DIY Network

Footprint of the Home: Footer and Foundation From "Home IQ" episode DHIQ-103

In DIY's new Home IQ series, you'll follow the Oberg family during the decision-making process of building this beautiful new home.

In this first segment you'll learn about the footer of the home. Site supervisor Greg Allen talks about the footer and starting the foundation and how long it will take to complete. The homeowners, Brad and Lynn Oberg, talk about the almost impossible task of meeting the deadline given to them by the homebuilder to complete all of their selections for the home. And learn about the mason's job in building the brick foundation.

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	In this week's episode, follow the Oberg family as the footprint of their custom-built home rises from the ground and becomes the foundation.
	Figure A
	Figure B
	While the mason were hard at work building the foundation, the Obergs, Brad and Lynn, were busy themselves selecting bath fixtures, paint colors (seen here) and exterior brick style.

• So far the Oberg lot has been excavated and the cement has been poured for the footer, which the platform that the foundation of the house sits on. It's how the home's entire weight is distributed into the ground. The footer has to sit on hard compact soil called "virgin ground," and since the house is being built on a sloping lot (figure A) the footer steps down toward the back of the lot. The masons' first task will be to bring the footer up to the same level. There will be nearly 3,000 blocks and 14 courses (levels) used for this process, and they will be laid by a three-man mason team.

  Note: The three masons worked in (figure B) increments of seven courses -- or layers -- of blocks each day because the drying mortar can only support this many layers at a time. This definitely can slow down the foundation process. The team works from the corners inward since the corners offer lateral support for the entire wall as the mortar dries.

• As each block is laid, it's checked to make sure it's level from all angles. Even if one block is out of place, an entire wall will be crooked later.

• Then the masons strike each joint between the blocks with a striking tool to compact and smooth out the mortar. Finally, a bristle brush is used to wipe away any excess mortar to leave a nicely finished wall.

In the next segment you'll see how the builder solves some problems with the footer and blueprints.

RESOURCES :

Tuff-N-Dri® Basement Waterproofing System
Tremco Barrier Solutions, Inc.
Website: www.guaranteeddrybasements.com

Warm-N-Dri® Foundation Board
Tremco Barrier Solutions, Inc.
Website: www.guaranteeddrybasements.com

GUESTS :

Brad and Lynn Oberg
Homeowners
Company: IBACOS (Brad)
Title: Co-Founder/Chief Technology Officer
Website: www.ibacos.com

Henry (Hank) Swierczynski
President
Hendolhurst Homes
955 Markman Park Rd.
Baden, PA 15005
Phone: 724-935-5658
Fax: 724-935-0884
E-mail: buildm@zoominternet.net

Greg Allen
Site Supervisor
Hendolhurst Homes
955 Markman Park Rd.
Baden, PA 15005
Phone: 724-935-5658
Fax: 724-935-0884
E-mail: gcrbs@adelphia.net

Jim Sperdute
Surveyor / Project Manager
Sperdute Land Surveyors
108 Deer Lane
Harmony, PA 16037
Phone: 724-452-4362
Fax: 724-452-9357
E-mail: pasurvey@zbzoomnet

Anthony Grisolia
Building Performance Specialist
IBACOS, Inc.
Website: www.ibacos.com

Tom Cullivan
National Marketing Manager
Tremco Barrier Solutions, Inc.
6402 East Main St.
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Phone: 614-322-4420
Fax: 800-230-8178
E-mail: cullivth@tremcoinc.com