Replies

1. 
   Sasquatch | Oct 21, 2008 03:55am | #1

   The best way to control this problem is up front by having a clause in your contract that if the foundation does not meet your specs (which you will provide and which will be reasonable), you will not pay the full amount.  This raises all kinds of issues, which could and should be the subject of another thread, considering the sorry state of foundation work at this time in this country.

   Having said that, I think the easiest way out of your dilemma on this job is to use a combination of structural grout and concrete grinding to get to your goal.  You have to find out how bad your problem is with a laser.  The way I used to do it:  I would make a line around the entire inside of the foundation using a laser.  Almost any kind of laser will do for this application.  A mark is made on the foundation about every ten feet, and then a chalk line is snapped to get a level line around the entire inside of the foundation.  Then you find the high point and the low point and make some decisions as to how you want to get to level.  Measure up from your line to the top of the foundation and make a mark every so many feet, which depends on the actual variation.  Grind high, grout low.

   It is actually pretty easy and simple once you actually do it.  We're talking about maybe 15 min for two workers to get the marking done, and another ten min for a strategy.  The work to correct the foundation should not take more than an hour, or maybe two if there is a lot of grinding to do.

2. 
   hammer1 | Oct 21, 2008 04:19am | #2

   Lay down your sill seal and the sill. Nail the ends of the sill so they stay together in line. Place the rim joists and toe nail into the sill to keep flush on the outside. This will pull the sill tight to the rim joist, essentially straightening it, don't use badly bowed lumber for either. Joist off and lay down the subfloor. Now you will have a fairly flat and integrated platform. Shoot the top of the deck with your transit or laser starting with the four corners, down the carrying beam and about every six to eight feet along the perimeter. It will be easy to see where you need shims. You won't have any waviness. With everything nailed together the bottom edge acts as a straight edge. After shimming as you see necessary, particularly at bolts, put on your nuts and washers and tighten down. This is so much easier and faster than trying to just shim the sill alone. You can fine tune the deck surface to be right on.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

3. 
   davidmeiland | Oct 21, 2008 06:21am | #3

   When necessary I use mason's mix to level the top of the stemwall. If you have a laser and a detector you can work your way around fairly quickly.

1. 
   talkingdog | Oct 21, 2008 11:35am | #4

   That's the way the Japanese do it, mortar.Actually, they tack on 1x4 screeds on both faces
   of the wall with a laser then lay down a half inch
   layer of mortar, very smooth and flat.

4. 
   Jim_Allen | Oct 26, 2008 05:31pm | #5

   This is one of those easy jobs that can get hard in a hurry.

   I never had to deal with too many out lof level foundations but when we came upon one, we slipped steel shims under the mudsill or rim at all joist or bearing points.

   Five to ten minutes per house in most cases.

5. 
   DaveRicheson | Oct 31, 2008 10:13pm | #6

   The outside of the foundation was insulated with 2" blueboard, so I used 2x8 pressure treated in order to span the blueboard and concrete, yet still grab the bolts

   That one caught my eye.

   Is the 2" blueboard treated  with borate or insecticide? If it is only the common variety of blueboard, you need a j-channel over the top edge, or a tremite shield under the sill plate that extends beyound the top edge of the blueboard. Either technique is reccomended by Dow, even when using thier BlueGuard treated blueboard for exterior foundation insulation.

   Without the j-channel or termite shield you have to leave a 6" srip of board uncovered to serve as an inspection strip.