more fussing around to use correctly. Nothing like a good old plumb bob.

[@handytbutler7380]

I love sitting at the airport in ac watching you sweat. lol great job on the footers. That’s a lot of concrete for those tubes.

[@DaruDhillon]

You know it. My arms are the size of tree trunks now. I hope you had a good trip! All the best :)