Installing a foundation under an existing building part 2: ICF, damp proofing and some backfill
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Due to the amount of comments about whether this house is worth the effort....
Keep one thing in mind before deciding to weigh in on it: Taxes...
Taxes would double or even triple if we build a new house here.
In this video we place the ICF's on the footing, pour the concrete and dampproof the wall, with a partial backfill.
Link to ICF company buildblock.com/
Link to the waterproofing www.amesresear...
This old timer right here appreciates your get it done attitude Jesse. You and Camarata are cut from the same stone.
They're long-time friends and have made videos together work on on projects.
They even have the same speech patterns, I'm thinking dad got around in his day ...
Not judging!
I've been a wannabe builder all my life and at 80 yrs old this is as good as it gets. And, Jesse, it's really good. Your hard work and attention to detail are sooo appreciated. Thank you so much. I can't get enough of watching this stuff. Stay safe.
I enjoy your videos. Not much talking, no loud music, no patting yourself on the back. You are a true pro. I will keep watching your videos
from sunny Arizona. Thanks
Smart, very Smart project, ICF is high tech, the old form system is a pain, cleaning and storage is a pain and keeping track of all the parts, and i like the conditioned space, very smart Jesse, I am 71 and can say I learn something new every day from people like you, thank you, and Happy New Year.
So nice to see someone that knows the steps to take without shortcuts, landscaping fabric over stone, vibrator while pouring, waterproofing exterior concrete , primer and then tape, well done gentlemen that's an A+
"knows the steps to take without shortcuts+list of phases" That is called being professional, nothing odd in that. Cheering this is like giving waiter a tip=great job doing bare minimum of professionalism. Excellent or superb service is then another thing where tip might be ok and if service was shit, shortcuts were taken etc krooked company skipping to make profit in expense of work quality, now that is what calls lawsuit.
My only issue is few construction methods, like sealed/unvented crawl space even with heating and method of water proofing the foundation. First one works in normal conditions, but one must consider unnormal conditions like water leak or flood. Latter witch introduce lots of water into construction that then cannot leave the construction due so much insulation preventing air movement, latter other hand do not allow foundation to dry, so moisture moves upwards and cause Americans seem to use pressure treated wood (What should never be brought close proximity to interior where gasses from it can get to room air, no fucking wonder USA is cancer central of the world) as base between foundation and framing, not bitumen membrane that creates moisture barrier.
Put only foot worth of sealer on the foundation, install barrier board that has dimples that go against the foundation leaving airgap that allows moisture to rise out if any gets past the barrier and make actual cellar/underground floor if you want it to be heated, but prepare to have lots of energy waste if cellar gets flooded to remove moisture from the construction after pumping it out and ripping entire interior off. In this case you would need to demo the whole house pretty much to get proper France drains under the house, that are requirement with underground floors.
@@Hellsong89 This guy is doing an excellent job within the constraints of his budget and what the customer wants. It is always a balancing act. This is not new construction. But it is a very, very good remodel/rehab of an old house that apparently someone wants to save, instead of tearing down. In my opinion he is doing a fantastic job.
@@Hellsong89 You bring up some very good points but unless you want to start from scratch and have the money & time to do so, I'll go with what Jesse is doing
@@Hellsong89 there is no reason to ever have an unconditioned space. There is footing drains and 4" of clean rocks under the slab as well, and they drain to open air. There would never be a flood or any buildup of water. that crawlspace will never even get damp. I have done countless basements and crawlspaces both just like this and they are always bone dry. Even the ones that are below the water table, using a sump pump. Clean gravel is the greatest asset
These videos are a great advert for your business, everyone is looking for a guy that does such a pro job. I like the angled cut out in the ICF to create more concrete support
thanks. yea it adds a bit more concrete underneath the bolts
This video truly reminds me of an episode of This Old House. They took 'well worn' houses and brought them back to life, while explaining every step along the way. Great video Jesse!
Except that he actually does the work.
Bob Vila would come around just long enough to give the "Vila Hand Pat Of Approval".
It clearly shows you take a great deal of pride in your work. Well done!
The home owner is lucky to have you do the job because you do such a high quality and meticulously job.
To me, his process of making that building seemingly llevitate over a few two by fours is indistingquishable from magic.
attention to detail and a good work ethic will insure you a bright future in a world where too many are willing to cut corners.. very nice vid.
