Taking May class, looking for books or good information about foundations

[CrossingtheRubicon]

I have went through all 74 pages of the general forum and read all of the posts I found interesting. Although I have seen several posts about foundation questions I haven't seen, that I recall, anything about specific books that would help someone who knows nothing about foundations. I went to my local library and turned up nothing. I looked on Amazon and nothing really popped out to me. I know I will get some basics on foundations in the class but, I really feel like I could benefit from a good book on the subject. Any recommendations?

On another note I can't wait to get access to the members side. I feel like the general forums pretty much just skim the surface of the vast amount of knowledge available.

[localfiend]

Foundations can be really simple or moderately complex - foundations, to me, are one of the easy things.

They go over several options in class - I'm opting for the easiest and cheapest. Before you go looking for books, you might want to decide what kind of foundation you want - and keep in mind you might change your mind on what you want after the class. And yes, there's a bunch more information on the members side.

[loghousenut]

I don't have an answer to your specific question because I don't know of a foundation book either. I do know that a ton of folks who have taken the class have found the foundation to be fairly simple even though they had never done it before. For the most part, you'll probably have plans that lay it all out and your County Building Inspector will insist that it's done right. If you get in a bind, we'll be there on the members side with too much information and idle chit chat.

There really are a bunch of foundation options if you decide to build a LHBA style log home. Thousands have been built with pier block foundations, many of them using no heavy equipment in their build... More on this in class. I built with a traditional stemwall foundation and there are scads of folks who build on a basement. Some use ICF blocks.

I'd tend to agree with the Fiend that foundations are not much of a problem. It's nuts and bolts kinda stuff and what few questions you have will sorta answer themselves. Heck, it's just wood forms and mud with a little bit of free rebar tossed in the mix.


PS.... More on the free rebar on day two of class.

[CrossingtheRubicon]

Okay, thanks for the replies. That helps put my mind at ease as the foundation was the most worrying part for me considering the rest of the house will be built upon it.

[btwalls]

The foundation was the part I was most worried about as well. We did a crawl space.
I had 3 books
The Essential Guide to Foundations
Foundations and concrete work from for pros by pros
Working with concrete by rick Arnold
I thought all were helpful. Certainly wouldn't hurt to order one and do some reading
I also ended up talking with a foundation guy I bought some rebar from. Took him to dinner and took a couple pages of notes that he spewed out. It was great stuff.
Also ended up hiring one of his workers to help the day I set the wall forms and did the wall pour.

Brad

[rocklock]

Foundations and concrete work from for pros by pros
Do not buy this book - get it at the library.

In fact, all books in the series Pros by Pros are really good and visual.

Foundations really depend on where you live. I was required by the state of Washington to build a footer that will support a rock house. I used ICF's which make the footer - foundation really easy and quick. Ie, you should be able to lay your footer in one week and the next week you pour your foundation...

I have very detailed pictures.

[LogHomeFeverDan]

Ok I'm jaded since I just took an ICF class but unless you don't want one or don't want to spend the extra dollars on a full basement or don't even want to build a short stem wall on footers for your foundation, forego the books, just opt for ICF's. Not to rain on your educational process, but for me, foundations I keep simple. Create your foundation on undisturbed terra firma and leave NO doubt it can and will support your structure, taking into consideration all plausible contingencies. (ie 50 year rain, erosion, earthquakes....)

I'm no construction guru, in fact I'm a novice but I can get the forms up, PSSL & CD (that's Plumb, Straight, Square, Level and Correct Dimensions) in a day for our full basement using ICF's.

[CrossingtheRubicon]

If you don't mind me asking where, how much, and with what company did you take the ICF class?



Ok I'm jaded since I just took an ICF class but unless you don't want one or don't want to spend the extra dollars on a full basement or don't even want to build a short stem wall on footers for your foundation, forego the books, just opt for ICF's. Not to rain on your educational process, but for me, foundations I keep simple. Create your foundation on undisturbed terra firma and leave NO doubt it can and will support your structure, taking into consideration all plausible contingencies. (ie 50 year rain, erosion, earthquakes....)

I'm no construction guru, in fact I'm a novice but I can get the forms up, PSSL & CD (that's Plumb, Straight, Square, Level and Correct Dimensions) in a day for our full basement using ICF's.

[LogHomeFeverDan]

I took a basic and advanced course over three days from Quad Lock. It was held in Douglasville, GA, just west of Atlanta. With early bird and taking both classes discounts it cost me $223.00. There are many ICF companies out there and they all have good points. I did a lot of research and decided on Quad Lock. It's a very simple system and will save you money if you DIY it. For our full basement once I get the first course down our 14 and 8 year old daughters will help me "build the walls". Yes it's that simple.

[LogLover]

Dan - you mean vendors charge to take a class to learn how to slap up the product you BUY from them?? You serious aren't you !???? :(
Guess I grew up in another era all together. Knowledge and assistance was part of what they did as part of gaining a customer and retaining a customer for life.
Now they try to get you both ways, or some do anyway it seems.
Not hard to see why many buy based on cheapest prices and the he!! with American made.
Still shaking my head and totally aghast at the whole concept. Truly appalled.

