Basements

Michael Holigan : Now we're going to take a look at basements. They're a great way to add square footage to your house for a very low price. About how long does it take to build a basement in normal conditions?

Dan Bromley: Usually it takes, for a normal house, one day to set up and pour footings, like we're doing here, then one day to set up and pour a foundation wall and one day to strip it and to water-proof it.

M.H.: As far as the basement space, is it as expensive as the rest of the house to build?

D.B.: No it's not. It's an economical square footage.

M.H.: Okay, so we can save a lot of money if we want to add square footage by just going down instead of going up?

D.B.: Yes, especially if you're going to finish the basement.

M.H.: Tell me about heating and cooling a basement. What are some of the benefits?

D.B.: Well, since the majority of your foundation is under ground, the ground keeps you cool throughout the year and helps insulate it, keeps your room 68 degrees.

M.H.: 68, so that's perfect for any time of the year?

D.B.: Yes.

M.H.: After the concrete footings have hardened and set, forms are brought in and set up so that the walls can be poured. Well Mike, that's a different way to unload forms. I've never seen it with a crane. How much does that speed up the job?

Mike Bromley: It speeds it up quite a bit. It helps on getting the forms in and labor...

M.H.: Yeah.

M.B.: ...quite a bit.

M.H.: On this steel, you've got rebar coming up out of the footings and I've seen a lot of basements where they don't use steel, now you guys are - why?

M.B.: Well, we use it for two reasons. It helps prevent shrinkage cracks and also for lateral pressure in the backfill.

M.H.: I think people don't understand that, that concrete, whether it's flat concrete or a wall, it does shrink...

M.B.: Yes it does.

M.H.: ...as it gets older, so you're actually giving it a place to crack aren't you?

M.B.: Right, yeah.

M.H.: If we didn't have that steel, what would happen to our cracks then?

M.B.: Well, we'd more than likely get two big cracks in the wall as opposed to having several small ones that are not visible. So...

M.H.: Okay.

M.B.: ...it spreads out the stress of the shrinkage.

M.H.: Now that the forms have been set up, it's time to fill them with concrete. Mike, what are the benefits of a poured wall foundation basement over a block basement ?

M.B.: Well, I feel that it makes a stronger foundation. You've got a solid core with reinforcing in it. Also, the ease of putting it in, we can get this put in a day. It's a stronger wall so it doesn't crack as much, it's reinforced, so we don't have the large cracks that will be easier to leak through.

M.H.: After the walls have hardened, the forms are stripped off, and it's time to begin water-proofing.

Gary Bromley: This is a system different than damp proofing. This is called water-proofing. The main difference between water-proofing and damp-proofing is the ability to span shrinkage cracks. The first coat, he comes along and sprays the area where our wall ties go through.

M.H.: Okay.

G.B.: That's a potential place it could leak.

M.H.: Water could transfer...

G.B.: That's right.

M.H.: ...along the wall tie?

G.B.: That's right. So he sprays that first to get a good heavy coat there, and then around the footing, that joint where the concrete wall sets on the footing is a potential place where it could leak. So he puts a coat there and then we do two coats. Usually he sprays one vertical and then one horizontal to make sure we get a good thick coverage and then he checks it with a gauge so that we have our 40 mil thickness. I have a sample here of what we're spraying on this wall.

M.H.: Okay.

G.B.: And that's about the thickness that we spray it, about 40 mils. As you can see, I can stretch that all over and it doesn't....

M.H.: Okay. So, when our concrete wall does start to crack, with this system it will be able to...

G.B.: It will span it.

M.H.: ...expand the new...?

G.B.: That's correct.

M.H.: Okay.

G.B.: That's correct.

M.H.: That's great. That's going to save the home owner a lot of trouble....

G.B.: That's right. If they're going to finish their basement or even if they're not, it's great to have this on to keep water from doing any damage in the basement.

M.H.: On the fiberglass board here, also that they put on right after they sprayed it, now I know the fiberglass would insulate it some, but probably if they're finishing out the interior of the basement, they're going to put insulation on the inside. What's really the purpose of this?

G.B.: That's correct, and this does just look like normal fiberglass insulation board that is actually a special design board that has vertical channels in it and what this does is filters the water that comes in contact with that wall down to a drainage tile system to carry the water away.

M.H.: How about price? It must cost a little more. How much difference is there going to be?

G.B.: It's more expensive, but to protect the water damage in the basement, we're talking about less than one percent of the cost of a new home...

M.H.: Oh, really!

G.B.: ...because it's water-proof

M.H.: So, it's really not that much then to....

G.B.: Well worth it.

M.H.: Water stains are one of the signs of a leaking basement. At this stage it's a difficult problem to correct and it is expensive. So, if you're building a new home with a basement, be sure to protect your investment with a top quality water-proofing system.

Episode 002 1995 - 96 Season

| Post Tension II | Regular Slab | Pier and Beam | Block and Slab | Watering Foundation | Basements | Radon Gas | How Much Down? | Faucet Replacement |

To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #002.