First of all thank you for your response.

See below my answers to your questions.

"Tom Baker" wrote in message
om...
"Alexander Galkin" wrote in message
...
I am planning an addition to my 2 story colonial. The addition is
actually
extending first floor along the side facing backyard. The addition will
be
50 ft long by 6 ft wide. I want to do as much as I can myself leaving to
pro
only that part of the job that I absolutely cannot do or make no sense to
do
myself. I have moderate experience in framing, plumbing, electrical,
insulation, drywalling and have all necessary power tools to do the job.
I
do not have any experience in building foundation or putting joist-beam
floor system. I am weighing two options for the addition foundation:
crawl
space and full basement. Here I have several questions:

1. While I realize that every project has it many specifics what the
approximate cost would be to excavate hole for the 50 ft x 6X ft addition
foundation, build the foundation walls and slab, backfill and put the
floor
with no subfloor? I line in Central NJ.

2. What's the approximate cost difference of building full basement vs.
crawl space? Frost line in my area is 3 ft so trenches for the footings
must
be dug 3 ft at least.

3. What's the approximate cost and benefits difference of concrete
monolithic vs.cinder blocks foundation? My house (55 years old)
foundation
is built using cinder block with I believe no rebar reinforcement.

4. Is it feasible both economically and from time perspective trying to
do
some of foundation work myself? Could you advise me if any of the
following
foundation tasks I can do myself or I should forget about them and leave
them to pro:

- building footing forms and put rebar in them

- renting gas powered concrete mixer or get ready mixed concrete and
build
footings myself

- building foundation walls using cinder blocks

Is above what I can really do myself or it is not worth it? I have
limited
experience with concrete (redoing parts of basement slab after installing
underslab plumbing)


I believe having foundation built and floor put I can take over enlisting
my
Dad's and friend's help to put frame, siding, roof, plumbing, electrical
and
internal finish.

Any comments and advise would be greatly appreciated.

That's a lot of work for an extra six feet!

I need six feet to extend kitchen and office. I don't need anything more as
I don't want to reduce my backyard by building larger addition.

Have you checked with zoning and the building department?

No I have not applied for a permit yet and my project is in early planning
stage. That's why I posted my questions here. Depending on what part of it I
will be doing myself I will plan and budget accordingly. I did though speak
to a building inspector while he was inspecting my other project. I don't
beleive zoning department will have any issues with my plans.

Have you worked out the structural requirements for openings in the
existing wall?

Not yet. I plan to consult and get my plans signed by a lisensed architect
before applying for a permit.

Is there room to move equipment from the street to the back of the
house?

I can remove part of the fence that separates back yard from front yard to
allow excavator and other equiptment and materials to be moved from driveway
to backyard working site. At the same time I want all job to be done as
carefully as possible. I don't want entire backyard to be turned upside
down. Especially I worry about centures old oaks on my backyard. Although
all trees are not in close proximity to the potential building zone I don't
want to take chances. Do you have some advise what I should do to make as
little damage to backyard as possible? I have no idea what type of excavator
is needed. I also don't know how concrete is delivered and poured for the
footings. I know there are concrete deliveries with pump that allow to pump
concrete for the structure on backyard while truck is standing on driveway.
But since that amount of concrete for the footings is relatively small
hiring a concrete pump truck might be very expensive. That's why I asked it
if it feasible to rent gas powered concrete mixer (my local HD has one). I
can then have coarse aggregate, cement and sand deliverd and dumped on
driveway. I also leaning to building walls using cinder blocks as they also
can be dumped on driveway and I can move them to the work site later.

Is there enough vertical distance to fit a roof below the second story
window sills?

Yes. Actually, the shed roof I am palnning will have the same pitch as my
house roof for the six foot wall extension.

Do the existing mechanical & electrical systems have capacity for the
addition?

I don't understand what "mechanical" means. I do intend to replace all
wiring for the kitchen, bath and office that will be extended. The bath will
also be completely renovated and its plumbing will be fully replaced.

If the existing basement wall is unreinforced, how is the new wall to
be tied to it?

I talked to a building inpector and also read in books. Holes will be driled
in existing foundation and rebar will be inserted in to them where addition
foundation attaches to existing foundation. I do plan to rebar reinforce
footings and foundation walls regardles of how they will be built. I also
plan to waterproof the addition foundation if it will have full basement but
I didn't think yet on waterproofing method.


The cost of excavation has to include digging next to an existing
unreinforced wall without colapsing it; excavating one large enough to
accomodate working room and the angle of repose of the earch;
disposing of the extra earth.

I understand that. Excavating will be done by a pro.


There is more that needs to be taken into account before begining and
the cost to design the work will be no less than for a much larger
addition, since there are some things that must always be done.

Tom Baker