Youtube has a lot of videos out there using this Quad Lock .... agree it seems easy enough but they all do. At least on video.
Just seems and is totally wrong ....... most of my family are in trades of various sorts and every vendor who wants their business not only provides classes and seminars and such but often pays the hotel and meal costs, along with various certifications.
No doubt you feel you received your money in value but ........ personally I'll drop dead before I pay a vendor for both knowledge and then the product they are peddling.
Holy Crap ,,,,,, what a world we live in:(:mad:

[LogHomeFeverDan]

LogLover, I guess that's one way of looking at it. I'm purty old fashioned myself. When I'm going to DIY, I want knowledge. Just as when I decide to learn how to weld or blacksmith I'll take a class. I certainly don't want to gain knowledge from someone who doesn't think the knowledge they are sharing is worth money. I believe the best money I've spent on education was by taking the LHBA class. I believe the $223.00 I paid for three days of education on ICF's was a grand bargain. They didn't "sell" the product, they educated us to see the value in their product. Again, I respect your differing opinion. That's why no one forces you to take a class. I just hope you don't attempt to utilize a product you've not been exposed to except a video on the net for something as .....well......inconsequential as the foundation for your home.

[Tom Featherstone]

Most vendors will refund the cost of the class if you purchase their product. Good investment if you've never done a foundation before or worked with ICF's. A good portion of Block & Crete form guys don't like ICFs because people can do it themselves, no need for a mason. I think they're missing the boat on this as most people still won't do their own foundations.

I'm in the trades 36 years this year. When I first installed drywall we used nails. I remember the uproar when screws were invented for board and no way is that screw gun faster than my hammer.... then auto feed. You either learn and adapt or you're Out of Business.

The accounting of How you pay the vendor is the only thing that has changed here. It was always in the cost of the product.

[eduncan911]

While I don't have the experience as most others in this thread (ok, all others), I'll throw in what I've "read".

"Green from the Ground Up" is a good book on building overviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Ground-Sustainable-Energy-Efficient-Construction/dp/156158973X/

Now, it is not a How-To manual. There are dozens for that. What it is though is a good overview of all types of building methods, so you can make a decision on which direction you want to go.

About the foundations, this particular book goes into something I haven't seen before - especially for radiant floor heating systems: insulating the basement away from the "earth". It's an expensive venture, buying rigid foam to cover the entire basement floor area as well as all footings before the walls are set, and then up the side of the walls once they are set before back filling. But considering all of the heatloss in a conditioned basement during winter heating, it makes a lot of sense to not waste that energy.

There is a very small section on log homes, talking about the R-value of the log walls and how you gain lots of thermal mass.

Ok, that sounded like an ad for the book... But really, I've been meaning to tell people about this book for a while now.

[rocklock]

I believe the $223.00 I paid for three days of education on ICF's was a grand bargain.

I signed up for ICF education. $175 for a one day course. Then I spoke to a neighbor and then to spin05 a fellow log home builder. They recommended a person that I called. He said that he would assist on the first two courses and then he would help assist during the pour so there would be no problems. I have a number of pictures of him assisting my son and my self. My wife even got involved in stacking the blocks. Note, I cancelled the course.

During the pour, I did very little. The pump truck and the ICF guy did 95% of the work. My son worked the smoothing of the top of the cement and did a little vibration near the windows. Started at 10 am and was done by 12:30. Three truck that were spaced about 45 minutes apart so there was about 30 minutes for the bottom and middle layers a chance to set up a little. 22 yards of cement and the Dixie Cup blocks worked great!

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/flintlock1/log%202007/IMG_2080.jpg

The above was after our guy went home. Two layers done.

[LogHomeFeverDan]

Yep Dave many ways to skin a cat. Bottom line is you had someone on site with knowledge.

[Mosseyme]

My vendor said we have a free class you can take or you can do the video, or I can just come help you get started. I watched videos and he came 5 hr round trip the day we started and gave us a lot of tips, then came back before the pour to check and make sure we were in good shape. He wanted to be there for the pour but had previous engagement. No charge. one company said they would be glad to come give us expert advise but since it was such a small job it would be $4,000 for two trips to consult. But we did not to the ceiling/floor and the system looks much more complicated than what we did. If you are happy with what you learned and happy with the product then that i good enough for you to go with it. It looks like a good system. They put a little more horizontal rebar and the nudura puts more vertical rebar.[ one every 8"] It seems there is a endless variety of ways to do ICF.

[MN Dude]

I was told by several people I know who have built cabins up north they've all done their own with the training and help that was provided by the vendor involved.
In retail places I know they provide help and assistance - and I feel they should considering the product is being purchased from them. In one case they bought direct and it was also provided.
Maybe it is dependent on the area you live in or something of that nature to be able to charge for training when the product is coming through them?
Here it would never work. You would lose your business in a blink of the eye to those that provide service.