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Fabric Footing Forms

Speed up the process of forming concrete footings while also preventing problems caused by groundwater.

By Patrick McCombe Issue 282 - April/May 2019
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Problem-solving footers: Made from woven polyethylene, Fastfoot footing forms can follow uneven excavations and they prevent footings from absorbing water from the soil. The maker claims a 36% material and labor savings over solid lumber formwork. Photo: courtesy of Fab-Form.

Fastfoot footing forms replace solid lumber with a U-shaped fabric stapled to 2×4’s nailed to wood or steel form stakes. The woven polyethylene is marked along both sides for faster set up and to ensure the footing stays a consistent depth. If the depth of the excavation is inconsistent, the height of the footing sides can be adjusted to level the top of the footing.

Besides the benefits of faster setup and lumber savings, the waterproof product solves the often-ignored problem of rising damp resulting from footings without a waterproofing layer or capillary break. Fastfoot’s waterproof forms allow you to place concrete footings even when the excavation has standing water without a sacrifice in the concrete’s strength. The plastic footing material also prevents the concrete from giving up its water to overly dry ground or curing too quickly, preventing weaker concrete. Fastfoot can accommodate footing widths from 12 in. to 36 in. I found a 100-ft. roll of the medium size, suitable for most residential footings, on the web for just over $100. Preformed corners sell for $10 each.

—By Patrick McCombe, senior editor.

From Fine Homebuilding #282


Learn more at fab-form.com

Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products

Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Reliable Crimp Connectors

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8067 All-Weather Flashing Tape

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Handy Heat Gun

This heat gun is great for drying joint compound, primer and paint when patching drywall and plaster walls. Plus it can soften adhesive, get a very cold small engine to start, and shrink heat-shrink tubing.
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Previous: Three Types of Footings to Support Foundation Walls Next: Footing and Foundation in One Pour

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