contractor damaged foundation walls
mberan9844
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Our contractor backfilled the poured foundation walls without providing any lateral support. The walls cracked and bowed. He then removed the backfill, ruining the waterproofing dimple board. He then applied pressure via 2 X 4’s to brace the wall and the wall appears to be straight. We have had two structural engineers evaluate the damage. The first recommended taking the walls down and starting over. The second recommended bracing with steel. Help! I want to have the walls re-built. My husband wants the repair job. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks
Replies
Many years ago, I worked for a contractor that did the same thing. He tried to hide the problem by having the drywallers spray it with texture. Unbelievable! Of course, the drywall mud fell off as the water began leaking in the crack.
I would take immediate action, stop all work, stop all payments and begin a law suit. You don't want to start out on a failed foundation and any fix will be trouble forever. You don't want this contractor working for you, they don't know what they are doing. I feel for you and can only imagine the consequences you are about to face. Just the same, this contractor may cause other long term nightmares. You need a lawyer, don't be nice! Everything has to come out and be done correctly. The backfill material was likely wrong, too.
contractor damaged foundation walls
I can certainly understand the backfill moving the walls out of place but being able to move the wall back into place with 2x4's could indicate that the required amount and location of metal reinforcing was not used during construction.
The contractor should deliver to you the structure agreed upon by contract. If your contractor is not willing to do exactly that, talk to an attorney. You may have some recourse with your state's contractor licensing board.
Why build on a bad foundation? Everything else will be a problem after this. Take it out and start over.
I'm not a builder, just somebody who lives in a house where it appears that they built the house after the foundation cracked. It's a headache, and if you are paying to build this house, the important bits, like the foundation, need to be correct.
First off, I gotta say that your contractor sounds like he's incompetent. Don't feel bad, I'm an engineer and I hired a doofus that may be his clone. Get money out of him and fire him if you can.
Now specific to the solution: Are these opinions from your hired engineers "off the cuff" or have they submitted written analyses? This makes a difference. I'd want something written before acting on that solution. The tear it out guy should substantiate his opinion with facts. The steel repair guy must show design calculations, drawings, etc. Something you can take to the building department for a change to your permit.
My gut tells me to tear it out... I can't imagine how it can be repaired. But I haven't seen it. Some photos would be interesting to see. My gut also tells me that if steel was an economically viable material for a house foundation then more people would use it. The fact is, concrete fills that role. And building with concrete isn't rocket science... the techniques are widely known and shared among builders.
Be cautious, don't believe things without proof, and good luck.
Take it out:
I agree with sapwood. I'm an engineer too, and there isn't any doubt in my mind.
Like he said get the Engineers to give their opinions as sealed reports, with at least an outline of their proposed fixes. Remind the one who says the foundation can be prepared, that there isn't a statute of limitations on how long you can sue him if there are problems in the future, and request a copy of his errors and ommissions insurance policy.
His opinion may change rapidly.
There is no way I'd ever say just fix it.
By the way, make sure they are actually licensed, and working within the scope of their expertise.
Though one might want to consider that a steel-braced foundation may be stronger than the original. Lots of block foundations fail over time from soil pressure, and steel bracing would be insurance against that.
(Not saying that the patch should be chosen, just saying it's worth thinking about and undersanding what would be done.)