Has to be some of the best cement foundation work I have seen in years, absolutely every step covered.. great job....wished you lived closer...
Good video, good content. ICF is the only way to go. With the cost of lumber today it even makes more sense. Most concrete contractors in my area are stuck in the past and are afraid to use them. Stuck in the past.
Excellent tutorial and explanation on the proper way to construct footings and foundation walls. Great camera angles and editing.
Fantastic work Jesse. Your knowledge continues to shine through. No wonder Andrew has you help him on projects. LOL. Give your crew a big pat on the back and you all can enjoy the warmer inside work.
A C is a bit light on skills compared to Jesse...If its a sledgehammer an oxygen torch or an angle grinder A C is fine.....
Code first floor live load is 50, second floor is 40. You are still way good with your loads. Continuous joists with a mid span supporting beam under. 👍
I’ve been on jobs were the contractors are way under and they say “don’t worry, it will work, that’s the way I always do it”.
Years ago when I was a carpentry apprentice I remember working on a lot of jobs where we worked on excavating and putting in foundations. I worked on the rest of the building as well. But you know after a while I began to really like the foundation work. I have an old house and a sort of neglected barn. I’ve had foundation work done on the back of my house similar to this (your job is much better) plus I had foundation done on my barn. (Got rid of old crumbling cinder block walls and had poured walls put in) I took pictures of all the work. My home was built in the late 1800’s So far all the work has IMPROVED my places. Very nice work! I like your attention to detail. Nice when you have friends to help.
A challenging retrofit, and a perfect application for ICFs. Forms would have been so difficult to deal with in that space. Thank you for posting!
36 years in the business I say great job!!!
Nice to see someone doing a great job and really caring about all the fine detail. Your camera work is outstanding.
You are doing a good job - very clean and precise.
Sorcery….
great job. great attention to detail and fabulous meticulous planning young man.
Great video, Jesse! Lots of variety in the work done and some interesting angles for the viewer. Looking forward to the next installment.
Very nice work!!!! That turned out very good!!!! ICF foundations are nice!!! You did a great job waterproofing it as well!!
Very good construction practices, foundation drain with geotextile with 3/4" clear graded stone and your guy was meticulous with it. His removing the cobbles in the backfill was very good to see. Your discussion about matching floor heights was very enlightening - makes the case that the salvage/renovate method was the better choice (notwithstanding the tax issues) because the floor elevation matching and exterior surface drainage issue still is still there even with a tear down. Your design of the floor deck connections into the concrete shows very tidy organised workmanship. Your discussion about use of insulated forms was also very good. You clearly know your building code and you obviously get professional design support, It really is part of your craftsmanship. The part I think that really surprised me was that you'll be utilising geothermal heat/cooling. That is going to be one nice upgrade to that house. Will underslab insulation be used under the concrete floor? I've seen very good results with it. You clearly demonstrated that salvage of an existing structure is always an excellent option especially now with current lumber prices. Here in Ontario a single 2" x 4" x 8' is $8 Cdn - if you can get them. I felt like I was watching an episode of This Old House!! Which guy was Norm?? Happy New Year. I'm sure you'll have a happy customer.
thanks. I may put insulation in the floor, will have to talk to the customer about it. we werent set on the geothermal when we discussed pricing so it will be a slight upgrade. The only thing I go back and forth about with it...my idea was that if this house looses power and nobody is there, having no insulation under the slab will help keep that crawlspace above freezing. by radiating heat from the ground up through. That is the only downfall I see to underslab insulation. what do you think?
