Our GC informed us today that tomorrow they will remove the carport retaining wall which was poured in the wrong location and then they will start excavating the area closer to the house as well as install pier pads and posts to support the existing structure. Hopefully this will help us achieve a footprint a little closer to what was shown on the plan. Not sure why this wasn’t done originally but I’m just happy that they’re finally doing it.
Tag Archives: Foundation (engineering)
We Have a Problem
We have a problem, after being framed I knew that it would look a little smaller but I decided to measure the room sizes anyway. Somehow we lost 2′ 6″ from the depth/length of our basement/flex room. Our downstairs bedroom is smaller and the stub for the plumbing is in the bedroom, not the bathroom. Just one huge mess. 
I sent our GC an email letting him know that it wasn’t acceptable and that we would like to meet with him ASAP. Also noticed that the carport is smaller than what was noted on the plans. GC wrote back that “we lost some space from the plans”. No Shit!! A lot of space and we’re having to bring it to your attention, I would think that you would have brought this up to us as soon as you discovered there might be an issue. Were you not going to tell us? Amazing!!! His reasoning is that the elevations in the plans are wrong. Ok, doesn’t make sense to me but I’m willing to listen, plus doesn’t it say on the plans to field verify all measurements and to notify the architect if the existing field conditions are different from what’s on the plan? We’re meeting him on Saturday and I am beyond pissed. This portion of the construction is new and we’re not constrained on any side for our footprint – we shouldn’t be that far off, a few inches I understand but 30″, no way!!
Update, just spoke with our architect, he said that our GC never called him with any questions or concerns. He said that is quite normal for our GC and that he keeps telling him that if something doesn’t make sense to call.
Foundation is Poured
They poured the foundation today and it looks great!! Max had the best time watching all of the big cement trucks as he made me stay to watch all 4 of them. Thankfully he didn’t make me sit to watch it dry. Next up, FRAMING!!!
A Schedule
A lot of rain is schedule for this week however our GC told us that they’re planning to slab plumb today (Google), inspect Tuesday, slab prep Wednesday, inspect Thursday and pour the slab on Friday. Yes!!! A schedule!!!
Step Forward (baby steps count don’t they?)
Yeah, our GC said the plans were approved today by the city and are to be picked up tomorrow. Only a 10 day delay, we can handle that.
We’ve had a lot of rain lately and unfortunately some is accumulating on the hardwood floors in one of the bedrooms. Seems that it’s coming in from the area covering what they demo’d. Definitely concerning to see but when I told the GC he said that he would have someone fix the tarp and not to worry because it won’t hurt the floors, also that it’s common in these types of remodeling jobs.
He also said that they’ll check the depth of the grading tomorrow (thank you), I’m curious to hear back about this because I truly don’t think that it’s deep enough for an 8′ finished ceiling which is noted throughout the plans and has been discussed numerous times. He still can’t tell me when they’ll pour the foundation or lay the plumbing, my hope is soon.
Remember, originally we were suppose to be in the house in May, then July – now that isn’t looking too promising. Are there really no schedules or timelines in residential construction? This is starting to become pretty frustrating.
Holding!!!
Well our GC informed me today that the grading for the carport is correct and it is exactly as shown on the plans. Ok, he’s correct, however it isn’t what we discussed numerous times. I haven’t been educated in reading construction documents however I do know that numerous times we discussed our size requirements with him as well as the architect.
Tip: do not rely on anything verbal, make sure any changes are in writing and reflected on the plans – this “miscommunication” is now considered a change order (additional costs).
Also found out from our GC that the concrete guy is requiring that the foundation wall design be approved by the Permit Department before he will pour the walls. Delay!! Why was this not known or even drawn before now? Plus, I had to remind our GC about stubbing the basement for a future wet bar as well as the possibility of adding an outdoor room on part of the future deck.
Frustrated, Concerned, Scared and somewhat Mad are pretty accurate feelings that I’m currently experiencing. Our GC tells us that we can deal with the various issues and concerns “when we get to them” but that’s doing little to comfort me. We need to meet with him, we’ve yet to sit down with him and go over the plans in detail and have only walked through the property together twice for about 5-10 minutes each time. Email and phone conversations can accomplish a lot however I think it’s time we go through everything in more detail. This isn’t a little job and in my mind we’re spending a considerable amount of money – we’re overdue for a meeting.
UPDATE: I made the call and we’re scheduled to meet with our GC tomorrow, hopefully we’ll all leave on the same page and more importantly that this will reduce any further delays and/or miscommunications.
Tomorrow’s a new day and I’m looking forward to us getting back on track.
Happy Valentine’s Day
The grading was completed on the expansion portion of the house yesterday so I went by to view what will soon be covered in concrete. Not quite sure… but I think we have a problem, still have some diggin to do. The plans call for an 8′ finished ceiling in the basement, however I’m 6′ and I’m able to reach the top of the floor on the main level of the existing house. I know this can’t be correct as we’ll need to account for the joist, foundation, sub-floor, etc… Also the carport is smaller than what we discussed. I sent an email to our GC just to alert him to what I’ve discovered.
On another note, while Julie has enjoyed deciding on finishes, colors, etc… I’m starting to scare myself. I’m now a subscriber to Better Homes & Garden‘s website and bought a copy of the latest Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles and Renovation Style. Thankfully we were left with a lot of wood that needs to be split – think that I need to go and split some in the near future for a reality check.
Pics of the grading process, you can see that Max had a blast and felt very much at home:
Demo is Almost Done
Our GC sent us an email this morning letting us know that the first stage of demo will be completed today and that his crew will start grading for the foundation tomorrow. He hasn’t yet been able to nail down when they’ll dig for the footings – had to look that one up www.finehomebuilding.com – great site for those that don’t know (me included). Moving forward though, we seem to be a little behind schedule but he says we can easily make that up, depending upon the weather.
Morningside Renovation 