Wow! Great videos and awesome design.

Great Idea! Thanks

Can you do it on a slab on grade to chb wall connection? Thanks

when the pad expands and contracts, will you see any cracks in the stem wall? I have a project I might parge but wondering if the cracks might end up showing through.

@daveosland3199

3 жыл бұрын

If you have soils that expands/contracts/heaves, etc., generally you'll have a different type of foundation- pier and grade beam, deeper footings to get below the frost line or some other type of engineered foundation. In more stable soils, this type of foundation is pretty much bulletproof....Dave

Do you have your CAD drawing in a PDF I could use in my plans?

Do you ever run 4" gravel under the slab or is that only for on grade pours?

@daveosland3199

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, a bed of crushed rock (or sand) is often under the slabs. It provides a capillary break if there is a foreseeable problem with ground water or dampness...Dave

Can you make some video how to do this please and a good setup for a 2 story Block build please

Hello, building a garage with a stem wall On the low side it’s about 8 inches by 2ft high and my footers have 2 rows of rebar and the plans also call for vertical rebar every 16 inches on center Is that enough or do I need to run another row of rebar sideways to tie all of the vertical ones together? Thanks!

@daveosland3199

Жыл бұрын

The extra horizontal runs are cheap insurance for an extra strong foundation! Dave

Excellent Video Dave ! . . By the way, which is stronger, a CMU block stem wall or an all Concrete stem wall ?

@daveosland3199

2 жыл бұрын

Good question! Generally, a solid poured concrete wall should be stronger, but a CMU wall can be just as strong because of design (wider block, extra rebar, etc...)

@anonymousbyproxy8250

6 ай бұрын

Poured concrete stem wall : stronger, it’s done fast, it’s more expensive but saves time. CMU stem wall : less resistant than the poured one, needs more time to be completed, more and tedious work involved but cheaper cost. If time is a consideration then poured wall is preferable BUT it must be done by masons who do it all the time and have the appropriate equipment since a collapse of a segment of the form and without the man power to quickly correct it is a financial catastrophe - this cannot happen with a CMU stem wall.

How do you read blue prints that show you that you’ll have to build a house with a stem wall?

@daveosland3199

Жыл бұрын

Foundation pages and cross section pages for quick references. For scant details contact the designer. Dave

How would you go about drainage?

@daveosland3199

3 жыл бұрын

Good question! In an area of suspected drainage problems, 3" pipe (PVC or styrene)) can be put thru the block at desired locations before pouring. I say 3" because slotted caps are readily available to keep critters from entering under the foundation... As a general rule, water is not an issue because of the floor height in relation to the finish grade outside the structure. Dave

Hi, I just bought an old house built in 1977 in downtown Albuquerque NM. It has a solid stem wall (not block) and there is a crack all the way around the perimeter where the slab meets the stem wall. The crack varies from about 1/4” to maybe 1/2” at most in some areas. I want to fill this because the house had a cockroach infestation and I noticed that they get in in some spots under the base wall 2x4s (because there is no glue or sealant on the stem wall which is aggregate concrete and then they come in and can live / nest and breed in the crack between the slab and stem wall. I could use some rubber like compound like Sikaflex or self-leveling cement to fill the entire void. The cement being very fluid would also likely help fill in gaps under the 2x4 wall base. I just don’t know if one option is more appropriate than the other. Any help is appreciated.

@daveosland3199

9 ай бұрын

Sounds like the slab was poured after the stemwall and probably lacked the rebar to tie the 2 together... However you seal/bond the slab and stemwall together now, you may have to use a power washer or something like that to clean the surfaces for bonding. I like the 2 part epoxy in tubes (like Simpson) for bonding in situations like that. Sikaflex will seal, but won't bond the 2 together and keep them from moving as they've done. Let us know what you do and how it worked! Dave

@oldowl4290

9 ай бұрын

@@daveosland3199 I need to do the entire perimeter of the house, which currently is 1400sf and basically a 25ft x 60ft rectangle, I assumed that filling the crack with self leveling cement will be cheaper than epoxy but after thinking about it further, I think epoxy or a polyurethane caulk would be adequate. The house was built in 1977 so I don’t think it will move or settle any more than it has. It has one minor slab crack about 1/3 the length of the house, across the 25ft length with no major unleveling on either side. I mainly want to seal the crack to prevent bug infestations as we have roaches here. So after sealing, I’m also using spray foam at the base of the walls as all drywall is set about 1/2” off the floor. The house is also in Albuquerque NM and is situated almost exactly east to west and we can get up to 105F in August and sometimes in the teens in winter so thermal expansion from one side to the other needs to be considered as the 60ft long north side of the house will always be cooler than the south side. So for example in winter, the north side could be 30F, while the sun heats the south side to 60F or higher. Maybe that’s why it’s not all tied together…to allow for some planned expansion and contraction.

@daveosland3199

9 ай бұрын

The polyurethane caulk might be a good choice. Here in california, I'm always thinking about earthquakes and movement..

@anonymousbyproxy8250

6 ай бұрын

@@oldowl4290 It’s not the building in itself that gives value to the house, it is the LOCATION !!! 😊😊😊

@oldowl4290

6 ай бұрын

@@anonymousbyproxy8250 I think it has to be a bit of both but yes, a good location is always a huge factor.