@@jmuller86 The heated concrete floors I have been involved with rely on the underslab insulation to make the system work efficiently otherwise the earth beneath the slab will wick away the heat constantly making your system run all the time on full and then pumping costs eat up $ if you are using your local electrical grid. I'm not sure about how far north you are, I did see you had a big dump of snow in your first video so I'd guess northeastern U.S. based on the recent storm fronts. That said, it would be a very long extreme cold period without power to have it get that cold in the basement given what you are building above it and even then the water in the geothermal pipes has an antifreeze % to protect against that concern. That is done because it is more likely the pipes would be exposed to frost penetration outside the building if frost would penetrate to the depth of the pipes -unless they are installed below max. frost penetration depth for your area (1.2 m - 4 ft? - 1.5 - 1.6 m here ) it would be worth a bit of your time to chat up a geothermal contractor/installer in your area about your site specific concerns. I don't want to go off on a tangent about solar power supplement/back up for the circulating pump because that is a different issue. However maybe the best short term is to see if the client wants to consider pre-plumbing and under slab insulating while that bigger decision gets sorted. Then he can have time to decide, he has the optimal set up though with the ICF foundation. Given that it looks like a remote location self sufficient heating/cooling looks very appealing - remember then you can get supplemental hot domestic water as well. My experience is that pre-plumb cost should be very low as it the mechanicals that usually form the biggest $ %age. Now is the time to make that decision as retrofit would be onerous. You did say though you have a pond for your ground source heat which is the maximum efficiency by far that you can get - it's the same as your pipes being under the water table. It certainly sounds like an optimum solution. Check out this link about some system installation/equipment being done in New York state maybe there are some grant programs available in your state. Too bad we don't have that type of incentive here. The following link (you'll recognise it!) is really more about how a new technique to lower vertical drill cost rather than trench where space is an issue but they put in some key concepts. --ua-cam.com/video/IMO9jvwlHFg-/v-deo.html- Like you say a lot of thinking needs to go into it before you spend. The trick is in North America we still are at the point where each install is somewhat custom, in Europe it is already a standardised industry so you can just call up an installer. If my wife and I move and build i'm going full geothermal and i'm gong to be costing for my current home. I have a friend - an excavation contractor - who has a slab-on-grade home (rare in Ontario) with heated concrete slab and it is the most comfortable house in winter you can imagine. Note that you only want to set max. heat to about 15 deg C or you're too hot. Another friend - carpentry contractor- has a gas fired heated slab in his shop (still very economical) he put in 25 yrs ago that allows him to work year round in it for < $50 Cdn a month in winter. Also one last item if your foundation drain outlet will be exposed I recommend a rodent grate on it. The grates are a standard installation fitting that typically goes on the at-grade outlets for subdrains on highway pavement structures made out of galvanised corrugated metal pipe (about 8 ft long here) . Keeps the critters out and blocking them up with nests etc. Good Luck for 2021 !!
Strange ways of building stuff you got in US, for sure. But its great to learn new stuff, thanks for the effort filming all of it.
Just excellent! Also love seeing family working together ❤
I think you did a great job making the foundation work. Years ago I took a class on Polysteel product to get certified. In the south no one wanted the extra cost so I never used the product (they are out of business I think) . In the last year I built my shop. I had to cut into the ground which made it 6 feet of foundation needed. The 90 feet by 6 feet was cheaper than having the foundation guys put it in, besides I could do it my self with a pump guy placing the concrete into the cavity. 9 yards and 10 for the footing. The only thing I noticed is you need to make sure it is secured so it does not move. I made my own turnbuckles and used a perimeter 2x4 to keep it in place. It worked the wall did not move and the wall was straight and plumb. I am in the mountains in the south and everyone that looked at my progress looked at the wall (u should have heard the comments from all the wanna be contractors). They also thought the insulation came off. Lol. I had some blocks left over and I am going to extend the wall about 20 feet. I would use the build block again for a foundation. The biggest thing about the block is the set up and no forms to remove. Great videos, its not easy to do what you did.
Thanks for sharing Jesse, always super interesting to see what you are doing, and how you are doing it.
Better than cable TV any day of the week! I like to overbuild too! The only thin I would have done differently was cut a keyway in the footing when it was still wet. But with the vert rods that step would’ve been overkill. Nicely done Jesse!
Nice job Jesse ! Next time try black dimple board from the bottom of footers to desired grade that way all is protected from outside. No mess with primer, tape etc. Have done on existing block walls and works great!
Another good teaching video, outstanding work. Thanks for taking the time to film it.
Good job Jesse. And a great explanation of why things were done a certain way. Very enjoyable.
Jesse i'm just 21 minutes in and i knew i had to comment..I like the way you explain things along the way...I also like the camera shots you give (me) the viewer..
You can tell you have thought things out way ahead of time...Doing the work, and filming it as you go to make the best Video for UA-camLand is a Job in itself..
I appreciate what you do brother...You definitely make for a good watch...So Thank you...
thanks
Thanks for bringing us these excellent video's. I am a retired aircraft engineer, I found as I got older I have become really interested in construction. I like the way you explain just what you are doing. Its been a crap year over here in the UK and your videos have been a welcome relief, happy new year to you and yours Jesse.
