DIY Network

Breaking Ground: Surveying the Land and Pouring the Footer From "Home IQ" episode DHIQ-102

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 segment the builder determines where the house will sit by hiring a surveyor who surveys the site and lays down stakes. After walking the property with the Obergs and getting their approval, the builder turns control of the property over to the site supervisor. To create the tree line of the property the supervisor and Lynn choose which trees will stay and which trees will go. The heavy machinery arrives and the lot is leveled. The surveyor returns and lays down smaller pins that will outline the footprint of the home. Wood planks and rebar are set along the pins to create the footprint form. Finally, the concrete is poured and the footer of the house is set.

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	Once the land is surveyed, Lynn Oberg had to decide which trees would stay and which ones would go. The trees that go are sprayed with an "x" and the ones that stay get a ribbon.
	Figure A
	Figure B
	The footer is poured and set. Next the surveyor will come out and put the exact points in the footer -- little nails right in the concrete -- that the block layers will use as a guide.

• After the groundbreaking, the trees on the lot are marked to go or tied with a ribbon to stay.

• Once the trees are marked, they are chopped down and removed.

• Then the lot is leveled.

• The surveyor is called back and this time he places small pins in the dirt (figure A) to mark the precise location of the home's footprint. This gives a general outline of the where the footer -- the concrete platform that the foundation sits on and where the weight of the house is distributed into the soil -- should be poured.

• After the pins are set, they are painted to give a visual aspect of the foundation footer.

  Note: At this excavation stage, the builder can't be pushed if the weather doesn't cooperate. If a house has an improperly poured or set footer, the house foundation can crack. This is a vitally important stage, and it must be done when the weather allows. So if the soil is wet, take a couple of extra days to let it dry before the pouring can begin.

• The type of footer used for the Oberg's home is called a "form footer," which means wood planks were used with metal reinforcements (rebar) for added strength (figure B).

• Once the last form was set, it was time to pour the concrete.

RESOURCES :

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

Land Excavation
Crea Excavating, Inc.
1315 Pleasant Hills Rd.
Wexford, PA 15090-6807
Phone: 724-935-2959

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

Debbie Mondell
Mortgage Consultant
Sky Bank
700 Lawrence Ave.
Ellwood City, PA 16117-1932
Phone Direct: 724-758-1722
Phone: 724-758-5568
Fax: 724-758-0279
E-mail: mondel@sky-bank.com

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