Man I have a home in cheektowaga ny. Lots of notes from this to save my 1930 home. Damn good work. Appreciate the upload
another great video, great content, well staged and so enjoy your running commentary. a ton of work, you make it all look so effortless.
Fantastic video Jesse. I like the way you break down the products you use, the code requirements on slope and drainage, and the overall skill and hard work employed. I also feel like this History major got a free engineering lesson on loads. Thanks!
Perfect music for the concrete truck arrival, its always such an exiting time when that spinning barrel comes around!
That whole process is very impressive ! At least to me, not knowing anything about building houses. And it's really nice to see people work when they're really committed to providing the customer with the best possible service !
Really enjoy your stuff Jesse. I have been involved with construction all my life. You do a great job. Lots of guys would never touch some of these jobs. You knock um' out of the park. Respect
I must admit I have learned allot watching your video's but this one really ranks right up there!
I have never been fond of vented crawl spaces and hated to deal with them. Your reasonings really rang with me, especially how you are going to be radiant heating. I keep your feed on notify because of how much you teach.
Keep up the lessons into 2021 & beyond
Nice work, I like the idea of keeping the foundation high and hanging a floor system of the interior foundation.
This is a really impressive project, sir. I'm not one of those guys that plays armchair QB on peoples projects, but I can tell you this - If I paid you to do this exact work, I would be really impressed with the job that I got. No matter whether the "experts" say it's correct or not. It looks solid AF (as the youngins' say.)
thanks, we got some pretty cool stuff coming up for this house
I am really enjoying the long in-depth videos Jesse! Great content, I can’t wait to watch when I see a notification for a new video pop up. Keep the them coming!
Your attention to detail is quite exquisite.
Jesse, you are doing a ton of work..what a great attitude and effort! Hats off to you & your crew!👨🔧👨🔧🙂
I really enjoy your videos. I have been working in construction and building for 30 plus years...I never knew how to do the load calculations. I always used and engineer...lol. Happy New Year.
Nice, the internal form makes perfect sense, good stuff. Feel sorry for you guys, don't think Ive seen snow here in New Zealand in 20 years let alone build in it, good effort!
Video quality keeps improving with each new release. Loving the content, keep up the good work!!
I went back and looked at the structure that was under the floor in the section of the house you are working on. It looks like the stone foundations and timbers are what was left of a log cabin that was converted to the home you are remodeling. Good job with the way you are doing things to preserve what is still there.
if more contractors would consider drainage and grading as you have, there would be less wet basements. thanks for another great video
The more people learn that they can spend their money on solar panels instead of basements with money they saved from digging, concrete and waterproofing they would afford much comfortable life style
Outstanding job Jesse. Thanks for sharing the process with us.
Hello Jesse, ICFs are a very interesting thing. I had seen a similar thing here in Germany many years ago. But the system companies like BuildBlocks offer is very simple to transport and to handle. This system should be common in North America. Houses wouldn't collapse any more at a wind speed of 80 or 90 miles. You are doing a good job.
love these videos, better than anything on TV
I love those concrete trucks you have in NY, all we have is the regular rear loading type that wreck every inch of your yard trying to get turned around.
Since you're pouring a slab in the crawl space it would be a cool feature to have some kind of built-in hatch in the floor so the area could be used for storage or as a mini food cellar. Covering it with some old carpet would make it real easy to get around.
Awsome job given new live or pair of shoes to that old lady next is to give her some new bones so to speak. It great you explain that the foundation are going no venting. They realy cause problems in the long run. See you next year Jessie enjoy .
I've been a state certified home inspector for 20 years now, I'd certainly pass this foundation.
I look forward it your videos, you expand the process and reasons why very well. Armchair engineers always have reasons 'not to' but no good justifications, keep up the good work!!
Developing into a really good channel, hope the family is all well and that 2021 is good year for anything you do.
Totally get the taxes....in Illinois the taxes are stupid. Those concrete forms are pretty slick. I've seen them advertised but never demonstrated.
As always, amazing job, extremely practical and great attention to detail. Those forms are amazing. Love how they provide extra insulation.
Well done mate. Great instructions, don’t worry about the nay sayers, you have put a lot of thought and effort into this job.
Great job- nice length video. Jesse always gives you your money's worth. Looking forward to the next one👍- Happy New Year's
Great way to seal that foundation, should last 100 plus years, great job.
ICF's are the way to go. That company should sponsor you. Happy New Year Jesse.
that foundation foam is unbelievable best system i have ever seen .dont have that in australia we have stupid rules in australia they only trust the old ways .thanks jesse love the chanel
Yep, so much great stuff elsewhere and here it’s not allowed or way to $$$
Always enjoy your uploads, I enjoy your work, your knowledge your craft
Lots of figuring especially when you're working on an old structure. Know the feeling, good job!
Simply Amazing JM keep plugging on, great work!
In the middle of winter,Jesse you and your guys are amazing...
Terrific! Always enjoy and learn from your projects.
Thanks for video,your is interesting and I like the way you explain things,As a retired carpenter -joiner 50 in the trad it’s good watch how things are done in today’s world. THANKS from the UK.
The job is turning out to be pretty nice 👍, you do meticulous work and I like your ethics! Keep up with the way you do things and you will definitely get plenty of work in the future!
Love your videos. the expertise it takes to do this is incredible.
Taken time to do the right thing pays off at the end awesome work Jesse , Happy New years
From a builder. Very nice work!
I love the level of care you and your guys put into this job. Great work.
I had my house built in 1988 with a basement and ICF forms 12 wide interior wall are 2x8 insulated attic space is also conditioned have Gas heat Electric AC I live in Texas so winters are not an issue, summer the AC can be expensive, mine runs about 45 dollars per month. 3800 sq.ft house basement finished, attic finished makes excellent storage. At the time when I had it done it was twice the price for foundation, has more than made up for it, low energy bills and quality of life, outside noise is almost none .
Hi Jesse, Hopefully a better new year, watch Dirt perfect with his new ICF kit, seems to be really good gear. Thank you for the uploads this year. Keep safe, Covid seems to be going wild here in the UK...
I love the insolated concrete forms, you can heat the basement with a candle with this system!
great videos too . keep up the good work.
We see them more & more in new construction, but 1-big issue is its a soft shell, if any gets exposed outside a weed-wacker can wreck it. they need a fibergalss coating in my opinion
@@chadsimmons6347 up here in Canada we sheet the outside with plywood or chipboard and then stucco with an acrylic coating to seal the wood
@@Paul_Gale Sounds like a good system, im drinking a boiling hot coffee from a foam cup, my hand is fine, i believe it is a great insulator
Hiii Jesse ! very impressive work in difficult conditions, Ido respect all the workers because I cant stand the cold !!! for me nothing lower then 24° C the reason I am in Guyana !!! Abit peculiar job this is building a house starting by the roof ???? People are sometime very stranges !!! All the best to all of you keep well and strong !
Thx for all comments and explanation! Jesse I love it.
Great video!
Keep up the great work jesse, looking forward to seeing More of your outstanding content.
Nice work guys, you made that look real easy.
I greatly appreciate you giving a lot details of the build
you always go above and beyond, good to see someone always do their best.
Happy New Year Jesse and to your family! I'm here for Jesse Muller University to learn as ever. Thanks for a very interesting content.
Awesome video, I love the design and your knowledge of this method is outstanding.
Nice work Jesse. A thorough and interesting video. Happy New Year! 👍👍
Killer job man! Lots of great tips
The ICFs are very suitable for cold weather concreting because they retain the heat created in the concrete as it hardens, so the concrete should not freeze before it sets.
Great progress on this project! Very clear detailed explanations, thank you! I feel so much smarter after watching your videos! ;) You really are thorough in your processes. Love your music and videography. Peace and Good Fortune and Good Health to you and your family. Happy New Year!
Great Job , Your work ethic and your thoroughness is amazing ,the best of the new year to you and all of yours
Jesse, A friend of mine built an addition to his hangar and had a crawl space of approximately four feet height. Because it wasn't properly insulated he had extensive mold problems within a few weeks. Had to have a specialist come out and resolve mold problems to then allow the installation of proper insulation and vapor barrier to guard against the mold. If you install those crawl spaces incorrectly and closed up before mold had a chance to form and you didn't catch it, years down the road you will have a disaster on your hands! In his case he had a damp environment to begin with. Less dampness and it would take longer for mold to appear. The specialist said same thing as you explained, no vents! Good job you do nice work. If you were around my home area (South Western Pennsylvania ) I would use you in a heartbeat.
Solid work... we did our first ICF for addition last fall
Appreciate how you explain the "why"... Great content and editing @Jesse
Another great video very informative.Keep them coming 👍🇬🇧
Great video! I couldn't stop watching.